Seated by the coffee table, Danial can barely contain his excitement as his wife and son return home from school. He watches them enter the room, young Ezra quickly toddling away while Adlinn’s hand remains on the handle. As she closes the door gently behind her, Danial decides that it is time. “Adlinn,” he begins slowly. “I dapat kerja ya.” “Kat UK?” she asks, trying to stifle the enthusiasm in her tone.
She can already see it: Autumn strolls with her children as crimson leaves fall. Winter rolls around and her little ones are playing in the snow. It’s going to be perfect! “Yes, kat UK,” Danial replies. Adlinn pauses briefly as she keeps herself in check, Danial’s response nearly rendering her speechless. It’s final.
Turning to face him, she smiles and exclaims, “Jom!”
A Once in a Lifetime Opportunity
How did all this happen? The couple’s journey to Birmingham, UK, began with a sparkling test engineer job offer at TUV’s European branch on LinkedIn. Not putting too much thought into it, Danial submitted an application to test his luck and sure enough, the stars above bestowed upon him a confirmed job offer in only 2 days!
Looking back, he says that this opportunity could have been due to the way he uses LinkedIn. By networking and sharing relevant information whenever he can, Danial has built himself a reputable image within the engineering community brick by brick and advises others just beginning their engineering careers to do the same.
Another piece of advice Danial has to offer stems from his former and current work experiences in Malaysia and the UK. Firmly believing that Malaysian talents are on par, if not better than those abroad, he encourages Malaysians to keep striving for success and advises them to continue improving their communication skills to ensure clarity and not to hesitate when asking questions or voicing opinions.
These pointers have undoubtedly helped guide Danial to the success of his engineering career and his new life halfway across the globe. Yet subtle doubts cloud his mind: Will things be better living in a foreign country? Will I be able to make my family happy in the UK?
New Experiences, New Lessons
Fast forward and Adlinn and Danial have spent their first year in Birmingham. They reminisce about their ‘settling in’ period with pride and a sense of achievement.
Building their new home had been one of Adlinn’s greatest accomplishments as it was built from the ground up upon beams of sacrifice and risk. Prior to their move, she and Danial had also just recently moved into their newly bought home in Malaysia, meaning that she had to let go of past dreams about the life she and her family could have led back home. For instance, Adlinn had envisioned their kitchen to cater to her content creator scene and intended to carve out a mini workspace for herself. Nevertheless, she’s successfully managed to put together the beautiful home her family now lives in, which Adlinn has ensured every nook and cranny is child-friendly and as reminiscent of home as much as she can.
People say that the grass is always greener where you water it. Adlinn and Danial agree. Then again, moving to a first-world country inevitably comes with higher expenses and having to make life adjustments. The couple share the differences of living a minimalist lifestyle: having to cook most of their meals instead of dining out, running frequent grocery trips or something as simple as being unable to head to the mamak for a snack at any time of the day. On the topic of food, ingredients differ and the authentic flavours of home can never truly be replicated. The culture shock extends even outside of home. Danial knows all too well the alienating feeling of bringing rice and freshly-packed lauk as he sits by his colleagues at lunch as they munch away on a singular bag of crisps.
However, these changes have led to the couple’s more profound sense of appreciation for one another. As Danial himself says, “My biggest supporter? My wife.”
Knowing that her husband would become the sole breadwinner for their family, Adlinn took it upon herself to start a personal shopper business, ‘Add Your Business’, to support him. She had also been the one to constantly reassure Danial’s doubts, reminding him that while they did indeed have to start from scratch, they were both doing this together. Living 10,500 km away from his comfort zone, Danial is more than grateful to have Adlinn by his side.
A Sense of Community and Belonging
As for the cultural differences, a friend of Danial’s had recommended MyHeart to him. It is a platform that allows him to meet and connect with other Malaysians around the world, giving him hope towards finding more people like him and his family. He encourages every Malaysian abroad to learn more about this effort and join the Malaysian community on MyHeart.
Now, Adlinn and Danial host regular potluck dinners with their newfound community in Birmingham and take their children to celebrate Malaysian holidays in London, such as Malaysia Day and Chinese New Year. They additionally make it a point to speak only Bahasa Melayu when at home, maintaining a strong sense of Malaysian pride and culture in Eleena and Ezra.
While life in the UK may continue to change as challenges and new experiences arise, what remains constant is their family and the heartfelt moments Adlinn and Danial spend with their children. As Danial encapsulates best in his own words: “Life in the UK is Adlinn, Eleena and Ezra.”
If you’re a Malaysian abroad who would like to connect with other Malaysians in your community, register yourself on MyHeart to get started.
