Alvin Ciputra Tjipto

IT Auditor

Industry:

Banking, Maybank

Country:

Medan, Indonesia

Been in Singapore since January 2007
Currently a Singapore Permanent Resident

Having lived, studied, and worked in Australia for eight years, Alvin Tjipto left his sister and twin brother behind to come back to Singapore, where he spent his early teens. He’s now swapped his Australian PR for a Singaporean one, to be where he feels most at home.

A day in my life

1. 9.30 am

   Saturday morning. I jump in the car and head off to the National University of Singapore’s football pitch. Good thing it’s just a 15–minute drive from my Farrer Road apartment – I don’t want to be late. The mid–week football game two nights ago was exhilarating and I’m hungry for a rematch.

2. 10.00 am

   The guys are already on the field, warming up. I’ve known most of them since my school days when I studied in Singapore. I later moved to Australia and got my PR there, but in the end, I find I fit in much better here. I’m comfortable with the culture, the people, the food... I guess I’m Asian through and through! Needless to say, my parents in Medan are happy, too – now we’re just an hour’s flight apart.

3. 12.00 pm

   Still chatting after the game. Even though we play twice a week, we’re never short of things to talk about. Sometimes we end up talking more than we play! I find Singaporeans easy to get along with. Better pack up, though, my fiancée will be waiting for me.

4. 12.30 pm

   It’s an enjoyable drive to the other end of Singapore. The roads are so lushly landscaped, it’s no wonder they call this expressway a “Parkway”. Traffic is smooth – it usually is, even on a work day. I drive a ‘weekend car’ – licensed for weekday evenings and the whole weekend. It makes a lot of sense because Singapore’s public transport is so convenient; I take a bus and train to get to work.

5. 1.00 pm

   All the way east of the island at the Changi General Hospital, my fiancée’s just off work. We “da pau” (Chinese for “take away”) a simple lunch to eat back at her home. I don’t miss Indonesian food at all, local food is fine... just add more chilli!

6. 3.00 pm

   We head out to our church in Pasir Panjang. We’re involved in the Youth and Young Adults ministry, and if it’s not an outing we’re organising, it’ll be a sporting activity. More soccer, anyone?

7. 6.30 pm

   Time for a spot of window-shopping. We like Orchard Road – there’s such a variety, we never get bored. There may be all the famous brands here, but we like to discover inexpensive presents for each other.

8. 7.30 pm

   Dinner in town. She likes Japanese food, so we’re having teppanyaki at Inagiku restaurant. Dining in Singapore is very affordable, and good restaurants are ubiquitous. I hold one of the many privilege cards which offer dining discounts, so it’s all the more value for money.

9. 9.00 pm

   I do my best to be romantic... a nice restaurant, a good play or musical, a quiet walk along the waterfront... it’s so easy in Singapore! We know we’ve made the right decision to settle down here.