20 July 2015
| Last updated on 21 July 2015
The Expat Born and Bred
Meet Jonny. He's what some might call an "expat brat". Don't worry, he does't mind us calling him that as he's one of ExpatWoman's very own... Learn about his life in the Middle East where he was born and raised!
Where were you born?
Abu Dhabi, UAE
I’m living in:
Dubai, UAE
Are you a solo Expat?
Yes, I currently am
A bit about me:
I was born and raised in Abu Dhabi, before moving back to the UK for boarding school and university. I attended Cardiff University for my Undergraduate Degree and the University of Edinburgh for my Master’s. I currently work for ExpatWoman on their content team... Following my graduation from Edinburgh I lived in Hong Kong for a year before moving back to the UK and then decided it was time for me to move back to the Middle East.
How long have you lived there?
I have just moved back, but having been born here I guess I have always called the UAE home.
Have you always wanted to live/work abroad?
Absolutely, I have done a spell in Hong Kong which I absolutely loved and will definitely look at moving back to, and I also want to live in a number of places including the States. Having grown up in an expat community since birth I have always loved it and would recommend it to absolutely everyone I meet, with the globalization of the world nowadays you can hop on a flight and be anywhere within a day.
You might also be interested in:
Why did you move?
My whole family are now back out here so moving back was a relatively easy decision to be closer to them. The lifestyle was definitely a massive draw and as simple as it sounds the weather played a major part! Being able to go to the beach and out on the boat at the weekends is something that I value greatly. When I made the move to Hong Kong I did it for the challenge and excitement. To live in a new place, have new experiences and meet new people is all the drive I need to live in a new place, and is why I will continue to do so throughout my life.
Why I like living here:
As I said the weather is a major draw, and the fact that I can have an active lifestyle because of that definitely helps. Also, no income tax is a positive. With Dubai being such a transient place you get to meet some interesting people, however it also means that your newfound friends move on a fair amount.
Accommodation Options?
Whilst there seems to be a lot of options and good supply of accommodation in Dubai, it is pricey. I found there were a lot of hidden costs/deposits that need to be made which at first I didn’t know about and can definitely catch people out. It’s important to have a good amount of money saved up as the initial start-up costs are quite a lot more than I have experienced in the UK and in Hong Kong as well.
What do you enjoy doing with your time?
When I am not in the ExpatWoman offices I like to keep active, sport is definitely my passion and I have played most sports in one form or another with rugby long being my primary one. Unfortunately, I am no longer able to play the game due to injuries so I have made the move into coaching, this year I will be head coach of the Heartbeat Tigers Women’s team which I am very much looking forward to.
The cinema is also another of my past times, however I do find it rather tough in Dubai as cinema etiquette over here is certainly not as disciplined as in the UK with regular disruptions due to phone calls and general chit chat- going at the quiet times is something I would definitely recommend and with a good deal of patience!
What top tips do you have for anyone considering a move?
Speak to as many people as possible about your potential new home, using forums and the internet to talk to people will prepare you and give you the inside tips about a place. If you know anyone personally that has been to/lived there then ask them about it, they will give an honest and trusted opinion. Being born as an expat and growing up as one I would definitely recommend it to everyone- I think it’s an experience that everyone should go through at least once in their life and if worst comes to worst you can always hop on a plane and get back home.
.jpg)
What do you wish you’d known before you moved?
When moving to Hong Kong I wish that I had comprehended just how busy and intense a place it can be. I had obviously been told this but being told something and actually experiencing it are two completely separate things.
Is there any where you would like to live that you have not explored?
Whilst having been to America before I would not say I have completely explored it and so that is definitely a place I would like to live. South America is also somewhere that I would be very interested in moving to, I can see myself opening a bar on a beach!
Where is your favorite place to visit for a vacation?
The island of Koh Tao is still my favourite place to visit, to be able to just lie on a beach all day and read a book is unbeatable.
SEE ALSO: Learn how to Dubai's an architect's playground in this Expat Man interview
Where is your favorite place you have lived and why?
I would have to say Hong Kong, whilst I love the UAE and call it home (especially Abu Dhabi) living in Hong Kong was a completely new experience for me and a vastly different culture to anything I had ever lived in before and was a real eye opener.
Everyone’s perspective of Hong Kong is a major cosmopolitan city, a concrete jungle if you will…which it of course is, however it also has another side- with the south side of the island being covered in green and no buildings at all, discovering this and going out to the surrounding islands provided me with some of my fondest memories of HK.
What’s the best thing about being an expat?
The lifestyle that comes with being an expat is the reason I am one, to be able to experience new cultures for a longer duration than a holiday is something that I will never tire of and will continue to do for as long as I can!
How do you keep a little bit of home with you as an expat?
Regular conversations with my friends using WhatsApp and skype are incredibly important to me and missing them is what I would consider the worst thing about being an expat. It does however mean that they get a great holiday destination! The little things can help make any place feel like home, whether it’s an episode of your favourite TV show or a Sunday Roast (absolutely critical).
