Pre-trip Planning

There are so many activities and necessities to plan before leaving for Singapore.

 First, I need to get vaccinations. You can find out what vaccinations you need by just checking the CDC site, but one then needs to go to the "travel clinic" or nurse-who-reads-the-CDC-recommendations-for-you and get the prescriptions and the shots.

I had to make a list of what countries I might visit, so I mentioned the ones I had thought about in Asia. I listed: Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Tibet, Taiwan. As expected, I needed yellow fever, typhoid, and the hepatitis vaccines. I had already had all of these in 2008, but I needed a typhoid booster. I actually messed up the typhoid booster, inserting a couple days between the second and third pills, but I elected not to restart the schedule with a new set of pills. I read in academic journals that the oral vaccine (TY21a) has a 67% protection rate for the first 3 years, and a 62% rate for 7 years. Since I took the oral vaccine properly back  in 2008, I decided to just continue with the current regimen. I'm within 7 years, so I figure this 5 year mark is just a precaution.

I was surprised that a polio booster was recommended for China, and I was also given prescriptions for malaria preventative and anti-diarrhea medicine. I was also told that I might want to take altitude sickness pills, which are prescription, if I decide to go to Tibet. Since that's not a definite situation, I elected to leave that prescription purchase for a Singapore activity.

Writing this blog entry, I found that I can register with the US Embassy abroad in advance in case of medical emergencies and also to be privy to embassy info. (CDC: Getting Health Care Abroad)

 Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)

The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service provided by the U.S. Government to U.S. citizens who are traveling to, or living in, a foreign country. STEP allows you to enter information about your upcoming trip abroad so that the Department of State can better assist you in an emergency.
STEP also allows Americans residing abroad to get routine information from the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

Luckily, I have premo DAN (Divers Alert Network) diving insurance. For about $100/year I get airlifting and hyperbaric chamber treatment. A DAN member will basically show up and front the cash for your services so there is minimal lag time between accident and treatment. It's not just diving accidents,but it's meant as purely supplemental insurance.

Which reminds me, I need to change my benefits enrollment to plans that work abroad!



I also filled out an employment pass for the Singaporean government through SUTD. They have human resources helping me out, but it was a very confusing application. I'm not sure I did it all correctly. There are some seemingly non-sequitor sections, and confusing word choices. For example, the education section has a lot of fields that mean similar things to me:

Main Campus or Affiliating College Attended:
(Applicable only for India qualification)

Qualifications (e.g. for Honours Degree, state class/division; Diploma):

Faculty (e.g. Engineering):

Specialisation (e.g. Civil engineering):

 I believe my answers are: UT, PhD, Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, but I would have no idea without those exempli gratia. Also, it's difficult to committing to a term of stay without a definite return date. One can't purchase flights that far in advance...

I haven't found housing yet; I've heard tell of loads of scams over in Singapore, so I'm waiting to see places when I arrive. I have scheduled to stay in the campus dorms (called hostels) for two weeks while I look for a place. I heard that PropertyGuru and EasyRoommate are very good options for finding a place, while Craigslist is not. Also, a studio apartment runs about $3000 SGD ($2400 USD) per month. Many people let rooms, and they seem to run between $900-1500 SGD ($700-1200 USD.)

I started packing some of my belongings. I drove most to my dad's house, combined with my last trip home for a very long time. Some belongings will go into a communal storage unit rented by my program. I am planning to bring a few items with me. I got a really big purple Samsonite duffel bag off Amazon for $25 that should come in handy. I also purchased velcro one-wraps and a set of three packing cubes to help organize my bag.

I wish I could take my dog, Lucy. But, she has a heart defect and I'm afraid to put her on airplanes. Many dogs die on airplanes, and I'm sure the experience is not pleasant on the noisy, hot tarmac and in the noisy, hot storage areas. I've seen how luggage is treated. There are ear protection headphones sold for dogs. I am leaving Lucy with my dad and sister. She's been there for 7 months already, that way I could help take care of here and make sure the vet transition and everything went well.