Meilani
& Andrew

Singapore & Canada
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Profile information

Travel information

We are currently

Travelling

Activities we are interested in:

Working with animals
Language exchange
Cultural exchange

Our next destination:
Sumatera Utara, Indonesia
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Description

Meilani/Lucie, she/they/any, 31

I grew up in Southeast Asia and am currently based on the traditional unceded lands of the Coast Salish people near what is now called Vancouver, Canada.

I am a creative, wandering spirit, living off the clock and flowing from day to day according to my natural circadian rhythm (approx. 25-hour day length), honouring my body's needs and savouring every hour this universe has to offer.

I relish being in nature, connecting with the land, and communing with plants and animals. I grew up around rescue cats, rehabilitating, fostering, and caring for sick and injured cats with my mom. I currently have 3 elderly kitties, all rescues. I am a seasoned petsitter and have cared for animals in Singapore, Canada, Turkiye, Finland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. I would value the opportunity to provide garden care and improve my skills in taking care of plants.

I am a native English speaker and have taught ESL+EFL, school-based English tutoring, and university-level research writing. I would be thrilled to do a language exchange in order to learn French or your local language.

Travel is a passion of mine, with some of its highlights for me being street photography, language immersion, writing inspiration, building friends and connections, and eating. I am honoured to learn about different cultures and customs. I appreciate the breadth and depth of cultural diversity, recognizing that national borders are fake and a product of imperialism and colonialism. I am committed to making travel more accessible for disabled and marginalized people, and speaking out about the persisting barriers that people face.

I am passionate about social justice, including disability justice, 2SLGBTQIA+ rights and Indigenous peoples rights. My background is in Applied Linguistics - minority language development. I am a biracial human reconnecting with my heritage rooted in Sumatera Utara, Indonesia.

I currently work remotely in non-profit communications work. I take my work with me when I travel.

I am disabled; I contribute as I am able, I cannot overextend myself beyond my means; I rise and rest a little bit later every day, never at the same time each day. This means I will sometimes be available to work and socialize at night only, not during the day. I am dyspraxic, so I struggle with many manual labour tasks but am absolutely willing to learn more and help out, with your patience and understanding.

I look forward to meeting you!

--- August 2026-2027---
I am travelling with my partner!
Brief bio:
Linguist from Canada, interested in multiculturalism and related sciences, arts, and philosophies (e.g., cognition, evolution, hermeneutics, etc.), and I have been accused of both research and writing in some of those disciplines. I am also interested in social justice, advocacy, organizing, and activism, including both local and international traditions.
Interests

Movies & TV

Cycling

Plant care

Sustainability

Self development

Politics / Social justice

Pets

Fashion or beauty

LGBTQ

Farming

Events & social

Culture

Charity work

Writing

Photography

Performing arts

Music

Languages

Hitchhiking

History

DIY & crafts

Cooking & food

Books

Art & design

Animals

Winter sports

Nature

Mountain

Hiking

Camping
Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Indonesian: Fluent
French: Beginner

More details about my language interests
This workawayer has indicated that they would be interested in sharing their language(s) or learning a new language. You can contact them directly to discuss this.

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Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn

We're interested in:

Light gardening

Life at a Farmstay

Animal Care

Hospitality/Tourism

Being an elderly companion

Some knowledge of:

Light maintenance

Helping around the house

Languages

Art Projects

Charity Work

Able to teach about:

Teaching

House & pet sitting

Helping with Computers/ Internet
More details about your skills

English language teaching
Care for cats, small-medium dogs, small mammals, poultry, reptiles
Domestic and home care
Help on farms
Creative projects
Disability support work
Age

31 & 32
What else ...

I have visited:
Asia: Indonesia (Sumatra, Jawa, Bali, Papua), Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Timor-Leste, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Turkiye (Ankara, Istanbul)
Pacific: Australia, Papua New Guinea, Hawaii
Europe: Turkiye, Greece (Lesvos, Athens), Latvia, Estonia, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Serbia, Bosnia i Herzegovina, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland
Americas: USA, Canada, El Salvador
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
  horses
- Special dietary requirements

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Feedback

4 Nov 2026

Left by Workawayer () for host (Be part of a friendly family ...)

Great experience with a sweet, lovely family! Even though my stay was short, we had a rich time together bonding, sharing life, and exchanging our culture and cuisine.

With a recent move (to a most convenient, vibrant location right in Belgrade city centre!), Pavel needed some help with touching up the inside of the new apartment. But the time … read more

(Excellent )

3 Nov 2026

Left by host (Be part of a friendly family ...) for Workawayer ()

Thank you so much for coming to stay with us!

You are a very interesting person, and we really enjoyed spending time with you, talking and learning about the different countries you have lived in and your experiences around the world.

You were a great help around the house, especially with painting some things in our apartment, including the … read more

(Excellent )

6 Aug 2018

Left by host for Workawayer ()

Thank you so much Meilani for helping us on our farm! You were a dream workawayer for our family.

And she's perfect for every host that is looking for genuine interaction. A multicultural multitalent! As a host you get a lot of practice of speaking english, help with any task that is required and all is done with care.

She is hardworking and … read more

(Excellent )

2 Aug 2018

Left by Workawayer () for host ()

I stayed on the farm for two months this summer and had the best time of my life. If you love nature, animals, and lots of flexibility, this is the perfect place. There is plenty of opportunity for cultural exchange - I was able to learn some finnish with the grandparents, I learned about unique finnish habits, cultural values and activities, and … read more on some days we would go watch traditional performances. The family was also eager to learn about my culture and adventurously tried some Asian dishes I prepared.

You also learn so many new skills on this farm. Since I worked primarily in the barn I learned to care for the cows, how to feed newborn calves (they do NOT cooperate), how to drive interesting machines, set up calf fences, etc as well as how to make ice cream and cheese from fresh milk. If you take care of the other animals you get to learn about chicken, rabbit, cat and dog (and hunting-dog) care, with more types of animals possibly to come. For plant-related work, there is greenhouse gardening, berry-picking, digging up potatoes and root vegetables, etc. If you like more physical work there might be a chance to help build stuff, do forestry work, or help in the fields with baling hay (summer) or harvesting (autumn). The work is exhausting but super fulfilling. Lots of free time too: relax in the surrounding wilds, go hiking in the nearby national parks or head to town for cafes or thrift-shopping. The city is only an hour's drive away as well (and the nearest stores around 20min away, so you can easily get anything you need). In July it was ridiculously hot so we would go swimming at the lake twice a day.

And the people... they're the best. Eve and Jarmo are beautiful souls. They were always willing to go out of their way for me, make sure I had lots of food, respect my personal space (own room and bathroom in the house). If there is something they don't initiate information about, don't be afraid to ask. Eve is very open-minded and artistic and is a supermom. Jarmo is curious about everything, incredibly driven (pun intended) and so generous. The kids are hurricanes and will stick to you once they warm up to you. The hospitality from the grandparents will touch you.

If you come in the summer, be prepared for mosquitoes and flies, and expect to get sweaty and dirty and to receive random cuts and bruises you had no idea you got. If you're into that kind of thing, buckle up for an adventure.

(Excellent )

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