Expat Interview: Rebecca Fielding - The Magic Behind ExpatWoman | ExpatWoman.com
 

Expat Interview: Rebecca Fielding - The Magic Behind ExpatWoman

Meet our Beccy, she is the Leeds lass who is one of the vital people behind ExpatWoman

Posted on

13 September 2015

Last updated on 26 October 2017
Expat Interview: Rebecca Fielding - The Magic Behind ExpatWoman

Her keen eye for detail and passion brings all the latest information right to your finger tips. She makes all the magic happen, and really is a walking encyclopaedia about what's happening in Dubai.

Name:
My name is Rebecca Fielding, but you can call me Beccy! 

Where were you born?
I was born in a place called ‘Jimmy’s’ in Leeds, in the UK. Anyone who is a fellow Loiner will know exactly the place! Leeds itself is actually the third largest city in the UK, and is of course… Home to the "best football team in the world" (I'm contractually obliged by my husband to say that), the beautiful corn exchange and Keith Lemon. 

I’m living in:
A place very, very far from Leeds… Dubai, of course.  

A bit about me:
Well, to sum me up: I’m a 23 year old wife, editor, writer and #ExpatWoman living in a huge sandpit in the Middle East. How’s that for a short biography!? I grew up in a very small village on the outskirts of Leeds, tried city living when I moved to Liverpool for my university studies, and then decided to go BIG and head for one of the UAE’s metropolises with my husband, David.  

What is your role at ExpatWoman?
I’m currently the acting Editor of ExpatWoman, so those spelling mistakes you might come across – yeah, they’re my fault. But don’t hesitate to call me out on it. All feedback is constructive! I work with a fabulous editorial team to ensure we’re up to date with all the best and most relevant information for our readers. 

How long have you been working here?
In hindsight, I must say I was very lucky. We moved out to Dubai and within the first week I had an interview with the company – at which I earned the title “the one with the huge portfolio”. Two weeks later I was part of team pink, and they still tease me about the nickname. 

SEE ALSO: How to write a great blog, by Annabel Kantaria

What do you like most about your job?
Oh well this is a difficult one to answer… Partially because there’s a chance the entire team will read this! Fortunately for me, and I’m sure fellow expats will agree, my life here in Dubai is practically owed to this company. They’ve taken me from being a university graduate and helped teach and guide me to my dream career path. Part of my university studies was focused on women, feminism and women’s literature. So to be able to work in a job where I am a woman, writing about women’s topics for women is just ideal.  

How would you describe the ExpatWoman team?
You’ve all heard of the TV show, F.R.I.E.N.D.S, right? The editorial team I work closely with is like that; a sense of humour, varied personalities but ultimately all supportive of each other at all steps of the way.  

Have you worked abroad before?
Unfortunately I never had the chance to complete a gap year during my studies, so as a fresh graduate, Dubai was my main focus. 

How long have you lived in Dubai?
We’ve lived here over a year now, and I feel that we’re finally settled just nicely. I’m actually an English and History graduate, so my passion for the Middle East stems from my studies of the region, and with my husband and I having family over here, it made sense to give Dubai a go in 2014. 

Have you always wanted to live/work abroad?
My husband and I first visited Dubai back in 2010 when we came to visit our family. So I guess our love for the city and region began there. We’re part of a fortunate few who are lucky enough to have a stable support system here that helped us move. I think without them, the decision to move here would have been a lot more difficult to make.  

Why we like living here:
First of all, I love the heat. I’m definitely a sun baby. Secondly, I love the opportunistic ways of Dubai, every corner you turn there is something new to try out, join in with or explore. And lastly, every day is an adventure in Dubai of course – have you seen what it’s like to drive on the roads here!? Joking.  

What do you enjoy doing with your time?
Don’t you find that’s always a difficult question to answer?  I suppose I enjoy reading. I’ve recently taken up colouring, after the trend of these adult colouring books has appeared. You may laugh, but it’s genuinely therapeutic, especially when you’ve been sat in front of square screens most of the day. But saying that, I do spend a lot of my personal time on my blog, Revkah , where you can find all of my musings, reviews and photographs about living in a huge sandpit. I’m also a pianist, but I’m yet to convince my husband to purchase a grand piano for our one bedroom apartment. I’ll just have to wait till I return home to the UK, I suppose. 

Blogging


What top tips do you have for anyone considering a move?
For me personally over the course of living here for one year, I’ve learnt that I need to be a lot more laid back. Patience is a necessity for any #ExpatWoman making a move to a new country; especially one that is a huge mix of different nationalities and languages.  

What do you wish you’d known before you moved?
How terribly difficult it can be to get even the simplest things done here in Dubai. But don’t let that put you off; again, it comes down to patience and remaining calm in a time that is potentially stressful.  

Is there anywhere you would like to live that you have not explored?
I know my husband would love to give the United States of American a go in the future, he loves the idea of New York. I wouldn’t complain. 

Where is your favourite place to visit for a vacation?
Well I suppose recently, it’s got to be home in the UK. But I do dream of the Maldives, or Vietnam, or Singapore, or Florida or Fiji…

SEE ALSO: Meet the rest of the ExpatWoman team!

Where is your favourite place you have lived and why?
With Dubai being my first expatriate experience, I guess I have to say here! But if you’re interested, Liverpool in the UK is a fabulous night out if ever you get the chance to visit. 

Liverpool
 

What’s the best thing about being an expat?
This one’s easy… How wide your mind broadens. Seriously, I’m talking as a Leeds lass who has grown up in a small village on the boundaries of North and West Yorkshire. It’s unbelievable just how much you learn to appreciate others, their decisions, their culture, their beliefs. And that’s something no university degree can teach.  

How do you keep a little bit of home with you as an expat?
I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I do have my teddy bear with me, he’s been with me through thick and thin since I was a newborn. And photos, lots of photos.  

Anything else you’d like to share with us about your expat experience?
This is for all expats out there; give your new country your patience, your time and your love, and it will inevitably reward you with life, energy and wanderlust.