In this episode, we had the lady behind @catchflightsssnotfeelings, Halimah Ershad, over for a chat about her unexpected 1-year move from her hometown in the UK to our little red dot, Singapore. We talked about how in love she was with the waterfalls in Langkawi, and how she visited every single train station in Singapore (almost!).
What to Listen For
- Coming all the way from the UK for a work attachment
- The feeling of moving abroad—A contrast from back home
- Everything is far for Singaporeans
- The Muslim-friendliness of Singapore
- Islam and Muslims in the UK—Majority being in big cities and not so much in the villages and the countryside
- "What is it like working in a tech company?"—Very welcoming, a lot to learn with experts in their fields and big events.
- Big company vs a small or lean company—Difference in focus and exposure
- Tasks and everyday life working in a large company
- Catered food for lunch, pantry, and the other perks available at some large companies
- Other locations that were available for Halimah to choose from for the overseas attachment
- Cold in London or Hot in Singapore?
- SAD—Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Meeting Singaporeans in the UK and Halimah's preconceptions of Singapore before coming here
- Durian, Singapore being close to other countries, Singapore being humid and Hawker centres
- Watching vlogs and videos of Singapore to learn about where she will be staying for some time
- Speaking Singlish like a local
- Starting @catchflightsssnotfeelings and the story behind it—Starting with vlogs on Geylang Bazaar Ramadan and then to more countries when Halimah visited Malaysia with her family.
- Sekayu Waterfall in Terengganu—a life-changing experience
- Traveling to Langkawi and seeing more breathtaking waterfalls
- Making friends with the friendly locals
- Thailand is another destination that stood out for Halimah—The hospitality
- Best destination yet—Langkawi and Phuket
- From loving city holidays to preferring nature and relaxing holiday destinations—A changed outlook on nature after being in Singapore
- Exploring Singapore using the MRT—A challenge to explore every single MRT station and the area around it in Singapore
- Seeing touristy areas, different HDBs, different stations, and the different lines and maybe even the LRTs
- "If you could take 2 weeks' leave off work, where would you travel to?"
- If anywhere in the world: South Africa, Zimbabwe
- If around Southeast Asia: the Philippines and Vietnam's Ha Long Bay
- "What's your biggest discovery after visiting Southeast Asia?"—The hospitality, a pleasant driving experience, and the food
- The spice levels in Singapore, trying Mala, Sambal, and McSpicy from McDonald's
- Finding spicy food after coming home to reset the tastebuds after traveling
- Advice for someone traveling for work—Take the opportunity, be open-minded, be polite, try new things, and be mindful of the different work cultures of different countries.
Selected Links From the Episode
Halimah Ersyad (@catchflightsssnotfeelings)
Instagram | TikTok
Halal Travel Podcast
The Halal Travel Podcast hosted by Hazirah, Nurul, and Raudha as they talk candidly about travel, food, life, and everything else in between and sometimes with awesome guests! Listen to moving and inspirational stories from our guests from all walks of life.
Check out The Halal Travel Podcast page here!
