We just returned from our Christmas holiday in the US and I filled four empty suitcases with "stuff" to bring back to Singapore.
What are we missing here? I compiled our list of our top ten items.
10) Suntan Lotion and Deet for bugs
Seriously - I have never used so much suntan lotion or bug spray in my life! And note the new ones I am trying.... for wet skin. Have I mentioned how hot and humid it is? and how much you sweat? : )
9) Candles and pretty soaps
I have looked for candles here and all I could find was the tall thin ones used for prayer offerings and one that cost $80!! You can find soaps - but not the pretty French ones.
8) Printer Ink
Did you know that there is a special chip in the ink cartridge that needs to match the country your printer is from? Both of our printers are from the US so you cannot buy ink here that will work.
7) Condiments
These are a few of the hubby's favorites that you just can't buy here.
gotta love the taco bell!
6) Popcorn and nutritional yeast
Yuck - what is nutritional yeast you ask? Just buy it and shake it on your popcorn - so yummy! It is best when paired with coconut oil (use it to pop the corn). It is often eaten by vegetarians and has a flavor that is nutty or cheesy. We were surprised that popcorn is so hard to find here. They sell a few off brands of microwave popcorn, but we like "old school" popcorn.
5) Shoes & Clothing
All very expensive items here and sizes are WAY too small! I did not buy as many items this trip since it is winter in the states and warm clothing is in all the stores. I did manage to find 3 pairs of shoes, 4 cute T-shirts, one little black dress (well... "little" meaning evening and simple)!
4) Speculoos i.e. Biscoff in the US
Speculoos is a carryover from Belgium. One of our favorite staples - the cookie and the spread. NOW sold in the US under the name of Biscoff. This is a MUST TRY item!! I found it at the World Market store. Make sure you get the crunchy one!
3) Chocolate!
Just too expensive and not the good stuff. May be too hot to ship???
2) Craft Supplies - all kinds!
Most of the supplies come from the US and are triple the price. Plus, there is not the selection like there is in the US. And napkins. I love pretty paper napkins and they just don't have them here.
New supplies for V-day creating!
and thread!
1) Wine!
And our number one item is wine....good French & Italian wine! Alcohol is very expensive here and most of the wines are from New Zealand and Australia (also very good wines) but they are not French or Italian! Plus, many of the bottles we have back in the states are special bottles from vineyards we visited while we were living in Europe. Wine always tastes better if there is a story to go with it!
What do you think you would miss most if you lived overseas? Or my fellow expats out there - what do you miss most from your country?
I was surprised to hear about some of the things that you cannot find in Singapore, like candles.
From what you have told us about Singapore I think the thing I would miss most is the junk shopping and I hope you got a little "fix" of that while you were in the states, too!
Posted by: Kathy | 01/11/2013 at 04:00 AM
That's quite an impressive list of items and I don't blame you one bit! I especially love the nutritional yeast on popcorn too! I snack on it all the time. I would have to have the soaps, candles, wine and also the sunscreen too.
I love your list!
Posted by: Sandy | 01/18/2013 at 02:48 AM