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Navigating life in a different culture…

… is full of challenges. Even in seemingly similar countries and cultures, expats encounter differences, obstacles and misunderstandings. But when the culture is so different that there’s little to no reference at all for you to understand it – you’re in for a roller coaster ride!

This is what happened to Nicole, my guest today, who moved to Xi’an / China with her husband and pre-schooler. With almost no other expats around, Nicole and her family turned into quite an “attraction” in the capital of Shaanxi Province.

After a difficult phase of adjustment, Xi’an and its people started to grow on Nicole, leading her to write her book, “China Blonde”, in which she narrates her experiences during the 3 years she called this city her home.

Reading this book, I almost felt like I was there too (a pleasant experience, in times of the pandemic!). Since I enjoyed it so much, I thought that in this episode I’d read short passages of the book with you, on which Nicole will elaborate and share her perspective.

We talk about:

the importance of friendships abroad
the pressures on the relationship
(especially when one partner works and is “all set”, and the other is left to find her way on her own)
the question of identity and how this concept is challenged when you’re so far outside your comfort zone
finding your purpose, against the odds
culture shock
and how to find your way and navigate life in an extremely different culture

About Nicole

Hailing from the land of the long white cloud, New Zealand, Nicole Webb moved to Australia as a teenager with her family. There she went on to pursue her dream of becoming a television journalist and newsreader.

After a decade at Sky News doing just that, Nicole (and baby bump) and her husband, James, who works in 5-Star hotels, decided to do something akin to carpe diem. A few deep breaths later Nicole and James found themselves in the city that never sleeps, Hong Kong, where the family, which now included blondie Ava, survived and thrived for four years before moving to Xi’an, China, where they lived for almost three years.

Nicole, James and Ava are now back in Sydney, for the time being, where Nicole works as a journalist, writer, speaker, media trainer and consultant. China Blonde is Nicole’s first book, and she is working on her second – a novel set in Hong Kong.