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British Expat Living in Singapore - Intervewing Nikki
| Published: | 12 Apr at 9 AM |
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Filed: Interviews,Singapore
Blogging as " A British Girl Abroad" Nikki moved to Lebanon on the strength of their world renowned wine, good food and weather and is now based in Singapore. As well as blogging about her new life there, "A British Girl Abroad" also contains posts from previous experiences from as far apart as Lebanon and Syria to London and Japan. This is a must read blog for anyone interested in good food, good drinks and good times from around the world, why not join her on her journey! Nikki's expat blog is called A British Girl Abroad (see listing here)
Meet Nikki - British expat living in Singapore
Where are you originally from?
Originally from the UK although I was bought up mostly overseas which may explain the itchy feet syndrome!
In which country and city are you living now?
Im living in Singapore
How long have you lived here and how long are you planning to stay?
Ive been here just over 1.5 years, My contract is here until september, not sure where the wind will blow me after that!
Why did you move and what do you do?
I moved for work opportunities job, I work in hospitality.
Did you bring family with you?
No, it's just me!
Chinese new year preparations in SingaporeHow did you find the transition to living in a foreign country?
Everywhere you live is slightly different and certain things can take a bit of time to get used to but overall it is a lot easier than you might expect, you never know until you try!
Was it easy making friends and meeting people; do you mainly socialise with other expats?
It is quite hard in Singapore to be honest, but I found twitter to be a great way to meet up with people and have made friends that way. I socialise with a mix of singaporeans and expats of all nationalities, there is no point in travelling if you don't expand your social circle to include people of all different nationalities, thats half the fun!
What are the best things to do in the area; anything to recommend to future expats?
There is actually a lot to do in singapore and when you have exhausted all the opportunities here you can take advantage of all the great destinations nearby at very reasonable prices. I love the hawker centres (check out my blog for posts on whampoa, lau pasat, old airport road and more!) and the Peranaken museum. I recently went to the SEA aquarium which was great too!
What do you enjoy most about living here?
My favourite thing about singapore would be the food and the weather!
I'm Leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back againHow does the cost of living compare to home?
Rent is quite expensive, probably higher than london I would say and many household items and food stuffs are more expensive too, as is alcohol and cigarettes if you smoke (I don't) On the other hand, local food is very cheap and there is a real bargain/discount culture here so you need to keep an eye out for promotions and happy hours etc to make the most of it. Live like a local and not an "Expat" and you'll be fine!
What negatives, if any, are there to living here?
I woudln't say there are any negatives (although Id be happier if a bottle of wine was cheaper...)
If you could pick one piece of advice to anyone moving here, what would it be?
Be a good visitor and remember we are guests in another country...
Monkeying around on Langkawi, just a short flight from SingaporeWhat has been the hardest aspect to your expat experience so far?
anti expat sentiment from some quarters but when people understand you are there for the right reasons it's all Ok
What are your top 5 expat tips for anyone following in your footsteps?
Amazing City views over SingaporeTell us a bit about your own expat blog.
My blog is based on my own personal experiences. As I am in F&B it is very food centred so if you need any advice on where to eat you should definitely check it out, there are other posts on travelling and places of interest as well...
How can you be contacted for further advice to future expats coming to your area?
Either via the blog or twitter @beirutibrit i'm always happy to help!
Nikki blogs at http://beirutibrit.wordpress.com which we recommend a quick visit if you haven't been already. A British Girl Abroad has an ExpatsBlog.com listing here so add a review if you like! If you appreciated this interview with Nikki, please also drop her a quick comment below.
Meet Nikki - British expat living in Singapore
Here's the interview with Nikki...
Where are you originally from?
Originally from the UK although I was bought up mostly overseas which may explain the itchy feet syndrome!
In which country and city are you living now?
Im living in Singapore
How long have you lived here and how long are you planning to stay?
Ive been here just over 1.5 years, My contract is here until september, not sure where the wind will blow me after that!
Why did you move and what do you do?
I moved for work opportunities job, I work in hospitality.
Did you bring family with you?
No, it's just me!
Chinese new year preparations in Singapore
Everywhere you live is slightly different and certain things can take a bit of time to get used to but overall it is a lot easier than you might expect, you never know until you try!
Was it easy making friends and meeting people; do you mainly socialise with other expats?
It is quite hard in Singapore to be honest, but I found twitter to be a great way to meet up with people and have made friends that way. I socialise with a mix of singaporeans and expats of all nationalities, there is no point in travelling if you don't expand your social circle to include people of all different nationalities, thats half the fun!
What are the best things to do in the area; anything to recommend to future expats?
There is actually a lot to do in singapore and when you have exhausted all the opportunities here you can take advantage of all the great destinations nearby at very reasonable prices. I love the hawker centres (check out my blog for posts on whampoa, lau pasat, old airport road and more!) and the Peranaken museum. I recently went to the SEA aquarium which was great too!
What do you enjoy most about living here?
My favourite thing about singapore would be the food and the weather!
I'm Leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again
Rent is quite expensive, probably higher than london I would say and many household items and food stuffs are more expensive too, as is alcohol and cigarettes if you smoke (I don't) On the other hand, local food is very cheap and there is a real bargain/discount culture here so you need to keep an eye out for promotions and happy hours etc to make the most of it. Live like a local and not an "Expat" and you'll be fine!
What negatives, if any, are there to living here?
I woudln't say there are any negatives (although Id be happier if a bottle of wine was cheaper...)
If you could pick one piece of advice to anyone moving here, what would it be?
Be a good visitor and remember we are guests in another country...
Monkeying around on Langkawi, just a short flight from Singapore
anti expat sentiment from some quarters but when people understand you are there for the right reasons it's all Ok
What are your top 5 expat tips for anyone following in your footsteps?
- Come with an open mind.
- Experience as much as possible, soak up the local experiences.
- TRAVEL!!!
- Make sure you have skype to stay in touch with family and friends, it's a life saver.
- Don't compare things to somewhere you have lived previously, make the most of being somewhere new.
Amazing City views over Singapore
My blog is based on my own personal experiences. As I am in F&B it is very food centred so if you need any advice on where to eat you should definitely check it out, there are other posts on travelling and places of interest as well...
How can you be contacted for further advice to future expats coming to your area?
Either via the blog or twitter @beirutibrit i'm always happy to help!
Nikki blogs at http://beirutibrit.wordpress.com which we recommend a quick visit if you haven't been already. A British Girl Abroad has an ExpatsBlog.com listing here so add a review if you like! If you appreciated this interview with Nikki, please also drop her a quick comment below.
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