…no, not in Switzerland (oh how I wish!), but back at home.

About a month ago, the reporter from Clove contacted me via one of my other friends, wanting to feature me in an article about mixed marriages, specifically Malaysian women who tied the knot with foreigners. So I replied a few questions she had – I still have my answers all typed out on a word document!

And a few days ago, it came out on Clove – a women’s pullout from The Star. You can find the article online here. I’m just one out of the four couples she interviewed and I must say one thing though.

I DO NOT LIVE IN LUCERNE!!!!!!!!!!!!

I didn’t know whether to laugh or not (probably wasn’t laughing when I read it because it was during that whole stressful period when my domain was down and such) but people in Lucerne speak German and to learn French when I’m living in a German-speaking area is, well, stupid to say the least. I wonder what the editor or subeditors were doing when they read through this piece. O’well…

Anyway, my thanks to Ee Tan – apart from that booboo, the article was nicely put together. And she picked up on one important thing; those preconceived notions that people have about Asian wives and the fact that not all of us have it easy abroad. Yes, you could say that I had my own agenda when I replied her questions. I was really fed up of people back at home assuming that I was swimming in gold, that I was living a cushioned life and that I didn’t know anything about suffering. Sorry but that’s not the reality of the situation.

Life is tough no matter where you are – home or abroad – and sometimes, people will tell you that it’s tougher when you’re abroad because not only do you have to break stereotypes formed by others, you too will be doubly hard on yourself!

And then there is the job hunt. No folks, you don’t automatically get a job when you move abroad – it depends on what people need, what skills you have, where you are and well, just about 100 other things. Like what I told Ee Tan, here people assume that just because I’m Asian, my English is learnt from some language school. I had such a hard time explaining the concept of Malaysians learning English since they are children just as how French kids learn French in school. They just can’t understand it. And when an assignment like “Jobs in Atlanta” comes along the way, I wish I could magically wave a wand and make it “Jobs in Switzerland”. But I can’t.

Anyway, Mum’s working on churning out a PDF so in the meantime, have a look-see if you still haven’t seen it! :wink: