From: Singapore
Individual account
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia (Slovak Republic)
17/08/2016 - 27/03/2020
419
I'm a writer from Singapore who's been on the road for over three years now. I'm currently in the final leg of this massive journey for the books and am looking to go from Europe back to Southeast Asia by land.
I find myself constantly searching for better questions and grander people; people who ask real questions; people who feed my mind.
I've walked, hiked, cycled, hitchhiked, and worked across various countries and five continents.
I'm a published short story writer (UK & SG), the owner of an independent literary journal, a creative storyteller, brand enthusiast, social content creator, and copywriter. I also take photos - you can find info on this below in the "What else" section.
I used to be a copywriter in an integrated creative agency as well as a private English tutor to primary school kids before leaving to wander. I've taught kids of different nationalities including other native speakers and have experience with special needs kids with ADD. My last stint was in a language school in Puebla, México. I've also taught Mandarin Chinese in BUAP, one of the best universities in the south of México.
But I'm also a global hitchhiker, hiking nomad, international dog-walker, amateur bartender, Britcom addict, avid reader, amateur political observer, culture junkie, and language enthusiast.
In the past two years I've been making the attainment of balance a priority. I'm also able to appreciate deeper connections, good, positive energy, and the ability (and inclination) to relate as much as I can party and get fucked up.
I live with the locals as much as possible and have learned to see with different lenses and embrace varying perspectives. I stubbornly try to be part of the family/community wherever I go. Most of the friendships I've found and families I've created on the road are a direct result of this.
I'm not PC at all. I also don't care if you are. I express myself freely and honestly, all the time.
I've always traded what I had with others in order to get what I had needed in that moment. Most of my possessions are gifts, and I in turn gift them to others in exchange for another gift, token or memory.
I'm made up of all the people I've met.
I live and let live, have been told I'm chill and grounded, and am always keen to muck in with the rest. Am usually very happy with my own company except when stood up.
Anyway, I speak English (first language), 中文 (Mandarin Chinese), and Cantonese. Learning Spanish at the moment while driving pretty much all of Latin America giddy. (Spain, I'm coming for ya!)
I'm reasonably active and committed to my personal fitness. I practice calisthenics everyday, am an avid hiker, and love all sorts of outdoor and water activities.
Will be attempting to get my wilderness guide certification in Patagonia this year (2019) if I don't blow all my money in secondhand shops.
I've done pretty much everything along my journey; writing, teaching English and Mandarin, gardening, landscaping, painting, carpentry, poultry care, dog-sitting and -walking, pet-sitting, house-sitting, vegetable farming, some cattle work, hospitality, driving, bartending, construction, barista-ing, housekeeping, household maintenance, serving, branding, and marketing.
I might have even given a talk about Singapore's development strategies and urban planning philosophy in front of a lecture hall of 90 students and 10 faculty members in a university in México, by accident.
Fun times.
Gardening
Building
Babysitting / child care
General Maintenance
Cooking / shopping
Farmstay
Other
Help with Eco project
Help in the house
Animal care
Helping with Tourists
Charity work
Language practice
Art project
Help with Computers / internet
Teaching
Writing
Branding
Content creation
Smartphone photography
Teaching English
Dog-walking
Bartending
Serving
Babysitting
House-sitting
Customer service
Pet-sitting
Gardening
Housekeeping
Painting
Light carpentry
Poultry and animal care
Light maintenance
Vegetable farming and harvesting
Some cattle work
Not skills, but what else I could possibly offer as far as cultural exchanges go:
Teaching Singaporean English and Mandarin.
Speaking about Singaporean and East Asian culture.
Recommending East Asian and Singaporean popular entertainment.
English, Mandarin Chinese, some Spanish, some Cantonese
26
Singaporean
1. I've lived in a van with other travellers while driving across Ecuador and Peru in three months.
2. Dogs love me because I bring them on hikes with me!
3. I once managed a 12-bedroom guesthouse in Japan.
4. I've taught English to American, Singaporean and Mexican kids.
5. I've learned a decent bit of cocktailing and can hold myself behind most not-so-serious bars with a cocktail menu. Current cocktail count: 13
6. I've worked on website design, social media content and management, photography, and branding for small businesses I've met on the road. You can find my photos here - https://500px.com/chestertye - and on my Instagram (@_inclined). In case you missed it, I used to work in advertising as a writer.
7. I've volunteered at the front desk of both the best hostel in North America (2018) and one of the busiest hostels in The Americas.
8. I've been a bartender, barista, server, and customer service representative in various countries/cultures. Read: I can fit in anywhere!
9. I've driven across all of Canada coast to coast with three other travellers in a truck we had converted ourselves, while living in it for two months.
10. I've been to and hiked in most of East and Southeast Asia, Australia and Tasmania, Canada and the States, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, all of Central America, and Western Europe.
Whoever's reading this, get in touch if you feel like it, because from my experience, you'll never know what may come of it.
Peace, hugs, and less assumptions.
Smoker
Driver's licence
Allergies
No
Special dietary requirements
No, but I'm one of those people who eat more than my stature would suggest (high metabolism). If you have a problem with feeding Workawayers what they need (as opposed to feeding them what you think they need), let me know immediately.
