Surely you do have a lot of questions about Singapore forex trading. Unless you know the answers to all or a lot of them, it will be difficult for you to be convinced to go for it as well as to be confident as the other traders. That may be dangerous, as forex trading in general is very risky. If you do not have the guts, you cannot find the glory.

Here are some pieces of information about forex trading, especially in Singapore:

It is not as different as the rest of the world.

It is always one of the first questions people ask: is there a difference between Singapore forex trading and other trading sessions in the world? The answer is actually no. If there are differences, there are only very minor. For example, Singapore dollars would be more salable during the Tokyo trading sessions because of the market hours. Of course, there is the difference in currency and its value in the market. Other than that, the procedure in doing forex is basically the same.

For you to do forex in Singapore, you need to have a forex account. You can open one in a bank, through an automated forex broker, or with the help of a professional forex broker (the one that works in a brokerage firm). You need to deposit money into your account, so you can trade (buy and sell currencies).

The main currency used is Singapore dollars.

There are many different dollar currencies you will see in the forex market. Singapore dollars is just one of them. You have Hong Kong dollars, Canadian dollars, Australian dollars, and the popular U.S. dollars. To differentiate this, though, from the rest it has a symbol of “S$” instead of the regular “$.” It also comes with a nickname, which is Sing. “Sing” is not used in the real forex trading world. However, you will come across it when you are going to read forex trading news. That is why it is also essential you are aware of its nickname.

Singapore’s economy has been doing well for the past few years, and this paved the way for the Singapore dollars to be one of the most sought-after Asian currencies in the world.

Forex trading is one of the biggest investment industries in the world.

The forex trading market is one of the biggest industries in the world. Trillions of dollars every day go in and out of it. Just imagine how many banks are participating in the trade. You will know it just by looking at their desks. If they have foreign accounts services, there is a very huge chance that they offer foreign exchange services. The mere changing of your Singapore dollars to other currencies such as U.S. dollars is already a way of participating in the market. There are hundreds of banks in Singapore today, and a lot of them can help you join the forex trading market.

You also have international businesses that are opening offices and headquarters in Singapore. For them to do business they need to exchange their own currencies into Singapore dollars. They can utilize their money to pay off labor and other expenses, to name a few.

It is not as regulated as those of other countries.

Forex trading in Singapore has been around for some time, but it is only around 2007 when more people become interested in it. Thus, it is not as regulated or as carefully watched as that of other countries, especially those in Europe and North America. Needless to say, forex brokerage firms are regulated in the country. If you do not want to be a victim of a scam, then you need to choose brokers that are regulated. There are only a few of them.

You can look for a forex broker or use the automated system.

There are two popular ways of doing forex trading in the country. You can hire a professional, or you can make use of an automated forex broker. The advantage of the latter is it works 24/7 and can be tracked even if you are out of the country. You also have more control over your account.

However, it does not provide you with sound advice but only tools to help you come up with good decisions. That is why there are times when hiring a professional forex broker is a good idea too.

It does not guarantee anything.

It does not matter where you do forex. There is still one sure thing: there are no guarantees. The forex trading strategies are there to ensure you can minimize your losses and perhaps look forward to greater profits, but they are not fool-proof plans. There are even times when they do not work at all.

Nevertheless, you can greatly reduce the chances of losing a lot as you learn forex trading more each day.

In Singapore, the more popular music instruments which both adults and children learn include the violin and guitar. The cello, in comparison, is less popular. This could be due to the fact that there are less cello teachers in Singapore who are experienced and qualified to teach the cello. So if you would like to take cello lessons in Singapore, what are the ways to find a good cello teacher in Singapore?

Before I give you some pointers to find a good cello teacher in Singapore, let us examine why the cello is less popular as an instrument compared to the violin or the guitar. They are after all string instruments. Based on my observations, one reason could be that the cello is more bulky and hence difficult to transport around compared to smaller instruments like the violin and the guitar. You may find that having to lug a cello to and from your cello lesson in Singapore is too troublesome. However, this should not be an issue to you if you invest in a carbon fibre lightweight BAM cello case with wheels for easy movement. The other reason that cello is less popular as an instrument is that one simply cannot find a good cello teacher in Singapore. So before you can find quality cello lessons in Singapore, you will need to find a good cello teacher. I will now give you some idea on how to do this.

Firstly, Singapore is a very connected city. Services are easily available in your locality, whether it be in the north (such as areas including Sengkang and Hougang), south (including areas such as Lavender), east (Katong area) or west (Jurong). As such the first way you can find a cello teacher in Singapore is through one of the string ensemble or orchestra based in Singapore. Try the NTU String Orchestra, ask the musicians there if they know of any good cello teacher in Singapore. Or alternatively you can check in with the Singapore polytechnic string ensemble.

You may find that these two sources may not be able to put you in touch with a good cello teacher in Singapore. As such the second way for you to find a good cello teacher in Singapore is to approach a music school in Singapore. Look for one that is established and have a reasonable student enrollment. Typically if a Singapore music school has been operating for more than two years, it should be established. The reason is simply businesses typically are challenged within the first two years of operation. If they can sustain beyond that, they should be able to continue operating. You will be safe to look go for cello lessons in a music school that has withstand the test of time.

Thirdly, find out how many music teachers the Singapore music school has. A well managed music school in Singapore typically will have more than twenty teachers specializing across a broad range of music instruments. This includes violin, viola, cello, guitar, ukulele, saxophone, flute and keyboard. By offering a wide range of music instrument lessons, the music school will be able to attract more students into the school.

Fourthly, meet up with the principal of the Singapore music school you have identified. Check out how big the music school is, and if all the teaching studios are full during peak hours. The peak hours of a Singapore music school is typically on the weekends and weekday evenings. If the music studios are full, this shows that the music school has a solid syllabus for each of the music instruments offered, and that the music teachers in the school are of a high standard.

Fifthly, have a chat with the cello teacher in the Singapore music school. Find out how many years the Singapore cello teacher has been teaching, how many students he teachers, and how many years his students learn under him. Typically if a cello teacher has a big number of students who have continued to take cello lessons from him for years, this signals that the cello teacher in Singapore has the correct teaching methodology.

Well, I hope you now have some ideas as to how to look for a good cello teacher in Singapore. Good luck in your search!

Started on 1 July 1955, the CPF (Central Provident Fund) is a compulsory savings plan designed for Permanent Residents and working Singaporeans, providing funding mainly for healthcare, housing and retirement. The Central Provident Fund Board is the entity that administers the CPF, running under the Ministry of Manpower. For the CPF, employers contribute 16% of the employee’s monthly gross salary, while employees contribute 20% of their monthly gross salary.

On 29 May 2014, Singaporean Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin declared that making sure that the CPF system works smoothly to provide to all Singaporeans’ housing needs is a crucial component of all housing schemes, as an argument to other MPs’ suggestions to allow more CPF monies to be spent on healthcare and retirement, and less on housing. Tan Chuan-Jin also cautioned that the higher CPF interest rates that some MPs (Members of Parliament) called for imply a higher risk, and explained his reasoning in Parliament during a debate on the President’s address. He added that the Government is responsible for catering to Singaporeans’ housing needs and that many of the city-state’s population support his opinion.

In addition, Tan Chuan-Jin ensured Singaporeans that the Government will have their housing needs in mind when working to improve access to housing and grant schemes that will help with monetizing their homes, both in the earlier stages of their life and in their later ones.

In President Tony Tan’s address at the reopening of the twelfth Parliament, he mentioned that improvement of CPF savings and annuity schemes was part of the Singaporean Government’s plans. Similarly, Ang Mo Kio GRC Member of Parliament Inderjit Singh claimed that the CPF Board could limit the amount of the Ordinary Account Singaporeans could use for the purpose of buying property. In addition to more affordable housing, Inderjit Singh claimed, this would leave more for retirement.

Together with other MPs (Zaqy Mohamad – Chua Chu Kang GRC, Tin Pei Ling – Marine Parade GRC), Hougang MP Png Eng Huat called for courses of action that would provide higher returns on CPF monies, which would enable a better resistance to inflation. To this, Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin responded with a reminder that higher returns also bring higher risks, assuring Singaporeans that CPF interest rates is an area of interest for the Government, in what concerns enhancement of CPF life. In addition, he explained why full flexibility in the use of CPF monies would be a downside. Seeing as the CPF’s main aim is the peace of mind of Singaporeans by providing a steady stream of income in retirement, earlier extraction of CPF monies, claimed Tan Chuan-Jin, would bring concerns.

Located at the southernmost tip of the Malay Peninsula with a land area of ​​685.4 km2, Singapore is an island-state with a 4.2 million population. It consists of one main island and 63 islets, some of the more well-known ones being: Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin, St John's Island, Kusu Island, Pulau Hantu, Jurong Island. Pulau means "island" in Malay.

Modern Singapore was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819 when it was little more than a swamp. Only until the "rightful" Johorean heir agreed to sell the island to the British that it became a colony. Widely known and recorded by many sojourners as Temasek – Sea Town – by the 14th century, Singapore was a thriving vassal state of the Sri Vijayan empire.

Legend has it that a Palembang prince called Sang Nila Utama was responsible for the present-day name, Singapura meaning Lion City. In Sanskrit and Malay, Singa = Lion + Pura = City. It was while seeking refuge from a storm with his entourage that Sang Nila Utama spotted a mousedeer – which he was told a lion. But lions' natural habitat is the grassy plains or the savannah, not jungles.

As the British had ruled Singapore for about a hundred and forty years till 1963, one of the legacies is the English Legal System. As well as English which is the language of administration, business and instruction in schools from kindergarten upwards. In addition to Malay, Mandarin and Tamil that make up the official languages ​​of the country.

Furthermore, Malay is the national language as enshrined in the Constitution. This is partly in recognition of the indigenous status of the Malays. The national coat of arms depicts a lion and a tiger, the latter indicating Singapore's historical links to Malaysia. This is a visual reminder to Singaporeans that they cannot severe their ties with Malaysia. Even many Malaysian Malays still view Singapore as Malay territory till today.

What is more interesting is a Dutch economist who developed Singapore's economic blueprint; helping the country to attain success. The late Dr Albert Winsemius, who passed away in 1996, was appointed as the country's Chief Economic Advisor from 1961 to 1984.

There you have it, Singapore's history in a nutshell.

Given a reputation as a shopping paradise, it’s no surprise that Singapore’s a fantastic place to buy perfumes and cosmetics in Singapore. After all, where else in the world you can find American, European and Asian products all in one place?

Major international brands are readily available here, carried by the beauty halls of most department stores. So this Top 5 list will instead focus on popular stores in Singapore and what makes them special.

1. Sephora – A Luxury Candy Store For Upmarket Beauty Addicts

The glossy and glamorous Sephora is the upmarket French chain (owned by LVMH) that has devoted fans across the globe. This huge make up store has a devoted following for stocking cult cosmetic brands like Urban Decay, Bare Escentuals and Benefit.

While prices here are high, browsing in the store is like visiting a candy store, and roaming staff are all too eager to give you a makeover on the spot.

Tip: If you buy anything, make sure to ask for freebies. This store has plenty of samples and they’re not afraid to dish them out.

Directions: Sephora can be found in ION Orchard and Ngee Ann City shopping malls on Orchard Road. Nearest train station is Orchard MRT.

2. Sasa – For The Treasure Seeking Make-Up Lover

Sasa is the haunt where local make-up-holics go for treasure hunting. This is Asia’s leading chain of beauty boutiques filled with eclectic beauty products ranging from the simple facial blotter to zany bling-encrusted false eyelashes.

While it’s not easy to find specific products here, it is a very popular place to get great deals on items like SKII skincare and perfume.

Tip: You can pick up interesting Asian beauty products not commonly found in other stores.

Directions: Sasa can be found in malls like Bugis Junction (Bugis MRT) and VivoCity (Harbourfront MRT).

3. Watsons – For International Drugstore Cosmetics

Singapore has two duelling drugstore chains, Watsons and Guardian. While Guardian is the better pharmacy, Watsons trumps it in terms of cosmetics.

Aside from your usual brands like Revlon and Maybelline, you can also find American brands like L.A. Splash, British brands like Rimmel, Japanese brands like Majolica Majorca and Korean brands like BRTC.

Tip: Japanese and Korean cosmetics are very popular for their high quality and innovativeness. If you haven’t tried them, this is your chance.

Directions: Watsons outlets can be found in shopping malls Ngee Ann City and Wisma Atria (Orchard MRT), and also in Bugis Junction (Bugis MRT).

4. Mustafa Center – For The Best Prices On Perfumes

Mustafa Singapore in Little India is renowned for being the 24-hr shopping center packed to the rafters with everything under the sun.

While you can buy almost anything here, Mustafa Center has certain areas of strength, and one of them is its massive fragrance and beauty section. The perfume selection is particularly impressive here, and they’re all sold at great discounts.

Tip: Buy your perfumes here instead of at the Duty Free Stores.

Directions: Mustafa Center on 145 Syed Alwi Road is less than 10-minute walk from Farrer Park MRT train station.

5. Swanston – The Cheapest Toiletries in Town

If you’re not fussy about your make up and skincare, and serious bargains are what you care about, heading to Swanston in Chinatown. Housed on the 2nd level of People’s Park Complex Food Center, this large and staid store sells toiletries and cosmetics cheaper than anywhere else.

Don’t worry, the prices aren’t cheap because the products are dodgy. Swanston manages such low prices because it’s a no-frills store spends next to nothing on décor and advertising. So you can stock up on your drugstore brands with confidence.

Tip: For anyone worried about hair loss, Swanston stocks a large range of scalp treatment products and tonics for low prices.

Directions: People’s Park Complex Food Center is located on 32 New Market Road, close to Chinatown MRT train station.

To apply for the Housing and Development (HDB) concessionary housing loan, there are a few things a Singaporean must know. Since 1 January 2007, all would-be flat buyers or transferees that wish to obtain such a loan will first need to obtain an HLE (HDB Loan Eligibility) letter.

Beside the eligibility conditions and the HLE terms (HDB Loan Eligibility), there are several documents that an applicant/occupant must provide to the HDB prior to filling in the online form, as HDB only accepts online applications. In order to apply, a would-be buyer can use any Internet PCs at the HDB Branch or a self-service kiosk at the HDB Hub.

The documents needed for the application to be considered are as follows:

• IDs (Identity Cards) or Passports or Visit Passes owned by applicants/occupants;
• Required proof of income;
• Information (name, address) of employers for applicants or occupants who are employed;
• Information (name, address) of last employer for applicants or occupants who have been unemployed for less than three months;
• Ownership of private residential property (details);
• Number of HDB concessionary loan(s) previously taken by applicants/occupants;
• History and details of financial commitments (renovation loan, vehicle loan, etc);
• History of cash proceeds obtained through the disposal of last HDB flats owned by the applicants and occupants or by the applicants’ and occupant’s spouses/fiancés/fiancées, if existing.

Upon submission of a first-time application or of an application with a different household or purpose from the last application, the application form has seven steps that are accessible after clicking on “Submit New Application.”

The aforementioned steps are: “Instructions,” “Getting Started” (after SingPass login), “Questionnaire” (assist in determining user’s eligibility for an HDB concessionary loan), “Application Details” (personal and financial information of applicant/occupant, as well as details of last owned HDB flats, if any), “Review & Submit,” “Submission of supporting documents,” “Acknowledgement.”

The application is considered complete only after full submission of electronic signatures using SingPass and after the attachment of complete and detailed supporting documents. It is important that these documents are verified and accurate. In the event of the lack of submission of additional documents requested by the HDB after the submission of the HLE application, the latter may be cancelled. In the event of required additional information in order to assess the loan eligibility, the HDB may appoint the applicants for an interview to discuss further details.

The HLE letter’s validity is six months from the issue date. Re-assessment within the six-months period is not needed if the buyers and occupants do not change.

Chemistry tutor in Singapore

Chemistry tuition in Singapore is in great demand which is due to its importance in making a promising career. Many parents have felt the need of keeping a chemistry teacher for their child.

The characteristics of a good chemistry teacher

A good chemistry teacher should have a sound knowledge of the subject and should preferably have a Bachelors or Master’s degree in Chemistry. He should be clear in explaining the concepts of the subject.

The chemistry teacher should also be experienced in teaching the A and O levels of chemistry. He should ideally be proficient enough to download the knowledge to his students. If you get a teacher who is certified from NIE then it would be a good option or you.

The chemistry tutor should have good communication skills along with patience. He is expected to keep his cool while teaching the students and should not lose his temper every now and then.

The various levels at which chemistry is taught in Singapore are

• Secondary Chemistry and the IGCSE chemistry

• A level chemistry which consists of H1, H2 and H3 chemistry.

• IB chemistry which is good as it is accepted all over the world.

• Tertiary level chemistry which is related to Polytechnic and is taught at the University level.

Chemistry tutors in Singapore

Most of the qualified tutors for Chemistry in Singapore have a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry which is supposed to be the minimum required qualification to become a tutor.

It is normally seen in Singapore than on an average a student takes home tuitions. It is very common in Singapore for the students to take tuitions and for this Singapore is sometimes referred as “Tuition Nation”.

The concept of home tuition is increasing day by day in Singapore at a very rapid rate. The amount of money spent by parents for their children every year on tuitions is alarming which is increasing constantly. The programs for home tuitions in Singapore are specially designed to help the slow learners and simultaneously help the students who want to achieve high goals in their studies.

It has been observed that maximum number of parents in Singapore believe that home tuitions are helpful for their students in a big way which makes the parents find the best tutors for their children.

The minimum amount of money spent for home tuition for a child is around $500 which is a big amount. Moreover around 30% of the people think that tuitions are required in pre-school before they start their normal phase of education.

In addition around 70% of the people in Singapore have enrolled their children in some tuition program or the other and almost 50% of the parents think that tuitions are necessary to make their children intelligent to give the competitive exams.

These are some of the facts about the home tuitions in Singapore which helps a great deal in understanding the education pattern.

My observation of the status of honey in Singapore:

Here in Singapore (where I live – a tiny, modern, prosperous island-city-state in Southeastern Asia, located at the tip of the Malaysian Penninsula), most people know very little about honey and its benefits. Honey is used mostly in marinating barbeque meats and mixing with water to make throat-soothing or thirst quenching icy honey drink, a popular drink in our hot climate that is supposed to reduce “heatiness in the body”. Occasionally, it’s also eaten as a sauce for breakfast pancakes and added as a sweetener to herbal teas and fruit juices. Not many know much about the goodness of honey in Singapore, its relevance to the health of women, elderly, and children, or are aware how it can be used in their diet or cooking. The average household knows honey costs much more than table sugar but has no clue know how much more extra value they could gain if they and their families eat honey instead of table sugar. Applying honey on toast or bread like what the Westerners do is somewhat strange and bizarre for most locals. And how foreigners spoon honey straight from the jar and drizzle it over fruit, pancakes, and waffles, how they use honey as a natural sweetener in place of sugar in hot drinks and desserts such as puddings are all not common knowledge and practices here.

General interest and knowledge level of honey in Singapore is low. I believe many people here don’t know how honey is actually produced. Yes, from the honey bees, but that’s about all they know, nothing more. Many are clueless about the different floral varieties of honey and have no idea how they can be ingeniously and creatively used in cooking. People’s impression of honey in Singapore is pretty standard — basically sweet and nothing more. I can understand why. Most people here are only familiar with the mass produced honey on supermarket shelves, a homogenous blend that makes each jar look the same and have the same mild, unexciting mainstream flavor. Many don’t know that there is so much more to honey, that honey from each bee colony is really a snapshot of that landscape, the flowers and crop that flourish there, and that time period. They don’t know how much they are missing out there when it comes to honey and its varying flavour, profiles and facades. Attitudes towards light and dark honey are probably like decades ago where people saw all wine as basically either red or white.

Also, it seems to me that people here don’t really know what honey to look for – which brand, and know what is considered as good quality honey. Some of the youngsters perhaps will at most consider and grab and enjoy a honey stick from the store but do not know anything about its nutrition value. There is not a single honey bee farm or beekeeping activity in Singapore, and needless to say, no local beekeeping associations where beekeepers share information with the public. I do not know of any efforts to enlist honey manufacturers to promote and talk about the health and taste benefits of honey in Singapore. And never have I seen an in-store cooking demonstration using honey or know of honey tasting events. Teachers in the schools here also do not really make any attempt to educate and explain to their kids in details how honey is produced. Children grow up innocently thinking that honey simply comes from the jars or bottles in the supermarkets or grocery stores.

Nevetheless, as we see a stronger trend with natural remedies and foods and a revisit of the the ancient times when honey was used as a folk remedy for ailments such as cuts and scraps, laxative, and cough and sore-throat balm, among other things, and more recently in the Hibernation Diet, I hope that the general public here in the years to come will show more curosity and interest in honey.

Are you looking for a healthy dish for your lunch or dinner? Why don’t you try Vietnamese food that has less fat and more vegetables. With characters of an agriculture culture, rice is used as the main starch in everyday meals of Vietnamese, made into different kind of cakes and noodles. And a great balance of a variety of fresh herbs, vegetables and meat, as well as a selective use of spices are combined together to create the unique of Vietnamese cuisine.

Vietnamese dishes have been popular in many countries nowadays. In Singapore, the food city of Asia, delicacies of Vietnamese food have its own position in the heart of Singaporeans. Take your reservation and enjoy high-quality authentic Vietnamese cuisine with five recommended Vietnamese restaurants below.

Long Phung Restaurant at Joo Chiat

Long Phung restaurant is established by a Vietnamese lady, Chi Lan who moved to Singapore 14 years ago with her family. It is voted as the best Vietnamese restaurant in Singapore by Vietnamese community and locals. Long Phung restaurant is really famous for authentic, frills free and good Vietnamese cuisine. It is located at 159 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427436.

Viet Lang Restaurant at the Arts House

Viet Lang is known as first all-Vietnamese restaurant in Singapore. It is different from most other Vietnamese restaurants which are “Vietnamese” café serving hawker fares. Daily Set Lunch, A La Carte Menu, Corporate Event’s or Special Occasion’s Buffet or Set Meal Selections are available upon request. The restaurant is nestled in The Arts House (Old Parliament House), 1 Old Parliament Lane, Singapore 179429.

Little Vietnam Restaurant

Located at the end of Geylang, Singapore’s most prominent red light district but Little Vietnam restaurant is a definitely peaceful place, away from the rowdy areas. Little Vietnam restaurant is a popular place among Vietnamese who are studying and working in Singapore as well as Singaporean and people from other countries. It is located at 511 Guillemard Road, #01-25/29 Grandlink Square, Singapore 399849.

Nuoc Restaurant

Designed and decorated by Qui N. Ly, a Vietnamese based in New York, Nuoc restaurant as the name suggested “country” or “water” has a swanky shape of new constructed wall, Vietnamese lacquer look and ceiling timber to create liquefied effect. In addition, a greeting wall of stacked red lacquered bowls at the main entrance will give fully signature look with a modern twist. Considered as one of the decent high-end Vietnamese restaurant, Nuoc offer the authentic flavor, fresh and modern Vietnamese cuisine style. The restaurant is situated at 181 Orchard Road, Orchard Central #12-01, Singapore 238896.

Madam Saigon Restaurant at Millenia Walk

Established in 2001, Madam Saigon offers a la carte menu to savour truly authentic Vietnamese foods as well as lesser-known regional dishes. The restaurant chef, Vietnamese Chef Hung is from Ho Chi Minh City who has amassed over 25 years of culinary expertise. In the simple design with rustic tables and chairs with the quintessential condiments tray on each table, Madam Saigon creates relax and a casual feel for customers. The restaurant is located at 9 Raffles Boulevard, #01-26 Millenia Walk, Singapore 039596.