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Life in Kuwait

About me
Travel Destinations
- The Middle East
  - Oman
  - Qatar
  - Bahrain
  - United Arab Emirates
  - Saudi Arabia
  - Jordan
  - Iran
- Asia
  - Sri Lanka
  - India
  - Laos
  - Myanmar (Burma)
  - Nepal
  - Maldives
  - Turkey
  - Pakistan
- Europe
  - Austria
  - Belgium
  - Cyprus
  - Croatia
  - Czech Republic
  - France
  - Hungary
  - Ireland
  - Netherlands
  - Serbia
  - Slovenia
- Africa
  - Tanzania
  - Swaziland
  - Kenya
  - Egypt
  - Tunisia
  - Seychelles
  - Uganda
  - Rwanda
- Caucasus
  - Azerbaijan
  - Armenia
  - Georgia
  - Russia
- South America
  - Brazil
  - Argentina
  - Paraguay
  - Uruguay
  - Chile
  - Peru
- Central America
  - Guatemala
  - El Salvador
Teaching Abroad
Life in the UAE
Life in Qatar
- Things to do in Qatar
- Info for residents
  - Getting a drivers license in Qatar (if you already have a license)
Life in Kuwait

Adventure, Blog

Quiz: Which unique travel experience is perfect for you??

December 2, 2021 4 Comments

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4 Comments

winteroseca December 2, 2021 at 10:16 pm

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I got Antarctica!

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expatpanda December 5, 2021 at 6:46 am

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Me too 😁✌🏽

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higgledypiggledymom December 14, 2021 at 6:25 pm

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Me Three! Let’s go!!!

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Krasi January 25, 2022 at 9:25 pm

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I got camping in Colorado, which is perfect considering I lived in the state for 2 years and did losts of camping, hiking, and rock climbing 🙂 May need to pay it another visit!

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My toxic trait is that every time I’m travelling

My toxic trait is that every time I’m travelling and I enjoy an excellent meal, I start looking up “teaching jobs in _____” 🙊

I can’t be the only one?

📍: Lol- Ha Restaurant, Akumal Beach (Mexico 🇲🇽 )

If you’re planning your trips and don’t want t

If you’re planning your trips and don’t want to bother with piles of paperwork and embassy appointments, here’s a comprehensive list of fuss free places to help out fellow South African passport holders 🌍

I will ALWAYS advise people to travel where you’re welcome because there’s a whole world out there beyond just Miami, London and Dubai!

Save & share with a fellow South African who wants to travel the world in 2023 🇿🇦

*Always check information with official sources before a trip as things can change quickly 🌚

“Handling the situation differently” means no

“Handling the situation differently” means no one takes responsibility for their actions and the situation keeps repeating itself. Then we wonder how we end up with entitled, egotistical adults who can’t face the consequences of their unreasonable behaviour 😶

Leave a 🍎 if you’ve experienced this!

🌀New Blog Post: Visiting Thee Ain Village in Sa

🌀New Blog Post: Visiting Thee Ain Village in Saudi Arabia🌀

A serene oasis tucked away in the mountains of Saudi Arabia. We spent a morning exploring this ancient village without being disturbed by another soul (except a man who worked there and was so thrilled to see visitors!).

It’s the perfect destination for a weekend getaway or as an add-on to a long Saudi Arabia trip. As always my blog post has all the details about:

✳️Accommodation & transport.
✳️What to expect
✳️Why you should visit

If you’re planning a trip to Saudi Arabia, click the latest blog post tab from the link in my bio! Link will be in my stories too 😎

This is part 2 of my Saudi blog posts, you can find more on my website.

Is this how you imagined Saudi Arabia?

I still haven’t decided if this is worth the 1.

I still haven’t decided if this is worth the 1. 5 hour drive from Doha 🙃 That’s my honest opinion 🤷🏾‍♀️

But I’m going to tell you all the details if you want to visit.

ℹ️: According to Olafur Eliasson, the artwork can also be seen as a metaphor for dialogue and for listening, while working as an expatriate in Qatar. The artist also wants visitors to realize that when they look up, they actually look back down. It is a place for people to contemplate their connection to the ground.

⏰: 1.5 hour drive from most places in Doha.

🚧: There’s no signage so it’s a bit confusing. When you see a white fort on your right, go off-road to your left and drive along the dirt track. You will see the installations in the distance. This will eventually lead to an informal parking lot through a fence. Alternatively, if you miss that track, you can drive parallel to the fence (off road) and eventually reach a break in the fence to find the parking lot.

🚗: All cars can reach it but the last 500m are off road. (If there’s been rain, don’t risk it unless you have a 4WD vehicle).

🥾: The terrain is pretty rough and rocky. I don’t recommend sandals.

Sunset is beautiful but you would probably not spend more than hour here. It’s not a particularly nice place for a picnic and there are no facilities. Not sure why it’s so far away from anything else 🤔

🌟 Overall rating: 🐼🐼🐼/5

Anyone else visited this installation?

Moving abroad or travelling solo seems unbearably

Moving abroad or travelling solo seems unbearably daunting- maybe even impossible- if you don’t know how to be alone. Starting small, in a familiar place, helps to ease yourself into the unknown. You may find that you quite enjoy your own company 😁

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion with one’s courage.”

For the seasoned expats and solo travellers- what’s 1 piece of advice you would give someone moving abroad for the first time?

👩🏽‍🏫Interviewing for teaching jobs at i

👩🏽‍🏫Interviewing for teaching jobs at international schools: what to expect?👨🏿‍🏫

Schools usually ask for your availability before scheduling an interview. Offer a variety of times that you are available. Use an online time zone converter and work out a few time slots on days that align with the school’s working hours ⏰

It is not unusual to have 2-3 interviews with the same school (but with different staff members). It’s a good sign because it’s an opportunity for them to see if you’re a good fit and its a way for you to gather more information about a school.
It’s also not uncommon to interview with a panel of people working in different roles at a school. (I prefer these scenarios as it means the school offers different stakeholders a role in recruitment thus contributing to a more collaborative environment.)

Tips for answering questions:

🍎Speak clearly, slowly and if you don’t understand a question, ask for clarification.
🍎For every answer you give to a question, back it up with a real life example of something you have done.
🍎Read the school’s website carefully and jot down their keywords and philosophies. Work these into your answers.
🍎Reference things you have mentioned in your CV and/or cover letter.
🍎If you don’t have any experience with something be honest but also indicate your willingness to be trained or learn from others.

Tips when asking questions:

🍎Don’t be shy to ask. Asking questions shows that you’ve done research and are genuinely interested in the role on offer.
🍎I usually write a list of questions (after I’ve made sure I can’t get the information from the school website).
🍎If answers are unsatisfactory or you need to speak to someone of a different ethnicity/nationality, let the interviewers know that if you’re extended an offer, you would like to speak to two other staff members that align with your needs.

That wraps up my 2023 guides on finding a teaching job at an international school. All my teaching posts can be found on the hashtag: #pandasteachingtips. If you need/have any other advice, please leave it below!

👩🏽‍🏫Salaries, benefits and contracts fo

👩🏽‍🏫Salaries, benefits and contracts for teachers at international schools 👨🏿‍🏫

Sharing this information so you know what to expect before you start interviewing as many schools aren’t upfront about what they offer or they withhold benefits from candidates moving abroad for the first time (who don’t know what they should be getting)🌚

Note: The information is based on my personal experience teaching in the Gulf countries (in the private sector) but can be applied to other countries for a general idea.

Things to look out for in your contract (and if you don’t see them, make sure to get them in writing) or ask about in your interview:

🍎Contract length (including start & end date)
🍎Your salary in the currency you will be paid in (including what percentage will be taxed- if applicable)
🍎When you will be paid (monthly, weekly etc.)
🍎All benefits offered (including allowances, bonuses and benefits for dependents- if applicable)
🍎Vacation days
🍎 The phase in which you’ll work and what department you’ll be a part of (for example, my phase would be high school and I would fall under the Social Studies and English Language Departments- based on what I can teach)
🍎The procedure if you/the school terminates your contract before it ends (as teachers usually work fixed contracts from the start to end of an academic year. The timing of the academic year depends on the school and country).

If you aren’t happy about an offer, do not feel compelled to accept it. You can ALWAYS ask to talk to people working at the school before signing anything (I STRONGLY advise this and I ALWAYS ask to talk to women of colour currently employed at a place)👩🏿‍🦱👩🏾‍🦰👩🏻👱🏾‍♀️

International teachers did I miss anything? #pandasteachingtips

👩🏽‍🏫Hiring season is underway for teach

👩🏽‍🏫Hiring season is underway for teachers who wish to work in international schools👨🏿‍🏫

Swipe through for my guide for beginners looking to teach internationally for the first time. The easiest way is to register with a recruiter specializing in hiring for international schools. I share ones I have used or heard good things about from colleagues & friends- of all colours and nationalities.

🍎 Paid vs. free recruiters:

While this mainly comes down to budget, recruitment sites that have a paid membership usually cater to top tier schools that have been screened thoroughly and contain detailed information about them. That means you can see projected earnings, benefits offered and details about the school before you even decide to apply for a position. These recruiters usually only accept candidates who have formal teaching qualifications (degrees or diplomas- not TEFL or TESOL) with at least two years (sometimes more) of full-time teaching experience in a school (not 1 on 1 tuition or university tutoring).

🍎Free recruiters are more likely to be able to assist newly qualified teachers who are flexible about location and schools.

🍎One more thing I get asked about is: can I move to teach abroad and take my family with me? While it’s not impossible, the general rule of thumb is that the more dependents you have, the less attractive you are to an international school. Its a question of cost (if they have to sponsor and provide benefits for everyone) and sometimes its not manageable if you have to bear the cost for all the dependents on your own. If this is your situation, I would ensure that you are flexible about location, have many years of experience and can provide stellar references.

This is part 1 in a series of posts I will post about teaching abroad. Leave your questions below and also feel free to leave your suggestions and tips for others ⬇️ #pandasteachingtips

🌀New Blog Post: Planning a trip to Jeddah, Saud

🌀New Blog Post: Planning a trip to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia🌀

Everything you need to plan a short trip to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia including:

🐼What I spent on food accommodation & transport.
🐼What to pack & wear
🐼Navigating Saudi as a woman
🐼Suggested add ons for a longer trip

If you’re planning a trip to Saudi Arabia or this is something you’re thinking about, click the latest blog post tab from the link in my bio to read! Link will be in my stories too 😎

This is part 1 of my Saudi blog posts, later this week we head out of Jeddah and go off the beaten path to explore a small town in the mountains 🏔️

Happy reading! (Hoping to be more consistent about my blog this year as last year… I fell off the wagon 😭)

A weekend itinerary for Jeddah for those who live

A weekend itinerary for Jeddah for those who live in neighbouring countries/cities [Save & Share]:

(Photos are in order)

1. Al Tayebat International City Museum
2. The Floating Mosque
3. Breakfast at Siblings Cafe
4. Jeddah Corniche
5. Bubble tea at Urth Cafe
6. Balad Historical Village
7. Snorkeling with Hadad Scuba
8. Dinner at Papaya Restaurant

Jeddah is easily accessible if you live in 1 of the Gulf countries (flights are under 3.5 hours from most of the main airports) making it ideal for a weekend getaway.

GCC residents who are eligible for eVisa (this depends mainly on your profession rather than passport), will be granted a one year multiple entry visa which can be used at land and air borders ✈️ It costs around 110USD and requires a copy of your passport and residency permit/ID card.

(Note that the profession I selected on the eVisa website does not exactly match the one on my ID card. You have to select from a list of arbitrary professions so just pick the one closest to what you do. Otherwise pick something vague that might align 🙃)

There will be more details in my blog post tomorrow… which of these would you love to visit?

Panda's KSA Chronicles (part 2) 🐼🇸🇦 The

Panda's KSA Chronicles (part 2) 🐼🇸🇦

The simple truth is that not every country is for everyone 📣

As much as I believe that every person deserves basic human rights no matter where they are, depending on our appearance, culture, perspective and other factors, not everyone feels safe or welcome in every place around the world.

And this is true for Saudi Arabia- just like with any other country. So for people who:

❇️Are determined to show PDA beyond holding hands- regardless of the gender of the person they’re with

❇️Insist on dressing in a way that exposes large portions of flesh

❇️Tend to find fault with everything because it differs from their “norm”

❇️Need to drink alcohol to enjoy themselves

… Saudi Arabia is not for you. I am not here to change anyone’s mind and neither can I change their laws. You have to go where you will feel secure, comfortable and will enjoy yourself.

I also don’t believe in the notion of “good countries” or “bad countries”. I can definitely provide harsh criticisms of the country I live in and the country I was raised in despite enjoying many aspects of both. We tend to choose what we can and can’t accept. If a country has practises that are unacceptable to you, it is absolutely understandable that you would try to avoid it.

In the same way, I find a lot of things abhorrent like the criminalization of homelessness, police brutality, incarceration of citizens for profit, and a health care system favouring profit over wellbeing but for others, these things are normal. It’s all subjective 🤷🏾‍♀️

I just hope that by sharing our honest experiences, we can still be open to learning from each other and understand that people are not their governments.

So despite what big name influencers have been promoting, Saudi Arabia is NOT for everyone. Despite the kindness of the people and the pretty sites, not everyone will find it enjoyable to travel there. That is my honest opinion.

Only you can make the choices that are best for you ❣️

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