Tag Archives: Asia

Expat women in Singapore: The skinny on being skinny

Posted on April 12, 2012 by

My honeymoon period in Singapore ended the first time I went clothes shopping and discovered I’d become “plus sized” overnight. I wouldn’t have minded if it weren’t for one thing: I weighed all of 120 pounds. That’s 54½ kilograms. Eight … Continue reading →

Posted in Adjustment, Singapore | Tagged , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Haw Par Villa, we hardly knew ye

Posted on June 19, 2011 by

When I was very young, I loved poring over my parents’ photo album. It was glossy and black, with a fierce looking tiger on the cover. I always handled it gingerly because it was irreplaceable: a cherished souvenir my dad … Continue reading →

Posted in Singapore | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

A former expat wife confesses: I’m a bad haggler

Posted on April 28, 2011 by

Most expats, from what I’ve seen, think of haggling as a game. As long as the players abide by the rules and try not to let the negotiations descend into abject ugliness, it can be a lot of fun. Or … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture Shock | Tagged , , | 23 Comments

Mortal combat: the expat wife vs. the mosquito

Posted on April 25, 2011 by

Cartoon © Natalie Dee | www.nataliedee.com Me again! I have a hard enough time posting twice a week, never mind twice in one day, but I’ve just realized that today is World Malaria Day. Malaria, as you probably know, is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Singapore | Tagged , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

No paparazzi please, we’re Canadian

Posted on January 24, 2011 by

All over Asia, people are talking about me. And my family, of course — especially blonde, blue-eyed Younger Daughter. Long before I moved to Singapore — before I had kids, even — Japanese tourists would occasionally stop me on the … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Culture Shock, Identity, Singapore, Third Culture Kids | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Faces of Asia

Posted on January 6, 2011 by

To kick off the new year, I’m going to go the “1 picture = 1000 words” route and share some photos I took during my travels throughout Southeast Asia. More words coming your way soon.             … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments

We changed our plans and missed the tsunami

Posted on December 26, 2010 by

I once watched a movie called Sliding Doors, which had a storyline that split into two parallel realities. In one, the main character catches her train and arrives home early; in the other, she misses the train by seconds and … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

The 10 best things about being an expat wife

Posted on October 13, 2010 by

Canadians celebrated Thanksgiving Day earlier this week, and reflecting on my blessings naturally got me thinking about how grateful I am for all the good that came of living abroad.  So in keeping with the theme of the season, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Identity | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Squatting in Singapore

Posted on July 16, 2010 by

Every new expat experiences what I call the Dorothy Moment (so named in honour of the sweet young thing who famously suspected she wasn’t in Kansas anymore.) It’s that second of blinding clarity when it becomes apparent that they sure do … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture Shock, Singapore | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments