I know this is all pretty inconsequential and of little importance to you but I thought I'd share anyways. Here is what I have had to learn about operating electrical switches in Singapore.2. The switches are quite a bit smaller and you have to press them with force rather than just gently flip them up or down as with traditional light switches in the U.S.
3. See the switch with a red light next to it on the right side of the photo? That is for the water heater. We have three of those switches in our apartment. One for the master bathroom, one for the common bathroom, and one for the kitchen. I have to admit, I actually like this because I can see why they do it this way. You don't waste money as with a whole house water heater that is on all the time and has to cycle on and off to keep the water hot and ready at a moment's notice. However, it is hard to get used to the need to prepare to shower or wash dishes by turning on the water heater ahead of time. It also makes it difficult to wash hands with warm water since we don't leave the heaters on throughout the day. Whenever the girls come up from swimming, the first thing I tell them is "Go turn on the water heater so you can take a shower."
4. Every electrical outlet (you know, where you plug things in) has a switch. Not only do you have to plug in whatever it is you want to use, you also must move the switch to the on position. (This has actually resulted in a few laughs for me. Just the other day, Gander couldn't figure out why the iron wasn't heating up. He had forgotten to switch on the electrical outlet.)
5. The on position is opposite how I think it should be. You know how in the U.S. if a light is on the switch is pushed up. Well, here if the light is on, the switch is pushed down. (In the photo above, everything is off.)
So now you know more about electrical switches in S'pore then you ever wanted to know. At least if you ever come visit us, you'll be prepared, right?
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very interesting. This is all very fascinating.
ReplyDeleteI love how the mundane stuff we take for granted is SO different around the world! I agree, the water heater switches make sense, but would take some getting used to. Thanks for sharing :D We love the pix in the previous post too! I'll go show the kids.
ReplyDeleteI am loving your blog. I am so glad Eric shared the link. The photos really give life to your experiences. I am so happy that the girls are enjoying school so far. They look adorable in their uniforms. It sounds like you are all really enjoying yourselves thus far. I'm sure in many ways it still feels like you are on vacation. The outlet info was hilarious. We just got back from Norway yesterday, and one of the things I took note of were the crazy outlets and light switches. They switches are on the outside of the rooms there as well, but they are big and fat switches. We needed an adapter for Mads' razor and my hairdryer since the outlets are meant for different prongs. Something else that was weird there...they rarely use ice. You have to actually request it and when you do, you get like two pieces that melt almost immediately. I think people were getting annoyed that I continuously requested them. Oh well. Take care. Kim
ReplyDeleteI am loving your blog. I am so glad Eric shared the link. The photos really give life to your experiences. I am so happy that the girls are enjoying school so far. They look adorable in their uniforms. It sounds like you are all really enjoying yourselves thus far. I'm sure in many ways it still feels like you are on vacation. The outlet info was hilarious. We just got back from Norway yesterday, and one of the things I took note of were the crazy outlets and light switches. They switches are on the outside of the rooms there as well, but they are big and fat switches. We needed an adapter for Mads' razor and my hairdryer since the outlets are meant for different prongs. Something else that was weird there...they rarely use ice. You have to actually request it and when you do, you get like two pieces that melt almost immediately. I think people were getting annoyed that I continuously requested them. Oh well. Take care. Kim
ReplyDeleteThis sounds a lot like the electrical in London too. I can't wait to learn if you have a similar "learning curve" for using the washer and dryer in Singapore.
ReplyDeleteMust be so wierd having the buttons outside of the room instead of inside. Thanks for sharing the different living conditions over there. Very interesting!
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