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LIFESTYLE WELLNESS OF AN EXPAT IN SINGAPORE

May 21, 2018 by Little Miss Honey 844 Comments

Expat Wellness

As a Family Medicine Physician, I have always been interested in wellness as a lifestyle and I have been advocating wellness in my patients, family and friends. But what exactly is Wellness?

The World Health Organization define Wellness as “…a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Wellness encompasses a holistic approach to life leading to a higher quality of living. I would often associate wellness with stress-management, positive relationships and mindfulness.

I am even more particular with pursuing wellness as a foreigner living in a new country that I wasn’t born in and a young family raising kids all below the age of four. I am aware that it would subject us to some challenges and issues in adapting as we settled in a foreign country.

I came across a study conducted by Aetna International on Expat Family Health and Wellness Survey 2018 where 32 families living around the world were interviewed what “wellness’ means to expat.

It made me think of how wellness play a part in our lives here in Singapore as expatriates living in a new land that we are not born in. It made me think of different aspects of what wellness is composed of and allowed me to retrospectively reflect on our wellness as a family here in Singapore.

Expat Wellness

PHYSICAL HEALTH & EXERCISE

Singapore is an urban country with sophisticated infrastructure and an amazing & organised public transportation system. It is also an expensive country to afford a personal car so most people would opt to take advantage of the public transportation available. I have noted and even my friends who would come to visit that the city is designed to make you walk a lot which would get you to exercise without you realising it. There are no pedicabs, trishaws or tricycles unlike some Asian countries or back home in the Philippines to indulge lazy walkers from going the extra mile by foot.

Singapore also is abundant with availability of different types of specialised gyms, exercise classes and even parks have exercise equipments designed to encouraged improvement of physical health among the people living in Singapore. Sadly, however, these facilities are often not even used due to lack of time and spending more time at work.

Pregnancy Exercise

DIET & FOOD

Singapore is a haven for foodies like me with its variety of food for every palate considering the intermingling of influences from the different races in the country. Eating out wouldn’t be a problem because there is something for everyone. Also its versatility of food includes health conscious choices as well for vegetarian & vegan options. For expats who do not cook and prefer buying cheaper option of food in Hawker Centres, the local food would provide a tasty but often greasy and most often than not, not so healthy option.

DBS Paylah Hawker Food Trail

QUALITY OF LIFE

Singapore is a beautiful country to live in. It is a city with clean streets, aesthetically-pleasing infrastructure with a well-balanced old & new influence in its design. The cost of living is definitely high. Singapore has been known to be an expensive country to live in. To keep up with the success of this little country, it is inevitable that the work & life balance may be a little skewed with work being an integral part of its lifestyle. And expats are extremely exposed to this unbalance having to relocate to the country mainly for work. Most hours are spent at work. The availability of helpers can assist in unloading some domestic burden that may be neglected due to work commitment but this also comes at a hefty price.

EDUCATION

My kids are still very young. I have one kid in nursery but I am fully aware of the approach in Singapore education to children. Singapore education tends to push students very hard academically which can be stress-inducing. They do have very high standards to maintain the improvement of this bustling city. I may have some apprehension to subject my kids to such academic stress though I do not doubt that their results of their graduates are indeed exemplary.

HEALTH CARE

Healthcare in Singapore can be expensive. Expats must make sure to clarify with their company the health benefits they would receive from the company as well as their family’s health care benefits too. Being a foreigner without any subsidy, it can really be expensive so opting to see private doctors would be the option instead of going to government medical centres where no subsidy is provided. But healthcare in Singapore is definitely advanced and evidence-based. It is also advantageous that most doctors speak fluent English to give a clearly understood consultation with English-speaking expat patients.

Expats in Singapore often get insurance due to the awareness of healthcare cost in the country. My family have yet to get health insurance but we are aware that we need to get one as soon as possible to protect ourselves from unforeseen circumstances.

MENTAL HEALTH

Along with physical healthcare, mental healthcare should also be considered. Urbanized and progressive city in a highly competitive industry, stress is a likely enemy. It is good to note that living in a different culture can be challenging and often invite mental & emotional battles with our complacent self. So de-stressing techniques and concepts promoting positive interactions, mindfulness and meditation are highly encouraged.

 STAYING SAFE

One of the great things of living in Singapore is the security and safety. The country is vigilant in keeping their streets safe and secure with low crime rates. It gives me the peace of mind in raising my family in a safe place.

 CLIMATE

 Singapore climate is very much like the climate in the Philippines due to the proximity of both countries and being in the tropics. It is often hot and humid with occasional rain and drizzle. But in Singapore, hurricanes, floods and typhoons are often not experienced.

Living as an expat can expose us to several hurdles to our overall wellness but it is even more important for us to overcome these challenges to strive and contribute effectively in the new country we are starting a new adventure. Being an expat allows us to test our resilience of spirit as we test our overall capacity to be a self-actualised individual enjoying exploring the surprises and adventure of what expat living may bring.

To read more about the study of how expats’ take on wellness all across the globe, read more here: Expat Family Health and Wellness Survey 2018

Aetna International Expat Wellness Survey

Filed Under: Expat Diaries Tagged With: Aetna International, collaboration, healthcare, Healthcare Insurance, Singapore

EXPAT DIARIES: DONNA – FILIPINA IN SINGAPORE

June 18, 2017 by Little Miss Honey 751 Comments

Expat Diaries: filipina in singapore

(Wikipedia) ‘An Expatriate (often shortened to Expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country other than that of their citizenship. The word comes from the Latin terms ex (“out of”) and patria (“country, fatherland”).

This blog aims to discover people who are Expats or I would often call it, adventurers like me, venturing out in a new place to call home and creating memories. I have previously lived with my parents and siblings in the Saudi Arabia when I was in high school. I have enjoyed and cherished my memories the beautiful Sandbox I once called my home. Now, I am in a new adventure with my husband and two sons living here in Singapore.

I am featuring expats in different countries  to share their experiences and adventures with you and me. I love listening to thier unique adventures

I knew of our featured expat today through a common friend. I was interested of her journey as a medical doctor and her venturing into the healthcare quality assurance industry in Singapore. It is the same path that I am currently taking and I can’t help but admire her resilience and confidence. Meet Donna, a beautiful soul with a rock-solid strength and faith

___________________________________

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

A creature of habit that is stirred by spiritually profound matters, wanderlust amazing art, worthy causes, and the excitement of a challenge.

 2. What made you move to Singapore? How long have you been here?

Finding myself in Singapore was an unexpected move on my part. It was one of those let’s-try-this-road-less-travelled –route decisions and it end up as THE PATH that lead to exciting ventures and before I knew it, I’ve been here for a decade.

 3. What do you miss about the Philippines ?

4 Fs (Family, Food, Friends, Familiarity of home). Family tops the list! 

 4. What are the wonderful discoveries and things you like about in Singapore?

When I first came here, I was impressed by the clean surroundings and the abundance of trees. Till today, I’m grateful for the ease in taking the public transport which makes navigation throughout this island nearly hassle-free. I’m also fascinated by the Singaporeans’ propensity to form orderly queues in every instance that entails waiting (i.e. MRTs, food stalls, fitting rooms, etc.) and their cool, calm, collected behavior even when watching action packed and suspense filled movies (the cinemas are oh so quiet devoid of gasps and occasional chatter). These are just a few things among many others that make this country special.

 5. Can you share with us the challenges in working and living in another country?

The language barrier is one of the challenges particularly when conversing with the group of locals who cannot speak or understand English. Also, it took some time for me to catch up with the local jargons (i.e. “giddy” is another term for dizzy, while “can” means yes, etc.) and learning to pepper my speech with “lah” and “leh”. Understanding the local customs and adapting to people of various nationalities with differing beliefs is also challenging yet an enriching experience.

On a personal note, I still deal with homesickness especially during special occasions when I’m not with my family to celebrate with them.

 6. What are the 3 tips you can give to fellow expats in Singapore or those you planning to move here?

They might want to “explore the land” first and see the country, the way and pace of life to assess for themselves whether they can live here. Second is to set realistic expectations, though we might have grand goals, yet we might not get things exactly the way we plan it, so learn to make the most of the opportunities given to us. And the third could be learning to adapt with diverse people of varying nationalities and beliefs and respect one another’s differences.

 7. The LITTLE MISS HONEY community gets inspired through travel, food and books. Can you tell us your current FAVORITE TRAVEL SPOT, current FAVORITE FOOD/RESTAURANT DISCOVERIES & current FAVORITE BOOK?

Favorite Travel Spot – This is a tough question to answer since I have many favorites. I can probably share the criteria that can make a place/country one of my favorite spots should have warm helpful people, good food, unique architectural structures with interesting history, and a treasure trove of art (the last one is a good to have).

Favorite Restaurant Discoveries – Recently, I’ve been to the Open Farm Community (Minden Road) which a good place to have brunch for its laidback backyard garden feel and fresh organic food. Also, Timbre Plus in Ayer Rajah is cool with plenty of food options, live band at night and colorful food vans.

Favorite Book – The Holy Bible is my go-to book for all time. There’s so many good books with little time to read nowadays, so I just enumerate the authors of books that I’m reading at this point in time namely – John Bevere (Extraordinary), Ravi Zaccharias (Beyond Opinion), and for easy reading will be William McRaven (Make Your Bed: Little Things that Can Change Your Life…and Maybe the World).

 8. Where do you get your inspirations? Who or what inspires you?

Inspiration comes to me from various sources and forms. I get inspired from reading the news/books, travelling with my loved ones, browsing IG or FB posts, attending an insightful lecture or conference, and even through conversations.

 9. Can you share more what the industry in Health Quality Assurance is all about and what is the career path in this industry?

Healthcare Quality Assurance is akin to an “invisible” hand in the healthcare industry since it has been there in the background laying the ground work for systems & processes to be safer for patients yet not receiving that much attention compared to the clinical aspects of care. Hence, with its sublime role, working in Healthcare Quality Assurance maybe perceived as a regular administrative day job, yet it can be impactful as this field crafts policies that can change work processes, elevates the quality of care through inspections/audits & implements projects that improve patient safety and satisfaction.

Expat Diaries: filipina in singapore
10. How do you unwind or what is your idea of destressing? 

Simple things such as having a good meal, nice long shower, soothing massage, watching animated or comedy movies and at least 8 hrs. of sleep.

 11. Tell us the last 3 memorable trips you had.

Another challenging question since I’ve been blessed to travel to quite a lot of great places. But if I have to narrow it down to the top 3 countries (aside from my beloved country – the Philippines) that made a lasting impression on me, it would be:

1. Israel – Seeing and being in the same places where Jesus actually lived, walked & performed miracles was totally life-changing. The bible just came alive & my faith was further strengthened by the experience.

Expat Diaries: filipina in singapore
2. Italy – Be it in Florence, Milan or Rome, the warmth of the Italians stood out in my memory as well as the scrumptious gelato in nearly every street, the awesome architecture (from the Leaning Tower of Pisa to the intricate ordinary house doors in Florence), and the divine pasta & pizza! It is worth a second visit!

Expat Diaries: filipina in singapore
3. UK – Seeing the mysterious Stonehenge and pretending to be a student in Oxford University (to satisfy my geek chick fantasy to actually step in the oldest university in the English-speaking world) ticked off some of the things in my bucket list. A big plus was the friendly & polite British people.

Expat Diaries: filipina in singapore

12. If you have a friend coming to visit Singapore for the first time and you have the whole day to show her around, which places are you going to take her?

The “touristy staples” has to be visited by having a quick tour of Sentosa and USS (take the express tickets to save queuing time), followed by seeing the Cloud Forest, catch the musical symphony of the Supertrees at the Gardens by the Bay & finish the day by having dinner of local food fare at Glutton’s Bay or Lau Pau Sat. 

13. Lastly, can you share with what is your inspirational mantra in life?

Jeremiah 29:11 is my life verse that I hold on to in this roller coaster ride called life.

                      ___________________

Thank you Donna for inspiring us your story. All the best with all of your endeavors. 

If you are an expat or know any expats who are interested to be featured, drop me a line at littlemisshoneyblog@gmail.com.”

Filed Under: Expat Diaries Tagged With: Filipina, healthcare, quality assurance, Singapore


Hi I'm Honey! I am a Filipina who has studied & lived in Saudi Arabia for a few years, worked in Singapore and is currently based in Oman with my husband & our three little boys. I am a medical doctor, a lifestyle blogger, travel junkie, a foodie and a bookworm. I hope I can drizzle a bit of sunshine and inspirations whenever you drop by my blog. Thanks for dropping by! See ya soon.. :)
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