Induction to Singapore June 2015

1. Singapore Induction 2015
Marina Cousins
Lecturer CQUniversity
Rockhampton

2. Republic of Singapore
• Island country made up by 63 islands
• Population: 5.18 million people
• Former British Colony, separated from
Malaysia on 9th
August 1965
• Currency: SGD (Singapore Dollar)
• Language: Mandarin (official) 36%English
(29.8%), Malay (12%), Hokkien (8%), Tamil
(4.5%)
• Religion: Buddhism, Christian, Islam, Taoism,
Hinduism
• Literacy rate: 95.9%
Reference: http://www.factmonster.com/country/singapore.html

3. This is Singapore!

4. What do they do for living?
Singapore is a very small for a country: no forest, oils, mines.
Singaporeans are more diverse in economy and achieve more success
than Indonesia (work 45 hours per week)
HOW?
– Manufacturing
– Export and importing / trading
– Tourism
– Medical Tourism
The key is to deliver the best with best quality and best service!
Vanda Miss Joaquim
(National Flower of Singapore)

5. FACTS
• Even though Singapore is a small country, but it becomes a very important port and act as busiest business
hub in Asia Pacific region
• Singapore is a world leader in several economic areas:
– The country is the world's fourth leading financial center
– The world's second-biggest casino gambling market
– One of the world's top three oil refining centers
– The world's largest oil-rig producer, and a major ship-repairer
– The easiest place in the world to do business (given by the World Bank)
– The world's top logistics hub
– The world's fourth largest foreign-exchange trading center after London, New York and Tokyo.

6. Singaporeans are very disciplined!!
Canning for Vandalism

7. Singapore & Drug Traffickers
You are representing the
University & Australia

8. Australian High Commission
25 Napier Rd, Singapore - Telephone: 68364100
opening hours 08.30 am to 4pm Monday - Friday
• Serious emergency
• Passport, visa / immigration issues for Australian citizens

9. Singapore Consumer / Media Culture
No censorship of foreign media & Domestic media is government owned
International
Mobile Roaming

10. • English is the language of instruction in all public schools and all subjects are taught and examined in
English
• Education takes place in three stages:
– Primary education (compulsory – 6 years)
– Secondary education (4 – 5 years)
– Pre-university education / junior college(2 – 3 years)
• There are four standard subjects taught to all students:
– English
– The mother tongue
– Mathematics
– Science
• Singaporeans students are consistently the top five students in the world
• Singapore government offers many scholarships for bright students in South East Asia region & also China
mainland

11. Health System
• Life expectancy is 80yrs male & 85yrs female
• ≤ 10 annual deaths from HIV per 100,000 people.
• High level of immunisation
• Adult obesity is below 10%
• Lowest infant mortality rate in the world.
• Government’s healthcare system is based upon the “3M”
framework:
– Medifund: safety net for those not able to otherwise afford healthcare
– Medisave: a compulsory health savings scheme covering 85% of the population
– Medishield: government-funded health insurance scheme.

12. Singapore Food
• Chinese (Hong Kong, Taiwan, South China)
• Malaysian
• Indian (north and south)
• Indonesian
• Thai
• Japanese, Korean Chicken & Rice

13. Bee Hoon - rice noodles,
veggies, shrimp, eggs (shiok!)
Steamboat – fish, shrimp, tofu, vegetables, ginger, hot pepper
Ice Kachang - shaved
ice, sweet condensed
milk, jello bits, corn,
beans

14. General Information
Ryan Thompson CIS In-country
representative
Visa: Tourist

15. Etiquette Tips for Singapore
Table Manners
•DO allow the host to do the ordering at a restaurant.
•DO expect a banquet by someone of Chinese descent and reciprocate with an equally nice banquet
before leaving Singapore.
•DON'T eat until the host begins when dining with people of Chinese descent.
•DON'T eat with your left hand when dining with those of Malay or Indian descent.
•DON'T let the serving spoon touch your plate and don't share leftovers.
•DON'T refuse the first offer of food or beverages. If you want to refuse seconds, put your hand above
your plate and tell them, "No, thank you."
•DO put your spoon and fork next to each other on your plate to indicate that you are done. If eating with
chopsticks, put them on your chopstick rest to indicate that you are done.
Tipping
•DON'T feel obligated to tip. It's not customary in Singapore and it's even frowned down upon
by the government. Sometimes a service charge will be included in a bill.

16. Gift Giving and Accepting Gifts
• DON'T open a gift until later.
• DO use both hands when presenting a gift.
• DO understand that gift giving etiquette varies depending on the ethnic background of the
individual. See below for gift giving etiquette for those of Chinese, Indian, or Malay descent.
– Exchanging gifts to someone of Chinese descent:
• DO refuse a gift three times before accepting to show that you're not greedy.
– Exchanging gifts with someone of Malay descent:
• DO give the gift upon departing, not arriving.
• DO use your right hand to give or receive presents. If it's large, you may use both.
Never use only your left.
– Exchanging gifts with someone of Indian descent:
• DO use your right hand to give or receive presents and not your left. If it's large, you
may use both hands.

17. Body Gestures
• DON'T touch someone's head. The head is considered sacred.
• DON'T show the bottoms of your feet or use your feet to point. Feet
are considered dirty.
• DON'T tap your foot.
• DO cross your legs only by putting one knee over the other.
• DON'T point at someone with your index finger.
• DON'T pound your fist into the palm of your hand.
• DON'T show affection in public

18. Ramadan 18 June to 17 July 2015
• Abstaining from food, drink & sexual intercourse from sunrise to
sunset.
• When the call for Maghreb prayer is heard fast is broken.
• Dress conservatively – shoulders and knees should be covered.

19. While fasting during Ramadan, Muslims should abstain
from the following activities:
1. Eating food and drinking water or any other kind of fluid
2. Getting angry or losing temper
3. Being impolite, rude or inconsiderate
4. Using obscene language or bad words
5. Gossiping and backbiting
6. Lying or cheating
7. Arguing, fighting or yelling
8. Indulging in sexual activities
9. Avoid blood cupping, blood withdrawal, and using ear drops or inhalers while fasting.
10. Do not listen to music because your heart should be occupied with supplication,
remembrance of Allah, and the Holy Qur’an, not with songs.

20. Our Group – June 2015
Anne-Maree Lines Kylie Roebuck Ria Wolfs Breanna Meloury-Jones Christina Hunn
(Sydney) (Gympie) (Rockhampton) (Rockhampton/Yeppoon) (Brisbane)
Paige Hayllar-Brown Yvette Brier Anne Leung Jack Austin Tara Leslie
(Mackay) (Sunshine Coast) (Noosa) (Rockhampton) (Melbourne)

21. Fragrance Hotel Imperial
• 20 mins from airport
• Lift
• Non-smoking
• Free WiFi
• Hairdryer
• Mini fridge (at your
expense)
Western Menu

22. Itinerary
Thursday 25th
June: arrive at 0815 am
– City Walking Tour (2-6pm) and Welcome Dinner.
(Emergency in-country phone numbers/ embassy contact information will be provided at your Welcome Dinner)

23. – Morning: The Gardens by the Bay (outside gardens free)
– 2-4 pm Changi General Hospital visit
Bed: over 1000 beds care for 1.4 million people in eastern Singapore.
Accredited: Joint Commission International
Objective of visit: To disprove the myth that other countries are not as advanced as Australia within their Health Care Systems.
– For the students to appreciate that foreign nurses (who might be future nursing colleagues) still have a lot of
experience and knowledge to contribute to our Australian Health System.
– For CQU to build a relationship with a General Hospital that might provide the university with future research
opportunities.
– Singapore is a great contrast to the Nepal Outbound Cultural Visit (June 2015 has got at least 2 students who went to
Nepal).
Services: It houses six specialist centres: Breast Centre, Changi sports Medicine, Diabetes centre, Geriatric Centre, Integrated
Sleep Service & Medical Centre for International Travellers.
General Medicine & Surgery, ENT, Renal, Cardiology, Geriatric Medicine, A & E, ICU, Dental, Dermatology, Endocrinology, Eye,
Gastroenterology, Orthopaedic Surgery, Psychological Medicine, Rehabilitation & Respiratory Medicine, Sports Medicine,
Urology.
https://vimeo.com/54825144
Friday 26th
June:

24. Saturday 27th
June
Morning: Bumboat Tour Afternoon: Singapore Flyer
Sunday 28th
June
Free day with optional La Vida Local cultural activities

25. Monday 29 June to 3 July 2015
https://youtu.be/6PiwK5Sq07I

26. Dr Lina Ma (Deputy Executive Director of the Lions Home for the Elders)
Dr Ma is an Adjunct Professor for Central
Queensland University with the School of
Nursing & Midwifery.
Dr Ma has extensive experience from being a
Registered Nurse with an original emphasis on
District and Community Nursing and for the
past 15 years has been working with the Lions
Home for the Elders.

27. Itinerary: Lions Home for Elders
Overview of the Singapore Health System
Assisted Living Unit (OT presentation)
Dementia Specific Unit & Care
Transitional convalescent Facility
Home Care Programmes in Singapore
Kachang Putech (Café run by the Elderly Residents)
End of Life Care: Collaborative project with Tan Tock Seng Hospital
Overview of Nursing Homes in Singapore
New Standards for Nursing Homes in Singapore
Speed Dating & Residients Singing Class (Nightingale)

28. Other Activities: The Lions Home for the Elders
• Man Fat Tong Nursing Home
• Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kwan Rehab Community Hospital
• National Skin Centre
• St Andrew’s (Psychiatric) Nursing Home

29. Itinerary
Saturday 4th
July:
– Free day with optional La Vida Local cultural activity
– CQU Appreciation Dinner: the Lions Home for the Elders)
Sunday 5th
July:
– Morning airport transfer back to Australia (meet @ 11:30 am in Hotel Lobby)
– Arrive at 00.45 am Brisbane International Airport (6th
July): EK432
(Brisbane: Quality Hotel Airport International & Fly to Rockhampton at 11am QF2356)

30. What to Bring:
Conservative Clothing Nursing Shoes & Uniform
Suntan Lotion & Hat
Camera & charger
Phone & chargerElectrical Socket adaptor
Passport & Flight Information
Sensible Walking Shoes
Marina will organise an Iron for everyone to use for their uniforms
Extra Coat hangers
Soap Powder

31. Chinese:
Clocks/Handkerchiefs/flowers: death & funerals
Cutting Utensils (represents severing the relationship)
Malay (Muslim):
Don’t give alcohol
Anything made of pigskin
Indian (Hindu)
Frangipani flowers: death / funerals
Anything made from leather
Don’t give alcohol
Thank You Gifts $10:
Speakers 15 & 8 other gifts (10 CQU Students Gifts & 13 gifts provided by CQU)
http://bookshop.cqu.edu.au/grep.asp?SMETA=catalog&SPAGE=1&STYPE=SU&STEXT=MERCH_PLUS
$8
$2

32. Keep in Touch
CQU Singapore Trip 2015
DIARY:
Reflection
Optional App

33. Thank You – see you at the Airport
Flight Departs: 25th
June 2015 @ 2.30 am (EK433)
Meet: Group Check-in at midnight on 24th
June
Brisbane International Airport
A copy of this presentation will be emailed to every participant after your Induction Session)
Carry-on luggage: 7kg
• Max 100 ml bottle of substances i.e
water, hair spray / perfume etc.
• Prescription medications in boxes
( with your name & GP details
+ GP Letter)
Luggage Weight: 20 Kg