Fighting for My Rights in Cambodia: Why I'll Never Cry at Immigration Again

📚 For more details on my parenting method: https://april-s-site-fcfd.thinkific.com What happens when a Trinidadian producer trades Caribbean sunshine for Southeast Asian adventure, lands in Cambodia speaking zero Khmer, and builds a whole new life teaching kids from five different countries? 🇹🇹🇰🇭 In this raw and unfiltered episode of 'Babes, How Did You Get Here?', April sits down with Abigail — a Trinidad & Tobago-born educator and content creator who Googled "easiest place to get a job in Asia," booked a flight to Cambodia with zero knowledge of the country, and has been navigating the beautiful chaos ever since. From visa runs to Thailand, cockroach-infested apartments, and being told she's "too black" for modeling jobs, Abigail opens up about what it really takes to build a life in a country where nobody knows Jamaica exists, Bob Marley is "young people's music," and being dark-skinned comes with its own set of challenges. We talk about: 🌍 Googling "easiest place to get a job in Asia" and landing in Cambodia with no plan ✈️ Getting denied entry at Bangkok airport and nearly being sent home before even starting 📄 The visa struggle: border denials, tourist visas, and finally getting the paperwork right 🪳 Moving apartments to escape cockroaches and paying $350/month for peace of mind 👩‍🏫 Teaching kindergarten vs primary school — and why she'll never go back to two-year-olds 🗣️ Teaching Chinese, Vietnamese, Taiwanese & Korean kids who speak zero English 🎬 Building a content creation setup in a tiny apartment (and giving back the TV for wall space) 🌑 Colorism in Cambodia: being told "you're so dark" and why bleaching is normalized across Asia 📸 The modeling industry's dark side: $150 for black women vs $1,500 for white women — for the same "job" 💔 Dating in a small expat community where everyone knows everyone (and their ex) 🍜 Fermented fish, squat toilets, and why she still can't eat pork in a pork-heavy country 🇺🇸 Getting a US visa in Cambodia in one month vs four months in Trinidad 🏝️ Visiting provinces, buying ice lollies for village kids, and seeing a completely different Cambodia 💰 Fighting for her salary, standing up to schools, and refusing to be treated like she doesn't know her rights 🇨🇳 Why she wants to move to China (for the money) but keeps getting rejected (for her skin) 🌸 Her postcard moment: a temple by the sea in Jeju Island, Korea, with waves crashing and a Trinidadian flag in the corner. It's about standing up for yourself when schools try to cheat you, when agencies insult you, when immigration officers question you — and refusing to shrink. Whether you've thought about teaching abroad, wondered what life is really like in Cambodia, or just need to hear a story about resilience, self-advocacy, and repping your country no matter where you are — this episode will inspire you, challenge you, and maybe make you rethink what freedom and strength really look like. 💬 Tell us in the comments: Have you ever Googled your way into a new country? And would you stand up to a school the way Abigail did? 👀 — 🎧 About the show – "Babes, How Did You Get Here?" Hosted by entrepreneur & former Miss Jamaica, April Jackson, this podcast dives into the real, unfiltered stories of people who left the script — swapping comfort for courage, and choosing a life "elsewhere." New episodes every week from around the world. 📌 Subscribe for more stories on: • Teaching abroad, expat life & navigating visa struggles • Cambodia living, Southeast Asia realities & cultural differences • Colorism, racism & being black in Asia • Content creation, social media & building a side hustle while working full-time • Dating abroad, small expat communities & finding your people • Standing up for yourself, knowing your worth & fighting for your rights • Food culture, language barriers & adapting to life far from home 👍 If this episode resonated, like, comment and share it with someone who's been thinking about teaching abroad — or just needs a reminder that you don't have to accept less than you deserve. #howdidyougethere 00:00 From Trinidad to Cambodia: A Leap of Faith 02:51 Navigating Visas and Immigration Challenges 07:00 First Impressions and Cultural Adjustments 26:04 Teaching Life and Finding Work 34:58 The Color of Skin: Race and Prejudice in Southeast Asia 43:19 Daily Life: From Toilets to Cockroaches 47:58 Food Culture and Culinary Adventures 59:00 Building Community and Social Life 1:15:14 The Business of Beauty: Modeling and Exploitation 1:23:20 Dreams of China and Future Plans #AprilJackson #CambodiaLiving #TeachingAbroad #ExpatLife #LifeInAsia #TrinidadAndTobago #CaribbeanAbroad #TeachingInCambodia #BlackInAsia #Colorism #VisaStruggles #ContentCreator #TikTokAbroad #SoutheastAsia #PhnomPenh #ExpatTeacher #RealStories #Podcast #StandingUpForYourself #KnowYourWorth #CaribbeanExpat #TravelAsia #DigitalNomad