Have you ever considered working abroad? Committing yourself to a new challenge. How about the role of an “Editor in Charge” on the Reuters Global Pictures Desk in an unfamiliar city on the other side of the world, in a new office with a sprinkling of old colleagues and friends and many more completely unknown new colleagues from all over the globe?

My wife Andrea and I decided it was time for a real change, not a small step forward but a leap into the unknown, into the darkness.  OK, so maybe an internal company transfer is slightly better lit, but a leap nevertheless. 

So we leapt and left “our” Berlin behind to find ourselves in Aircon City - at home, in the cab, at the office and back again, all air conditioned - and otherwise known as Singapore.

It is just as you would expect, friendly, relaxed and hot and very humid. On our way from the airport the taxi driver told us Singapore temperatures dont change much it is either HOT or VERY HOT. In fact it stays at pretty much 30 degrees all year round, so we are going to have to get used to it, but will be considerably helped by the omnipresent airconditioning.

We went for a stroll in the main shopping district  Orchard Road. It is a shoppers paradise with countless malls: Centrepoint, Delfi Orchard, Far East Plaza (over 600 retailers), Forum Galleria, Lucky Plaza (wanna buy a suit Sir very cheap?), Palais Renaissance, Scotts Shopping Centre, Ngee Ann City, Orchard Point, Orchard Hotel, Plaza Singapura, Shaw House, Shaw Centre, Specialist Centre, Tangs, Tanglin Mall, Tanglin Shopping Centre, Tudor Court, The Paragon, Wisma Atria  need more? Try http://www.singaporeexpats.com/food -and-leisure/shopping-in-singapore.htm#O rchard . The business of shopping is a serious business in Singapore.

Best of all, thay all have aircon and if you are feeling peckish all the malls have a food court in the basement. Be adventerous and try out chilli crabs, maybe a bowl of pigs-brain soup with ginger,  a frog or two, perhaps a plate of nasi lemak! Then after a restorative cappuccino you are ready to hit the next mall, but remember, once outside dont walk fast, forget running. Find your personal speed at which you can move without sweating like a pig and as quickly as possible dive into the nearest 20 degree celsius mall. The pedestrian lights on main intersections are designed for a measured approach to road crossing. They have a timer which shows how long you have left to cross the street before the lights change -  you have 11 seconds to reach minimum safety distance, so stay cool, take advantage of every one of the 11 seconds. And to think people credit us Germans with being well organised!

Orchard Road really does have everything. If shopping begins to pall after your 12th mall just follow the example of the locals and pop in for a session of deep foot reflexology, which I can personally recommend. Of course Singapore has lots of other interesting things to see and I’ll get there eventually but first I am still trying to fit in the shopping around the day job, of which more to follow…