Singapore
Planning a First Meeting in Singapore Around the Rain
Singapore's Meteorological Service logs rain on about 171 days a year. See how WeMet frames a first meeting around that, and around hawker culture.
Introductions have started in Singapore. Other cities open one by one.
In a city with this much rain and heat, where you meet can matter as much as who you meet.
WeMet (wemet.dating) is a modern matchmaking service for adults in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the United States and Canada. No swiping and no chat: WeMet uses AI to choose one introduction a week, when there is someone who fits what you both said you want, and explains why before you see a photo. Introductions open city by city.
Singapore's weather decides more than people think
Singapore's Meteorological Service puts it plainly: it rains an average of 171 days of the year, and much of that rain is heavy and comes with thunder. The Northeast Monsoon runs from December to early March, the Southwest Monsoon from June to September, and the inter-monsoon periods in between, late March to May and October to November, bring their own afternoon thunderstorms. Add high and uniform temperatures and high humidity all year round, and a first meeting planned entirely outdoors is a gamble against the sky as much as against nerves. A plan with a roof, or at least a clear fallback, tends to hold up better here than a plan built around a particular view.
Hawker culture, recognised by UNESCO
In 2020, UNESCO inscribed "Hawker culture in Singapore, community dining and culinary practices in a multicultural urban context" on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. That recognition is about something simple: eating in public, among strangers, is woven into daily life here. A kopitiam does a version of the same thing on a smaller scale. Killiney Kopitiam, on Killiney Road, which says it has been serving since 1919, suits a short, early conversation before either of you has to commit to a whole evening. For something sweeter, Mei Heong Yuen Dessert on Temple Street in Chinatown could suit a first meeting built around dessert and a walk through the neighbourhood afterwards.
Indoors when the humidity wins
Some days the better call is to stay indoors from the start. National Gallery Singapore gives two people plenty to talk about. At Jewel Changi Airport, the Rain Vortex, an indoor waterfall falling seven storeys, is reason enough on its own to meet somewhere other than a café table.
A dry morning outdoors
When the forecast cooperates, Singapore Botanic Gardens is worth considering. As the Gardens puts it, "The Gardens is free entry for everyone, everyday" (the National Orchid Garden inside is ticketed separately). A weekend morning there, ahead of the afternoon thunderstorms that tend to build through the inter-monsoon months, gives a walk rather than a sit-down start. Further east, PS.Cafe at East Coast Park has both indoor seating and an outdoor patio, so the plan does not need to change if the weather does partway through.
UTC+8 all year, and a Wednesday at 7pm
Singapore runs on UTC+8 every day of the year, with no daylight saving. Joining starts at 18. Introductions have started in Singapore: the letter is timed for a Wednesday at 7pm, and you have three days to answer it. Johor Bahru, Malaysia, sits just across the Causeway, but introductions do not follow it: they stay on this side of the Causeway, within Singapore, never into Malaysia and never into any of the four other countries WeMet serves.
Questions
Is a hawker centre a good place for a first meeting in Singapore?
Shared tables can take the pressure off a first meeting, which is part of why hawker culture suits one. A kopitiam or a dessert shop does a similar job on a smaller scale, and gives you somewhere specific to go if you would rather keep it short.
What about Singapore's inter-monsoon thunderstorms?
The Meteorological Service notes afternoon thunderstorms in the inter-monsoon months, late March to May and October to November. A plan with an indoor fallback, or an indoor plan from the start, holds up better than one built around staying outside all evening.
Could I be introduced to someone in Johor Bahru or Sydney?
No. Johor Bahru sits across the Causeway in Malaysia, but introductions do not follow it: they stay within Singapore. WeMet also serves Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada, and introductions never cross from one of those countries into another.
Does Singapore's lack of daylight saving affect introduction timing?
No. Singapore stays at UTC+8 all year, with no clocks to adjust. A Wednesday letter is timed for 7pm Singapore time, the same as a local-time letter anywhere.
Is WeMet open in Singapore yet?
Yes. Introductions have started in Singapore. Other cities open one by one. You can join, verify your phone and email, take the free quiz and build your profile in Singapore today.
How does WeMet verify members who join from Singapore?
The same way everywhere: you verify your mobile number and email, then take a selfie that is compared with your main profile photo before anyone else sees you. WeMet never asks for an NRIC, passport or other government identification.
What age do I need to be to join from Singapore?
You need to be 18 or over.
Where is my data stored if I join from Singapore?
In Australia, in Sydney. WeMet holds all its data there, whichever of the five countries you join from. Support is available every day, 09:00–21:00 Sydney time, in English and Chinese.
How does the weekly letter work in Singapore?
WeMet writes to you once a week — at 7pm Singapore time (SGT) on a Wednesday — only when there is someone who fits what you both said you want. You have three days to decide, and some weeks there will be no one.