Filipino Expat in Kuwait - Interview With Rowella

Wisemummy81, or commonly known by her family as Rowella, is a Filipino expat now living in Kuwait who works as a procurement officer in a Petroleum Company. She loves to read and discover creative things. Inspired by her family and 3 wonderful kids blogging is her new found hobby that she considered to be part of her comfort zone and a place where she can be the person she is. Rowella blogs at Wisemummy81 (see listing here).

Here's the interview with Rowella...

Where are you originally from?
Philippines

In which country and city are you living now?
Kuwait

How long have you lived here and how long are you planning to stay?
Been in Kuwait for 10 yrs now and will stay here till my kids finished high school
Why did you move and what do you do?
I moved in Kuwait, in-respect to my mom’s request, currently working as procurement officer

Did you bring family with you?
I married and have my own family in kuwait

How did you find the transition to living in a foreign country?
It’s very hard at first because at some point I’m enjoying my life in Philippines established a very close bond with my granny & college friends but I was lucky enough that the whole family is already in Kuwait prior to my transfer

Was it easy making friends and meeting people; do you mainly socialise with other expats?
Making friends and meeting people is quite easy but maintaining the friendship is hard because in Kuwait we seldom find some time to hang out with friend due to our work schedules and priorities. I don’t mainly socialize with other expats of different nationality to be honest but I get along just fine.

What are the best things to do in the area; anything to recommend to future expats?
Kuwait was in the top list of fat people in the world (sorry..) And it goes to say that FOOD is one of the best in Kuwait, I recommend food trips and enjoy common stroll places like the malls & sea side along the gulf road, surely you’ll find something to hang on with new friends and love ones.

What do you enjoy most about living here?
Tax Free, Good Food, and cleanliness of the place, cheap and good medical facilities, gadgets and holidays!!! Yahoooo….!

How does the cost of living compare to home?
I think it depends but if I were to evaluate, cost of living in Kuwait is cheaper compare to my home country, (converting KD to Peso aside) because if you compare the quantity, quality and service it marks a very big margin in between

What negatives, if any, are there to living here?
It’s always been an issue, SAFETY for women and Expats in Kuwait, the growing numbers of violence is disturbing and so I suggest for newbies in Kuwait to be aware and always have a precautions when going out alone,

If you could pick one piece of advice to anyone moving here, what would it be?
Follow the rules, be aware and always have the initiative to know the traditions of the country.

What has been the hardest aspect to your expat experience so far?
Discrimination and being judged in general.

When you finally return home, how do you think you'll cope with repatriation?
As long as I’m prepared mentally and physically, I’m all good to go back from where I should be and enjoy life; coping in all aspect will not be an issue.

What are your top 5 expat tips for anyone following in your footsteps?

1. Learn to adapt yourself to your new environment.
2. Make friends and meet good people.
3. Always be on the right side - follow the rules.
4. Find a healthy hobby.
5. Don’t forget to pray and seek for spiritual guidance.

Tell us a bit about your own expat blog.
Wisemummy81 is a simple blog site, a collection of creative ideas, a personal journal of experiences in life and sharing of ideas and thoughts about things that inspired me as a mom, wife and plain expat in Kuwait.

How can you be contacted for further advice to future expats coming to your area?
You can add a comment on any of my blog posts or via Twitter @wisemummy81

Rowella blogs at http://wisemummy81.blogspot.com/ which we recommend a quick visit if you haven't been already. Wisemummy81 has an ExpatsBlog.com listing here so add a review if you like! If you appreciated this interview with Rowella, please also drop her a quick comment below.

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