Member Spotlight

Member Spotlight

getting to know our members beyond the usual chitchat

Ashley Bentley

We can all attest that adaptability eases our transition to expat life. Ashley Bentley arrived with husband Peter and sons Noah (12) and Deacon (6) in December of 2020, and watched her prospects for exciting travel within Asia evaporate. Singapore’s closed borders, temperature checks, contact tracing and remote learning became routine, but at least some of us can remember weekend getaways to Thailand. Ashley shares how it’s wonderful nonetheless for her to be here with her family.

Was it hard to find Singapore on a map?

I had a fair idea of where Singapore was, as I often stopped here en route to Australia to visit my sister. I was surprised by how small Singapore actually is though; still, it's wonderful to be able to travel from one side of the island to the other in such a short time!

Ashley, Deacon, Noah and Peter Bentley

What have you enjoyed more about Singapore than you expected?

Singapore is so green, and so beautiful to explore. I am outside much more than I would be in the UK. I have struggled with being a ‘Lady of Leisure.’ In the UK, I worked full time, taking only a few months off for maternity leave. Whilst I enjoy having lots of time to myself, I miss having the routine to my day that I had as a primary school teacher.

How did you meet people and form friendships as an expat? Any advice for first-time expats?

I am a lucky first-time expat, as we already had some good friends here and another family from our home town arrived when we did. It helped massively not being completely alone! It was hard at first to meet people. I lost my best friend in the UK to cancer within my first month here so I didn’t feel I was ready to make new connections straight away. However,

Written by Helena A. Cochrane

Ashley and family on an adventure as the year has gone on, I have met many people through the AWA and, as class rep for my youngest son, I’ve made new friends. My advice is similar to others’ I suspect: accept every invitation and don’t be afraid to organize events with others.

Have you done any volunteer work? Has that enhanced your expat experience?

Packing at Food from the Heart. Such organizations are very important to help us realize that there are Singapore families who struggle. I particularly like that the food parcels are delivered straight to the families, via their child’s school.

Has celebrating a local holiday helped you feel at home in Singapore?

On National Day, we stayed at the Fullerton Hotel overlooking Marina Bay. We watched the morning parade and evening fireworks from our balcony. Despite last summer’s restrictions, we thought that the celebrations were wonderful. During 2021 Chinese New Year, our family spent a morning flying kites at Marina Barrage. It felt joyous to join local families in this pastime.

What challenges you most as an expat and how do you cope?

Lack of travel and being separated from family and friends is hard. To be completely honest, I do not miss England, but I do miss having loved ones nearby, especially my parents. When we moved here, we had planned on receiving many visitors. My boys are very keen to show off their new home to everyone!

Since moving from Philadelphia in 2018, Helena has been active with AWA's Walking with Women, Writers' Group and International Choir as well as with Urban Sketchers of Singapore.