Bijan Bayne’s Post

7 months ago I started a new chapter in Asia 🚀 🇸🇬 Leaving everything behind and moving alone to a new country in the other side of the world was not an easy decision to make. I remember when I was on the 13h flight to Singapore, so many fears and doubts popped up: 😱 "What if I don’t like my new country and/or job?" 😱 "What if I’m feeling homesick?" 😱 "What if I don’t make friends?" 😱 "What if I fail? Deep breathing. It comes as no surprise: stepping out the comfort zone and starting (almost) everything from scratch can feel extremely overwhelming and daunting. But it’s a great opportunity for growth 🌱 Over the past few months, I have pushed my boundaries and had amazing adventures that developed me as a person and allowed me to understand myself even more: ✅ Discovering a new work environment ✅ Exploring new places ✅ Embracing diverse cultures ✅ Building new habits and taking on new challenges ✅ Joining clubs and trying out new sports, including Muay Thai and dragon boat ✅ Making new connections “The human spirit is like an elastic band. The more you stretch, the greater your capacity.” – Bidemi Mark-Mordi “If you do not push the boundaries, you will never know where they are.” – T. S. Eliot “To infinity and beyond” - Buzz Lightyear #personaldevelopment #careerdevelopment #growth #levelup ✨

12 months ago, I left New Zealand on a one-way ticket, and 17 months ago, I stepped away from formal employment. It’s been the adventure of a lifetime, filled with countless lessons and unforgettable experiences. Since then, I have: - Explored 13 different cultures - Volunteered at a camel safari in India, a vineyard in Portugal, and a dog shelter in Thailand - Lived in India for 2 months - Featured in a Laotian government tourism video What have I learned? - Being adaptable is a must. Jumping into different environments has really sharpened my skills for thriving in all kinds of situations. - Resourcefulness goes a long way. - Having a global perspective is priceless. Meeting people from all sorts of backgrounds has expanded my view of the world and given me new ways to tackle challenges. - Communication is key. Picking up the basics like "hello," "goodbye," and "thank you" in different languages has been super valuable and has helped me build better connections with people from all walks of life. Even though budgeting and living without a steady income has been challenging, this journey has taught me a lot about resilience and adaptability. Here’s to whatever lessons come next! See you soon Aotearoa - just 36 days and counting 😊

Cultivating Adaptability Skills as a Family Travelling to an off the beaten track foreign country is an exciting adventure, but it comes with its unique set of challenges – especially when you have children in tow. Our trip to Uzbekistan this summer was a great example of this. Here's how developing adaptability skills can make all the difference: 🌍 Embrace the unknown: Teach your kids (and yourself) to view unfamiliarity as an opportunity for growth rather than a threat. 🍽️ Culinary exploration: Turn trying new foods into a fun experience. Who knew Uzbek did BBQ so well! We've done many "international nights" at home to celebrate diverse cuisines. 📚 Flexible learning: Be open to different cultural approaches and differences. Stay curious... 🧘♀️ Mindfulness and patience: Teach coping mechanisms for frustrating moments. Deep breaths and positive self-talk go a long way. 🎉 Celebrate small wins: Acknowledge every step of progress, no matter how minor. It boosts morale and encourages further adaptation. Remember, adaptability is a muscle – the more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes. By fostering these skills, you're not just a passenger on the journey; you're equipping your family with invaluable life tools. What's your experience with adapting and travelling around the world with or without kids? #AdaptabilitySkills #GlobalMindset #Familytravels Video Caption: Boys running towards Kalon Tower, Bukhara at Sunset

Thank you EGN Singapore (Executives' Global Network) for having Expat Advising sharing our stories and some facts about the expat industry as a whole, and also related to the individual expat. What we do is as Dona Amelia rightfully describes ➡ niche. We provide expatriate success by identifying and mitigating the known (but unspoken) failure points, and we do it well. In raising awareness about the reasons for potential failure, I raise my voice and tell my story, and I will continue to do so. I won´t stop until it becomes common knowledge amongst expats and in the industry that these potential challenges are part of expat life and something that can be solved. My ultimate goal is to see expatriations succeed. Every time. The expat life offers tremendous benefits for companies, individuals, host countries, and when it comes to cultural acceptance and respect. It is a win-win-win-win 🥇 and that´s what I want in Expat Advising. Binu Balan and Simon J. Littlewood ➤ Veteran Coach, Advisor Thank you for your time and effort to make this happen 🙏 Want to hear more or have me come and share my story - just reach out. #expatlife #expatmanagement #expatriation #relocation #globaltalent

Since mid-November I have been documenting every week in my life as a digital nomad while traveling the world. I have been struggling to get stuff edited, however. So, this episode is from week 2023-50. If you want to follow more details from my travels, make sure to follow me on TikTok (@niceandsunny) and Instagram (@niceandsunny). #digitalnomad #digitalnomadlife #travellife #remotework #workandtravel

Did you know that #expats are more likely to experience #burnout than the local workforce in a country? Did you also know they are more likely to experience #stress, feel helpless and detached/alone? Beyond what looks like the glitz and glamour of the jetsetting life, these are some of the many unspoken secrets of the expat experience. And while they may be unspoken, they do lead to real world consequences - at work, failed expatriations with loss on ROI and at home, unhappy individuals and families. Shedding light on this issue and sharing insights on how to mitigate them with the EGN Singapore (Executives' Global Network) EGN Malaysia (Executives' Global Network) EGN Indonesia (Executives' Global Network), we had an engaged audience of senior leaders keen to move the needle for themselves and the people they manage. Thank you Binu Balan and B.Connected for making this outstanding session happen. Thank you Dona Amelia for having us. And kudos Simon J. Littlewood ➤ Veteran Coach, Advisor for your facilitation.

Food is an integral part of wellbeing. It's also one of the gateway into local culture, eye to the soul of a nation and such good conversation starter. Being a born and bred Malaysian 🇲🇾, breathing almost 2/3 of my existence here, there is so much I know yet alot full I am not aware of in this cultural melting pot of Southeast Asia. We are multilinguil and 101 dialect speaking nation with cross marriages dating many generations. We have been colonised by the British 🇬🇧, Portuguese 🇵🇹 and Dutch 🇱🇺 including the Japanese 🇯🇵 during WW2. We share close proximity with Thailand 🇹🇭 to the north, Singapore 🇸🇬 at southern tip, border Brunei 🇧🇳, and Indonesia 🇮🇩 at Borneo with the excitement of upcoming Nusantara at Kalimantan. South China Sea is where we savour exotic seafoods with the Philippines 🇵🇭 and Vietnam 🇻🇳. In my chosen profession, I have been fortunate experiencing different cultures on vacation, visiting or hosting colleagues. It never fail to intrigue me each time yet I realised there is so much more I need to learn about my country Malaysia. A recent return to East Malaysia, Borneo is a stark reminder cultural curiosity doesn't necessarily lead to cultural awareness. While I am the former, the latter will likely enhance one's experience. My journey of bridging not knowing to awareness is unlearning to re-learn. Immersing adventure 2025 with much excitement! #PreppedforTomorrow #TransformativeAgility #GOTFL

Ever felt like a fish out of water? That's expat life for you. Living abroad is an endless learning curve. Here’s what two years in Vietnam has taught me. - Culture shock? Embrace it. - Lost in translation? Just ask around. I’m sharing my top 5 expat lessons in today’s carousel. 👉 Swipe left and let’s navigate this journey together. Stay tuned for Part 2 next week! What have you learned from living abroad? Drop your stories below! #workabroad #expatlife

Heading to Thailand for my next adventure! Since 2009, traveling to nearly every country in Asia and the Middle East has been more than a passion—it’s been a journey of continuous learning and global connection. Every destination teaches me something new, inspiring personal and professional growth. Excited for what Thailand has to offer this time! #GlobalTraveler #CulturalInsights #ThailandJourney"

I learned about (what we now call) inclusion and high-performance teams in the international community. As you travel abroad you are in the minority (Japan, Fiji, Singapore, KL, Korea, etc) and learn to see that as an opportunity, not a curse. Of course, it is a sacrifice, and you get used to never getting used to the hotel rooms, but like anything in life you can (and should) learn from it. Life is good, and we learn how to be more human, the more we can see others that way. #strategicthinking