I remember when I moved to Asia in 1994 – it was incredibly difficult to find information around the basics like what was it like to live in Tokyo? What suburb was the best for a young women? Where to buy groceries? What were the hip places to eat? You get the point… Back in the day you would need to rely on friends (and strangers) to help with such valuable insider information.
Well these days, things are different.
Living in the digital age means that our lives are more intertwined with friends and 2nd & 3rd degree connections. If somebody knows that you have spent time in a particular city, you will undoubtedly be asked for insider tips and recommendations.
I have such lists put together for Singapore, Bali, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Mumbai and Toronto, and it seems that the clever folks at Honeycombers have been listening to what people want and taken the initiative to create a microsite that answers all of these common questions for the island city of Singapore.
People who have never been to Singapore often ask questions like “Is chewing gum really banned?” or “Are rents really that high?” – now the answers are available at a click of a mouse. Honeycombers introduces the Arrival Lounge, a comprehensive guide to making the move and sliding smoothly into life in the Lion City.
The clever site breaks down the information into:
Before you arrive
Your first 30 days
Your first 60 days
It also dives deeper into issues like work permits, choosing the right neighborhoods to live in, finding the right school for your children and general tips around cultural integration.
It’s time for me to retire my personal email lists of helpful tips because let’s face it.. the Arrival Lounge has got it covered.
OK – I’m off to get my dose of Hainanese chicken rice!
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