Jacqueline Reischel

There are a lot of choices to buy furniture in Singapore. Educate yourself before purchasing antiques, oriental furniture, teak or oriental carpets. Know what you can and can't bring back to your native country as there may be restrictions.

Bites, stings and allergic reactions, as well as dangers to your pets and children are possible without knowing important facts about nature in Asia. From many years of experience we can say: unless you are a born nature lover and unafraid of any creeping creature on earth, you need to be aware of what is tied to a life close to Asia's nature.

There’s no two ways about it – Shanghai can seem extremely daunting at first, but after just a few weeks you will feel totally at home. Expatriates enjoy a high standard of living in Shanghai and, if you embrace everything that the experience has to offer, this will be one of the richest and most exciting times in your life.

Dining is one of the most essential ways of communicating and entertaining in Asia. Meals, etiquette and placements have many important meanings and you should make a special effort to know and understand them. If you are uneasy in a certain situation do feel free to ask your host. They do not regard your questions as embarrassing but as showing respect and interest in their culture.

Searching for a new home in a foreign city at the other end of the world is a very stressful affair. You may feel under enormous pressure, as you will like to settle in soon and save costs on hotels or serviced apartments. It is of enormous advantage if you do some research by yourself. When looking for an apartment or a house to rent, it is important to look at maps, commuting time, residential areas around schools and pay close attention to the following criteria.

Not used to always being surrounded by a "stranger", you may feel deeply disturbed with a lack of privacy experienced when living with household helpers employed in Southeast Asia. However, maids know their rightful place in the structure of your home and expect you to treat them like an employer treats her employee. It may help to follow these tips on cultural interaction.