"Like it or not, our identity is often inextricably linked to what we do as our profession; as someone who previously worked outside the home, I know what it's like for supporting expat spouses to find themselves struggling when that bit of their lives is suddenly stripped away. That loss of identity, mixed with culture shock and adjustment challenges, can throw supporting spouses completely off kilter...and let's face it, it takes awhile to come up for air and breathe." Recently, I was lucky enough to be interviewed by the amazing founder of Limitless Laowai, Ally Mona, for one of her brilliant podcasts and we had a ball! Ally's a veteran expat, having lived in China for over a decade and her site and regular podcasts are renowned for helping the thousands of new expats coming into China to settle in and find success! We did a two-part interview...the first on 'reinvention'.... yes that old chestnut! You know when you are the spouse who hasn't moved for the job...and all that goes with that new hat you're suddenly wearing? Yes, that! If you're about to make the move to a new country, it might be just what you need to hear. And if you've done anything like it before I'm sure you'll nod along with me in some parts. You can pop over to Limitless Laowai to check it out and have a listen here. There are lots of great interviews, on all sorts of subjects, so you might find one that takes your fancy. It's around 30 minutes, so if you're short on time, you can cut straight to the podcast here.... (Don't be put off by the pause in the middle and the other 'voices' - that's just an advert!) Part 2 is about living in a second tier city in China and how different it is to 1st tier China. Trust me! It is. ;-) Stay tuned for that one too! Cheers, Nicole … [Read more...]
The Expat View: Why Traveling will Never be the Same.
Latest column for Expat Focus “There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” – Robert Louis Stevenson As an expat, my arrival in any country (these days) brings with it, the steely eyes of a super sleuth. The minute I step off the plane, I'm giving my holiday destination the once over! Judging, comparing, making rapid assumptions from the cleanliness of airport toilets, I'm sizing up the place for its 'liveability.' You see, living the expat life, almost every city has the potential to be your future home, which makes any foreign locality fair game. Who knows when or even IF, but as an hotelier's wife, there's ALWAYS a chance this unfamiliar neighbourhood will arrive on your radar at some point in time. We jumped on a plane and went for a mini-break to Thailand last weekend, a short two hour 40 minute flight from Hong Kong. It wasn't my first time in the Land of Smiles, but I was a virgin in the big city of Bangkok. I was excited to see what the so-called City of Angels had to offer. Stepping out from the airport, raising my sunglasses, I peered out at this populous city of 8-million that stretched before me. I'd barely scratched the surface of this vibrant metropolis but I was already shaking my head. “It's not Hong Kong,” I said under my breath. “Give it a chance” my inner voice retorted, sternly.When you're looking through expat lenses, it's hard to keep that raw, open mindedness a first-time traveler might feel in a new, unexplored and exotic environment. The butterflies give way to an anxious knot in the pit of your stomach. To read more, click here >>> … [Read more...]
Reinventing the Wheel: From Television News Reader to Expat Mum in Asia
Last day on air as a News Reader for Sky News Australia My column for online magazine Coping with Jane…. I want my old life back! You know the feeling right? That nagging little voice in your head -- sometimes it's not so little though, it's screaming out, desperate to be heard. I suppose it’s all par for the course when you’re catapulted out of your comfort zone into a foreign land where no one speaks your language and everything from the climate to the culture is about as alien as eating a fish ball on a stick! The initiation into expat life is not all that different to those frenzied days as a new mum. To say everything feels unfamiliar is probably a gross understatement right? Babies definitely don’t speak your language and working out their culinary desires can be a far cry from your usual dinner date. I copped a double whammy. From television news reader living the (sort of) glamorous life in the harbour city of Sydney, to the unknown fragrant harbour of Hong Kong, unemployed and up the duff! I’d been with Sky News for ten years and I’d worked hard for my dream job. I always assumed when or if I was lucky enough to have a family, I’d simply do what I’d seen the other mums do before me – come back to work after a year or so of blissful baby-dom, and slot into a few shifts a week on the tele. Perfect! That was until I threw a spanner in my own destiny. Click here to read more on Coping With Jane >>> … [Read more...]
Do all roads lead to China?
When you're living the 'enviable' expat life, it is for the most part, just that. But looming amongst the five star shindigs, endless shopping extravaganzas and cultural enlightenment is the little unavoidable fact: you never quite know when it's all going to end; when the phone's going to ring with the next 'tour of duty'. Last week, we got one of those calls… We'd been half-expecting it (if there is such a thing as half?) let's just say it wasn't a complete shock to the system. I didn't run around the house yelling "We've been punked!" but to be honest, my heart did a triple somersault with a twist and leapt right out of my chest. We've had many conversations about the next step. When we'll be ready, where we think we'd like to go, where we think we'll get to go. (For the record, the planets rarely align when it comes to the answers.) This wasn't a 'do or die' battle, we could say no and (hopefully) live to tell the tale, but when it's all said and done, we like to think of ourselves as brave soldiers always up for a new adventure. (I'm sure soldiers don't call their missions 'adventures') but you get the picture? "Bring. It. On!" we chanted with all the nervous enthusiasm we could possibly muster. Click here to continue over at Expat Focus>> to find out just how this proposed move to China's furnace went down! Let's just say, we learned a lot! … [Read more...]
Living the dream….Expat Life
My latest piece as a columnist for Expat Focus Sawadika! Checking in from the land of smiley, happy faces…. One of the undeniably pleasant perks of being an expat in Asia, coupled with having a husband in hotels, is the opportunity to fly to idyllic destinations like Phuket in just a few short hours and revel in 5-star luxury. I get it… I'm lucky! Very! I will even go so far as to use the word 'spoilt,' as I sit here trying (in a lazy, half-hearted kind of way) to wrestle my sleepy gaze from our villa's private plunge pool that is beckoning me to immerse myself in its crystal clear oasis. Yep!… livin' the dream! To read more....click here and go to Expat Focus … [Read more...]