What I packed wrong for my first overseas work assignment
As a child, I have never been bothered with packing since my mother assumed the responsibility. Whenever we travelled, whether for a weekend trip or a week-long trip, she managed the packing for the family of four with just one bag (or two at most). That's how lightly she packed, bringing only the essentials.
Then came the phase when I rebelled against the one-bag rule. I wanted to carry my own bag instead of sharing a bag for all of our clothes. I sometimes overpacked by bringing extra clothes or extra books, when we travelled to my hometown, or when we travelled anywhere by car. I packed non-essentials and was often nagged by my mum.
My mother always taught me to “bring only what you need” when travelling. Pack lightly so that we are not tied to our belongings and are free to roam about as we please. Travelling with a large or heavy bag is cumbersome, and carrying multiple bags is inconvenient. “If you have to carry luggage in one hand, you only have one hand free. If you carry on your shoulders, you have both hands free.”
(By the way, we spoke in Hokkien.)
It wasn’t that I constantly disagreed with her. In fact, I prefer the practical way instead of being bogged down by bulky bags, especially since I don’t have much physical strength for it.
I eventually embraced minimalist packing, realising I could usually manage with far less than I thought. I could stay away from home for a week or two with everything I needed in a school backpack.
In early 2016, around four and a half years ago, I was excited to be packing for my first long-term trip. My job was taking me to subtropical Hong Kong in February for five months.
I prefer and tolerate cold over heat any day, undeterred by the lack of body fat. I'd be in shorts while others bundled up in cold places. But still, I can't risk freezing...
I packed for three seasons – winter, spring, and summer – which meant t-shirts, long-sleeves, jeans, shorts, a couple of jackets, and even a dress and skirt.
Plus two pairs of black heels, skin-coloured stockings, and a full face of make-up – foundation, concealer, eyeliners, the works – most of it bought new, since what I had at home was either barely used or years old. I wasn’t a make-up person, but the grooming checklist sent by HR listed it as required. Hair gel, hairnets, hairpins – the whole kit.
I settled on a 40l-ish wheeled duffel bag plus a 16l-ish backpack as a carry-on. Sounds like I was all set.
I was joining with a batchmate and we travelled together to Hong Kong. Looking at her luggage, I felt like I underpacked, by a lot. Her suitcase was two times, maybe three, the size of my bag.
Upon arriving at the workplace, we were ushered to our accommodation for the following months by a fellow colleague. A senior co-worker passed us in the alleyway, glanced at my luggage, and wondered aloud whether I had brought any formal clothes for work.
What was he talking about? The grooming checklist mentioned that uniforms would be provided.
After we put down our bags, we headed to the clinic for medical clearance.
I handed over my medical form.
"Your full medical lab report?" the nurse asked.
"Isn’t this the medical certificate?"
"We need the full laboratory report from your medical tests."
My full medical report. Sitting at home…
Without them, I wouldn't have been allowed to join. I could have cried. I had completely overlooked a whole folder of documents the employer required. I used to judge people who showed up unprepared.
When I went through the document checklist at home, I had thought the medical form confirming I'd passed was enough. How come I didn't have the sense to confirm with Human Resources?
The HR email should have been clear enough: "Please also do not forget to bring the following onboard." Employment Contract. Terms and Conditions. Passport. Seaman’s Book. Full Medical Report (original). E-ticket. Letter of Guarantee. Basic Safety Training certificate.
I had read it, but not really read it.
Also, how come I had to fly over 2,500 kilometres to find out uniforms weren't actually provided for my job position.
Fortunately, they allowed me to arrange to have the documents delivered from home within the next few days. I could get some office wear from home at the same time. I felt slightly relieved when our colleague let us connect to her mobile data to contact home for help.
Thank you Mum and Dad for getting my documents and clothes at home and delivering it to me in HK.
Even my batchmate didn't pack office attire in her large suitcase. In our defence, we were both working off the same grooming checklist that listed black heels, stockings, make-up, hair gel, and hairnets as essentials, and said uniforms would be provided. What we didn’t realise was that it wasn’t actually meant for our job position.
I went ahead and bought most of it new. Things I didn’t regularly use and didn’t really need.
At least my batchmate only packed one pair of black heels. I bought two new pairs, though a backup pair didn’t seem like a bad idea at the time. I kept that habit for several contracts before I learnt to trust that one pair could last the duration.
We weren't the only ones. A few colleagues who had joined a few months before us were likely handed the same wrong checklist – they were a batch too. One of them told me she'd bought her office wear at the airport on joining day. I don't have the best memory, but that's not a story I could have made up.
Read more: Packing list for cruise ship crew on 5+ month contracts
A few female colleagues lent us some extra office wear until our clothes arrived from home.
From the very beginning, our days were filled with training. It wasn't until two weeks later, after we requested a little time off to buy some necessities, that we had a chance to explore the city. The first place we headed was a watch shop. Phones weren't permitted in certain areas, and neither of us owned a watch. We had no way to track the time otherwise.
When we finally stepped outside, it was hardly cold. I needn't have worried so much about winter dressing. With our schedules so packed, I barely spent any time outdoors anyway.
I thought I would wear my cropped tops or tank tops during the warmer weather. But I didn't even wear them at home, so I had no idea why I thought I would.
The assignment ended up lasting over six months instead of five. The probation period was 180 days – I knew that, but hadn't thought to confirm whether it ran continuously. Another thing I didn't think to ask.
Once I started receiving a salary and wandering through the city's shopping districts, from luxury malls to street markets, I became a bit of a spendthrift. I shopped several times and gradually replaced much of what I had brought.
In the end, I couldn't fit everything, so I left behind the clothes I'd brought from home and returned with the ones I'd bought or collected in HK. I had a foldable travel bag for exactly this purpose, and I regretted not filling it completely. They were still wearable. I miss them.
I no longer even keep some of the newer pieces, which had quickly become old. That's why I can't give you an accurate packing list even if I wanted to.
My mistake wasn't overpacking. It was packing the wrong things – and not packing the right things. I had taken everything at face value – the documents, the grooming checklist, the contract duration – without once asking HR to clarify.
And that's how I ended up with a useless and uninformative packing list. I may call myself a minimalist packer, but I’m still learning what that really means. I still spend a lot of time packing for each long-term trip. Trying to be ruthless is stressful when you want to stay minimal but still have options.
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