Expat Life

Aug 06, 2021

Little did I expect when returning to London after our 8 years living in Mumbai that we would move again to experience working life in another city. Life has a way of bringing surprises and plans can change quickly.  So here I am as I approach my 50’s making a new home in Kuala Lumpur.

Being an expat is an amazing and a daunting experience.  I get a buzz from the pace at which you have to settle down in a new country where you have to set up a new home, make new friends, understand a new culture and make the most of the opportunities to explore the country and the surrounding region.  As an expat, you tend to quickly meet other expats and the common bond you develop with them can be with you for a lifetime wherever we all end up in the future.  When you live far from your home and family, friends become a valuable lifeline as humans naturally need to socialise wherever they are.  I am grateful to have been blessed with lovely friends everywhere. Friendships that have taken years to form back home happen seemingly to form overnight.  Living abroad always opens up so many new experiences and broadens your mind. I would encourage everyone who gets the opportunity to work abroad to grasp it and I hope that my children will also get this chance as their careers develop. All in all being an expat broadens your horizon and makes you more open minded to new cultures, habits and overall outlook of life. 

Our first move to Mumbai where our kids grew up was a life changing experience for the whole family and we have many cherished memories of our time there.  It was particularly nice for our children to experience a childhood in a country where I too grew up before moving to London in the mid-nineties.  They were able to attend the American School which had one of the most diverse student populations at a time in India where the economy was booming and in some ways was a place where every company seemed to want to establish a base.  

This time, our move to Malaysia was different to Mumbai; we are in a different phase of life as our children are now adults and have their own careers in London.  Being away from them for the first time in all our lives has been difficult and made more challenging with the pandemic restricting our movements.  But given the circumstances, we still made some good friends here and have tried to make the most of the experience so far.  Malaysia is a truly beautiful country and the people are very friendly and easy going.  We look forward to seeing all parts of the country and the nearby region as the situation improves in the year ahead.  

Living in different countries and extensive travelling has helped to inspire my art as I draw a lot of ideas from my surroundings and the beautiful people that I meet.  During the pandemic and the frequent lockdowns, I have been able to focus my energies towards developing new techniques and ideas for my art work.  I hope to take in more of the beautiful countryside and nature in Malaysia and reflect it in my work.  I’m also looking forward to hosting friends and family in KL that we haven’t met for some time to share with them the beautiful experiences we have had here.