I lived in Manila, Philippines for a while and traveled and worked around SE Asia. I came back because the owner of the company I was working for is a socipath, but that is a story for another day. My hubby and I both secured work in Manila. We moved across, but kept the house and our cars until we felt we were stable. We don't have kids, which I think is important to note. These are my experiences:
Friends and Family
This, to me, was the hardest part of leaving. My hubby and I are very social. I was out or socializing at least 2/3 nights a week in SA. We would work long hours (10 to 14 hours a day on average), and then weekends would come around, and we had no one around to celebrate or do things with. My hubby and I have been together for 11 years. We are happily married. Anyone in a long term relationship will tell you how important it is to have other people in your lives or different interests. We don't have kids, so we only had each other. That was the only good part.
Also, being in a country with support structure is very scary. All sort of "what ifs" would creep into my mind, and if things got really bad, we would have no one to turn to. This can feel very scary.
Culture and Language
Each Asian country has a different culture. Some people will say that Asian culture is all the same, but it's not. The Filipinos are vibrant and friendly people. They love westerners and will treat westerners differently. It was a little bit uncomfortable at times. As a westerner, I would be singled out all the time for property deals or some other sales pitch.
Things did work a lot better than in SA though. I didn't experience any corruption. Traffic is really bad in the Philippines, but I didn't see a single accident, ever. Service was also miles better, and a lot friendlier. I hate to say it, but it felt like there was less contempt.
They try to beautify their cities (with greenery and art) and make them pedestrian friendly. Walking around in the upmarket areas felt very safe, even at 3am in the morning. Their cities are very upbeat and busy at all hours.
Even though the majority of Filipinos speak English, don't assume you will always understand them, or them you. I battled in some situations, and sometimes I think we were all talking and no one was really understanding each other. I generally follow up things up in writing, as it is sometimes clearer that way.
There are many, many Filipinos with degrees. It was astounding actually. Generally, Filipinos are paid very little. Compared to what professionals in SA earn, they earn a pittance. Their cost of living in the more wealthier or upmarket areas is a little more expensive than in SA. Cost of living in their more poorer areas is around the same, except that they travel for 3 hours each way to get to work.
On the flip side, their economy is booming with a 7% growth each year. Everywhere I look or went there were signs of economic growth. I didn't probe too deep, but it seems that most people don't go into too much debt there either. Everyone seemed to drive modest cars and live modestly. However, the economic success was shared with their entire family and extra money always pushed into a family member's business. They really do work together as a family unit.
Lessons Learnt
- Always make sure you have enough money to return home comfortably. At the very least, have enough money stashed away for a ticket home with a little extra cash for any emergency.
- Get involved with your Visa application and understand all the small nuances. Never assume your new employer will get it right.
- The older you are, the harder it is to make friends. Don't assume you will make friends easily. This is going to require a massive effort from your end. Cultural differences also make it difficult.
- If you have nagging doubts, you should probably listen to them as relocating can get super expensive. Also coming home to no work will add to the cost.
- Make a plan to work overseas if you are young. The international exposure is great for any young person.
- Living in Asia was a great experience, but not for me long term. The lifestyle I lived for a while was more like living in Manhattan and I like the opposite. I love my braais and open spaces. I love driving and taking road trips. I couldn't really experience that there. Also, it was harder to make any real connections as making friends was very difficult.
- Speak to a tax consultant with experience in the region that you are working. Spend a little money upfront to make sure that you have everything covered and understand your obligations.
- SA does not really have much international exposure in business. We also cannot travel easily. While I was working there, it felt like I was in touch with people from all over the world. I don't get that sense when in SA. Also, average middle class citizens are able to travel to most places in Asia. International travel for South Africans is really expensive compared to their costs.
- Even with the advances in technology, a big time zone difference makes things very tough. It is inevitable that you will gradually lose contact with friends and family. We promised ourselves and everyone to speak once a week. What eventually happened is that we spoke once every 4 to 6 weeks.
- I had a strange sense of guilt. I am super close with my sisters and mother. They were crushed I left. It made me feel guilty even though they were super supportive and understand my decision to work abroad. It still didn't change those pangs of guilt. Not everyone will experience it, but it was surprising to me.
- Our red meat and fresh produce is really some of the best in the world. I did battle with the new foods and products. Even a small change to my coffee made me grumpy. Their milk also tasted very processed.
- If you are keeping your bank account(s) in SA, give Power of Attorney to someone you trust. I have seen people lose their cards and have had people in SA run around on their behalf.
Still recovering from those losses.