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Panda’s guide to dating someone who works in hospitality
Where to find a good Arabic breakfast in Dubai
Travelling in Egypt- Panda's 10 day itinerary
Visiting Oman's sulphur springs (Al Ain Sahban)
Panda's 9 day itinerary for a road trip in Georgia
Visiting Shuweihat Island in Abu Dhabi
Panda’s pick of 10 breakfast spots in Kuwait
What does being ‘Coloured’ mean in South Africa?
Life in Kuwait: Being oppressed as a woman
Where do I take my friends and family in Kuwait? (Part 1)

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A South African Teacher's Adventures In & Out of the Global Classroom

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About me
Travel Destinations
- The Middle East
  - Oman
  - Qatar
  - Bahrain
  - Jordan
  - United Arab Emirates
  - Iran
- Asia
  - Sri Lanka
  - India
  - Laos
  - Myanmar (Burma)
  - Nepal
  - Maldives
  - Turkey
- Europe
  - Austria
  - Czech Republic
  - Serbia
  - Slovenia
  - Croatia
  - France
  - Ireland
  - Cyprus
- Africa
  - Tanzania
  - Swaziland
  - Kenya
  - Egypt
  - Tunisia
  - Seychelles
- Caucasus
  - Azerbaijan
  - Armenia
  - Georgia
  - Russia
- South America
  - Brazil
  - Argentina
  - Paraguay
  - Uruguay
  - Chile
  - Peru
Teaching Abroad
Life in the UAE
Life in Qatar
Life in Kuwait

About me
Travel Destinations
- The Middle East
  - Oman
  - Qatar
  - Bahrain
  - Jordan
  - United Arab Emirates
  - Iran
- Asia
  - Sri Lanka
  - India
  - Laos
  - Myanmar (Burma)
  - Nepal
  - Maldives
  - Turkey
- Europe
  - Austria
  - Czech Republic
  - Serbia
  - Slovenia
  - Croatia
  - France
  - Ireland
  - Cyprus
- Africa
  - Tanzania
  - Swaziland
  - Kenya
  - Egypt
  - Tunisia
  - Seychelles
- Caucasus
  - Azerbaijan
  - Armenia
  - Georgia
  - Russia
- South America
  - Brazil
  - Argentina
  - Paraguay
  - Uruguay
  - Chile
  - Peru
Teaching Abroad
Life in the UAE
Life in Qatar
Life in Kuwait

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🌀New Blog Post: Travelling in Egypt- Panda’s

🌀New Blog Post: Travelling in Egypt- Panda’s 10 day itinerary 🌀

It took me a long time to put this post together because I wanted to be comprehensive but here it is: my detailed blog post outlining how I spent 10 days in Egypt. From meteor showers to the Nubian village, Egypt is full of unique experiences for travellers who want to go beyond the pyramids & museums 🧳

With over 7,000 years of history, architectural marvels that include golden sand beaches, magical myths, vast views, incredible culture, and fantastic food, it’s no wonder Egypt is on so many of our bucket lists. The great thing is that Egypt can be as cheap and as expensive as you make it. Bargain hard or splurge on some luxury- there’s something to suit every budget! 💵

Egypt is currently open to ANY & ALL nationalities for travel particularly if you’re vaccinated against covid. With proof of vaccine, you won't need to present a negative PCR test (swipe for note 1). If you aren’t vaccinated, you’ll need to provide a negative covid result taken with 72 hours of arriving in Egypt (or 96 hours- swipe for note 2). Certificates are accepted in Arabic or English. Arrivals from few destinations (swipe for note 3) are subject to a PCR test upon arrival 🦠

The Egyptian visa is free for South Africans and many other nationalities can apply for a 25USD eVisa. I discuss all of this along with my daily itinerary in my blog post. DO NOT SLEEP ON EGYPT, its an incredible destination with so much to offer right now! 💖

Access the blog post at the latest post tab from the link in my bio!

Have I put Egypt on your destination list? Let me know in the comments below!

It’s ok to start over and let someone else love

It’s ok to start over and let someone else love you the way you’re supposed to be loved ❤️

What I say to my students when they need my empath

What I say to my students when they need my empathy 💟

As a high school teacher, you’d be surprised at how much of my time at school is supporting my students’ emotional needs rather than their academic ones 👩🏽‍🏫 (They do not warn you about this during teacher training 🙈)

In my lifelong journey to unlearn toxic habits, one of things I’ve become more conscious about in the classroom (and in life) is the words I use 🗣

When my students need me to empathetic here are few phrases I have thrown out and rather, here’s what I’ve replaced them with:

🛑 I know exactly how you feel
✅ I can only imagine what this is like for you. Tell me what you are experiencing.

🛑 Everything will be just fine.
✅I don’t know what will happen in the future but I will support you for as long as you need me to.

🛑 You’re so strong/brave.
✅ It’s absolutely okay to feel stressed/overwhelmed. How are you coping?

The students definitely respond better and its helped to re-center their feelings in a situation rather than my own. Sharing in the hope that it can help another teacher 💕

Inspired by & adapted from Dr. @miriamkirmayer 👩🏻‍⚕️

🥰 The Nubian village- 1 of the highlights of my

🥰 The Nubian village- 1 of the highlights of my time in Egypt 🇪🇬

🌈 Deep down south in Egypt on the West Bank of the Nile, near the city of Aswan, are the most colorful and feel good villages of the entire country.

🌈 The Nubian homes are painted in all the colors of the rainbow. To start farming around the Nile, the friendly Nubians moved from Sudan over 8000 years ago, which is why they have a darker skin tone.

👸🏾 Although Nubia is located in what is now southern Egypt and northern Sudan, it was once a part of northeastern Africa. Its history and culture dates back to around 3800 B.C. at which time the region was referred to as the Kush kingdom.

👸🏾 The term “Nubian Queen” usually references the incredibly resilient royal rulers of the Kush kingdom. It’s considered a compliment because of their willingness to survive & protect their families despite the great obstacles that these women faced.

When visiting Egypt, don’t miss out on this often forgotten hidden gem- a glimpse into a colourful and unique community ✨

Leave me a 🌈 if you learnt something new today!

Thank you for all the love & well wishes on our po

Thank you for all the love & well wishes on our post-wedding photos 📷 But I think it’s also necessary for me to point out that:

💟 Beautiful photos don’t always showcase a beautiful relationship.

💟 Too often we see people online posting their happy couple photos and the immediate thought is #goals.

💟 You don’t see their struggles, their conflicts and their daily demeanour. We only see a happy moment.

But when you look at my photos I want you to keep in mind that:

♥️ Being in a relationship is difficult.

♥️ You can have bad days, bad weeks and sometimes even bad months.

♥️ There are months when I put more effort into my relationship than I do at my full time job.

♥️ We disagree on many things frequently. We also disagree on how to solve those disagreements (Great 🙄)

♥️ Problems don’t disappear when you get married. And a wedding won’t fix existing issues.

There’s no such thing as a perfect relationship and the only goal you should aspire to is finding a partner who is committed to working on your relationship… every single day ❣️

👰🏾 We couldn’t have our wedding but I stil

👰🏾 We couldn’t have our wedding but I still wanted photos in our wedding clothes so… we packed them and went to Egypt 🧳

Who takes their wedding clothes on holiday? Well, I guess we do 🐼🐻‍❄️

I found an amazing local photographer who made a random public park in Cairo seem like a magical garden 🌳

I also walked into a salon near our hotel and came out looking incredible. Egypt is really a place where anything can happen.

We thought the locals would stare and judge us but nothing fazes Egyptians; if they looked at us at all, they just smiled encouragingly 😊

Didn’t get to have the wedding we wanted but I do have these wonderful photos & memories of Polar wrapping me in my sari (his first time!), watching the sun set over Cairo and a long walk in a lush park punctuated by the soothing tones of the call to prayer 🕌

Sharing more photos tomorrow 💕

📸: @manargadphotography
💄 & 💇🏾: Na’ma & Ali at @toibeautysalon

If the version of you from 5 years ago could see y

If the version of you from 5 years ago could see you right now, they’d be so proud 🤩

Keep going 🌻

⭕️ Debunking myths about travelling to Egypt❗️

❌Myth 1: You have to take an organised tour

You can definitely travel Egypt independently. But please note: I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS FOR INEXPERIENCED OR UNSEASONED TRAVELLERS. If Egypt is your first trip abroad then contact a tour agency and let them take care of everything. Traveling independently in Egypt requires street smarts, hard bargaining skills and a firm attitude. You’ll also need to be open to asking for help but the good thing is that Egyptians are exceptionally helpful 😇

❌Myth 2: You must see & do everything

If you’re not careful, you can end up with travel fatigue or burnout. There’s so many things to do and see in Egypt that it’s tempting to want to attempt all. DON’T. Tour companies pack their buses early in the morning and keep their patrons busy all day, going from site to site. Research what you want to see and have a plan. If you’re going on a tour, work with the agency to only cover what you want to see. Fitting in absolutely everything in a country with so much to offer will kill you 💀

❌Myth 3: Egypt is unsafe (particularly for women)

Egypt is actually very safe in my experience. I did many things alone that involved me walking the streets of Cairo at night by myself and I never once felt unsafe. As long as you are vigilant- as you should always be- you will be fine 👮🏿‍♂️

❌Myth 4: You must hire a private driver

During my time in Egypt I took domestic flights, a train, a bus and Uber. It’s very easy to get around but being able to read Arabic does simplify things 😀

My trip has been a mix of independent travel as well joining a local travel group for our trip to the white & black desert. I am enjoying my time in this country and am going to continue sharing our experiences in my stories to help you plan your future trip. Please feel free to ask any questions about traveling to Egypt in the comments below! 🇪🇬

📸: @ahmed_mosaad_elsakhawy

This photo was taken in Egypt 🇪🇬 And if yo

This photo was taken in Egypt 🇪🇬

And if you haven’t been following along in my stories, I’m currently taking you around Egypt with me 🧳

Follow along as I explore the diversity of landscapes this incredible country has to offer 😍

This spectacular photo of Polar & I gazing up at the Milky Way was taken in Egypt’s white desert- around 600km from Cairo.

Thank you to our @puzzlegypt guide @ahmed_mosaad_elsakhawy for this photo. He’s an accomplished landscape photographer whose photos will give you serious wanderlust 💖

Do you feel inspired to visit Egypt and see more than just the pyramids of Giza?

🌀New Blog Post: Why Eloping was the Best Choice

🌀New Blog Post: Why Eloping was the Best Choice I Could Have Made for my Marriage 🌀

It took 2 years before I felt comfortable enough to open up about Polar & I getting married in Seychelles. It’s challenging enough to share things about our lives as we navigate an intercultural and interracial relationship. Never mind magnifying that by discussing our decision to elope. But for women that look like me and come from the close minded community I come from, it’s important me to share my story. To let the other women know that your choices are valid and you can make decisions that work best for you. And that having a supportive & understanding partner- no matter their race, culture, religion or nationality- is the most important thing for a healthy relationship 💕

In this blog post I talk about how my first desi wedding left me with trauma and why I needed privacy in order to marry again. I relive the experience of being just two bears on an unnamed beach in Seychelles, cutting a cake we didn’t know we would have and drinking non alcoholic champagne on the beach after many laughs and some tears 💟

For all the comments & judgements I got in my DM’s about being selfish for not including others in my decision to elope, here’s what I have to say:

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁- 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸, 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸, 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲-𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲-𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀-𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘀. 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆.

Leave a ❣️emoji if you enjoyed the post. Find it in the Latest Post tab from the link in my bio!

🤵🏻‍♂️We decided to cancel our wedding

🤵🏻‍♂️We decided to cancel our wedding due to Covid, political uncertainty and civil unrest in South Africa 😭

But today I’ll share a truth with you: we actually got married 2 years ago 👰🏾

In 2019, TWO WEEKS after Polar proposed to me in Dubai, we flew to the Seychelles and eloped 💫

You’ll only see 3 other people in these photos besides us- our two witnesses & officiant. I don’t even recall their names. The idea that you need all your family & friends to witness your union is actually a fallacy. It can still be special and meaningful if that’s what you and your partner want 🥰

We received our attested marriage certificate after a few days and went on a month long trip across South America as our honeymoon shortly afterwards. It was everything I wanted 💚

Would I do it again? YES. Would I recommend eloping to anyone considering it? HELL YES.

Over the last 2 years a few people threatened to report me to the Qatar police as they thought Polar & I were living together unmarried. I encouraged them to do so. Oh how we wish the police had shown up at our door 👮🏿‍♂️ People on Instagram can be so absurd. Do you see why I keep some things private?

To everyone else: we THANK YOU for your love & support over the last few years. I’m sharing the full story about our Seychelles elopement later this week. Stay tuned ✌🏽

🌀New Blog Post: Panda’s 7 day itinerary for a

🌀New Blog Post: Panda’s 7 day itinerary for a road trip through Cyprus🌀

Cyprus, nestled in the Eastern Mediterranean, is said to be the birthplace of Aphrodite, the famous Greek goddess of love. This can go some way towards explaining why its so easy to fall in love with the incredible hospitality that complements Cyprus’s history and natural beauty 🌴

In my blog post I outline the cost of a trip to Cyprus and how to experience beaches, mountains, traditional villages & ancient history in a week long road trip 🚙

Most natural sites in Cyprus are actually free to visit making this destination much more affordable than other Western European countries 💰

As always, my posts are detailed and not sponsored! Head to the latest post tab form the link in my bio to begin planning your trip to Cyprus! 🇨🇾

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