When I first moved to Thailand in 2008, I was ready for adventure… or so I thought! Little did I know that navigating life in a country where only a few people spoke English would present some hilarious challenges. I’ll never forget standing at a bus stop, desperately trying to ask what time it was because I had an important appointment. I asked in English, and it was like I had announced an alien invasion – everyone literally vanished! That was my first real lesson in the importance of learning “survival Thai.”
After that, I mastered enough phrases to get by in any situation, but it didn’t make the food any easier at first. Imagine this: you’re sitting down to what you hope is a delicious meal, only to realise everything seems half-cooked and so spicy it feels like a dragon just sneezed in your face! I quickly learned the magic words – “phet nitnoy” (which means “just a little spicy”). But be warned, even a little spice in Thailand could blow your taste buds off if you’re not used to it! Eventually, my spice tolerance built up, and now? Well, I’m all in on the “phet” and absolutely adore Thai food!
Fast forward to 2015 and my move to the UAE. The first thing that struck me was seeing people dressed in traditional abaya and kandura – full black for women and white for men. It was a completely new visual experience for me, but I quickly grew to respect how people there express their devotion to their faith.
Language? Oh boy, it was another hurdle! But I managed to pick up a few essential phrases. “Insha’Allah” became a regular part of my vocabulary, meaning “If God wills.” It’s used so frequently that sometimes I wondered if it had lost some of its meaning. Then there’s “Masha’Allah,” which is an expression of gratitude or admiration (and please correct me if I’m wrong, because I’m still learning!). Let’s not forget the heat – permanent air conditioning, huge roads, and monstrous cars became the norm.
By 2019, I found myself in Germany. Cue culture shock number three! This time, it was the tiny cars, narrow streets, and complete lack of lighting on highways that caught me off guard. I’ll never forget the night we arrived – it was mid-December, pitch black by 5 p.m., and my son and I were welcomed by a power outage. So here we were, in a new country, no electricity, no internet, no phone, and no idea what to do. Our landlord was on vacation, and we didn’t know anyone. In a moment of sheer panic, I knocked on a neighbour’s door to borrow a phone, trying to reach someone – anyone – who could help us.
Thankfully, our Church Branch President, who had just driven 40 minutes home, agreed to come back to rescue us. Luckily, the power returned right after I hung up the phone, and we decided to brave it out. If the power went out again, we’d just call it a night and sleep through it!
Oh, and the German language? Let’s just say it was a whole new level of confusion. After a few words here and there before arriving, I thought I’d manage. But during my first staff meeting in Germany, it felt like I was right back in Thailand – sitting in a room where everyone spoke an alien language. At least in the UAE, I worked in a British school, so English was the default!
Despite all the initial shocks and challenges, I’ve learned to embrace the quirks of each place. And honestly? Looking back, these experiences are what make life abroad such a wild, wonderful adventure.
These are only a few of the experiences I’ve had in these countries, and I can’t wait to share more stories with you in the future!
Nice and looking forward for more
Wow that is so inspiring ☺️ looking forward for more too