Horsey Birthday
It is Jemma’s birthday today. She is overseas at the moment so I advanced her birthday surprise last Friday at the office. Look how big that unicorn is! 🦄 This is perfect for her because (1) “Ma” means “horse” in Mandarin and it’s part of her name and (2) her expression is “ay kabayo” which […]
Have You Ever Eaten a Boiled Banana?
Yesterday I brought a boiled banana to work coz everyone in my multi-cultural team had never had one before and they were like: “Why would you boil a banana?!?!” Apparently it’s just a Philippine thing. 😅 Let me just clarify that we don’t boil the typical banana, just the one called “saba” which is apparently called […]
eXpat Problems
Are you familiar with the First World Problems meme? Well I’m taking a stab at it, but on expat problems instead. (1) I got invited to another wedding the month after a wedding that I am already attending. I don’t have the budget for the double plane fare, so I’m sorry but I’ll have to pass. (2) I don’t understand most of the posts on […]
6 Things That Happen When You Move Abroad
6 years ago to the day, I landed in Singapore with a trolley full of my most precious possessions and a food keeper full of instant noodles and canned goods, AKA food I eat whenever I move to a new city and don’t have a job yet so I need to be thrifty. There was […]
{Expat Diaries} When Distance Matters
It was past 10 pm on a national holiday, but a bunch of us were still in the office, brows furrowed as we stared at the Excel sheets on our computer screens, with cartons of cold pizza or sushi lying on the tops of tables between our desks. Welcome to month end madness. Just as […]
{Expat Diaries} Culture Shock on Corporate Parties
While on commute yesterday morning, I came across this video: It’s a video of me making a fool of myself singing live with a “band” (more like two guitarists and another vocalist) in front of some 30+ colleagues, as a farewell performance for our boss who was moving to another department. We had taken […]
7 Questions for Philippines, Singapore, France, Germany, China & USA
One of the wonderful perks of being a blogger is getting to know people from all over the world without even needing to get off your chair (or the bed, if you’re lazy like me). I always enjoy learning about different cultures, so I actually prefer to read blogs from people who are not from […]
{Expat Diaries} Lost in Translation
One of the biggest struggles of a new expat has got to be conversation. I’m lucky that I moved to a country where most people can speak English fluently (just like the Philippines, I’d like to point out), but they have a different accent compared to ours, so it still wasn’t easy. I clearly remember […]
Thanksgiving Dinner with my Second Family
One of the cons of being an expat is being far away from your family and the people you grew up with, the culture that defines you. While it’s certainly a lot of fun learning a new culture and making new friends, there are moments when you’re just happy to be the old you, speak […]