Spoke Mandarin fluently, I suspect they could be from China, moved to Australia as students, and now they have a Green card in the US.
I didn't get to ask many questions cos we didn't have much time for conversation. I'll probably ask them more stuff next time I meet them.
The encounter made me think a bit more about the reasons why people move to the US.
It also made me wonder why I was not interested to move to the US.
It felt pretty illogical for me not to move to the US.
I could probably get much more for my dollars in US than in SG.
I can get a car, drive it for years. US$25k drive for years...
An apartment or property, freehold. US$200k, can get a landed property.
Tax in the US is more than in SG. But considering that I can use my car and apartment forever, I consider it as a bundle.
Cos in SG, COE and HDB (prepaid rent), is not forever.
HDB, SG$500k, 99 years.
Car, SG$80k, 10 years. If I get a car for 50 years til I'm 80+, I'll probably need to pay a total of SG$350k. Considering that some years I renew the COE instead of getting a new car.
Since I don't drive much in the US, I reckon I could buy 2 cars over a 50 year period costing US$50k total.
Whereas in SG, even if I don't drive much, the COE limits the time I have with my vehicle.
If I calculate this using current SGD/USD rates of around 1.33
HDB SG$500k = US$375k
vs US property, US$200k, then I'm paying US$175k more and I don't get to own the HDB.
As for the car, I'll be paying SG$350 for 50 years, or US$263k.
vs 2 cars in the US at US$50k, meaning I'm paying US$213k more for owning a car.
Totaling US$388k, or SG$516k.
Which I take it to be SG is more expensive than Houston by around SG$500k.
Let's say my wife works another 25 years. She's 36 now, and let's say she retires at 61.
Her tax liability needs to be more than SG$20k or US$15k average per year, MORE THAN SG TAX, to equalize the cost between SG and Houston.
This requires an estimated US$120k or SG$160k annual income.
So I came down to thinking...
If my wife's income is more than US$120k, or will rise past US$120k over a 25 year period, then it gets less compelling to move to the US as the increased tax will erode any "savings" we get for housing and car as compared to living in SG.
As for standard of living, I would say, most things in the US are affordable same as SG.
Some things are more expensive in US, some things are cheaper in the US.
The big ticket items are the house and car.
Eating out is more expensive in Houston compared to SG.
But petrol is cheaper in Houston than in SG.
Food at supermarkets is cheaper in Houston, but shampoo and toothpaste is slightly more expensive.
Generally, living expenses are affordable. So I don't take that much into consideration.
There's also lot of positives about the US.
It's a big country. It can bully other countries. Not great behaviour, but better to be the bully than the bullied.
The US dollar can be used in the US. That's a super big area. Even if the US dollar loses value in the world, it will still be usable in the US.
In SG, the SGD can only be used on a small island.
So I do wonder, and I ask myself, why? Why am I so reluctant, or uninterested to stay long term in the US?
Of course there are negatives as well...
Safety? Yes there are more crimes in the US, or even Houston compared to SG.
But it's safe enough, as long as I don't go to certain places or move around at certain times of the day.
Racism? Yes, I'll always be Asian and will probably never be regarded as American even if I take up citizenship. Is this enough reason to write off the opportunity to move to the US?
Friends and family? Yes, somewhat. But once again, is this enough reason to write off the opportunity to move to the US?
From a long term perspective, America seems to be more sustainable as a country. Singapore will forever need to struggle to stay relevant as it is small and needs to always try to prove its worth.
Dirty politics? Mindless following of a political party regardless of right or wrong?
Well we have that in SG as well. There are blind followers. There are also blind anti-establishment folks who will always vote opposition party regardless of qualifications. All over the world, there are actually quite few who really understand and see the big picture of politics and the implications of politics.
It would be naive to think that there would never be a SG version of Donald Trump someday.
The thing is, I don't know why...
I've been pondering about it. Why am I uninterested to move to the US.
I live a good life in SG. I also can live a good life in the US.
Logically, I should be interested and I should at least give it some serious consideration.
With our current visa, there is quite a good chance to get a Green card if we want to push for it.
And yet, I just want to go home. Back to my comfortable familiar SG.
I'm quite baffled. Cos somehow in my mind, I've rejected the idea. But yet logically, I don't have much basis to reject the idea entirely.
I've been trying to reflect on this question. Can't seem to come to a good conclusion.
I just can't understand why I've no interest to move to the US. Even though when I think about it, it actually seems like a good opportunity.
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