Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is a metropolitan area where you get the feel of city life in Oman. If you are a tourist visiting Oman for first time, you would want to explore Muscat for a few days as you head to the picturesque mountains, wadis and sand dunes around Oman. There is also a good number of expats working at the wilayats or provinces found in the interior areas of Oman which has a simpler way of living with few to none shopping malls and not much of a city life. So some expats, … [Read more...]
GOODBYE 2019, HELLO 2020, HELLO NEW DECADE
In my usual tradition of looking back through my last year as a means of reflection, act of gratitude of the year that was and my way of keeping memories through the years, I would often create a gratefulness list for the last year. My 2019 started out promising. My prayers were answered. The change I have been praying for the last part of my 2018 has been answered, a change my spirit has badly needed. But yes, change is never easy. In fact, it is even painful. But sometimes you just know you … [Read more...]
12 TIPS TO SAVE YOUR MONEY WHEN YOU ARE WORKING ABROAD
Many overseas foreign workers tend to lament that despite that they are earning more than what they were earning before in their home countries, it seems that they would go back to their countries after finishing their contracts with no savings and a mountain of debts. I learned a long time ago from my mother the saying, "It is not in the amount of money you earn that is important, it is in the amount you save.". I wanted to take that nugget of wisdom here as we are starting our new life here … [Read more...]
WADI BANI KHALID: AN OASIS IN NORTH SHARQIYA, OMAN
There are a lot of wonderful spots to explore in Oman but we will definitely try to visit all (or at least, most) of them. Oman has been blessed with a wonderful landscape with breathtaking beauty of nature. One of the things that Oman can showcase are their wadis. Wadi is an Arabic term that means valley but it actually refers to a permanent river. There are several wadis scattered all over Oman but we decided to visit the most accessible one, Wadi Bani Khalid. Wadi Bani Khalid is found in the … [Read more...]
10 SURVIVAL TIPS I’VE LEARNED FROM LIVING ABROAD
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...]