I had a conversation with another expat working for the first time away from her home country and away from her family. She asked for tips in how to survive working abroad, considering that I have been an overseas foreign worker for 6 years in Singapore plus my few years studying high school in Saudi Arabia. I don't consider myself an expert in expat living but I shared with her some of the things I did learn along the way in my few years working abroad. These tips somehow worked for me and I … [Read more...]
WHY I RETURNED TO MEDICINE AFTER GIVING UP ON IT 2 YEARS AGO
Credit : Freepik As long as I can remember, I always say that I will be a doctor when I grew up. Coming from an Asian family, profession with titles are revered and encouraged. When I was in kindergarten, the idea was planted in my mind that the best profession is to be a doctor, a pediatrician to be exact because a clinic with stuff toys & colorful walls seems more appealing. So when any grown-ups asked what I wanted to be when I grow up, my response is always, “I want to be a doctor, a … [Read more...]
THAT FUNNY WORD CALLED EXPAT
When I started blogging, I was in the Philippines starting my Family Medicine residency training. I don't have a niche topic for my blog. I would blog about anything and everything under the sun. As I continued on my blogging journey, I also learned that blogs are better if they have a certain niche, more specific the better. Being just a lifestyle blogger can be like a jack-of-all-trades but master-of-none. I wanted to narrow down my blog topics and identify who my audience are. When I gotten … [Read more...]
NEW BEGINNINGS, NEW ADVENTURE
3 months ago, I boarded a plane that would fly me to a country I have never been to before. My family and I just bid farewell to Singapore, our 2nd home for the last 6 years and I was embarking into yet another new adventure. I was never known to be the adventurous type, the kind of girl you can spontaneously invite to climb the mountains at a short notice or someone you can surely call your bungee-jumping partner. I may not be the sporty, thrill-seeker kind-of adventurer but I lean towards a … [Read more...]
DEAR SINGAPORE, GOODBYE
Dear Singapore, Hello! It has been 3 months since I left you but I didn't give you a formal goodbye letter in our 6 years long affair. How should I start? It is difficult like all break-ups. My thoughts are jumbled in my brain. My emotions are a mixture of many things that are hard to express in words. Hence, this is me, writing to you 3 months after. Apologies for my incoherent introduction to my letter but here goes... I first met you when I was 14 years old during my brief vacation with my … [Read more...]
7 SINGAPORE FOODS TO EAT WHEN YOU MISS FILIPINO FOODS (OFW EDITION)
When I was young, I was never a fan of Pinoy foods. I have always been a picky eater so I would often reject the healthy home-cooked Filipino foods made by our amazing yaya. This is not because it doesn't taste good but rather the familiar & the healthy breeds contempt into my tastebuds. My gullible 6-year-old self would prefer the artificial taste of fast-food junk foods to authentic home-cooked meals. Fast forward when I was in my 30's working in Singapore, somehow I surprisingly craved … [Read more...]