Tips for Malaysians who are preparing for their Working Holiday Journey

Where work is a holiday!

*Congratulations* to my friends who are soon to embark their journey in New Zealand this year. I hope you are not too overwhelmed as I have been there and I was nervous between the moment I got my visa till the day I flew to Canada. It has been 1 year half here and the points I've written are derived from my personal encounters in Canada. This applies not just to working holiday program but even student exchange programs as well. I hope these points would be useful for you:

1. Get a flag!

- Just because, Malaysia Boleh! But seriously, it's good for the pictures.

2. Shop for winter clothes abroad

- If you are travelling to a cold country (which most likely to be, unless you're travelling to another tropical country). I highly recommend to buy winter wear at the country you are at. It will be cheaper compared to buying in Malaysia and you will be able to observe what people are wearing and test it out on your own. It's different in every country, for instance the parka I bought in Korea could only be used for autumn in Canada. It's even better if someone could borrow you, as you will save alot. 

3. Learn how to cook a Malaysian dish

- Yes we all know we will be missing Malaysian food and as it is very convenient to buy food in in our country. Due to the convenience we mostly do not know how to make Nasi Lemak or Bak Kut Teh on our own. So before you leave, just spend some time with your mum in the kitchen and cook a special dish that you like. Another reason to learn how to cook a specialty dish is because most of the time, throughout our working-holiday journey, we will be able to meet people from different parts of the world. And of course, you would not want to "siasui" Malaysia's reputation when it comes to an international potluck party. 😃Before I left to Canada, I tried out some packed paste and ask my family to send me more if I can't find them at the local Asian market. 

4. Join Facebook second-hand groups

- Just search for the location you're working at + "buy and sell", "secondhand" and you join them even before you arrive there. From time to time you will receive notifications and it's a great platform to expect prices and it helps you to pack lighter as well! You may look for jobs in Facebook in the same way.

5. Get your International Driving License

-Google the country you are visiting and see if they drive on the same side of the road as we do. Road trips are seriously fun and you will be surprised that most people from foreign countries do not drive at this age. Driving are costly at most countries and they have convenient transportation system hence you will be the one driving most of the time. 

So that's 5 tips for you, I had a few more to share but we will save it for next time. Cheers.