British Expat in Singapore - Interview With Morwenna

Morwenna was a Chief Sub Editor on women's magazines, then had a child, then went back part-time as a Sub Editor, then realised she was rubbish at cleaning up other people's writing and wanted to do her own. She enrolled on a creative writing course, did another, began writing a novel then moved to Singapore with her husband and young son, where she discovered blogging (see link below). She's spent the last year hopping from adventure to adventure under Southeast Asian skies, ignoring the novel and exploring her new city instead. Morwenna's expat blog is called Partly Cloudy (see listing here)

Here's the interview with Morwenna...

Where are you originally from?
London, UK

In which country and city are you living now?
Singapore

How long have you lived here and how long are you planning to stay?
We moved here in August 2012 on an open, local contract, so we have no idea how long we're staying. The usual two to three years, we think.

Why did you move and what do you do?
My husband saw a Singapore role in the bank he worked for in London and followed the lead. I was a journalist working in women's magazines but had already given that up and was an at-home mum writing a novel. Or trying to. So work-wise, moving was easy for me.

Did you bring family with you?
Yes, we have one son, aged eight.

How did you find the transition to living in a foreign country?
My husband was more into the idea of this than me, but I knew it was always something he'd wanted to do, and part of me liked the idea of trying something new, but I still felt pretty homesick to start. My son had a very hard time adjusting, which surprised us, and his non-settling made things a bit tough. All that said things are much better now, though, and ten months in we are enjoying things a lot more.

Was it easy making friends and meeting people; do you mainly socialise with other expats?
It is hugely easy to make friends here in Singapore, in fact you need to be very careful not to go overboard and book yourself up to the eyeballs. I have tried to forge local friendships and have made one or two good friends. Also tried to make friends with some more long-term ones who are now pretty much local - these people add a different flavour to life in a new place, than if you are solely meeting expats with similar set-ups.

What are the best things to do in the area; anything to recommend to future expats?
Singapore is a great mixture of simple pleasures (walking through Botanic Gardens, scootering up East Coast Park, potter around Chinatown, noodles at a hawker centre) to wonderful, techno-glitz (whizz up to the top of the 'surfboard' - iconic Marina Bay Sands building, walk the high walk in the Cloud Dome @ Gardens by the Bay, lose yourself, literally, in the shiny malls down Orchard Road). A wooden boat trip up the river, a stroll down one of the wonderful tree-top canopy walks or a march round the boardwalk at MacRitchie Reservoir are my three top faves). See? It's exhausting! Oh, and food glorious food - if you love your dinners, like me, then this is THE place to be. So much choice...

If you don't work, how do you fill your day?
I was in the same situation back in the UK, writing from home and being a mum on either side of that, so I've transferred the status to Singapore. Here, though, is much more scope for reaching out in terms of work. I've published two articles in Expat Living Magazine, joined a working women's group (PrimeTime Singapore), taken on the role of Editor of their newsletter, Connections, and am about to start training as a docent (guide) for the Peranakan Museum. Life is as busy or tranquil as you make it, but here in Singapore there are plenty of options for progress should you follow that path.

What do you enjoy most about living here?
The warmth, the ease of daily living, the sheer fact of being in Southeast Asia and the indulgent island-hops that we seem to be doing every two months (sorry, Mr Bank Account). It's a welcoming city to move to.

How does the cost of living compare to home?
London is costly so it's pretty much on a par. Clothes that fit western sizes are expensive, swimsuits in particular. The biggest expense is booze. If you are a teetotaller you will save a small fortune. Otherwise, bite the bullet and get the wallet ready for some serious damage.

What negatives, if any, are there to living here?
I am far, far from 'home'. Some days are just too hot, even for heat-loving me. Raining? Stay at home, because you won't get anywhere. Service in many shops and restaurants: what is that? This last point backed up by the inability, in Sing, to admit to either being wrong or not knowing something. Utterly frustrating if you want to FIND SOMETHING OUT. And the inability to self-publicise - websites, out here, hardly exist. Odd for such a modern city.

If you could pick one piece of advice to anyone moving here, what would it be?
Relax and enjoy it. If you're not from Southeast Asia it will not be what you're used to, so lower your expectations and prepare for a cultural change. Enjoy - it is beautiful out here.

What has been the hardest aspect to your expat experience so far?
Missing family and friends. Getting used to reinventing myself - well, introducing myself - every time I meet someone new.

When you finally return home, how do you think you'll cope with repatriation?
It will be by turns wonderful and sad. Bring on the old friends, but farewell to the new. And this climate: oh, if I could bottle it...

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

1. Join some forums in advance: they will give you an insight into what to expect, as well as provide essential information
2. Be realistic about your living needs - being by the coast on Sentosa (for example) sounds great, but how isolated will you be? If your current home works, choose something similar
3. Get your Skype set up: this will be your window to the old world in times of need
4. This is a great chance for reinvention. Closet karaoke star? Join a choir. Always wanted to cook Thai? Take a course!
5. Best bit of advice anyone gave me: don't lie when you turn down an invite - Singapore is tiny, you will be found out! Too tired? Just say so, no one will mind

Tell us a bit about your own expat blog.
I set up partlycloudy.co.uk to stay in touch with people in the UK, as lots of friends and family don't 'do' Facebook, and I also knew that I wanted something more than just daily status updates. It has been great fun keeping this diary and I am trying to find ways of taking it further, but if it stays as it is then I'll be happy to. I love the days when I post a story: makes me feel like I'm connecting with the outside world.

How can you be contacted for further advice to future expats coming to your area?
You can get in touch with me through my blog (see below) or on Twitter: @londonmoo

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