From Cold Quebec to Sunny Ipoh

Remi, Sonia and Gabriel Poulin,who have lived in Malaysia for nearly three years now, hailing from the French-speaking Northern Quebec, Canada and having to brace could weather eight months out of a year. They now enjoy year-round sunny climate in the much larger city of Ipoh.

Tell us a little about yourselves and what brought you to Malaysia?

When we were in Quebec, both of us worked in the construction industry, but lived in different cities. However,when Gabriel was born in 2010, we decided to relocate in order to be together as a family. Then, we decided to explore overseas job opportunities to have the experience of living and working in a foreign country.

Soon, Remi received an offer to work in Malaysia for a Canadian company. Sonia did some research about Malaysia on the internet and after finding out about the multicultural aspect of the country, we got really excited and quickly signed the contract!

We arrived in Lumut, Perak where the project was standing in Aug 2013, and started our adventure as an expat family living and working in a foreign country for the first time. Our 14 months stint in Lumut was an enjoyable, filled with quality family time and many interesting cultural experiences.

We enjoyed the lovely warm weather and being close to the sea! We also met a lot of people who have become our friends, and enjoyed discovering different parts of Malaysia.

What were your first impressions of Ipoh?

Our first impression of Ipoh was felt on the first morning here. We remember very vividly waking up on the first morning in our home here which  is located near the Meru hills, and experiencing a temperature that felt much fresher and cooler compared to Lumut, thanks to the mountains near our home! Wewere very relieved and glad, to say the least!

What would you say are the pros and cons about living in Ipoh?

The pros are the availability and variety of good restaurants offering local and international cuisine. Ipoh is also close to the highway, so it is easy to get to KL and Penang. Ipoh is also not too congested, has international schools, big shopping malls and nice weather.

As for the cons, we are further away from the sea and there is more traffic here compared to Lumut, but we can certainly live with that! All in all, it has been an amazing experience living in Ipoh.

What are your favourite things to do in Ipoh during your free time?

For recreation, we really enjoy cycling at the foot hills of the mountain near our house. Remi and Gabriel attend taekwondo classes once a week, and Sonia enjoys going to yoga with her friends. We also enjoy swimming, walking the shopping malls, eating, and sharing time with our new found friends.

How has Gabriel settled into life in Ipoh?

Gabriel really enjoys attending Tenby International School, where he has made many friends from different cultural backgrounds. He is also learning English, Malay language and Mandarin,on top of speaking French at home, which give him an added advantage in life.

We are so happy that he is exposed to different cultures at school, and this is certainly something to be grateful for, as it is something not all children get to experience.

What advice would you give to a newly arrived expat family coming to live in Ipoh for the first time?

Just go with the flow and “follow the local beat” ! Also, respect people the same way as you would in your country.

(News Source: Ipoh Valley of Dreams [Issue: Jan - Mar 2016])

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