When one thinks of an expatriate’s working life in Singapore, one would probably envision a cushy desk-bound office job in the CBD filled with perks and soy chai lattes.
A little-known fact is that some expats here do have to sweat it out under the sweltering sun in the course of their unglamorous work — and we’re not talking about migrant laborers. The nitty-gritty semantics between “immigrant worker” and “expatriate” can be discussed at a later date.
No, we’re talking about the population of highly-paid expatriates working in Singapore’s thriving maritime, shipping and petrochemical industries — basically far from a glossy, cosmopolitan field of work. It’s an experience familiar to British citizen and expat engineer Justin, who’s also the partner of fellow Brit expat and vlogger Georgia Caney.
In a special takeover on Caney’s YouTube channel, Justin shines some light into his daily grind, which involved some servicing and calibrating work at Sembcorp Marine Tuas Boulevard Yard that day. It’s a role that requires a proper dose of kopi, a 45-minute drive, thick layers of sunscreen lotion, long climbs and longer walks up and down the shipyard. But as Justin clarified at the end of the day, it’s not a job that requires him to do such labor-intensive work daily.
“If I’d done that every day, I’d be looking for another job,” he said.
