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Living overseas

LA or Singapore

6 replies

Clueless2727 · 08/11/2012 20:28

Hi, Possibility of husband being relocated abroad for work. Options are either LA or Singapore. LA sounds more attractive, but I'm worried about how hard it will be to make friends and settle in (even things like how to rent an apartment without a US credit score seems complicated) and how safe it is. Singapore looks good for schools and more set up for expats, but not sure what there is to do there as I won't be working. Got 2 children, 1 in infant school and the other preschool. Any advice on either location really welcome as it all seems very overwhelming at the moment.

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papooshka · 09/11/2012 01:54

Hi
firstly do a search on this board for Singapore as there are loads and loads of recent threads asking about life in Singapore, that will give you a bit of an idea.

Personally I love Singapore, its easy, safe, hot, but very very transient.

I've never lived in LA but have a friend who moved there from Singapore, she loves it, has really settled in and made friends. Its definitely not an expat life over there, but a great place to live. We went to visit her and I could definitely live there (but no job for DH!!)

Sorry thats not much help re LA but sure someone will be along soon who lives there.

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monsterchild · 09/11/2012 01:59

LA is a lot about location, I think. My parents live south of LA (in the redoubtable OC) and it seems pretty safe. Lots to do, of course, and my DM takes the metrolink from there to central LA to work every day. So you can certainly live farther from work than you might have thought.
it's definitely a driving culture, but I don't really think you MUST have a car, though not having one will make location more important.

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Clueless2727 · 09/11/2012 10:58

Thanks, both options have benefits. Kind of hoping decision is made by hubbie's work. Exciting times ahead!!!

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legalalien · 09/11/2012 11:43

I'd personally go for la, from what I can gather Singapore is a very expat lifestyle, which is not me at all. If you are going for Singapore worth doing some advance due diligence on schools as I gather there are lengthy waiting lists for primary places (a friend of mine who recently emigrated is having to home school her younger son for a year - he is Singaporean and the kids speak Chinese, so it wasn't for lack of a range of options....). Good luck!

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GirlWithTheMouseyHair · 11/11/2012 00:55

I moved to LA with DH's work earlier this year, 2DC now 4 and 1. No experience with Singapore

Do you know where in LA you might be? I only learnt to drive a few weeks ago - it has made life a LOT easier but we rented a house close to both DH work and DS preschool so I walked everywhere, and we're on the border of Santa Monica which has a good bus system.

LA is much like London and other major cities in terms of safety - where I live we often leave our door unlocked when going out, windows open at night (single story house) etc. but there are probably areas I wouldn't go to after dark alone - the perceived gang threat is much reduced however and very specifically located. Most of the city is fine.

It's an odd city though - I'm a total city girl, grew up in London, adore NYC, Chicago, Madrid, Paris, Prague, Barcelona etc but LA is altogether a different beast. I do feel pretty settled, which I was expecting to happen so quickly and is absolutely down to the friends we've made here making such an effort and taking us under their wings (some were friend's of friends, some DH met through work, some we met through DS preschool) - having children means, while you can't quite experience the city to the max in the same way, you will meet people regularly and easily. People give out their numbers regularly, it's very transient do everyone is keen to make connections.

Feel free to PM me if you want any more info! Would be lovely to have mumsnetter here!

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Clueless2727 · 11/11/2012 08:44

Hi, that's really useful. Looking likely that it's going to be LA. just starting to have a look at areas, Brentwood looks nice and that is just down the road from santa monica. I'll pm you if that's ok

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