Maximising the opportunities in life!
International Schools – UK Universities – Year Abroad in Beijing – First Job in Bangkok
by Alice Osborne
Hi there, my name is Alice! I’m twenty -two years old and currently based in Bangkok. Not one for stereotypes, but definitely fit your perceived mould of a third culture kid – born in the UK but relocated to South East Asia at the age of two. I graduated from the University of Manchester in the summer of 2020 and now find myself starting a career in Bangkok with a blockchain company called SDLT. Exciting times!
To date, I have lived in a total of five countries: Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, China, and England. What I don’t tend to tell people upon first meeting them is that I’ve moved between these countries eleven times over the last twenty -two years and can’t even begin to recall the number of times I’ve relocated to a new house… my intuitive guess would be to treble that eleven! How many times people have asked whether my parents are in the military or are diplomats – of which they are neither – I have also lost count of.
People can think what they like, but my parents didn’t come out to Asia twenty years ago as CEO’s or GM’s. They came as a loved -up, middle -aged British couple attracted to the region’s sensational potential. It was actually mum who drove dad to ‘go for it’ and pursue a career out here because ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’. Had she not then my story would be quite a bit different! People can think what they like but I come from a conscientious family that have given me opportunity not money. Forever grateful to my mum and dad for providing this extraordinary start in life, which I have worked incredibly hard to maximise.
Just sharing with you how life can be
The article you’re reading today has no intention of being perfect, it’s about how I feel today and my journey. I’m not a journalist or a publicistpublished author, just sharing with you how life can be. My hope is that students, young professionals, and parents can read it and get some value about how they live their life going forward. If you’re a parent, that could be something as simple as loving your children andor letting them grow into who they want to be.
This piece explores my recent experiences with university in the UK, a year studying in China, working life in Bangkok, and also reflects broadly on my fifteen years in international education.
Feeling like a stranger in my country of birth
Education is the most defining aspect of my life so far, having been immersed in it since starting out at Singapore’s Brighton Montessori at the age of three. Nineteen of my twenty -two years have been shaped by the schools and university that I’ve attended. People say that third culture kids are the citisenscitizens of everywhere and nowhere. It wasn’t until I went to the UK for university that I understood what was meant by the latter…
Despite having spent the majority of my life in Asia, the feeling of being a stranger in my birth country was still surprising. It was the little things such as when native Brits would assume that I knew the staple TV show/musician/local pub they were referring to or casually used unfamiliar slang words. There were Western customs and normal ways of doing things that felt more unfamiliar to me than those in the foreign countries I had relocated to in the past. I preferred green tea to English breakfast for one.
You learn to understand people from different backgrounds, adapt to situations, remove expectations, embrace new things. Fast forward four years and now the deep connection to Manchester and the feeling of longing to return is what surprises me! The down-to-earth people, vibrant city, and independent coffee shops are among the things I miss most. It was difficult to have this chapter cut short so abruptly when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Hope to go back when it’s safe so I can see my wonderful boyfriend who I miss A LOTa lot.
The proudest moment of my time in education was graduating (virtually) with a degree in Business Management and& Mandarin, with first class honours and distinction in spoken Chinese. The icing on the cake to end this chapter was receiving the university’s most prestigious extracurricular accolade, the Stellify Award. Receiving my certificates was still brilliant, regardless of the fact a DHL mailman handed it to me instead of the School Directorthe Head of School.
Sure, I had a fair share of culture shocks when returning to the UK. Even more so when moving to China on my own – more about that to follow. But as any of us international students appreciate; the feeling is only temporary. We know it won’t be too long until that familiar sense of belonging greets us like an old friend, making a new place feel like a second/third/fourth/fifth (you get the picture) home.
A phenomenal year studying in Beijing
The most demanding but inspiring experience to date was the year spent studying abroad in China. Going to Beijing was the first major personal decision and challenge to face completely solo. It has to be said that I thought my spoken Mandarin would be good having studied it for almost 6 years… But upon landing in Beijing Capital International Airport quickly realised that I could not speak Mandarin in a way intelligible to locals, nor could I understand their native accents.
I enrolled on the 720 hour ‘Intensive Chinese Language Programme’ at Tsinghua University in Beijing, often referred to as the Oxford or Cambridge of Asia. The first month felt like it lasted a year. An unparalleled learning curve from a cultural and linguistic perspective. By the end of the two semesters, my command of the language had progressed substantially, and I was proud to pass level 5 of the HSK Chinese Proficiency test with a score of 261/300! There are 6 levels in total.
At Tsinghua, the access to insightful panels, lectures and speeches given by highly esteemed professors and experts from around the world was phenomenal. In my second semester I sought an internship at the Global Communications Office to write articles about these current affairs lectures taking place on campus. It was a personal first, writing for enjoyment rather than for an educational requirement. I developed an attachment to accurately representing the opinions/arguments of the speaker, as well as a fondness for adjusting the style of writing and selecting appropriate content in order make the article accessible for a wider audience.
Overall, my time in China was incredible beyond expectation. Personal highlights include camping on the Great Wall, strolls around the Summer Palace, boating across Longqing Gorge, karaoke in Pingyao Ancient City, and pitstops to eat dumplings at 2am on the cycle back to campus. Even the daily 8am Chinese classes hold a special place in my heart! Especially when followed by Hainan chicken rice for lunch in the canteen and a yummy bubble tea. Not such fond feelings towards the minus 20 -degree extreme winter weather… The memory of renting bicycles for my parents to tour the campus on a minus 10 -degree freezing cold day does make me smile though.
It’s incredible to be able to make friends and have contacts across the globe. The opportunity to continuously learn and explore through new people, places, and cultures is something I truly cherish. With age have I’ve definitely realised how central language is to understand and communicate with people on a deeper level. Now that I plan to work in Bangkok for a while, the Thai lessons have begun!
Starting a career in Bangkok with my first full-time job
When COVID-19 spiked in March, I hopped on a plane back to Bangkok to be with my parents and finish university remotely. Made it just in time before the borders shut! Considering the turmoil plaguing the world and seeing the majority of my fellow graduates in the UK firmly unemployed, I feltfelt extremely fortunate to find a job in Asia. The timing was ideal as the business had just begun rapid expansion. The company is called SDLT and specialises in distributed ledger technology a.k.a. blockchain.
Back in August at the start of the job as ‘Creative Media Publicist’, my technical knowledge wasn’t amazing. Six months down the line and I am becoming increasingly passionate about blockchain through regular research and related copywriting. Seems that I am realising its huge potential as leading businesses in of the post-COVID environment do so too! As creative lead at SDLT, I have been responsible for writing original technical articles, developing company branding and marketing materials, designing graphic and digital media about distributed ledger technology. Now that the domestic and international markets are ready for cutting -edge blockchain, work has been especially exciting with various press releases and networking events.
It’s been great to work in a dynamic, start -up environment within a team that is energetic and driven to the max. Flexible working habits which have become commonplace since COVID also mean I’m able to strike a great balance between professional and personal life. Many of my morning Tteams meetings on Teams have been happily spent at Luka Moto with an oat milk matcha latte in hand! Please reach out if anything I have’ve said strikes a chord with you, I’m always happy to meet for a matcha and a chat.
It’s already been such an outstanding journey to get to this point where my life as a working professional begins…!
Looking back on the academic rigour of international education
Reflecting on my time at school in Asia, the biggest lesson learnt thing I’ve learnt is that being academically strong does not make you immune to the educational rigour systemically embedded in international schools.
In Singapore, I loved attending Tanglin and progressed to get excellent IGCSE grades during my eight years there. Teachers suggested that I would be suitable for the rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) for post -secondary education rather than A -levels, the route initially in mind. Last minute my family decided to move us to Thailand, where IB was the only option at Bangkok Patana School. Although being an all -rounder with strong IGCSE grades (6 A*’s, 4 A’s), I found the academic transition very demanding. The support of outstanding parents, teachers, and friends made all the difference!
The IB came with its own challenges, heightened by being the new girl again for my last two years of school. I struggled with maths and physics, two subjects that I had previously excelled at. On reflection, I could hav’vee been smarter with subject choices; higher level physics, economics, and business with standard level maths’ maths, mandarin, and literature was quite the killer combination. Not only for Uuniversity applications but also my energy levels!
Regardless of academic prowess, the IB taught me the importance of playing to your strengths and making balanced choices to avoid burnout. This has greatly benefitted my approach to university and work. During the two -year programme my brain held the largest quantity and diversity of information it has experienced to date, even university didn ’nott compare. The personal growth I experience throughout my time in education also went beyond intellectual development and academic success. I cCan’t believe I’m about to quote the ‘IB Learner Profile’, but it’s true. We do become inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open -minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced, and reflective.
Upon review it’s interesting to note that after leaving school, the greatest challenges I faced at university where not to do with the academics at all. Rather, they concerned cultural aspects of adjusting to independent life in the UK and studying abroad in China.
Throughout my education journey, I never knew what profession I would like to go into in the future. All I knew was that my heart was in Asia, so wanted to specialise in Mandarin instead of choosing a specific career path as a lawyer, doctor, or urban planner. I had also loved studying business at school. The University of Manchester offered the course best suited to these requirements, and I went with it despite unconditional offers from higher -ranking institutions like Kings College London, whose programmes didn’t have the Mandarin component. I did seriously consider abandoning the Chinese portion of the degree to go to a more prestigious university but am so glad my parents advised me to stick with it!
Now it’s down to me!
It’s refreshing to look back and realise that the writing skills I have developed from a steady stream of academic essays can now be applied in my career.
Reflecting on the work so far with SDLT, I have written good copy that includes two of their entire websites, original blockchain insights, press releases, social media marketing posts, and materials for clients. This has prompted several realisations that 1. mMy writing skills extend beyond academic writing, 2. I enjoy writing, and 3. Wwould really like to see where a career in this could go.
So here I am writing my first personal perspective piece for Expat Life in Thailand! It’s not something I have done before and take my hat off to all the writers out there who use first person more than third. There’s considerable demand here in Thailand for quality English copy, whether that be magazine articles, blog posts, press releases, website content, social media posts, marketing brochures, you name it.
So, my plans for 2021 are to explore the freelance potential in this arena, keep learning about blockchain, dabble in an online coding course, rent my own place in Bangkok, start a food blog, and perhaps train for a half marathon. I’m also working on honing my written Mandarin so I can incorporate it into upcoming writing endeavours as there’s no doubt China will feature heavily in my future.
It’s been a challenging time as of late. I feel so fortunate to be close to my family, have stimulating work and great friends to explore the bustling city of Bangkok with.
