First of all: Greetings from Singapore! I have recently been separated from Germany by almost 10,000 kilometers as the crow flies. I have arrived at the other end of the world. Well, not quite yet, because I haven't found an apartment yet. So that I don't have to spend the nights on the streets of Singapore, I'm now a couch surfer.
While still at home, I joined a Facebook group from IEC (International Education Center). Here, former and future students of the university in Singapore exchange ideas, talk about their experiences and their insider tips. In the group I met My, who was doing a semester abroad in Singapore at the same time as me. That's why we quickly joined forces. With two people you're not alone, so it's a little easier and more relaxed.
My and I met at the airport when I arrived in Singapore and went together to our Couchsurfing host Min, who gave us two German girls a warm welcome. Min's couch only costs us a gift and is therefore cheaper than a hostel and at the same time we already have initial contact with locals. So perfect.
On my first evening, I went to eat at a hawker center for the first time in my life with Min, his roommate Yip and My. There are countless hawker centers in Singapore, where there are many small stalls with inexpensive food. Locals also eat dinner here every day. In Singapore, people don't cook much themselves. But that's ok, because in the many small food stalls there is a lot of delicious food and quite cheaply.
Although the monsoon season begins in October, the weather has only shown its best side so far, although at the same time it is incredibly humid, at what feels like 38 degrees. This is a real challenge, especially at night. Air conditioning is definitely a must for my future apartment.
And that brings us back to the topic: looking for an apartment. After all, I can't live on Min's couch for the next six months. And so looking for a room is at the top of my to-do list and will definitely be exciting. I have often read that you should definitely look for accommodation from home, as it is not that easy to get a decent apartment at “student prices”. Especially just for half a year.
Nevertheless, I only started looking for an apartment or room on site. The advantage is that you can get an idea of the accommodation straight away and you can usually get viewing appointments very quickly. So far I've only had good experiences. The agents were all very friendly, accommodating and didn't give you the feeling that they just wanted to sell something. Very pleasant.
There are also some Facebook groups such as “Find a room in SG”. Offers appear online every 5 minutes. So if you really stick with it and make a few calls, you should find an apartment relatively quickly. So I'm very confident that I'll have my own place soon. Although I'll miss Min's couch a bit.
Sandra Guldner is studying at James Cook University Singapore in the winter semester 2015/2016. During this time, she writes once a month on our website about her experiences, impressions and what else happens to her during her semester abroad.
Previous posts:
September 17, 2015: From Bavaria to the wide world
First of all: Greetings from Singapore! I have recently been separated from Germany by almost 10,000 kilometers as the crow flies. I have arrived at the other end of the world. Well, not quite yet, because I haven't found an apartment yet. So that I don't have to spend the nights on the streets of Singapore, I'm now a couch surfer.