From A Small Town To The Lion City: My Move To Singapore

The Decision to move to Singapore

How did I end up here?

If you're reading this, chances are you're either planning to move to Singapore, have already moved here, or are simply curious about my journey. Whatever your reason may be, I hope you enjoy reading about my experiences as a country bumpkin in the big city.

Crazy things happen, one day I am working in a small quintessential market town in the heart of Wiltshire, well established in a multi-disciplinary team in a company I had worked at since graduating. I had grown massively as a person, built a busy list of repeat patients, joined sports teams, had a good group of friends and had a great local. However, I still had a nag in the back of my mind for something else, something a bit different.

All it took was a few clicks, it is so easy these days. "Singapore podiatry jobs" entered into the search engine, my CV and  cover letter attached and three days later in my car, phone balanced on my steering wheel, I was having a zoom interview with a prospective clinic in Singapore. A week later I had an offer. Three months later my house has been emptied and rented out, my bags are packed and my mums getting me to take a photo to remember what I look like.

You would have thought that moving to Asia would have taken a bit of thinking but all it took was a conversation with my parents. Their advice was "Go, if you don't like it, just come back and get another job in the UK". This was probably the best advice you could ask for, they weren't holding me back, maybe they wanted to get rid of me! Either way, the decision was made and I was on my way to Asia.

The experience of Moving to Singapore

I didn't quite prepare myself for two weeks alone in a hotel room, although my last minute decision to buy some ping pong balls kept me going for hours a day. Trying to perfect my golf game, chipping into a glass.

"Bloody hell it was hot"

People tell you Singapore is hot but there's only so many clothes you can take off! It took me a year to increase the air con from 16 degrees! I think I'm finally used to it, definitely don't sweat as much and I manage to keep myself well hydrated. Something I didn't realize about Singapore is that it goes dark at 7pm every night, no change throughout the year and the locals say there is a cold season but they really haven't tried Yorkshire in January!

I never thought the fast paced life was for me, I grew up in a village just outside Harrogate and I chose to live in a village just outside Bath at age 25. It turns out that you can like both the fast and the slow and some days you can live a slow day in a fast paced city like Singapore.

I think the rolling hills of Yorkshire are quite stunning, they don't call it Gods own country for nothing! Singapore at night time though is pretty spectacular.

Working as a Podiatrist in Singapore

Let me tell you, working as a podiatrist in Singapore has been one heck of a challenge! I mean, I deal with patients from all over the world - from the French to the Aussies, from the Singaporeans to the Indians. And let me tell you, some of them speak English very well, whilst others... Maybe they don't speak any english at all. I rely on some creative body language to get the message across!

But that's what makes this job so interesting, it's like a puzzle trying to figure out how to help these patients feel safe and trust me, even if they're feeling anxious or concerned. When we finally get them pain free or cure their ingrown toenail, well it's high fives all around!

I have learnt so much about so many different cultures, how certain groups of people communicate very directly and some people don't want to communicate at all with you. Sometimes this is because they are shy or because they are embarrassed that their language won't be understood by me.

I'm thrilled to say that my knowledge has taken a huge leap forward! Even though I sometimes feel like I know so much, the truth is that there's always more to learn. But that's what makes my career so exciting - I love the path that I'm on and the endless opportunities to keep growing and expanding my expertise. Whenever I feel demotivated, an interesting case walks into my clinic and reignites my curiosity, driving me forward.

Gratitude and advice for those considering a move

I thank my parents for their advice and for the push that I needed to make the decision to move to Asia. I miss my family and friends but it has become easy to keep in touch and have them visit. I am thankful for this opportunity and I look forward to learning more about myself and Podiatry.

If you are considering a move, maybe to the next town or from north to south, remember the advice that my mum and dad gave me "Go and if you don't like it, just come back".