African American professionals in Addis Ababa, 1942. Kneeling from left to right: Andrew Howard Hester, Edward Eugene Jones, Edgar E. Love. Standing left to right: David Talbot, Thurlow Evan Tibbs, James William Cheeks, the Reverend Mr. Hamilton, John Robinson, Edgar D. Draper

Ethiopia is an ancient name, redolent with history, culture, and religious influence. While the historical Ethiopia was the Greek name for the Kingdom of Kush, located in what is now the northern Sudan, modern day Ethiopia is the heir to the historic kingdoms of Abyssinia and Axum who remained independent for thousands of years and ruled in East Africa and for a period, Southern Arabia as well.

The ancestors of Blacks in the Americas and Caribbean hailed from West Africa, but a strong tie has been forged over the past hundred years between these communities and the state and people of Ethiopia. This lead hundreds of people and their families to move to Ethiopia during the first half of the twentieth century, some living there permanently. The emigration, though much smaller scale continues today. Where did this begin and why?

The focus on modern Ethiopia by people of African descent started during the age of segregation and colonialism. In an Africa partitioned by European powers at the Congress of Berlin, where no African representatives were present, independent Ethiopia represented a kingdom and a beacon for idealists who promoted the freedom of Africa and other Blacks around the world. This was emphasized when Ethiopian forces defeated invading Italians at the Battle of Adowa in 1896.

This focus began early, most prominently through Henry McNeal Turner, a bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal church, and was amplified through the speeches and activities of Marcus Garvey and his United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) which promoted a back-to-Africa movement and highlighted Ethiopia as a strong and independent African state. In the Caribbean, and later abroad, the Rastafarian movements emphasis on Ethiopia and Emperor Haile Selassie raised the status of Ethiopia to near legendary in many eyes.

The origin for emigration to Ethiopia is hard to pinpoint. The oldest expat in the 1930s was missionary Daniel R. Alexander, originally of Missouri who arrived in 1903. The big impetus, however, may have been a visit to Harlem by an official visiting delegation of Ethiopia in 1919 described by Roi Ottley in “New World A-Coming.” The delegation included Dejaz-mach (a military title literally meaning ‘General of the Gate’) Nadou, later a signatory for Ethiopia’s admittance to the League of Nations, and Blatengeta (title for a royal page) Herouy Walda-Selassie, who would become Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1930. In 1920, a group of Black Americans reportedly emigrated to Ethiopia and settled in the Ethiopian highlands. Later, by the 1930s, reportedly about a hundred Black Americans lived in the capital Addis Ababa (Robbins, 1933). Some expats were distinguished, such as John West of Washington D.C. who was the emperor’s personal physician in 1930 though he left soon after. Others came to farm land granted to Black Americans by the Ethiopian government near Lake Tana.

Another group to migrate to Ethiopia starting during this time was Afro-Caribbeans. One of the most prominent was Arnold Josiah Ford of the Barbados. He had met the Mayor of Addis Ababa, Kantiba (mayor) Gabru and Taamarat Emmanuel, a Falasha or Black Jew, in New York around 1929. He later lead a group of West Indians, including several teachers, to settle in Ethiopia around 1931-1932. Ford was Jewish himself and was for a time headed the Harlem rabbinate of Black Jews. Unfortunately Ford died in 1935, right before the disaster of the Italian invasion and occupation of Ethiopia.

The Italian invasion of Ethiopia enraged and galvanized Blacks in many parts of the world. While many were not able to directly help, some did by supporting the Ethiopian World Federation, an organization in the US created to raise money for Ethiopia and disseminate news during the war and occupation. Others fought in the Spanish Civil War (covered in a previous Black in the Day) to fight the forces of fascism and indirectly fight for Ethiopia. There were a few persons, however, who directly entered the fray to support the Ethiopian side.

Two airmen, John Charles Robinson from Chicago and Trinidadian-born Hubert Fauntleroy of New York went to Ethiopia in 1934 to act as volunteer pilots in the Ethiopian Air Force. Volunteer European pilots in the country were undertaking mercy and aid missions but these two used Ethiopia’s only two airworthy planes to provide air defense for Ethiopia. With the Italians victorious in the summer of 1935, Robinson returned to New York having been given the title of captain by Emperor Haile Selassie. Fauntleroy, however, left a more sullied reputation for allegedly embezzling government funds and collaborating with the Italians. Besides these individuals, the fate of the expats living in Ethiopia during the invasion remains largely unknown.

Photo below of Mignon Inniss Ford

After World War II and Ethiopia’s liberation, a new wave of migration began. Robinson returned to Ethiopia with technicians to help modernize the Ethiopian Air Force. Many of his group returned in 1947 but Robinson stayed to help begin the forerunner Ethiopian Air Lines. Starting with a surplus DC-3, Robinson ferried passengers to East Africa and the Sudan until he tragically died in a plane crash in 1957. A large group of the expats which came to Ethiopia were educators recruited by the government by the Minister of Finance Lij Yilma Deressa. Among these was Dr. T.T. Fletcher, a graduate of Columbia University who became headmaster of the newly opened Medhane Alem Secondary School. Also, the widow of the late Arnold Josiah Ford, Mignon Ford, who had survived the war, opened the first private coeducational boarding school, the Princess Zenebe-Worq School. While she started with only her dining room, the school later had a facility donated by the Emperor and became renowned for educational excellence. She is now honored through the charitable organization the Mignon Inniss Ford Foundation (MIFF) (teacherford.org).

Other expats included physicians like Dr. Charles Diggs and Dr. David Talbot who founded health clinics and conducted many public health campaigns. Talbot also served for several years as editor of the first English language newspaper in Ethiopia, The Ethiopian Herald.

The most enduring settlement of Black expats in the country is the city of Shashmene, southwest of Addis Ababa. This settlement stands out since it was given to expatriates by Emperor Haile Selassie starting with a group that emigrated in the 1950s which had been affiliated with the Ethiopian World Federation in Chicago. The land was granted to them as thanks for their support of Ethiopia’s war effort during the Italian invasion. This original community of about six families expanded as Shashmene became the preferred destination for a new group of expats, primarily from the Caribbean – the Rastafarians. This started in 1965 with Jamaicans coming from Kingston. The first was Noel Dyer, from Jamaica but arriving via the United Kingdom. He was followed by forty more over the next twelve years, primarily those from working class Kingston. Middle class immigrants followed until the early 1970s. From the early 1970s to 1990 immigration ground to a halt as the military socialist Derg took over the country. Afterwards, immigration continued though from many different islands in the Caribbean, the US, UK, and other parts of Europe. These new arrivals have helped supplement the community and contribute to the active Rastafarian culture in Ethiopia. A study of immigration records in (Bonacci, 2007) indicates at least 157 arrivals had come from the Caribbean from 1948-2002 though this likely is a large underestimate.

Left: Sign marking Haile Selassie 1st’s Shashemene land grant, right: Jamaican residents of Shashemene

The Afro-American and Afro-Caribbean emigrations to Ethiopia have moved from motivations of Garveyite idealism, to war support, to Rastafarianism. In a way, they are like a smaller echo of the large Ethiopian immigrant populations in areas like Washington D.C. Though often forgotten, they are an important link in the story of 20th Century Ethiopia and international Black movements.

Sources

Bonnaci, Giulia, “Á contre-courant: les mobilités caribéennes vers l’Éthiopie,” Études caribéennes, Vol. 8, December 2007. Link: http://etudescaribeennes.revues.org/942

Harris, Joseph E., African-American Reactions to War in Ethiopia 1936–41. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1994.

Ottley, Roi, New World A-Coming. New York: Arno Press, 1968.

Robbins, Jerrold, “The Americans in Ethiopia,” The American Mercury, Vol 29., No. 113 (May, 1933) p. 63-69.

Shack, William A. “Ethiopia and Afro-Americans: Some Historical Notes, 1920-1970,” Phylon, Vol. 35, No. 2 (2nd Qtr), 1974 p. 142-155.

Photo credits: Top group image – Ethiopiancrown.org, Shashemene photos Jah Lion

Born: Miami, Florida, USA

Status: Married with children whom have dual citizenship.

Countries he has lived in: Spain and since 1998 has lived in Fredrikstad, Norway.

Reflections about his first trip abroad:

• Strange! New and exciting!

When the realization of wanting to be an Expat hit him:

• Three weeks before I moved to Spain.

That he wanted to live abroad:

• After experiencing the European way of living.

Marriage to a person from another country which caused you to move?

• Yes!

Were your children born abroad?

• Yes.

Byron’s most enlightening experience while living abroad:

• Starting a family and watching it grow!

His most disheartening experience while living abroad:

• Missing my family and friends

New customs adopted from living in Norway:

• Christmas celebration

Customs from home most missed:

• Christmas, Thanksgiving, 4th of July, ect…

Proficiency level in the local language:

• Good.

Any problems with making new friends?

• Well I’m very outgoing so that has never been a problem.

Expat community connections where you live:

• Democrats Abroad, and some Americans live abroad also.

Ways of keeping in touch with family and friends from home:

• Telephone and traveling back every once in a while.

As an entrepreneur is it difficult to find a job or to start a business?

• No, not when you are able to communicate with them.

Have you found that you have to live on less income?

• No!

How hard is it to find a good place to live?

• Not hard.

Opportunities to buy property?

• With money, all is possible.

Byron’s top 3 attractions or places of interest:

• Mountains, Ocean and free time

The best places to vacation in Norway:

• As a single person: In the south of Norway

• Couples: Oslo

• Family with children: In the south of Norway

Goals achieved while living abroad:

• Re-educated myself.

What living abroad has taught him:

• That I am able to interact with different people, and feel good about myself.

Do Blacks (or foreigners in general) in your view have any problems with adjustment or

discrimination?

• I think that it takes a strong minded person to make the move outside the US. And in saying this, we have learned how to get around it.

Advice you would give to a friend or relative who is considering moving abroad:

• Be prepared for the initial culture shock, and adjust to it accordingly! Try to see things as they are here, and not as they are in the states.

How life as an expatriate has changed who he is:

• Made me able to see things from a different perspective.

Living & Spending in Norway

Monthly rent:

• Average $1600

Cost for meals:

• Average $2000

Transportation costs:

• $2000 per year

Compared to your home country are most things cheap/same/expensive?

• EXPENSIVE!

Recommended living budget:

• $50,000 per year.

How modern are basic amenities/infrastructure?

• Very modern.

Any legal hurdles all foreigners have to face to live there?

• Keep your nose clean, and everything will go OK.

Top 3 things he recommends someone to bring when they come:

• Grits, Kool Aid and Shake and Bake.

You can find out more about Byron by visiting his website: http://www.byronwilliamsjr.com/

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How do you know when you are a true expat? When you cry on the plane all the way home. That’s how Sheryll Donerson, originally of Fontana, California, felt as she flew home from her first expat experience living away in London.

“The freedom, culture, and experiences I had living in London changed me. I knew from then on I’d make it one of my life goals to be a long term Expat. ”

She made good on her word, eventually traveling to France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, China, and her new home in South Korea. There she teaches English at the Cheongdeok Middle School in Yongin. She has been chronicling her adventures and her so-called “Quarterlife” crisis via her blog, The Wanderlust Project. While nervous at first when she started her stint in South Korea, she now loves her job; anyone familiar with the crapshot ESL assignments should have a huge appreciation for how fortunate she is. She and her students have embraced each other and she has been delighted to see many going from speaking no English to talking with her in full sentences. In addition, she also serves as a positive role model to help expand their view of the world. She includes information about people of color in her lessons (something many students in Asia are surprisingly uneducated about) including a lesson on Soul Food. She has even been looked up to by some of her darker-skinned students who may need encouragement about their looks in a region where lighter skin is considered more beautiful (historically the nobility were indoors and not working in the sun so dark skin was considered a sign of lower socioeconomic status).

South Korea is a land of deep traditions and Sheryll has embraced many of them to the point of her adherence being almost subconscious. One custom, similar to Japan, is the frequent use of bows in greetings, expressions of thanks, and other occasions. “In Korea, a bow is a hello, goodbye, thank you, sorry, you’re welcome, excuse me, everything under the sun. I bow at any and everyone.” In China, however, bowing is hardly ever done, especially as it is seen as a feudal custom. She learned this the hard way getting quizzical looks wherever she went. “I bowed at everyone, and people definitely looked at me strange. It’s going to be a big habit to break!”

She has also adopted other Korean customs such as removing her shoes before entering her residence and dealing with the almost universally East Asian hustle and bustle of rush hour train commutes: “People in Korea push and shove. It’s just a fact of life. Try to get on a subway during rush hour in Seoul and you’ll quickly see what I mean. In the US, it’s incredibly rude to push and shove people, so it takes a lot of restraint to not get very angry, very fast.”

Despite adopting new customs, she has kept close to her American roots having dinner with expats in her area every Tuesday, missing macaroni and cheese, and having company with her partner Johnny who moved over and teaches school in Korea as well. Fortunately she has not experienced much discrimination though she does think it is more prevalent in larger cities, especially where there is a concentrated underclass and large number of foreigners. There is still the eternal fascination though with Black hair: “As a Black woman, I definitely get stared at, and when I wear my curly hair out, I’ve definitely had people try to touch it.”

Overall she is extremely happy with her experience. We would recommend her blog (link below as well) to anyone and everyone interested both in the Korean and ESL experiences. Also, please share any other ESL experiences with us you may have had.

Living & Spending in Korea

Monthly rent:

Free. As a Native English Teacher, I am provided with a free studio apartment.

Cost for Meals:

Korean food, between 1,500W and 10,000W. Foreign food: 10,000W to 50,000W

Transportation Costs:

1 bus ride: 900W, One Way Subway Ride: 1,200W

Compared to Home are most things cheap/same/expensive:

I would say that the things I buy are definitely way more expensive than in the US. I buy a lot of fresh fruit and it’s insanely expensive here. During the summer, watermelons cost about 17,000W, or about $16, and that was at their cheapest! Cosmetics on the other hand, are great quality and relatively inexpensive. How Modern? South Korea is an extremely modern country. Amenities are not only basic, they are sometimes luxurious. The bathrooms in the subway stations are extremely clean, and the busiest areas of Seoul are somehow always free of trash. There are high speed trains, 2 airports and high end restaurants. Sometimes, it doesn’t even feel like I’m in Korea, especially in the foreigner heavy districts of Itaewon and Hongdae.?? My website is http://thewanderlustproject.com.

Photo credits: All photos courtesy of Sheryll.

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Shade by Bayterek, the Kazakh national monument in Astana the capital

Kazakhstan, little known to most Americans and other foreigners, has had a long and storied history. Part of the Silk Road from the Middle East to China, once one of the greatest trade networks in the global economy, it has been a magnet for many cultures and peoples throughout the ages. It has also seen its share of conquerors from the invincible Genghis Khan to Tamerlame, to the Russian Empire.

Independent since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1992, Kazakhstan has been developing its own unique national culture under the tight control of its rulers, its booming oil economy, and increasing connections with China. Literally on the other side of the world and not near any other major destinations, it may seem a strange place for a New Jersey native to end up.

However, Shade is not regretting her decision for one minute. Shade Adu traded the comfortable and predictable life of Newark for the majesty (and quirkiness) of Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Shade literally stumbled into this opportunity by accident. As she relates, “one of my graduate school professors invited the class to meet with a delegation from Kazakhstan to hear about a possible job opportunity. I thought he was absolutely crazy and I was not interested at all, so I decided not to attend the presentation.” However, on hearing from a classmate that he was given a job on the spot, she later decided to go for it. “A week later, I met the delegation at a local Hilton hotel with my resume in hand and over a year later I’m in Kazakhstan having the time of my life. The moral of this story is don’t allow the spirit of fear be your deciding factor. Within, this past year, I’ve done things that I was once afraid to do.”

Fortunately, her family was very supportive and it made her transition across the globe relatively easy. Kazakhstan was of course a transition. Luckily she went with a delegation of other Americans so had friends and a support network. Later she even found out about English speaking clubs and events through friends and the US Embassy. There she met the wider US expat community of teachers, missionaries, and employees of the oil industries. Not content to circumscribe her friend group to foreigners, she has begun learning both Russian and Kazakh to get around more easily. Her friendships with locals even got her invited to a wedding where she was slightly embarrassed because she attracted so much attention, she outshone the bride! She was thinking, “What bride wants to be upstaged by the one black girl at the wedding with over 300 guests?” Seeing she was flustered, another guest told her, “you may be the first and last Black person they see,” and she understood her predicament. “This and countless other experiences aboard have enlightened me and made me realize my role as an American and as an African American aboard. I hate the idea of one person representing an entire race of people but in some cases I am that person, so with that in mind I am trying to be the best role model possible.”

She also ran into some of the tried and true travails of Black Expats, however. First, no black hair care products (shocker!). Second, people are always curious about your skin and hair, sometimes to the point of being offensive. “Many people want to take pictures with me, and touch my hair. Sometimes this can be annoying, but it doesn’t bother that much. I’ve probably experienced more discrimination being a black woman in America than I have in Kazakhstan.” Finally, you can miss some of the small things from home like certain foods or McDonald’s. This can have a silver lining though in that she has found herself to be much less materialistic and eating much healthier due to the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables.

She enjoys her job and finds that not only is it rewarding, but it has been financially beneficial. “Living aboard has given me a chance to do what I love while being able to save enough money to pay off my student loans in a fraction of the time. I was truly blessed with this opportunity and it is allowing me to travel while pursuing my dream of being debt free.” In addition she notes it is very easy for English speakers to find a job abroad teaching.

In summary, she encourages everyone to go abroad and was even angry with herself for almost turning down such a great opportunity. She thanks a friend for giving her the final encouragement to make the plunge: “ I called my friend and she agreed that it was a good opportunity and asked me what was stopping me. I then stopped and thought about what was stopping me. What made me laugh and not even stay for the presentation? It was just a presentation. It wasn’t like I was signing my life away. I didn’t even want to hear the offer. The answer to this question was fear. I was afraid to live overseas and take a chance on something different. Despite my fears and that part of my brain that said this is absolutely crazy, I decided to take a chance.”

Living & Spending in Astana, Kazakhstan

Monthly rent:

$600-$1100+

Cost for meals:

$12-$30+

Transportation costs:

Bus – $.40

Compared to your home country are most things cheap/same/expensive?

Clothes are more expensive because of the amount of taxes included in the price. I’m already a cheap person and sometimes I go to the mall and walk right out because the prices are ridiculous. Fresh fruits and produce are inexpensive which is great. Meat is about the same or a little bit more expensive.

Recommended monthly living budget:

If you do not include in the rent, I would say that $500 a month is a reasonable budget. You can socialize, get around town and eat well.

Any legal hurdles all foreigners have to face to live there?

Getting a visa can be a headache but once you get it you shouldn’t have any problems. You should always carry your passport, many foreigners experience document checks.

Three things you would recommend someone to bring when they come:

I would recommend bringing hair care products, your favorite food seasonings, and peanut butter. African American hair care products are just not available. After I run out I usually make my own conditioners and oils for items that I find at the local store. My favorite seasonings and peanut butter just give me a slight sense of home which has made my stay in Kazakhstan even better.

Top 3 things you would recommend for someone visiting or living here to do:

The top three attractions in Astana are The Khan Shatyr, The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, and Bayterek. The Khan Shtyr is the world’s largest tent shopping mall and indoor beach. The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation is the shape of a pyramid and art gallery, theater, and museum in the shape of a pyramid that displays how the different ethnicities in Kazakhstan live in peace. It is the shape of a pyramid and has one of three horizontal elevators in the world. The Bayterk is a national monument. You can take an elevator to the top and see the outskirts of the city

Where are the best places to vacation in Kazakhstan:

Two places that I enjoyed besides Astana are Almaty and Borovoe National Park. The locals consider Borovoe to be Kazakhstan’s Switzerland. It is a peaceful place to visit to get some fresh air when you get tired of city living. I loved Almaty, the mountainous former capital is very charming and a nice place to relax. Both places are children friendly have numerous activities for people who enjoy active lifestyles.

A snapshot with the guards in front of the Presidential Palace

Photo credits: Nicholas Chen

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Where were you born and what country have you lived in?

I was born and raised in Burlington, NJ, lived in Morrisville, PA and Ewing, NJ for a few years before moving to Brussels, Belgium. I have lived in the United States all of my life.

Describe your first trip abroad:

Moving to Brussels, Belgium has been my first time abroad. I was awarded a fellowship through my graduate program at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. Throughout my fellowship, I am working with a major multinational corporation that is based in Diegem. I left for Brussels in August 2011 and I will say that boarding an airplane to live in a new country for a long period of time is quite scary, fun and unnerving!

When did you realize that you wanted to live abroad?

I realized that I wanted to live abroad while an undergraduate student at Montclair State University. I have always wanted to live abroad, but I never had a chance to do just that. So once I started graduate work at Rutgers University I made a promise to myself that if I had the opportunity to live in a new country that I would go for it.

What has been your most enlightening experience while living abroad?

My most enlightening experience while living abroad was back in September. I was sitting at a conference for work and as I looked around the room, there were people from Tanzania, Rome, Dubai, London, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium, a few Americans, South Africa, everywhere! One, I could not believe that I was sitting in a room with so many people from so many parts of the world, and two, I was actually blessed to have been exposed to so many cultures at one time.

What has been your most disheartening experience while living abroad?

There are actually two: The first is the fact that I’m American so that is an experience of its own. Depending on the person, Americans have a really bad reputation. We’re considered self-centered, narrow minded, and fools with a lot of money, haha. With some folks, it is hard to get around that reputation but with others they see me for me and find out that I’m not ‘your typical’ American. I don’t think that I’m above every else and I’m open to learning about other cultures.

The second experience I’ve had is dealing with the language barrier. In Belgium, French and Flemish (Dutch) are the two official languages, German is third and English is slowly catching up. Unfortunately, I only speak American English … and a bit of basic French. In this particular instance, I had an issue with my residency here (In Belgium, you are required to apply for residency) and I had to go to the local police station. The female police officer (who only spoke French) was very unfriendly and as I tried to get information from her, she refused to help me and said that I shouldn’t be living in Belgium if I don’t speak French. Nonetheless, I turned around and walked out of the police station.

What customs have you adopted in your new country?

Eating with two utensils! In Europe, it is custom to eat with a fork and knife. I’ve gotten so used to this custom that I now do it all the time. I went to visit family in the US last month and as we sat at the dinner table I had my fork and knife. My sister thought it was the funniest thing in the world, but I’m used to eating like that now.

Did you move with your family?

No, I moved to Belgium alone.

Which customs from home do you miss the most?

I miss my family outings. I am very close with my family so we do a lot of things together. On Sundays, we have dinner at my parent’s house: my brother brings his family, my sister and I come by – we watch movies, cook, laugh, and spend quality time together. Even though I have a good amount of friends in Belgium, it’s really not the same as spending time with my family.

Also, my sister and I have a habit of watching Jersey Shore (it’s my guilty pleasure!) on MTV every week – although Jersey Shore is pretty well known in Europe, I still can’t watch it since there isn’t an English version of MTV. So I’ve been missing out on that.  In a similar vein, I miss watching American football and basketball – Belgium doesn’t have these sports so while everyone is posting Facebook stats and highlights of the game, I have no clue what they are talking about. Super Bowl was pretty big for me; last year was probably the first year that I missed out.

Holidays are another thing. Fortunately, my family came to visit for Christmas and we had our usual Christmas with unwrapping presents and a large dinner, and spent Christmas in Paris…not too many people can say that! Also, Thanksgiving was a biggie. I’m used to large, typical American Thanksgiving Dinners. However, it wasn’t so bad – my coworkers wished me a Happy Thanksgiving so I felt pretty good about it. Also, there is an American expat group that holds an annual Thanksgiving dinner here, but a friend and I opted to celebrate turkey day at a restaurant which was pretty cool.

How important is it to know the local language and have you gained proficiency in the local language?

I think it is very important to learn the local language. Not only is it respectful, but you’re able to get to know the locals best. At first, I didn’t want to learn French because I thought it was too hard, but now I’m interested in learning it. I have a few Belgian friends so I make sure that I pick up on what they are saying. Another friend of mine has taught me how to speak French, and in return, I’ll teach basic English. It’s hilarious – we sit around with a French dictionary all day, translating English to French and French to English. Oh, and I also signed up for a French program online. There are weekly lessons to complete and once you finish, you can download the French lessons to your iPod which works for me.

How have you gone about making friends?

A few people have reached out to me via an expat site. I met a few others by going out to bars and clubs, and others have been through work. It’s a given to gravitate toward the Americans – since we have the most in common, but I’ve been making an extra effort to meet the locals.

Have you connected with the expat community where you live?

I have connected with the expat community and we go out from time to time, but I have been making an effort to meet the locals.

How do you keep in touch with family and friends from home?

I keep in touch with family and friends via Skype, Facebook and email. Also, a lot of family and friends have sent cards to my Belgian address, so I usually reply with a postcard from Brussels. It’s pretty cool because it’s cheap to send a postcard internationally and since most of the postcards have pictures of the attractions, they get to see what Brussels looks like. I also send a postcard of every country I have visited to my parents – you should see their refrigerator, it’s pretty full of postcards from all over Europe and the UK.

Are you working? Is it difficult to find a job?

I am working due to my fellowship. However, I have learned that it is somewhat difficult to get a job here in Brussels. Perhaps it is difficult for locals to land a decent job … most of the residents here come from different countries, so with the right credentials, it might be a bit easier to find a job. Nonetheless, having difficulty with finding a job is surprising to me since there are so many stores, offices, restaurants, major multinational corporations here.

How hard is it to find a good place to live?

For expats, finding a place to live can be daunting. Yes, there are so many housing agencies that reach out to expats, but if you don’t know what area of Brussels to live in that can be rather stressful. Fortunately, I found a flat that is a few streets over from two of my co-workers, so that has helped me settle in quite well.

What are your favorite attractions or places of interest in Brussels?

Brussels has a variety of attractions. Personally, my favorite attractions are the European Commission building, Cintaquinaire Park, and the Atomium. I live about a 5 minute walk from the EU building and the Park. The Atomium is about 15 minutes away on the metro (subway).

Left: The Atomium, center: Cintaquinaire Park and right: European Commission quarter.

What goals have you achieved while living abroad?

My goal was to live abroad and finish my master’s degree before I turn 30. I didn’t think I would be doing both at the same time, but I’ve been blessed to do so. By the way, I turned 30 in July so it’s safe to say that I’ve accomplished my goal!

What has living abroad taught you about yourself?

Living abroad has taught me how to keep an open mind about myself, to enjoy life and to also laugh at myself a bit more.

What would you say to a friend or relative who is considering moving abroad?

Keep an open mind about yourself and about others.

Which type of expat do you consider yourself?

I consider myself a temporary expat. Even though I love living in another country, I wouldn’t consider doing this permanently. There is so much at home that I’m used to and I would not want to give that up.

How has your expatriate life changed who you are?

My life as an expat has definitely changed who I am. For example, I am a very introverted and reserved person. Here, I’ve learned how to open up to people easier because in Brussels, you are kind of forced to…there is such a métisse (mix) of people, your only option is to go out and meet as many of them as you can. I’ve also learned how to appreciate public transportation. I’ve had a car my entire life so I was kind of spoiled in that aspect. Here, you walk EVERYWHERE you go…there is a tram, metro, bus, taxi, domestic trains, international trains, and airplanes. That is how you get around. The upside is that it promotes a healthier lifestyle and has also taught me that when I get back home I don’t need to take my car everywhere, I can walk instead.

In your view do Blacks (or foreigners in general) have any problems with adjustment or discrimination?

That answer depends on your background. A friend of mine, who is from East Africa, has said that a black person in Brussels is not respected. As a Black American I have a different experience: as soon as someone finds out that I’m American (they can tell by my look and the way that I speak) I am treated with a large amount of respect. However, I’ve always been one who does not allow my skin color to dictate how I am treated. Not to say that racism and discrimination does not exist, I don’t allow myself to fall into it. On another note, I do feel that there is a noticeable difference between full blood Africans and Black Americans. I have gotten a number of confused stares from Africans if they notice me or walk past me. I also had an African woman tell me that she knew that I wasn’t from here (or fully African) just because my ‘look’ was different. But all this contributes to who we are. As a Black American I am an extension of my African ancestors… but created in the huge melting pot we call America. Not to go on a tangent here but there is such beauty in our diversity!

Can you describe the general composition of expat population?

Most of the expat population is made up of students, like myself, who are sent here through a fellowship or internship. There’s also a population of people here working on temporary or long-term assignment.

Living & Spending in Brussels, Belgium 

Monthly rent:

Monthly rent is 1100 €.

Cost for meals:

Lunch – 5 €. Dinner 11-20 €. Breakfast- less than 3 €.

Transportation costs:

46,50 € for monthly Metro Pass. Cost for train ticket: 5-13 €. Domestic Plane ticket 50-150 €. Plane ticket to US $500-700 or 300-500 €.

Compared to your home country are most things cheap/same/expensive?

The cost of travel is by far cheaper. I would say food is about the same as home.

Recommended monthly living budget:

Anywhere from 800 to 1500 €.

How modern are basic amenities and infrastructure?

The amenities are very basic. For example I had to get used to the heating system in my apartment. These are your old school hot water radiators. When it’s pretty cold outside, these heaters are not that great. Compared to US, it is not that modern.

Any legal hurdles all foreigners have to face to live there?

Living in Brussels: I can only speak for Americans, but the system is very bureaucratic. I had to fill out form after form just to obtain a residency card. That process can be long and stressful. However, once you receive your resident card you’re an official Brussels resident for one year. You are given the same rights as a Belgian. After that, you have to reapply for a 5 year resident card. I’m not too sure of how that process works.

Working in Brussels: It is very hard for Americans to work in the country. I spoke with my boss about hiring fellows (interns) that would best fit the department. Even though they would love to hire as many fellows as possible, it is quite hard to do so. There’s a strict policy with students and work permits. Also, if an American chooses to work for the European Commission or any branch of government, you must give up your American citizenship. Which is understandable, but I don’t think I’ll be doing that anytime soon.

Three things you would recommend someone to bring when they come to Brussels:

Enough euros for chocolate and waffles, an umbrella and rain boots.

Your top 3 things you would recommend for someone visiting or living here to do:

Go out and see the Euro zone, get to know the locals, eat the waffles.

Photo credits: Portrait – from Tiana Chantel Conner, all other images sourced from Wikipedia’s Brussels page.

«Return to Contents • Go to next article»

Welcome back to another issue of Black Expat Magazine! We will try to get back to our old, reliable quarterly schedule.

However, we are back with some great stories to tell!

A profile of Byron Williams, an entrepreneur who lived in Spain and now Norway

Tiana Conner, who did graduate work on fellowship in Brussels, Belgium

Shade Adu, a courageous adventurer who overcame her fears of traveling abroad to teach English in Kazakhstan

Sheryll Donerson, who made a similar leap to teach English in South Korea

This month, Black in the Day focuses on American and Caribbean expatriates who have made Ethiopia their home from the early 20th century to present

Again, thanks for reading and keep your stories coming!

Reginald Smith, Editor

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Clements Worldwide is pleased to announce the launch of its 5th annual Expat Youth Scholarship (EYS) contest. Designed exclusively for students aged 13 to 18 experiencing life in foreign countries amidst unfamiliar cultures, the EYS contest is a testament to Clements’ ongoing commitment to the international expatriate community. Clements Worldwide will award US $10,000.00 in scholarship funds to the winners of this year’s contest, so join today at facebook.com/expatyouth and spread the word!

Eligibility

- Students ages 13-18 of any nationality who have resided in a foreign country for at least two consecutive years are eligible to apply. 

- You must have lived outside your home country (country of passport). If you have more than one passport, your home country is the country that issued you your first passport.

- Video must be an original and developed by the participating contestants, meaning that the video must not be the work or property of another person or corporation.

Entry Requirements

There is no experience like living in a foreign country to introduce you to new cultures and open your eyes to the greater world around you. By immersing yourself fully in a new culture, you can gain invaluable insight into the challenges facing people from all walks of life. You may even come to develop your own ideas on how to contribute to the global community.

This year we are asking participants to reflect on their time abroad and show through the use of video how you will use your enriching, cross-cultural experiences to make the world a better place. .

To participate and have a chance at winning a scholarship, eligible contestants should:

1. Go to facebook.com/expatyouth and “Like” the page

2. Create a 1:30-2:00 minute video showing how you will use your experience living abroad to make the world a better place.

3. Submit the video at Facebook.com/expatyouth at the Contest application.

A few things to keep in mind are:

-The video should be dynamic and demonstrate through interesting footage and visuals your passion about your goal and what positive impact it will have on the world. Be sure to show rather than tell in the first-person

- The video should be between 1:30 -2:00 minutes.

- Last but not least… have fun!

Judging Criteria

Entries will be judged by -Originality and style of the video. -The scholarship entrant’s ability to articulate their objective impact on the world, the means through. which they plan to pursue this goal, and how it will benefit society. -Production quality and ability to successfully combine facts with inspirational content

Awards

Clements is awarding a total of $10,000 in scholarships to six students in the following categories:

Submitting your Entry

Final submissions) will only be accepted online at facebook.com/expatyouth for consideration. Limit: one video entry per entrant, please.

Email us at info@expatyouthscholarship.com if you have any questions.

To enter or stay updated “like” EYS on Facebook!

The author, award-winning designer Samata Angel, explains how to take steps towards a fulfilling career – achieving creative, business and emotional balance – in this competitive and complex industry. The range of pertinent topics covered include working in the industry as a fashion designer, business planning, selling your brand, networking and using social media, emotional well being and environmentally and socially responsible fashion. The book also contains insights from a range of key industry influencers: Harold Tillman CBE, Chairman of the British Fashion Council; Sarah Curran, Founder of my-wardrobe.com; Nigel Barker from TV show America’s Next Top Model; Helen Jennings, Editor of ARISE magazine and Suzy Amis Cameron, Founder of Red Carpet Green Dress.

Emerging designers should read this book to get ahead; it also offers advice for anyone interested in exploring the industry, from first year fashion students looking to secure work experience, to the talented seamstress working to establish a reputation.

Purchase your copy of the Fashion Designer’s Resource Book today.

Click here

Dr. Lüderitz Natural Cosmetics was founded by Dr. rer. nat. Liset Lüderitz. She was born in Cuba, where she completed a degree in chemical engineering. While working in the Research Center for Nutrition and Food Sciences in Havana she was also trained as an aroma specialist and developed aromas for the national food industry.

Dr. Luderitz

In the year 2000 she moved to Berlin (Germany) and besides falling in love with the city she soon noticed the lack of natural products for curly hair. As a scientist it quickly occurred to her that she could develop the products herself. While already using her own formulations she continued her scientific career, finishing a M.Sc. in Polymer Science and obtaining a PhD in Physical Chemistry at the TU Berlin.

The first product line – Havana Curls – addresses the essential needs of curly hair by combining scientific field knowledge with tradition.

The Havana Curls Leave-in Conditioner is a natural emulsion – a mixture of natural oils, plant extracts, vitamin, protein and water. With the selected natural ingredients and the balanced pH a well conditioned, shined and healthy curly hair is guaranteed. The two ingredients Shea Butter and Mango Butter with their high percentage (about 10%) of unsaponifiable components lead to a more moisturized and revitalized hair without a greasy feeling. Furthermore the synergetic effects of the ingredients result in an amazing softness of the hair.

For which hair types
The Havana Curls Leave-in Conditioner works for:
coily/kinky hair (type 4),
curly hair (type 3) and
wavy hair (type 2).

How to use
For hair type 4 the product can be applied to dry hair or to wet hair to make twists or cornrows.
For hair types 2 and 3 apply a small amount of the product to wet hair.

Ingredients
Aqua, Coconut Oil, Glycerin, Shea Butter, Emulsan, Mango Butter, Aloe Vera, Avocado Oil, Olive Oil, Citric Acid, Allantoin, Bay Oil, Cetyl alcohol, D-Panthenol, Jojoba Oil, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Rokonsal, Silk Protein, Vitamin E

Visit Dr. Luderitz’s website and sign up for the newsletter to receive a discount when the product launches.

As a U.S. citizen or green card holder residing abroad, you have to file a U.S. tax return on your worldwide income. The U.S. has tax treaties with many countries, which allows the federal government to exchange data on its citizens for tax purposes. Most importantly, if you do not file a tax return for a given tax year, the statute of limitations on that year never runs out.

The good news is that most expats don’t end up paying any taxes to the IRS. First of all – the taxes you already pay in the foreign country count against your US tax obligations. Secondly, also probably qualify for the foreign income exclusion, which lets you subtract $95,100 (in 2012, rising to $97,600 in 2013) from your earned income for tax purposes. There are also a number of other deductions available to expats. As a result most of our clients never actually pay anything to the IRS – they simply file the tax return and collect foreign tax credits. These tax credits can be used at a later date to offset future tax obligations, but they can only be accrued by preparing a tax return.

There is one more important reason why you should file your tax return each year while living abroad. The statute of limitations for IRS audits expires three years after you file. This means the IRS can not go back (absent fraud) and try to audit or change the return later. Therefore, you should file your return even if you have no income or do not owe taxes in order to place a 3-year limit on audits and eliminate potential future problems when you decide to return to the U.S.

At Taxes for Expats we have built an innovative tax preparation system that enables us to provide a variety of tax-related services to our clients no matter where they live. You can have your tax return prepared by a professional dedicated to the expat community. It will be done on a timely basis – our normal turnaround is 15 business days – at a reasonable cost and with minimal effort on your part.

Black Pete, Zwarte Piet: The Documentary is a film about the blackface tradition of Zwarte Piet, a Dutch folklore character associated with the celebration of Sinterklaas. According to folklore, Sinterklaas arrives in the Netherlands via steamship every November, rides into town on his horse, and is assisted by his helper Zwarte Piet, which literally translates to “Black Peter.”

Documentary project by

Source: US Embassy in Malta

Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Malta on Wednesday, April 18, 2012, and presented her credentials to H.E. Dr. George Abela, President of Malta, on Wednesday, May 2, 2012.

Ms. Abercrombie-Winstanley, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, joined the Foreign Service in 1985 and served as Consul in Baghdad, before being posted to Jakarta and Cairo.  She then served as Special Assistant for Middle Eastern and African Affairs to Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger.

After a year of advanced Arabic, she served as Political Officer in Tel Aviv with responsibility for the Gaza Strip.  Before assuming her most recent position as Deputy Coordinator for Counterterrorism she was posted as Director of the Office of Egypt and the Levant where she handled the countries of Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Jordan, and served as Chairwoman for Middle East Area Studies at the Foreign Service Institute–the premier training facility for U.S. Diplomats; as Consul General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Policy Advisor to the Director of the Near East–South Asia Center for Strategic Studies at the Department of Defense; Senior Advisor for Middle Eastern Affairs at USUN; Director for Near East South Asian Affairs with responsibility for the Arabian Peninsula at the National Security Council of the White House; and Director for Legislative Affairs, also at the NSC.

Prior to that, she was awarded a Pearson fellowship and worked on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for the Ranking Member, Senator Joseph Biden.

Ms. Abercrombie-Winstanley is the recipient of Senior Performance Pay, Meritorious and Superior Honor Awards, including “For acts of courage during an attack on the U.S. Consulate General, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on December 6, 2004 by al-Qa’ida terrorists.”

Ms. Abercrombie-Winstanley has a Bachelors degree from George Washington University and a Masters degree from Johns Hopkins University and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.  She served on the Boards of the International Career Advancement Association and the Forum for Education Abroad.

President Barack Obama nominated career diplomat Bisa Williams to be U.S. ambassador to the African nation of Niger on November 30, 2009, but she was not confirmed by the Senate until August 6, 2010.

In my neck of the woods many Swedish families are going skiing now. But not all. While the kids have a week free from school some families opt to flee the cold and find some place warm. I have a friend who took her family to Egypt. While I’ve been to Jordan I have never visited Egypt and loved looking at pictures of her Red Sea holidays.

Me and my Swede won’t be able to escape the cold until March. Will you have a warm weather vacay? Where will you go?

My Swede used to take his kids to Salen in what he calls the Swedish Alps but now that they are in university it seems those days are over. But if he’s really itching for a taste of slalom skiing we can take the subway and tram across town here in Stockholm where there is a ski slope.

Is it time to ski where you live?

What will it be? Where will you go? Time off is a precious commodity. But who has a tons of time to plan a holiday in the first place? You can always pay commission to a travel agent but if you’re like me you want to see to all of the details yourself.

So fellow expats, what is the best website for holiday comparison?

So what is your favorite form of vacation? I’ll admit I still like a good old fashioned road trip and last summer I saw places in Sweden that were amazing, including a (dare I say) mini Stonehendge. But my all-time favorite fall back is a cruise. Cruises are the complete package that offer unlimited food, on-board entertainment, physical activities and the choice to spend days in exotic locations, big cities, or just relax on the ship.

What is your favorite vacation? Do you cruise?

HOW TO END THE YEAR ON A HIGH and prepare for an amazing 2013…

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This isn’t a complicated process by any means but it does involve setting aside some quiet time for reflection and a little writing. Don’t worry, nothing too laborious

You’ll need about 30-60 minutes to complete this exercise.

You’ll also need a pen and three sheets of paper (printer paper works great.)

A. CREATE YOUR GRATITUDE LIST

First, create your gratitude list. Understanding why we are grateful for something or someone allows us to not only experience an even deeper level of gratitude and raise our vibration but also attract more of the same on a more conscious level.

Step 1

Take a sheet of paper and draw a vertical line down the middle so that you have two columns.

At the top of the left-hand column write the words “WHAT I AM GRATEFUL FOR IN 2012.” At the top of the right-hand column write the words “WHY I AM GRATEFUL.”

Step 2

Now, in your mind, replay your year from January through December pausing to write down the positive highlights from each month in the “what I am grateful for” column. These can include the people in your life, your health, your wealth, your home, business achievements, how you handled tough situations, where you grew emotionally, fun events, happy memories, family additions, new connections, anything that makes you and your heart smile as you recall them Really allow yourself to go hog wild here, using more than one sheet of paper if you wish. If you find the calendar approach is too linear for you, simply write whatever you are grateful for as it comes to you.

Step 3

Next, opposite everything you feel grateful for, write down the reason WHY in the “why I am grateful” column. The easiest way to do this is to say “I am grateful because…” and then fill in the blank.

No matter how “good” or “bad” you think your year has been, I guarantee you will see it in a whole new light once you complete this exercise

B. RELEASE WHAT YOU NO LONGER WANT

Now that you have spent several minutes re-experiencing happy thoughts and feelings and raising your vibration, it’s time to release what you no longer want, so you can start 2013 unhindered.

Step 1

Take a second sheet of paper and draw a vertical line down the middle so that you have two columns.

At the top of the left-hand column write the words “WHAT I NO LONGER WANT.”

At the top of the right-hand column write the words “WHAT I WANT INSTEAD.”

Step 2

Replay your year again only this time write down anything that you wish to leave behind in 2012 in the column entitled “what I no longer want.” Once again, go hog wild! This is your opportunity to pull out of you all the thoughts, feelings, emotions and situations you no longer wish to experience in the future.

Step 3

Next, opposite everything you no longer want, write down what you want instead.

By focusing on the positive instead of the negative, we immediately raise our vibration and put ourselves in a position to attract what we DO want.

C. DREAM UP YOUR IDEAL 2013!

Now comes the fun part: dreaming up your ideal 2013.

Step 1

Take your third sheet of paper and, at the top of the page, write the words:

“MY AMAZING 2013!”

Step 2

Now, unleash onto the paper everything you want to create in 2013. In business, in your personal life, in your relationships, in your health and body, in your finances… This is your opportunity to start attracting NOW what you want to experience in the New Year and beyond.

An easy way to do this is to fill in the blank after the following sentence:

“I am so happy and grateful now that….”

For example:

I am so happy and grateful now that I am 100% healthy and happy.

I am so happy and grateful now that I earn over $10,000 every month.

You can also include what you wrote in your gratitude list, as well as the opposite of what you chose to release from the “what I want instead” column.

Note – whatever you write should be in the present tense and be positively-worded. For added closure, you can also burn the list of things you no longer want and watch the flames transform them into new energy.

Step 3

Keep your Amazing 2013 sheet of paper handy and read it on a daily or regular basis, incorporating as much emotion as you can and visualizing how good life will be.

And that’s it, a simple but effective way to end the year on a high and prepare for an amazing year ahead.

International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association sponsors an annual writing contest for the best writer in the Professional Journalism category among the non-member community. The writing subjects must be travel, food or wine.

Lola Akinmade Åkerström, of Stockholm, Sweden, won the IFWTWA 2012 Professional Journalism Scholarship Award for her story “Slow Food from Sapmi,” a window into the culinary traditions of the indigenous Sami people of Arctic Sweden.

The inspiration for Åkerström’s story was her belief that exploring cultures that may seem polar opposites of our own produce some of the most compelling stories. Her keen interest in cultural traditions and relationships has been a long journey that began in her native Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with 250 unique tribes and languages.

“I’ve always been intrigued by cultural nuances in terms of food, place, and traditions that separate yet unite us all,”

Åkerström says.

“Even after becoming a US citizen and moving to Sweden for personal reasons, I’ve always had my nose to the ground looking for untold place-based cultural stories.”

Åkerström’s award includes a one-year membership in IFWTWA with all regular member benefits and complimentary attendance at IFWTWA’s 2013 Annual Conference in Hawaii.

“Ms. Åkerström is very deserving of this award,”

says Maralyn Hill, IFWTWA President.

“I am excited to welcome her to IFWTWA.”

The Professional Journalism second place winner was Sandra MacGregor of South Africa, and Maida Pineda of Philippines took third place.

Watch for “Slow Food from Sapmi” by Lola Akinmade Åkerström on IFWTWA’s online publication Global Writes in January 2013. For more information about Åkerström and her work, visit her website athttp://akinmade.com.

It’s that festive time of year again! If you’re looking for a holiday gift for your favorite expat, have a look through our annual list of highly rated books from 2012, each selected with the expat reader in mind. All can be easily purchased on the Internet, and while some are more serious, some are just for fun. For those expats who may live far away, most of these titles have an ebook version available, which makes getting them to your friend or loved one that much easier.

Top 10 Books of 2012

Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler. “Diamandis and Kotler challenge us all to solve humanity’s grand challenges. Innovative small teams are now empowered to accomplish what only governments and large corporations could once achieve. The result is nothing less than the most transformative and thrilling period in human history.” –– Timothy Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Work Week

On the Map: A Mind-Expanding Exploration of the Way the World Looks by Simon Garfield. “…A rollicking sweep through map history, packed with curiosities and written with verve … On the Map will inspire you to take a trip to somewhere new, buy an antique globe to chart the rise and fall of empires, or just dig out a tatty orange Ordnance Survey Explorer map and let its filigree of contour lines evoke a long-forgotten walk in the rain … a great book.” –– Independent on Sunday (UK) (Note: Release date is 27 December 2012.)

Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife by Eben Alexander. “…More than just an awe-inspiring account of a profound encounter with spiritual reality. Dr. Alexander’s neuroscience career taught him that near-death experiences are brain-based illusions, and yet his personal experience left him dumbstruck. His honest struggle to make sense of this unforgettable journey is a gripping story, unique in the literature of spiritual experiences, that may well change how we understand our role in the universe.” — Bruce Greyson, MD, co-editor of The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation.

Religion for Atheists: A Non-Believer’s Guide to the Uses of Religion by Alain de Botton. Blending deep respect with total impiety, de Botton (a non-believer himself) proposes that we look to religion for insights into how to, among other concerns, build a sense of community, make our relationships last, overcome feelings of envy and inadequacy, inspire travel, and reconnect with the natural world. “Quirky, often hilarious … Focusing on just three major faiths—Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism—[de Botton] makes a convincing case for their ability to create both a sense of community and education that addresses morality and our emotional life.” — The Washington Post

On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Fault Lines, and Future by Karen Elliot House. From the Pulitzer-Prize-winning reporter who has spent the last 30 years writing about Saudi Arabia—as diplomatic correspondent, foreign editor, and then publisher of The Wall Street Journal—an important and timely book that explores all facets of life in this shrouded Kingdom: its tribal past, its complicated present, its precarious future. “Fascinating … House’s exploration of the inner workings of Saudi society adds considerable weight to her assertions that the problems of succession, the decline of oil reserves, and a population with limited opportunities for employment or self-fulfillment are potential powder kegs.” — Rachel Newcomb, The Washington Post

Korea: The Impossible Country by Daniel Tudor. Examines Korea’s cultural foundations: the Korean character; the public sphere in politics, business, and the workplace; as well as the family, dating, and marriage … Touches on topics as diverse as shamanism, clan-ism, the dilemma posed by North Korea, the myths about doing business in Korea, the Koreans’ renowned hard-partying ethos, and why the infatuation with learning English is now causing huge social problems. “As the reporter for The Economist, which doesn’t use bylines, most of his work is published anonymously. But Mr. Tudor’s profile is about to take a sharp rise with the publication of his new book … Mr. Tudor pushes into new social and economic territory with his book, including the rising role of immigrants, multicultural families and even gay people in South Korea. He lays out some of the contradictory behavior one finds in South Korea, such as the unending desire for new and trendy gadgets and fashion and yet the tunnel-like view of what constitutes a successful life.” — The Wall Street Journal

Burma: Rivers of Flavor by Naomi Duguid. Located at the crossroads between China, India, and the nations of Southeast Asia, Burma has long been a land that absorbed outside influences into its everyday life, from the Buddhist religion to foodstuffs like the potato. In the process, the people of the country now known as Myanmar have developed a rich, complex cuisine that makes inventive use of easily available ingredients to create exciting flavor combinations. “A treasury of Burma’s cuisine … Duguid’s portrait of Burma’s rich food heritage contains vivid glimpses of the people who create it along with cultural insight and a dash of travel advice.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

How the French Invented Love: Nine Hundred Years of Passion and Romance by Marilyn Yalom “Enchanting … At the heart of this delicious book is Yalom the reader, whose fascination with the French way of love and pleasure in sharing her enthusiasms is highly contagious. Readers will want to run to the library and stay there for a year, reading everything she deconstructs.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review

Antifragile: How to Live in a World We Don’t Understand (in the U.S., Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder) by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Reveals how to thrive in an uncertain world—just as human bones get stronger when subjected to stress and tension, and rumors or riots intensify when someone tries to repress them, many things in life benefit from stress, disorder, volatility, and turmoil. What Taleb has identified and calls “antifragile” is that category of things that not only gain from chaos but need it in order to survive and flourish. “The most prophetic voice of all … (Taleb is) a genuinely significant philosopher … someone who is able to change the way we view the structure of the world through the strength, originality and veracity of his ideas alone.” — GQ

How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton M. Christensen, James Allworth, and Karen Dillon. In 2010, world-renowned innovation expert Clayton M. Christensen gave a powerful speech to the Harvard Business School’s graduating class. Drawing upon his business research, he offered a series of guidelines for finding meaning and happiness in life. He used examples from his own experiences to explain how high achievers can all too often fall into traps that lead to unhappiness. “…Spiritual without being preachy, this work is especially relevant for young people embarking on their career, but also useful for anyone who wants to live a more meaningful life in accordance with their values.” — Publishers Weekly

About Creveling & Creveling Private Wealth Advisory

Creveling & Creveling is a private wealth advisory firm specializing in helping expatriates living in Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia build and preserve their wealth. Through a unique, integrated consulting approach, Creveling & Creveling is dedicated to helping clients cut through the financial intricacies of expat life, make better decisions with their money, and take the steps necessary to provide a more secure future. For more information visit www.crevelingandcreveling.com.

Read the full bio on the Black Women in Europe blog.

Read the full bio on the Black Women in Europe blog.

Read the full bio on the Black Women in Europe blog.

Read more on the Black Women in Europe blog.

Read more on the Black Women in Europe blog.

On 12 December 2011, Mrs. Fatou Bensouda of The Gambia was elected by consensus Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court by the Assembly of States Parties. Mrs. Bensouda was sworn in on 15 June 2012.

Read her full bio on the Black Women in Europe blog.

Read the full bios on the Black Women in Europe Blog.

Have you checked to see if your absentee ballot has been received? I did, and yay!

Check with your State officials today.

Note: I removed my personal information from the image above.

Importantly for Black travelers, Switzerland was never a participant of any comparative magnitude in the African slave trade or colonialism. It thus avoided much of the conflicts and oppressive policies that these institutions led to in other European nations and their colonies. It also has a long experience with multicultural co-existence with a decentralized federal government and four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansch. While it has never been a huge magnet for Black Expats such as a France or Germany, it has had its own residents, famous or not, that made Switzerland their temporary home.

Read the full Black in the Day article.

It takes a dedicated person to pick up and move around the world for family, but that is exactly what Carolyn Moncel did.  In 2002, just having given birth two weeks earlier, she moved to Paris with her French husband in order to be closer to his family. It would be a permanent move abroad. Originally hailing from Chicago, she had not even traveled overseas before until she first met her new in-laws in 1997. In her own words, it was a “terrifying yet liberating experience.” In addition, like many expats she was permanently changed as a result, “I thought that I was an adult before I left the United States, but living abroad really made me grow up because everything I knew about anything came into question…I know exactly who I am now, what I am made of and what I can do if I really want to.”

One thing that helped Carolyn in her move is her since of entrepreneurship. She had started a new business in the US while pregnant with her second child and was able to carry it abroad and tweak its focus to her customer’s needs. Her first business,  Motion Temps LLC, was a virtual assistance firm and while abroad it has transformed into bilingual web content creation and project management. Fortunately, the transition was relatively seamless because she found her first project in France before even arriving in Paris! Given finding a firm to sponsor European Union (EU) work visas is notoriously difficult, this gave her options many others do not have.

Read Carolyn’s full article.

What do you remember of your first trip abroad?

My first trip abroad was the summer before my junior year in college. I travelled in France, Switzerland, Germany and England. Back then (and I’m not going to be specific about the date) airline tickets for student travellers was dirt cheap…so were the Eurail passes. I had a blast! I met other students from all over Europe. People invited me to their homes, so I was able to see a lot of life in other countries. I was surprised also, how things in Western cultures could look so similar on the surface but be so dramatically different when you “walked through the door”… so to speak. But I had a wonderful time and in the meantime fell in love with France.

Read Delorys’ full interview.

Place of birth: Princeton, New Jersey, USA.

Background: I grew up in a large suburb in central New Jersey. In college, I moved to the UK to study at the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies for a semester and then lived in Sevilla, Spain for another semester to study social work, psychology and sociology from a Spanish perspective. After school, I worked for a bit in New York and then moved to Brasil for 8 months as I made my first serious jump into entrepreneurship by starting Corset Magazine, the go-to magazine for all things sexuality.

Self awareness discovered while living abroad: When I moved to Brasil, I learned so much about myself in terms of the lifestyle I want and the freedom that I have to have as a human being living on this earth. I loved having the liberty to go to the beach or visit natural waterfalls in the mountainside without having to spend a ton of money. I also realized that I don’t have to be stressed as I pursue a profession and make a living. I completely felt and saw a different side of myself compared to how tense I usually am in New York. I really got to live and that in itself was a blessing as I worked on Corset Magazine.

Read Arielle’s full interview.

Where were you born and in which countries have you lived?

I was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I’ve lived in: Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire (where I spent half of my life), England (where I graduated high school), the US, Jamaica, Grenada and Belize.

Describe your first trip abroad.

My first trip abroad was actually at age 14. My dad gave me the option of either staying at my French school in Abidjan, or going to boarding school in England. My first thought was, Europe?! Sign me up! And so at 14 I boarded the plane solo and headed to Bournemouth, in the south of England. It was a cute little town by the English Channel.

Read Lily’s full interview.

Follow Ellen’s Obama a la Carte video blog on her website.

Voting absentee ballot and got an email ballot you have to print out and return? Be alerted to the fact that you need to compare the printed ballot to the print preview screen. If the printed ballot does not contain all content visible on the print preview screen, subsequent steps should be taken. This may include using the function “Fit to Printable Area” or similar function before reprinting the ballot(s).

Voting in the United States is not the easiest thing to do when you live there. But as an expat it’s not that hard as long as you are vigilant. My ballot came and my vote will be registered which is super nice. Participating in the electoral process is not optional for me. It’s an absolute must.

Here is the information you need to Vote From Abroad:

Alabama

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 26, 2012

Request ballot by November 1, 2012

Return ballot by November 6, 2012 (postmarked by November 5, 2012)

Alaska

General Election: November 6, 2011

Register by October 7, 2012

Request ballot by October 27, 2012

Return ballot by November 21, 2012 (assume postmarked by November 6, 2012

Arizona

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by 7 pm on November 6, 2012

Request ballot by 7 pm on November 6, 2012

Return ballot by 7 pm on November 6, 2012

Arkansas

General Election: November 6, 2012

Registration not required

Request ballot by October 30, 2012

Return ballot by 5 pm on November 16, 2012 (postmarked by November 6, 2012)

California

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 22, 2012

Request ballot by October 30, 2012

Return ballot by 8 pm on November 6, 2012

Colorado

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 9, 2012

Request by October 30, 2012

Return ballot by November 14, 2012 (assume postmarked by November 6, 2012)

Connecticut

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by November 5, 2012

Request ballot by November 5, 2012

Return ballot by November 6, 2012

Delaware

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 22, 2012

Request ballot by November 2, 2012

Return ballot by November 6, 2012

District of Columbia

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 9, 2012

Request ballot by October 30, 2012

Return ballot by November 16, 2012 (postmarked by November 6, 2012)

Florida

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 9, 2012

Request ballot by October 31, 2012

Return ballot by November 16, 2012 (postmarked by November 6, 2012)

Georgia

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 9, 2012

Request ballot by November 2, 2012

Return ballot by November 9, 2012 (postmarked by November 6, 2012)

Hawaii

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 8, 2012

Request ballot by October 30, 2012

Return ballot by November 6, 2012

Idaho

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 12, 2012

Request ballot by October 31, 2012

Return ballot by 8 pm on November 6, 2012

Illinois

General Election: November 6, 2012

Registration not required

Request ballot by October 29, 2012

Return ballot by November 20, 2012 (assume postmarked by November 6, 2011)

Indiana

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 27, 2012

Request ballot by October 29, 2012

Return ballot by November 6, 2012

Iowa

General Election: November 6, 2012

Registration not required

Request mailed ballot by November 2, 2012

Request emailed or faxed ballot by 5pm on November 5, 2012

Return ballot via mail by November 12, 2012 (postmarked by November 5, 2012)

Return ballot via email/fax by 9 pm on November 6, 2012

Kansas

General Election: November 6, 2012

Registration not required

Request ballot by November 6, 2012

Return ballot by November 6, 2012

Kentucky

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 9, 2012

Request ballot by October 30, 2012

Return ballot November 6, 2012

Louisiana

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 8, 2012

Request ballot by November 5, 2012

Runoff Election: December 1, 2012

Register by October 31, 2012

Request ballot by November 30, 2012

Return ballot by December 1, 2012

Maine

General Election: November 6, 2012

No Registration deadline

No ballot request deadline

Return ballot by 8 pm on November 6, 2012

Maryland

General Election: November 6, 2012

Registration received or postmarked by October 16, 2012

Request ballot via mail by 8 pm on October 30, 2012

Request ballot via fax or email by 11:59 pm on October 30, 2012

Return ballot by 10 am on November 16, 2012 (postmarked by November 6, 2012)

Massachusetts

General Election: November 6, 2012

Registration not required

Request ballot by 12 pm on November 5, 2012

Return ballot via mail by 5 pm on November 16, 2012 (postmarked by November 6, 2012)

Return ballot via fax or email by 8 pm on November 6, 2012

Michigan

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by November 6, 2012

Request ballot by 2 pm on November 3, 2012

Return ballot by November 6, 2012

Minnesota

General Election November 6, 2012

Registration not required

No deadline for ballot request

Return ballot by November 6, 2012

Mississippi

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 27, 2012

No deadline for ballot request

Return ballot by 7 pm on November 6, 2012

Missouri

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 10, 2012

Request ballot by October 31, 2012

Return ballot by 7 pm on November 6, 2012

Montana

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by November 6, 2012

Request ballot by November 6, 2012

Return ballot by 8 pm on November 6, 2012

Nebraska

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 19, 2012

Request ballot by October 31, 2012

Return ballot by November 6, 2012

Nevada

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 6, 2012

Request ballot by 5 pm on October 30, 2012

Return ballot by 7 pm on November 6, 2012

New Hampshire

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by November 6, 2012

Request ballot by November 5, 2012

Return ballot by November 6, 2012

New Jersey

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 16, 2012

Request ballot by October 30, 2012

Return ballot by November 6, 2012

New Mexico

General Election: November 6, 2012

Registration not required

Request ballot by November 2, 2012

Return ballot by 7 pm on November 6, 2012

New York

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 12, 2012

Request ballot by October 26, 2012

Return ballot by November 19, 2012 (postmarked by November 5, 2012)

North Carolina

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by November 5, 2012

Request ballot by November 5, 2012

Return ballot by November 6, 2012

North Dakota

General Election: November 6, 2012

Registration not required

Request ballot by September 22, 2012

Return ballot by November 9 or 12 depending on county (postmarked by November 6, 2012)

Ohio

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 9, 2012

Request ballot by November 3, 2012

Return ballot by November 16, 2012 (postmarked by November 6, 2012)

Oklahoma

General Election: November 6, 2012

Registration not required

Request ballot by October 31, 2012

Return ballot by 7 pm on November 6, 2012

Oregon

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 17, 2012 (or postmarked by October 17, 2012)

No ballot request required

Return ballot by 8 pm on November 6, 2012

Pennsylvania

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 9, 2012

Request ballot by November 6, 2012

Return ballot by November 13, 2012 (postmarked by November 5, 2012)

Rhode Island

General Election: November 6, 2012

Registration not required

Request ballot by October 16, 2012

Return ballot by 9 pm on November 6, 2012

South Carolina

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 6, 2012

Request ballot by 5 pm on November 5, 2012

Return ballot by 7 pm on November 6, 2012

South Dakota

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 22, 2012

Request ballot by 3 pm on November 6, 2012

Return ballot by November 6, 2012

Tennessee

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 30, 2012

Request ballot by October 30, 2012

Return ballot on November 6, 2012

Texas

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 9, 2012

Request ballot by October 30, 2012

Return ballot by November 12, 2012 (postmarked by November 6, 2012)

Utah

General Election November 6, 2012

Register by November 2, 2012

Request ballot by November 2, 2012

Return ballot by 12 pm on November 19, 2012 (postmarked by November 5, 2012)

Vermont

General Election: November 6, 2012

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Virginia

General Election: November 6, 2012

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Return ballot by 7 pm on November 6, 2012

Washington

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by November 6, 2012

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Return ballot by November 26, 2012 (assume postmarked by November 6, 2012)

West Virginia

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 16, 2012

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Return ballot by November 13, 2012 (assume postmarked by November 6, 2012)

Wisconsin

General Election: November 6, 2012

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Wyoming

General Election: November 6, 2012

Register by October 23, 2012

Request ballot by November 5, 2012

Return ballot by November 6, 2012

Click on the banner below to register, request your ballot and to participate in the system. Your vote counts!

Me with the Chair of Democrats Abroad Italy and a delegate from Democrats Abroad France.

Rep. Lewis and Democrats Abroad South Africa member.

See all of my photos and videos on Pinterest.

Here is what I experience in Charlotte that has me fired up and ready to go:

Day 1.

Photo: Bob Vallier

The DNC volunteers were wonderful. They were warm and welcoming and were waiting for me as soon as I deplaned to help me find my way to the shuttle bus to my hotel.

Next came the Welcome Party for Delegates for Democrats Abroad, Kentucky, Indiana,

Oklahoma, U.S. Virgin Islands Delegates at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art 420 S. Tryon Street Uptown Charlotte.

This gave me the opportunity to meet my fellow Democrats Abroad Delegates. Together we came from 5 continents. I must say that there is no shortage of parties during convention week. No shortage. So one must pick and choose very carefully how much partying one will do because there are breakfast meetings each morning that Delegates must attend. I went with a few of my fellow delegates to the Governor’s Party (that took place each night).

It was a chance to meet other delegates and get watered and fed again.

Day 2.

After breakfast at our budget hotel in the airport zone, our delegation met with Congressman Mike Honda of California in a conference room at the neighboring Marriott.

Lots of delegations were staying there and I think every conference room was being used for breakfast meetings. For example I spotted Rev. Jesse Jackson going into one room and others saw Al Franken roaming the halls.

CarolinaFest was that day which was a hug outdoor family friendly festival with music and food, etc. It was super hot, hot, hot that day and I picked up my blogger credentials, cooled out in the Congressional Black Caucus/Visit Myrtle Beach hospitality

suite at Blackfinns where I had lunch and met up with a member of Democrats Abroad Australia.

I was interviewed by the Philadelphia Tribune and later met up with members of Black Women for Obama at the Westin Hotel. One of the members was a delegate from Massachusetts and she introduced me to Patrick Duval.

I attended the African American Caucus that day and heard Valerie Jarrett

and Donna Brazille talk.

That night I had tickets to an event where The Roots were performing but I ended up at the Massachusetts Delegation party before going to the Congressional Black Caucus party which were close to each other. As I said, one has to pick and choose where to go in the evenings, keeping in mind that there are important things to do during the day! Oh, the Democrats Abroad Chair and Vice Chair dropped by the Caucus party along with one of our delegates from Afghanistan.

Day 3.

After breakfast in our meeting room at the neighboring hotel, we got our credentials! Yea!

Credential distribution is the most important thing that happens at the breakfast meetings followed closely by visits from legislators. Today we had a visit from Congressman Rush Holt of New Jersey, another ally of Americans living overseas. His daughter lives in Europe which makes him a perfect voice for us in Washington.

Among our issues that he is working on are FACTA and FABAR.

After breakfast I attended the Unconventional Women: Presented by Political Parity at the Kanvas Gallery 525 East 6th Street #117. Getting there was a huge inconvenience as the direct route was blocked off and I had to walk at least 10 blocks out of the way. In the heat. But I had on sensible shoes. In fact my Converse where my shoes each day with a pair of “dress” shoes in my bag to help me transition from day to night.

On the way over I saw all kinds of police out in force. On bikes,

in the air,

on choppers,

And on four legs. It was worth the walk, as I arrive Nancy Pelosi was speaking.

Next I attempted to attend a rally to rally to free the District of Columbia’s budget

but there was some commotion going on caused by right to lifers so I avoided the area. I saw people with DC Statehood t-shirts on walking in the opposite direction and they told me they couldn’t even get to the meeting point. Oh well.

The convention gavel falls at 5pm and so it is wise to get through security by 4.30 to have a good chance to see what’s happening at the convention center before taking your seat on the convention floor.

Here was Tuesday’s schedule:

Starting at 5 p.m.

• Call to order

• Chair of the DNC Debbie Wasserman Schultz
• CEO of Democratic National Convention Committee Stephen Kerrigan
• Bishop Vashti McKenzie

• Mayor Julian Castro (San Antonio, Texas)
• Attorney General Kamala Harris (California)
• Gov. Martin O’Malley (Maryland)
• Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (Los Angeles, California)
• Rep. Steny Hoyer (Maryland)
• Andrew Tobias, DNC treasurer
• Alice Germond, DNC secretary

6 p.m.

• Rep. Barbara Lee (California)
• Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy (Ret.)

• Mayor Cory Booker (Newark, New Jersey)

• Gov. Bev Perdue (North Carolina)
• Ryan Case
• Mary Kay Henry, international president of Service Employees International Union
• Rep. Charles Gonzalez (Texas)
• Rep. Nydia Velazquez (New York)
• Gov. Pat Quinn (Illinois)
• Firefighter Doug Stern (Cincinnati, Ohio)
• Former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, U.S. Senate candidate

7 p.m.

• Mayor Anthony Foxx (Charlotte, North Carolina)
• Sen. Harry Reid (Nevada)
• Ken Salazar
• Joe Kennedy III, U.S. congressional candidate (Massachusetts)
• Former Rep. Robert Wexler
8 p.m.

• Mayor R.T. Rybak (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
• Rep. Jared Polis (Colorado)
• Maria Ciano
• Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America
• Nate Davis
•

Tammy Duckworth, U.S. congressional candidate (Illinois)

• Gov. Lincoln Chafee (Rhode Island)
• Rep. James Clyburn (South Carolina)

• Stacey Lihn
• Rep. Xavier Becerra (California)

9 p.m.

• Former Gov. Ted Strickland (Ohio)
• Kathleen Sebelius
• Mayor Rahm Emanuel (Chicago, Illinois)
• Kal Penn
• Craig Robinson and Maya Soetoro-ng

• Lilly Ledbetter
• Gov. Deval Patrick (Massachusetts)

10 p.m.

• Gov. Martin O’Malley (Maryland)

• Joaquin Castro, U.S. congressional candidate (Texas)

• Mayor Julian Castro (San Antonio, Texas)
• Elaine Brye

• First lady Michelle Obama

Long day, eh? After the convention I had planned to go to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund Sex, Politics, and Cocktails Party, but I didn’t. I have to honestly say that I can’t remember what I did that night. It may have been one of the nights when I actually caught the shuttle bus back to the hotel and sat and talked with DAFrance delegate Bob Vallier.

Day 4

After breakfast and over at our room at The Marriot, we the Deputy Assistant to the President and Counselor for Strategic Engagement to the Senior Advisor, Michael Strautmanis, whose father lives in France come and speak to us.

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney also popped in.

Before breaking up we took a delegation photo.

After that I went to the African American Caucus at the convention center. There was buzz that Mrs. Obama was going to speak and near hysteria when she actually did. Here is a bit of what she said:

And I thought people were going to faint when she came to greet the attendees. So how do you think I felt when I shook her hand? Like traveling to Charlotte from Stockholm was well worth the trip.

On a high I managed to eat lunch and then attend the Global Women’s Innovation Network’s afternoon tea and champagne reception for Board Members, supporters, and friends to celebrate women’s contributions to technology and innovation policy. That was on the 29th floor of the Bank of America building. After that I hustled over to the Emily’s List reception.

I couldn’t attend the American University Alumni event as is coincided with the opening of the convention at 5pm. On the schedule was:

Starting at 5 p.m.

• Call to order: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
• Rep. Luis Gutierrez (Illinois)
• Rep. Diana DeGette (Colorado)
• John Perez, California State Assembly speaker
• Mayor Thomas Menino (Boston, Massachusetts)
• Rep. Judy Chu (California)
• Steve Westly, former California state controller
• Rep. John Larson (Connecticut)
• Ken Myers, deputy sheriff (Carroll County, Iowa)

6 p.m.

• Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO president
• Rep. Steve Israel (New York)
• Sen. Patty Murray (Washington)
• Rep. Pedro Pierluisi (Puerto Rico)
• Tom Steyer, Advanced Energy Economy co-founder
• Sen. Charles Schumer (New York)
• Rep. Karen Bass (California)
• Rep. Al Green (Texas)

• Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (Missouri)
• Gov. Dannel Malloy (Connecticut)

7 p.m.

• Denise Juneau, Montana Office of Public Instruction superintendent
• Rep. Nancy Pelosi (California)
• Tom Vilsack
• Sen. Barbara Mikulski (Maryland)
• Arne Duncan
• Johanny Adames
• Jim Hunt, former North Carolina governor
• Harvey Gantt, former mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina

8 p.m.

• Elizabeth Ann “Libby” Bruce
• Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood Federation of America president
• Rep. Steny Hoyer (Maryland)
• Rep. Barney Frank (Massachusetts)
• Ed Meagher
• Gen. Eric Shinseki
• Mayor Michael Nutter (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• Gov. John Hickenlooper (Colorado)
• Simone Campbell, NETWORK executive director
• Gov. Jack Markell (Delaware)
9 p.m.

• Karen Mills
• Bull Butcher
• Kamala Harris, California attorney general
• Benita Veliz
• Cristina Saralegui
• Sandra Fluke
• Austin Ligon, Co-founder and retired CEO of CarMax
• Karen Eusanio
• Bob King, UAW president
• Randy Johnson, Cindy Hewitt and David Foster
• Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Maryland)

10 p.m.

• Jim Sinegal, Costco founder and former CEO

• Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Senate candidate (Massachusetts)
• Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa

• President Bill Clinton

Wow. What a night. Bill at his best. In his element. I had planned to go to the NARAL Pro-Choice America Convention Reception to end the night but instead went to a party with my DAFrance buddy. We made it back to the hotel on the last shuttle. This may have been the night that we ordered pizza with two other delegates and ended up sharing some with our Co-Chair who came in even later than us.

Day 5

We didn’t have a speaker scheduled on Thursday morning and were allowed to get to the convention center as soon as possible to attend the caucuses. Again there was buzz that Mrs. Obama would be making personal appearances. So over to the Women’s Caucus I went.

And it’s a good thing I went early because it was packed.

And the place erupted when Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Biden entered and took the stage.

Mrs. Biden spoke briefly and passed the stage over to Mrs. Obama who got us even more fired up.

Then the two of them greeted the crowd and for the second day in a row I was nearly crushed to death as I too eagerly positioned myself to greet the First and now Second Lady too. I’m happy to report that I shook both Mrs. Obama’s and Mrs. Biden’s hands.

I believe you can hear me say, “Thank you Michelle”. Like we’re on a first name basis.
After that excitement I headed over to the Gay, Lesbian, Bi and Transgender Caucus where Mrs. Biden held court.

Mrs. Obama addressed the Hispanic Caucus the previous day. All that was left for me for me to do was eat lunch, regroup and head over to the convention site super early because the President would accept our nomination and I knew I would need to be in my seat early to help fend off people who would try and take our delegations’ seats. And I was right. It was a constant battle.

Starting at 4:30 p.m.

• Sen. Kay Hagan (North Carolina)
• Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton (North Caolina)
• Rep. G.K. Butterfield (North Caolina)
• Rep. David Price (North Caolina)
• Rep. Mel L. Watt (North Caolina)
• James Rogers, CEO Duke Energy
• Call to Order: Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa
• Carol Berman
• Rep. Donna F. Edwards (Maryland)
• Rep. Barney Frank (Massachusetts)
• Harvey Gantt, former Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina

6 p.m.

• Rep. John Lewis (Georgia)
• Jason Crow
• Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Florida)
• Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa (Los Angeles, California)
• Rep. Tammy Baldwin (Wisconsin)
• Mayor Michael Nutter (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• Zach Wahls

7 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance

• Jim Messina (Campaign Manager, Obama for America)

• Kenyetta Jones, Ryan Case, Ed Meagher, Martha Figueroa, Lucas Beenken, Rob Hach
• Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa
• Beau Biden
• Rep. James E. Clyburn (South Carolina)

• Scarlett Johansson and Kerry Washington

8 p.m.

• Caroline Kennedy
• Rep. Xavier Becerra (California)

• Former Gov. Jennifer Granholm (Michigan)

• Eva Longoria
• Gov. Brian Schweitzer (Montana)
• Former Gov. Charlie Crist, Jr. (Florida)
And we all wondered where this John Kerry was when he was running for President.

• Sen. John Kerry (Massachusetts)

9 p.m.


• Admiral John B. Nathman, U.S. Navy, Retired

• Angie Flores

• Dr. Jill Biden

• Vice President Joe Biden

10 p.m.

• Sen. Dick Durbin (Illinois)

• President Barack Obama

After that, we were done! Put a fork in me. But the night wasn’t over, of course. Now we really had cause to celebrate. Nomination accepted. Message heard. Tons of work to be done.

So what better way to finish the week by going to the Urban League/Black Entertainment Network party in the convention center ballroom.

On my way there I met Dr. Eric Dyson. And the night kept getting better. Salt & Pepper (remember them?) took stage and rocked it old school style.

So 2 weeks later I am still fired up and ready to go. I have been doing my best to get out the vote, I’ve requested my absentee ballot, and I’ll tell anyone who listens to do the same.
Thanks again for helping me get to the convention and back. I’ll never forget my time in Charlotte and I’ll never forget your support.

NOTE: Go to Vote From Abroad today to register to vote and/or request an absentee ballot.

Simply go to Vote From Abroad to register and/or request your absentee ballot.

See what I see and retweet:
Pinterest and Twitter: @bwie

Starting on Monday, 3 September, I will be blogging live from the <a href=”http://charlottein2012.com/splash/2011_11_1/index.pl” target=”_blank”>Democratic National Convention</a> in Charlotte, North Carolina.

I’ll be on the convention floor as a delegate for <a href=”http://www.democratsabroad.org” target=”_blank”>Democrats Abroad</a> and attending caucuses, rallies, and events as an officially <a href=”/?p=6325″ target=”_blank”>credentialed blogger</a>.

Check back here for photos, videos, and notes from the convention.

Follow my special <a href=”http://pinterest.com/ageorgegal/2012-democratic-national-convention/” target=”_blank”>convention Pinterest</a> board, and my Tweets on @bwie.

American citizens who spend time living abroad may face some nasty financial surprises when they return home.

Even if they managed their spending responsibly while away, a lack of U.S. credit activity or a U.S. address can leave them unable to obtain new credit cards or loans. It can make it tough to open a bank account. It can even leave them vulnerable to identity theft.

“The big mistake people make is not taking care of their finances and credit,”

says Lisa R. Mitchell, an American and former banker who lives in Shanghai, teaches leadership for Berlitz, and writes a blog about expatriate financial issues.

Mitchell’s book, “Global Money Matters: A Guide to Making Smart Money Choices While Living a Global Lifestyle,” will be out in the fall.

“They’re moving, they have to put their children in school, they may have to find a job or housing. People rarely think about finance — they think because their bank is a big global bank they don’t need to worry about it. Then they return and realize they haven’t done a lot of things they should have.”

Read more: http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/5-credit-mistakes-expatriates-should-avoid-1267.php#ixzz233RtrbIF
Compare credit cards here - CreditCards.com

On behalf of the Democratic National Committee, I am pleased to congratulate you on your election as a Delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention. This email serves as your Official Certification to this historic gathering in Charlotte, North Carolina, September 4-6, 2012. As your Secretary, this is one of my most serious responsibilities as we prepare for our nominating convention.

This is an important time for the Democratic Party. The nation, and indeed the world, will be watching as we continue to chart our course and vision for the future. We will showcase the accomplishments of the Obama Administration and the talent of our leadership. Our Convention will reflect the diversity and grassroots of our Party – and America.

We will come together to celebrate and enthusiastically re-nominate Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Plus, we will prepare for the General Election. Imagine what we will be able to accomplish when we reelect our President, elect more Democrats to the US Senate, take back the House of Representatives, and our candidates succeed at every level of government. Frankly, I can hardly wait.

We encourage you to visit the 2012 Convention website.

Your State Delegation is your primary point of contact during your time in Charlotte. The morning delegation meeting is the most critical. At that meeting, your daily credential, the schedule with gavel time, caucuses, events and transportation updates, as well as issue discussions, voting procedures and other convention materials will be delivered. Often there are speakers including State Party leadership and others. In addition, on Sunday evening, September 2^nd you are invited to attend your Delegation Welcoming Party. Please continue to be in touch with your State Party for further details on this and other information.

The Office of the Secretary can be reached should you have any questions.

Thank you for your service to the Democratic Party. It is an honor to represent President Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention. Your commitment to his victory, your hard work and sacrifice are appreciated, and will be for generations to come.

See you in Charlotte.

Alice Germond
Secretary, Democratic National Committee

(Image from American Club Sweden website)

U.S. citizens around the globe will soon mark the 236th anniversary of our Nation’s Independence Day with family and community gatherings, food, and fireworks.  For U.S. citizens living outside the United States, the 4th of July is an opportunity for all of us, regardless of political affiliation, to celebrate our shared values as citizens of the United States of America.

Have a say in our country’s future.  One of our most treasured values is the right and the privilege to vote – to participate actively in our country’s democratic process.  This November, U.S. citizens will elect a President, a Vice President, one-third of the Senate, and the entire House of Representatives.

Almost all overseas U.S. citizens can vote.  Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia now allow adult children who have never resided in the United States to vote using their parents’ state of voting residence.  Details are available on the FVAP website at http://www.fvap.gov/reference/nvr-res.html.

Register and request a ballot.  To vote, new laws require you to complete and submit a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) this calendar year.  The FPCA allows you to register to vote and request an absentee ballot.  If you haven’t yet done so, we urge you to do so now.  The easiest way to complete it is online at www.FVAP.gov.  Depending on your State’s rules, you then send it to your local election officials electronically or by mail.

Mailing guidance.  Easiest is to use your local postal service direct to the U.S.  Be sure to affix sufficient international postage and allow sufficient time for international mail delivery.
Or print out the completed FPCA and the (U.S.) postage-paid envelope containing the address of your local election officials.  You can mail/drop off the postage-paid envelope (containing your FPCA) to your closest US Embassy, and they will forward it back home for you without the need to pay international postage (remember to clearly mark your envelope with “election materials”). It must have proper U.S. domestic postage or be in a prepaid voting materials envelope.  Mail to the U.S. takes at least two weeks.

Need help?  We encourage you to contact Democrats Abroad, Republicans Abroad, or American Clubs in your country.

Make your vote count!  Follow your State’s absentee voting procedures carefully.  Send in your FPCA before the registration deadline.   When you get your ballot, vote and mail it promptly so it reaches local election officials by your State’s absentee ballot receipt deadline.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:  New absentee voting laws are in effect for the 2012 elections.  You may no longer automatically receive ballots based on a previous absentee ballot request.  All U.S. citizens outside the United States who want to vote by absentee ballot in U.S. elections should complete a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) every year.  States are now required to send out ballots 45 days before an election.  No matter what State you vote in, you can now ask your local election officials to provide your blank ballots to you electronically (by email, internet download, or fax, depending on your State).  You can now also confirm your registration and ballot delivery online.  Be sure to include your email address on the form to take advantage of the electronic ballot delivery option.  This is the fastest and most reliable way to receive your ballot on time, and we strongly recommend every voter take advantage of it.  Learn more at the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s (FVAP) website at www.FVAP.gov.

Photo Credit Maisha Galen and Timmy Miansangi

Clementine Akuyo Brown has proudly represented the African culture in Sweden since 1977. Together with her fellow countryman the passionate Bedu Annan, she became one of the first teachers of African dance in Sweden. With this year’s [Maisha] theme in mind; a tribute to strong African mothers, and for a lifetime achievement with an inspiring approach, we present this woman with this honorary award.

About Maisha Gala – http://www.maishagalan.se/

The goal of the Maisha Gala is to recognize the achievement of women for the Black/African community in Sweden and Africa. It works to promote the African Diaspora involvement and include the voice of women on various issues of concern to the community. The Maisha Gala is a celebration of African culture that also promotes artists and young talents and the empowerment of youth. Maisha Gala is also networking and advocacy with the thematic approach and focus on pertinent issues.

Photo Credit Maisha Galen and Timmy Miansangi

She is an Officer of the Order Of The British Empire (OBE) for her Contribution to the Arts.

She is the artistic director of both the National Swedish Theatre for the Deaf and TRYKK,who work for the promotion and development of Black Theatre and black art events.

She is a recipient of numerous awards and the director and producer of many acclaimed works.

She is the current chair woman at CinemAfrica, a non-profit organization who work to update the image of Africa, and to add to the body of African images and voices in Sweden, by distributing films and documentaries from Africa by Africans.

Ironically,her career spans over 25 years, but this brilliant woman has only recent come to our attention!

Ladies and gentlemen The Maisha Award for Newcomer of The Year goes to actress, director and producer, Josette Bushell-Mingo.

About Maisha Gala – http://www.maishagalan.se/

The goal of the Maisha Gala is to recognize the achievement of women for the Black/African community in Sweden and Africa. It works to promote the African Diaspora involvement and include the voice of women on various issues of concern to the community. The Maisha Gala is a celebration of African culture that also promotes artists and young talents and the empowerment of youth. Maisha Gala is also networking and advocacy with the thematic approach and focus on pertinent issues.

Photo credit-Maishagalen and Timmy Miansang

The phrase “Lead by example” comes to mind when one thinks of this Sene-gambian woman.

She is the founder of Rock Africk which is an initiative with the objective of spotlighting and celebrating noteworthy African achievement, as well as an outreach to African youth in Africa.

She is a 2012 Semi-finalist in TV4′s The Voice, a vocal competition where the strongest voices across the country compete for a recording contract.

She is an Air Chrysalis songwriter and Hitlab artist. If Akon can sign her, we can co-sign for her.

She is the little woman with the big voice.Ladies and gentlemen,The 2012 Maisha Award for Artist of the Year goes to Mary N’diaye.

About Maisha Gala – http://www.maishagalan.se/

The goal of the Maisha Gala is to recognize the achievement of women for the Black/African community in Sweden and Africa. It works to promote the African Diaspora involvement and include the voice of women on various issues of concern to the community. The Maisha Gala is a celebration of African culture that also promotes artists and young talents and the empowerment of youth. Maisha Gala is also networking and advocacy with the thematic approach and focus on pertinent issues.

She is the co- founder of the Women of the African Diaspora website and co-editor of BlackExpat.com

She is also the founder of JobsInStockholm.com (and JobsinGothenburg.com), and has created a platform to celebrate women of the African diaspora living in Europe with her multiple award winning Black Women In Europe blog.

She is enriching both ethnic and expatriate communities and impacting and influencing the lives of others through Social media.

She is building bridges and building brands, handling her business and proving that content is QUEEN, ladies and gentlemen the 2012 Maisha entrepreneur of the year is Adrianne George Lind.

Editor’s note: Adrianne is also the founder of AG Communications Group.

About Maisha Gala – http://www.maishagalan.se/

The goal of the Maisha Gala is to recognize the achievement of women for the Black/African community in Sweden and Africa. It works to promote the African Diaspora involvement and include the voice of women on various issues of concern to the community. The Maisha Gala is a celebration of African culture that also promotes artists and young talents and the empowerment of youth. Maisha Gala is also networking and advocacy with the thematic approach and focus on pertinent issues.

This woman is recognized for her great commitment and active participation in working to combat racism in Sweden, through her involvement in several organisations.

She has been involved in the African Diaspora movement during many years and participated in debates on integration and diversity issues in Sweden.

She is conducting her PhD in Work and Organisational Psychology at the University of Stockholm.

This woman has clearly demonstrated her expertise at a national and international level through her commitment in working with development aid issues.

Editor’s note: Margaret Gärding hails from South Africa.

About Maisha Gala – http://www.maishagalan.se/

The goal of the Maisha Gala is to recognize the achievement of women for the Black/African community in Sweden and Africa. It works to promote the African Diaspora involvement and include the voice of women on various issues of concern to the community. The Maisha Gala is a celebration of African culture that also promotes artists and young talents and the empowerment of youth. Maisha Gala is also networking and advocacy with the thematic approach and focus on pertinent issues.

At the recent Global Convention Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Democrats Abroad announced that President Barack Obama had won the organization’s Global Primary. The Democrats Abroad Global Primary was conducted May 1-6, 2012 at more than 90 voting centers in 33 countries.

“There was an overwhelming show of support for President Obama and his many accomplishments, including putting Americans back to work, reforming Wall Street and protecting consumers, making college more affordable, ending the War in Iraq, repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ and delivering affordable health care,” said Kenneth E. Sherman, International Chair of Democrats Abroad in Canada. “As Americans living abroad, we’ve also seen first-hand the gains President Obama has made repairing the U.S. image overseas.”

The election results also determined the 17 delegates who will attend the Democratic National Convention along with 8 DNC members September 3-7, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Convention delegation was elected in a combination of both the May 1-6 voting center elections and elections at the May 18-20 Democrats Abroad Global Convention which were held in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Democrats Abroad especially thanks the 160 members who stood for election as delegates in the multiple elections.

2012 Democrats Abroad Delegation to the DNC Convention in Charlotte

Regional Delegates

AMERICAS:
Roberta (Dee Dee) Camhi (DA-Mexico)
Tim Whiting (DA-Mexico)
Sandra Loridans (DA-Mexico)

ASIA PACIFIC:
Alexander Montgomery (DA-Hong Kong)

EMEA:
Kathleen Burnett (DA-Germany)
John Morris (DA-France)
Martha McDevitt-Pugh (DA-Netherlands)
Robert Vallier (DA-France)
Adrianne George (DA-Sweden)
Zachery Miller (DA-France)
Stephanie Stewart (DA-UK)

PLEO (party leaders and elected officials):
John Chudy (DA-Gautemala)

Global-Large Delegates
Maria Dolores (Lola) Quintella (Peru)
Gil Carbajal (DA-Spain)
Adrienne Jones (DA-Canada)

Alternate Delegate
Sebron Toney (DA-Afghanistan)

DNC
Ken Sherman (DA-Canada), ex-officio
Vicki Hansen (DA-Luxembourg), ex-officio
Lauren Shannon (DA-Japan)
Stanley Grossman (DA-UK)
Caitlin Kraft Buhman (DA-Switzerland)
Leo Perez Minaya (DA-Dominicon Republic)
Theresa Morelli (DA-Italy)
Joe Smallhoover (DA-France)

Standing Committee
Chistine Marques (DA-Switzerland) – Rules Committee
Louis Hureston (DA-South Africa) – Credentials Committee
Dean Jannone (DA-Spain) – Platform Committee

Page
Mara Elizabeth Larson Richard

Register to vote and/or get your absentee ballot now.

The U.S. Presidential Election will take place on November 6, 2012. Deadlines for requesting overseas absentee ballots vary per state. To vote in the U.S. Presidential Election in November, overseas voters must request a ballot from local voting authorities in the place where they or their family last resided in the U.S.

Voters can register now at www.VoteFromAbroad.org

Kenneth E Sherman,
International Chair

Ava Tayloe

Ava was born in Jamaica but grew up in New York, one of the fashion capitals of the world. Gifted with her own unique sense of flair and style she has a keen eye for fashion accessorizing. She now lives in Sweden and has opened an online jewelry store to bring a bit of New York pizazz to Europe.

Posh & Sass is an online collection of fashion jewelry with a large focus on Hand-Made jewelry by some of New York’s most prominent designers such as Gerard Yosca, Lulu Frost, Fallon Jewelry & Yochi NY. We offer a wide selection of jewelry to match any occasion and fit any budget. We believe that style and quality should not be compromised by cost. Whether you are looking for the perfect earring to transform your jeans and t-shirt or finish off a look for that special occasion, you have come to the right place. We follow the latest trends in jewelry and accessory to ensure that we provide our customers with the most coveted pieces to add to your jewelry collection. We also pride ourselves on selecting pieces that will be a part of your jewelry collection for years to come. Jewelry is a way to express one’s individual style and we hope that we will inspire you to discover and express our own.

Security Message for U.S. Citizens

Russia Day: Demonstrations and Anticipated Traffic Disruptions

Throughout Russia

June 12, 2012

The U.S. Embassy has learned of a political opposition rally beginning at PUSHKIN SQUARE at approximately 12:00 noon on Tuesday, June 12.  An estimated 20,000 participants will gather at the Square on Tverskaya Ulitsa and will march down Strasnovo, Petrovsky, and Rozhdestvensky Boulevards, ending at Akademika Sakharov Boulevard.   At 3:00 pm, the opposition will hold a rally on Sakharov Prospekt.  Please see the map below, showing the route from Point A to Point B.

While violence is not expected, there is always the potential for confrontations between protestors and police forces.  Additionally, such large gatherings can cause significant traffic disruptions.  U.S. citizens should also be aware of the possibility for counter-demonstrations and spontaneous protests appearing throughout the Moscow region, as well as a larger-than-usual police presence to monitor all activities.

The Embassy offers information about travel to Russia on our website, and we also encourage you to read the Country-Specific Information for the Russian Federation provided by the Department of State.  Current information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States or a regular toll line at-1-202-501-4444 for callers from other countries. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).  You can also stay up to date by bookmarking our Bureau of Consular Affairs website, which contains the current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts as well as the Worldwide Caution.  Follow us on Twitter and the Bureau of Consular Affairs page on Facebook as well.

We strongly recommend that U.S. Citizens and nationals traveling to or residing overseas to enroll in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).  U.S. Citizens and nationals without Internet access may enroll directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.  Enrolling signs you up to receive updated information about areas abroad and makes it easier for the U.S. Embassy or Consulate to contact you or your designated contact in case of an emergency.

The American Citizen Services unit of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow is located at Bolshoy Deviatinsky Pereulok No. 8, Moscow 121099, Russian Federation.  We can help you with passport issuance and renewal, voter assistance, notarials, and registering a child born abroad.  We also provide emergency services for U.S. citizens in case of a disaster or in case of illness, arrest, death, or destitution while in Russia.  Appointments are required for all non-emergency services;  you can make an appointment by calling +7 (495) 728-5577, or you may click here to schedule an appointment online.  Or, you can email us: moscowwarden@state.gov.

If you are a U.S. citizen with an after-hours emergency, please call our after-hours hotline at: (7) (495) 728-5000.  The following are the after-hours emergency contact for U.S. Consulates within the Russian Federation:

U.S. Consulate General St. Petersburg
Tel: (+7) (812) 331-2600

U.S. Consulate General Vladivostok
Tel: (+7) (4232) 30-00-70

U.S. Consulate General Yekaterinburg
Tel: (+7) (3432) 793-001

By Reginald Smith

by R. Wayne Branch

If I am elected as a delegate, I pledge to use that authority to attempt to persuade fellow members of the Democratic Party to oppose one policy in particular, the relatively new and burdensome Visa I-130 application effecting non-US family members that want to live in the United States with their American partners, spouses, and in some cases, parents. For example, while blogging from the convention in Denver in 2008, I ran into my Congresswoman, Eleanor Holmes Norton – I told her I was a member of Democrats Abroad and she said she had heard of us. As a delegate I would have more access to more people in Washington who can affect real change.

More on Visa I-130:
U.S. Visa Rule Will Burden Families, Lawyers Say
(Published August 14, 2011 in the New York Times)
A new U.S. visa rule, taking effect Monday, appears likely to substantially lengthen the amount of time that Americans living overseas must wait before bringing along their noncitizen spouses or children if they have to move home quickly for personal or professional reasons, immigration lawyers say. Read the full article from this link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/13/us/13iht-immigration.html#

It would be a privilege to represent Americans living abroad at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte next September. My video explains why.

If you are on Facebook check out my “campaign” page:
https://www.facebook.com/VoteAdrianneGeorgeEmeaDelegateToTheDncInCharlotte

Please vote for me in the upcoming Democrats Abroad Global Primary by looking for and choosing my name, Adrianne George on the ballot. If you are not visiting a Democrats Abroad Global Primary Voting Center in person you can request a ballot via email via vote2012@democratsabroad.org by April 30.

Not a member of Democrats Abroad? Take a few minutes to join today:
http://www.DemocratsAbroad.org

Download the Big City Poets

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Information:
Carolyn Moncel
Mondavé Media
773.828.4500
carolyn@mondaveinc.com

Fictional Tales Examines Clandestine Meetings and Confessions

Author Carolyn Moncel Releases Railway Confessions – A Collection of Short Stories

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND, March 1, 2012 — Would you ever reveal a dark secret to a complete stranger – even if you knew you’d never meet that person again? This question is at the heart of author, Carolyn Moncel’s latest work, Railway Confessions – A Collection of Short Stories.  Currently available as an eBook only, readers can download a FREE copy on March 1 and March 8, 2012 from Amazon.com.

As passengers traveling aboard a TGV train from Paris to Geneva one summer evening, three couples casually disclose very intimate, truthful details that could potentially transform their lives either for the better or for the worst.

“The stories fit perfectly into the advice my mother gave me during my childhood,” says Moncel, a Chicago native, whose stories are often set in Paris.  “‘Be careful what you say aloud because: a) you never really know who you are talking to; and b) you never really know who is listening to your conversation and what they may know about the people being discussed.’”

In the story, “My Brother’s Keeper,” a couple must come to terms with the murders that each of them had a hand in committing and their aftermaths; In “A Choice in the Matter,” another couple must address the questions of wanted and unwanted pregnancies and the circumstances for which such requests are ever acceptable; and in the last story entitled, “Pretty Prisons,” a last couple must deal with love, infidelity and all of its complexities. Ellery Roulet and Lola Sanchez from 5 Reasons to Leave a Lover return, and along with four others, confront their deepest fears with unexpected results.

About Carolyn Moncel

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel currently resides in Lausanne, Switzerland with her husband and two daughters. Her previous work includes Encounters in Paris – A Collection of Short Stories and 5 Reasons to Leave a Lover – A Novella and Other Short Stories.  Visit Moncel’s website at:  www.carolynmoncel.com.  Follow her on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/carolyn.moncel; LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/motiontemps; and on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/carolynmoncel.

About Railway Confessions – A Collection of Short Stories

Published in February 2012 by Mondavé Media, Railway Confessions – A Collection of Short Stories is only available as an eBook.

The Kindle edition is $2.99.  The ASIN number is: B0076BLY42.  Ms. Moncel is available for appearances, book club discussions and interviews.

Contact:

Beth Thomas

blackhairinparis@gmail.com

Prissy Mag Editor & Founder Launches Black Hair in Paris Blog

February 26, 2012 Paris, France

Priscilla Lalisse-Jespersen, Editor and Founder of webzine Prissy Mag, today announced the launch of a new blog called “Black Hair in Paris.”  The blog aims to provide readers with much-needed practical information and resources such as, salon contacts and locally-accessible production recommendations.

Priscilla Lalisse-Jespersen

“At Prissy Mag we receive hundreds of emails from expats and visitors who need even more hair information,” says Lalisse-Jespersen whose webzine gives readers a unique view of Parisian life as seen through the eyes of Anglophones.  “I wrote a list of what we call ‘good’ salons, but people always wanted to know more.”  Lalisse-Jespersen also reports on new products and where they can be purchased; as well as other happenings in the Parisian hair care industry. Because readers seem to be interested in Lalisse-Jespersen’s personal experiences, she even keeps them current on her own hair care journey.  “I’m willing to play guinea pig if I think it will help others women solve their hair care issue!”

According to Lalisse-Jespersen, she started the blog because she couldn’t find any good hair salons upon her arrival in the “City of Light” in 1999.  She recalls the experience as being “painful” and led to her writing Prissy Mag’s most shared article entitled “Combing for a Black Hair Salon in Paris”.  Lalisse-Jespersen says that black hair is complicated because it comes in a vast array of choices — from the kinkiest curl to silky straight and everything in between.  Because of this women of color have a particularly difficult time finding the right salon for their hair care needs.  Soon it just became obvious that she needed a new platform in which to address these issues and blogging seems to be the right format because of its instant interactivity.

For more information about Black Hair in Paris go to www.blackhairinparis. For more information about Prissy Mag, go to www.prissymag.com. For information on Priscilla Lalisse-Jespersen go to her author site www.pljbooks.com.

Black Paris Profiles™: A Celebration of the Black Experience in the City of Light

Paris, France, February 26, 2012—In celebration of Black History Month (February) and Women’s History Month (March) 2012, Discover Paris! is pleased to announce the release of its latest e-publication: Black Paris Profiles™ by Monique Y. Wells.

Black Paris Profiles™ presents the stories of 16 contemporary African-American and black Caribbean expatriates. Their lives are rich, uncommon, and complex and their inspiring tales are certain to shatter any stereotypes that readers may hold about living in Paris. Ten (10) of the sixteen stories presented are about women, which counters the prevailing tendency for works about the “Black Paris” expatriate experience to focus on men.

Black Paris Profiles™ is a “must read” for anyone who is considering a move to Paris or simply wondering what it is like to live there. Nowhere else can you find the viewpoints on forging a successful life abroad in today’s world that each chapter reveals! Color photos and clickable links to sites containing additional articles and images enliven the accounts of these fascinating people.

Monique Y. Wells has been writing about Black Paris for several years. She is co-author of Paris Reflections: Walks through African-American Paris (co-author Christiann Anderson; McDonald & Woodward, 2002), and has an essay on Black Paris in France, A Love Story (Camille Cusamano; Seal Press, 2004). She has contributed numerous articles on the subject to print and Web publications and is the author of Discover Paris’ weekly Entrée to Black Paris™ blog. In 2011, she was named Black Culture and Heritage VIP in Paris by the online magazine African Diaspora Tourism.

Black Paris Profiles™ is priced at $9.97. Those wishing to order should visit http://bit.ly/AyxNT0.

Hej hej Family and Friends,

It is hard to believe that I have been in Sweden for six months. It seems like yesterday that I made the decision to pursue my research goals and finish writing my book. Because of your generosity and the assistance of a scholarship from the American Swedish Institute, I have been able to take advantage of this opportunity of a lifetime.

When I began fundraising last year, I thought it nearly impossible to reach my initial goal of $20,000.00, but with your support I have been able to raise $13,885.00 in cash and in-kind donations. Before I sent this email out, I struggled with what exactly I would say without offending anyone or seeming too much like a late night infomercial begging to help feed starving children in a country far away. However, I was coerced by a dear friend who told me that I should state what my goal is directly and sincerely. This, of course, also reminded me of one of the many lessons my mother taught me: You have not because you ask not!!

My current fundraising goal is $6115.00, and this amount will cover my living and transportation expenses from now until August of this year when I am scheduled to return back to Chicago.

If you have helped me get this far along, I truly thank you and gently ask you to consider donating again. If you haven’t been able to contribute, please consider doing so today by contributing via my fundraising website at: www.gofundme.com/projectsweden.

Many people have asked what living in Sweden has been like for me. Others have asked more about my research which looks at bullying in a multi-cultural school environment and the progress of my book dedicated to girls without mothers. With help from a friend, we have been able to put together a video that I believe depicts quite well what my experiences have been like so far. Please feel free to watch and share the video with others.

Thank you again for your support and for sharing my work and video. Finally, I ask for your thoughts and prayers as I submit additional scholarship applications to support my research endeavors.

Register now to vote and/or to receive an absentee ballot for the upcoming elections:
http://www.votefromabroad.org

Via: MSW Programs

Via: Actos lawsuit lawyers

What I find astounding is the inaccessibility, it seems, of getting to like-minded people. One of the great hopes of the internet and the World Wide Web was that of bringing people together. And it has. But I still find it difficult to navigate the plethora of sites that spring forth every minute, every second…

I’ve been blogging for Blackgirl on Mars for about 6 years now. It has been an interesting journey. I have met many people via the internet, most of whom I haven’t even met in the “real” world.

One such person is Donella Martin Braddix.  At the time, we were both Brooklyn girls, living very far from home. Donella and I developed a correspondence that I know fueled us both when the going got tough. We inspired each other, egged each other on. Confided in each other. I know that we see ourselves in each other and it has been in the spirit of community we have continued our friendship.

Anyway, Donella has launched her new radio station on Blog Talk Radio, Inspirit Communications. Join us for our second show this Tuesday 11pm EST (U.S) where we address the following:

We’re bombarded by conflicting images of what female sexuality is all about: from sexually-explicit, scantily-clad rappers and artists who parade their “femininity” to career-driven professionals who decry that our sexuality should be the last means by which we define ourselves, to enlightened, artistic “women warriors’ who inspire us to re-claim ‘us’.  But what does it all mean?

When I first started this column in our first issue, I was worried about how long it would last given the difficulty I originally had on finding documentation on historical Black Expats around the world. Every quarter though it seems I find something new and interesting to bring up and I have at least a year of stories left!

Scandinavia is known to most as the home of blondes, great manufacturers like Volvo & SKF as well as the epitome of social democracy. Scandinavia traditionally includes a core of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark with Iceland sometimes tied in due to ties of ancestry. Finland, neighboring Sweden, is not considered Scandinavian because despite its location, the cultural and linguistic background of its people are not Germanic (see Wikipedia for details). Up there in the cold, part of of which is in the Arctic circle, it may seem the last place to have Black expats historically but this was definitely not the case. For many reasons, Scandinavia has typically been viewed very highly by Blacks and has been a favored destination by the few whom have come to experience it.

When did you move to Scandinavia?

I moved here sometime in June, 2008.

What facilitated your move?

I met my husband and this was what made us decide to move or rather me decide to move to Sweden so we could be together and start a life here together.

Read the full story in our latest issue.

“Collaborating with others is the most exciting way to begin integrating yourself as quickly as possible in Norway,” says Laverne. “It costs you nothing but some time and the courage to offer the skills you already have as a service to people you are just getting to know. Creative people need the energy from new ideas here and it is worth going out to find these people.”

Read the full article in our latest issue.

I have been living in Sweden for over 10 years. This experience has been enriching and challenging.

I moved to Sweden for family reasons. I met my husband, a Swede, during my studies in England. We happened to share the same hall of residence and one thing led to another and before I knew it I was saying “I do” 12 years ago and the rest as they say is history. After getting married, the debate for where to live and settle down was up for grabs and Sweden won over England.

Read the full story in our latest issue.

Why did you move to Scandinavia?
I was recruited to work here in the late 90’s. It was a lateral move with an attractive twist of working at a smaller company. Maybe the quiet also had something to do with it. When I visited the first time, I felt that I could hear myself think.

What was it like when you arrived?
It was like being in one of those ornaments that you find in a gift shop, the glass bubbles filled with water, the kind with the miniature landscapes. It was idyllic, clean, and most of all, still.

- Claire Requa

Claire was born in New York, raised in Jamaica, and later moved to California with her, ‘funny accent’. She didn’t plan on living in Europe but she moved to Denmark with her Danish husband and lives in Copenhagen.

photo Claire Requa

It was wonderful to see Danish fathers taking their children to school on their bikes in the mornings.

Read the full story in our latest issue.

Whitney has officially lived in Europe for over six years and has resided in Norway since 2007

Where were you born and in which countries have you lived?

I was born in a very small town in Kansas, but grew up in Tucson, Arizona (my parents families are both from Arkansas but moved to Kansas in the late 1950s during the Great Black Migration). We moved to Arizona when I was just a baby, so Arizona is home.

Read the full interview in our latest issue.

There is in place a DPCA Task Force which has been examining the changes taking place in the US tax system and how those changes impact on those of us living abroad.  The Task Force has been and will continue to be in contact with appropriate senior staff at the IRS, the Department of the Treasury (home to the IRS) and the Senate Budget Committee.

Events have been moving faster and in a more positive direction than we could have foreseen even two months ago when Democrats Abroad met in Washington.  The developments have been led, in large measure, by the US Ambassador to Canada, David Jacobson, who recently announced that the IRS would be issuing regulations that would appear to reduce, if not eliminate, the fear that many Americans abroad have about tax filing requirements.

“What the IRS is saying here is that if … you don’t owe taxes to the U.S., and you file your return and they show you don’t owe taxes, there aren’t going to be any penalties for having filed late,” Mr. Jacobson said in an interview with Toronto’s Globe & Mail newspaper.

More than a few US citizens living abroad stopped filing the form 1040 with their TurboTax software long ago, assuming they owed no tax, and had no idea about the requirement to file the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR). This rule—in effect since 1982—requires every American citizen to report all assets held in foreign banks or other financial institutions if, at any time during the year, the sum of those assets exceeded $10,000. Moreover, failure to file this FBAR report is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000—and even more if the failure to file is deemed deliberate. The IRS has rarely imposed these fines in the past but, recently, announced that, after a grace period—which expired last September—it would impose fines going back up to six years on taxpayers not in compliance.

In a recent phone conversation with senior lawyers for the IRS, we learned that, while all US citizens at home and abroad are still required by law to file both their income tax returns (Form 1040 and associated forms) as well as the FBAR, the recently released IRS information sheet may provide some comfort for those of us living abroad who have not complied. To comply with the law, non-filers are advised by the IRS to file six years back for both the income tax reporting and for the FBAR (in the latter case, non-filers are advised to attach a letter explaining why you had not filed earlier.) That information sheet can be found at http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=250788,00.html and is specifically directed to Americans living abroad (and not just to dual citizens).

ETHNIC MINORITY UK CITIZENS RETIRING ABROAD MISS OUT ON FULL STATE PENSION

Ethnic minority UK citizens retiring to countries outside of Europe could lose up to £24,000 over 20 years due to their UK Basic State Pension not being up rated in line with inflation.

The discovery was made by the Runnymede Trust, the UK’s leading race equality think tank, in its latest report To Stay or Not to Stay: Retirement Migration Decisions among Older People.

The report found that while UK pensions are uprated in a small number of non-European countries such as the USA, Jamaica and Barbados, pensions are frozen in the vast majority of Caribbean, Asian, African and South American countries.

This affects many Black and Asian Britons retiring to their country of birth in the Caribbean, Africa and South Asia, as well as others who choose to leave the UK to retire in Australia or Canada.

For many, the prospect of losing pension income overseas through receiving a frozen pension is a barrier to retiring abroad, as not receiving a full pension can have a big impact on quality of life in the retiree’s new country of residence.

This is particularly the case where the cost of living is particularly high, such as Australia, or where medical bills can be expensive, such as the Caribbean.

For example, one participant in the research who retired from the UK to the Caribbean said:

“It didn’t work because the cost of living is very expensive and [as] I worked [in the UK] for so many years and paid in my taxes and my national insurance, I found it difficult to go to be paying doctor bills for medication, so it just didn’t work for me”.

In addition, the report found that many of those wanting to retire abroad have lived and worked in the UK for 30 or 40 years, or were born in the UK, and therefore feel that as they have contributed to the UK economy through working, paying taxes and national insurance – as well as contributing to their communities – it is unfair that their contribution is not repaid in full through their pensions.

Commenting, the report’s author Phil Mawhinney said:

“It is clearly unfair that the people who were encouraged to rebuild the UK after the Second World War by working for the NHS should risk losing their entitlements if they return to the Caribbean, or elsewhere. The current system of overseas pensions uprating is arbitrary, with no logic behind a pension being uprated in Jamaica but not Trinidad. We therefore call on the Government to uphold fairness and uprate all overseas UK pensions.”

Peter Morris of the International Consortium of British Pensioners said:
“While many ‘frozen’ pensioners live in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa, they also live in Trinidad & Tobago, Dominica, India, Pakistan and Nigeria. As the number of older Black and minority ethnic people in the UK grows over the coming years, more ethnic minorities may face the unfair situation of not receiving their full entitlement if they leave the UK. Now is the right time for the government to take action by uprating all overseas pensions.”

NOTES TO EDITOR

1) To Stay or Not to Stay: Retirement Migration Decisions among Older People was published on Thursday 1 December and available to download for free here: http://www.runnymedetrust.org/publications/169/32.html

2) For press inquiries and to arrange interviews with the report author please contact Vicki Butler at vicki@runnymedetrust.org, or on 020 7377 9222

3) Runnymede is a social policy research organisation focused on race equality and race relations. We work by:
· Identifying barriers to race equality and good race relations
· Enabling effective action for social change
· Influencing policy at all levels through providing thought leadership and robust evidence

Further information is available on our website: http://www.runnymedetrust.org/

4) This research programme is funded by the Nationwide Foundation, a registered charity (no 1065552)

5) The International Consortium of British Pensioners (ICBP) represents British Pensioners all over the world receiving frozen pensions, and campaign for the government to annually uprate all UK Basic State Pensions, regardless of where the recipient lives. http://www.pension-parity-uk.com/

The Black Women in Europe™: Power List2011 – A List of Our Own©

]]> http://blackexpat.com/new/2011/11/11/black-women-in-europe%e2%84%a2-power-list-2011%e2%80%93-a-list-of-our-own%c2%a9/feed/ 0 http://blackexpat.com/new/2011/11/11/black-women-in-europe%e2%84%a2-power-list-2011%e2%80%93-a-list-of-our-own%c2%a9/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Blackexpatcom/~3/6SDdtIYKW4Q/ http://blackexpat.com/new/2011/10/20/black-and-abroad-too-interview-with-black-women-in-europe-founder-adrianne-george-part-ii/#comments Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:05:39 +0000 Adrianne http://blackexpat.com/new/?p=5530 Welcome to “black and abroad, too“, a program that inspires today’s black woman to travel abroad created by Carolyn Vines. Listen in and find out who the program is for, what it intends to achieve, why I created it and how I’ll get my message across. Enjoy!

Editors note: Carolyn Vines in the creator of the award-winning black and (A)broad website and author of the book of the same name. Read our interview with Carolyn.

Adrianne George, founder of Black Women in Europe, the premier networking site for black women living in and traveling to Europe, joins this episode of “black and (A)broad, too”. In part II of my interview Adrianne shares her top tips for successful relocation in and travel to Europe, how a selfish gesture has helped hundreds of black women connect and why traveling is good for the mind.

Listen to Adrianne’s interview.

]]> http://blackexpat.com/new/2011/10/20/black-and-abroad-too-interview-with-black-women-in-europe-founder-adrianne-george-part-ii/feed/ 0 http://blackexpat.com/new/2011/10/20/black-and-abroad-too-interview-with-black-women-in-europe-founder-adrianne-george-part-ii/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Blackexpatcom/~3/9Fvgt0jxFOw/ http://blackexpat.com/new/2011/10/17/black-and-abroad-too-interview-with-black-women-in-europe-founder-adrianne-george-part-i/#comments Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:35:29 +0000 Adrianne http://blackexpat.com/new/?p=5509 Welcome to “black and abroad, too“, a program that inspires today’s black woman to travel abroad created by Carolyn Vines. Listen in and find out who the program is for, what it intends to achieve, why I created it and how I’ll get my message across. Enjoy!

Editors note: Carolyn Vines in the creator of the award-winning black and (A)broad website and author of the book of the same name. Read our interview with Carolyn.

Adrianne George, founder of Black Women in Europe, the premier networking site for black women living in and traveling to Europe, joins this episode of “black and (A)broad, too”. In this lively conversation, George talks about she transformed her desire to live abroad into reality. She will inspire you with her story of determination, networking and good, old-fashioned elbow grease! Part II of this interview to follow on next week’s program.

Listen to Adrianne’s interview.

]]> http://blackexpat.com/new/2011/10/17/black-and-abroad-too-interview-with-black-women-in-europe-founder-adrianne-george-part-i/feed/ 0 http://blackexpat.com/new/2011/10/17/black-and-abroad-too-interview-with-black-women-in-europe-founder-adrianne-george-part-i/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Blackexpatcom/~3/uzVjGEUXoLE/ http://blackexpat.com/new/2011/10/14/black-in-the-day-african-american-missionaries-in-africa/#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:07:34 +0000 Adrianne http://blackexpat.com/new/?p=5505

Read their stories.

Read Tanja’s story.

Read Dr. Stith’s story.

Read Arlene’s story.

Read Dennison’s story.

The new mother held her daughter lovingly in her arms and all exclaimed how truly beautiful this baby is. The mother, from Gambia, was that deep dark perfection of black.

“When she grows up,” the new mother said, “she will look like you. Her hair will be long like yours, and her skin just as light. She’s a mulat, just like you.”  After I recovered from my immediate cringe at the term still in use here in Denmark for biracial children, I realized that there was still, yet one more aspect of this conversation that I needed to wrap my head around.

I immediately corrected her on my racial background: I was not biracial. I felt I had to say something because I have experienced, too many times, for example, being targeted by a group of African girls, who jeered at me, calling me mulat, or the white Danes who assumed the same, but unlike the African girls, attached privilege to this term.  The experience with the group of girls, many years ago, when perhaps I myself looked more like a girl, opened my eyes to the obvious schisms that exist here among, well, everyone.

I felt it was important for me to clarify my racial background, because in a country that is awe of the Tommy Hilfiger version of Blackness, I felt it necessary to claim that whiteness does not a black beauty make.

Don’t get me wrong. I too am in awe of the many versions of beauty that emerge from interracial unions. I don’t adhere, however, to the notion that lighter skin and longer hair is more beautiful than any other kind of beauty, just as I avoid the adhering to the flip-side of that: beauty is too varied to pin down.

That we still judge beauty by a plantocracy standard needs to be addressed. But the only person we need to question about it,  are ourselves. This article is not meant to spark a dialogue among us. It is to inspire a dialogue within.

What is beauty? Beauty is magnetic, inspirational and disarms even the most hardened. Whether it reflects feelings of envy or love, beauty moves us to feel, and when we examine these emotions within, we get a clearer picture of where we stand in our belief system in relation to where we would like to be standing.

Recently a friend of mine in New York, a mother of two biracial boys confided, “I can’t believe how people respond to my boys. Some parents even ignore their own (darker) children when my kids are around.” Many attempt to neutralize this dichotomy by playing into the duality/polarity of either/or , by strumming the other beat of, “the darker the berry”, which does nothing to balance the fact that beauty is all that  and in between.

As women, we become instant role models to little girls, little boys. We teach them about beauty by how we ourselves, relate to it.

When I was a child, I often witnessed my mother, a banana yellow woman, indulge in the ancient art of beautifying courtesy of Avon products. She used foundation, powder, lipstick, mascara, blush…I couldn’t wait to grow up so that I could do the same.

My mother often lamented the fact that my sister and I were “dark” jokingly, a notion I still have of myself despite others’ observation to the contrary.

The other weekend, I saw an old friend. It was a rare collection of Black expats here in Copenhagen and soon, the conversation turned to race. “Why do Black people always have to talk about race?” A friend, a Black man from San Francisco, once lamented.

At the party, another friend of mine, a dark woman with cheekbones to die for, shared her pain of growing up in a community she experienced as being rampant with self-hatred. She’s a high-level financial woman, and she shared the fact that Black men on her financial level, in her financial status, were simply not attracted to her.

I don’t like these conversations because it becomes so general. Do I really believe that all the Black men within the financial sector are not attracted to Black women? No, I don’t.  But I digress…

But I don’t believe we’ll ever get anywhere with this issue until each and every one of us, examine ourselves and ask, what is beauty? How is it constructed for us? How do we construct it?

I notice an interesting phenomenon amongst some bi-racial kids here. Some go through early life,  experiencing a dis-ease about being “different.” Some may even be bullied or laughed at. But then something happens as they grow older. Their difference transforms itself from a liability to an asset. The attention seems to become “positive”.

The thing about beauty is that it is not only how we perceive it in others, but how we relate to it ourselves. Someone who is used to standing out because of how they look, risks becoming addicted to this attention. That’s how beauty can become, well, pretty ugly.

Many of these kids learn all too quickly the power of beauty. They experience how we respond to it, how we value it and how it works for them.

I remember a conversation I had with a biracial Danish woman in the late 90s. When we had met, she had recently started university in England. “I couldn’t believe how I felt.” She said, “I was so much in shock. Suddenly, not only was I not the only Black person, but I wasn’t even the most interesting person in the classroom and I certainly wasn’t the most beautiful. It was a big shock to me.”

The focus is on the outside. But what if we look at our physicality as doorways to our souls? See the door as someone’s beauty, perhaps it is an ornate, gilded door, and ask, where does this door lead to when I open it? A palace of a soul, or a neglected, dilapidated, empty ruin, replete with tumble weeds and all?

Some of the negativity these newly-blossomed biracial kids experience, sometimes come from Blacks. A chasm, unfortunately, erupts between “us” and “them”.  Despite common ancestors (which all humanity shares at any rate) we now eye each other suspiciously. Many might say that this is what slavery and colonialism has left: this legacy of competition.

The other day I met up with a girlfriend. “You look great,” she said, “but always remember to wear a little eyeliner.”

Have you ever experienced being in the presence of a woman who is shining, despite the fact she wears no make-up? You can not fake that kind of beauty, and it demands a presence and balance with self, continually. Beauty is dynamic.

We must balance the images of beauty created and that we create. While Beyonce seems to hold the monopoly on what media (and supposedly the public) deems as beautiful (and she is!) there must be images of beautiful women who wear their hair natural, or choose not to wear make-up or heels. There must be room in our consciousness for the many variations of beauty.

My mother passed on her notions of beauty to me and I eventually rejected them. I don’t adhere to her idea of lightness, straightness of hair or her inability to leave the house without make-up. I do however, still think my mother beautiful.

I want to tell my friend, you know, the one who gently reminded me that a little mascara wouldn’t hurt, that I’m working on my inner beauty and I want my smile to be so magnetic, you won’t even notice the fact that I have not tweezed my eyebrows in the last, well, year.

I want to explain to her that I want to present the best possible role model to my mostly of color students.  For too may of these young girls, pop star puppets have seared, ever so gently, the very delicate, sensitive idea they have about their looks and what the world thinks about it. For too many of us, beauty becomes entangled with vanity.

Competition and jealousy rots the ties that bond us. We excuse this behavior with a word like “evolution” (you know, survival of the most beautiful), as if science is to blame for the insecurities  we fail to deal with, until we’re confronted by a younger, darker, older, lighter, short-haired, long-haired woman. You know the type, the one that makes you realize, wow, not that is beauty!  Rather than open our hearts to each other with a smile, we become suspicious and resentful of the fact that we don’t hold that monopoly on beauty: no one does.  This is especially true amongst Black women who are in environs where we are in the minority. I’m not saying every one thinks like this: but you have definitely experienced being on either end of that spectrum.

It is funny the things “beauty” inspires. But again, what is beauty?

I think I may know the answer. Beauty is that glow that comes from within, which can only be ignited by being connected in the now. That is meeting all with openness to the potential of co-creating greatness. You can only shine it when you work on the most important relationship you’ll ever have: that with yourself.

Again, how much of our notions of beauty are tied-up in age-old plantocracy terms? It is true that we will always be in the state of post-colonialism. The only way we can escape this is creating an entirely new paradigm. Colonialism was the harbinger of dualist thinking. Coming with Columbus was a program of good and evil, rich and poor, slavery and freedom, beautiful and ugly. Many of the cultures encountered by Europeans, many of which have been exterminated, thought way more quantum than that.

I suggest we start with our own personal ideas about beauty. Let’s examine how much of it is tied in with addiction, competition and insecurity.

In the end, I ended up letting this new mother know that her daughter, no matter what the color of her skin or texture of her hair, was indeed, beautiful and that the biggest broadcaster of this message is her mother.

As human beings, we must be real with ourselves: through our consciousness we create our realities. Let’s collectively collaborate on building new paradigms that burst out of the dominant status quo, that of constantly thinking in polarities. Let’s be like the Universe. Let’s get all quantum, and let’s start with beauty.

Clean, green and on the scene, the land of the long-leggedy lovelies spans 14 islands of the beautiful archipelago and spangles them with treasures, from her medieval Old Town to her wealth of museums, art and nature in all directions. With crystal waters, world class restos, vibrant cultural scene, and her famed Scandi design aesthetic ranging from fash to furny and everything in between, she may be spenny, but hot damn is she worth it. Valkommen till Stockholm!

Want to find the loveliest places to stay from palaces to boutiques to homely B&B’s or even a private boat? Want the finest food from Michelin maestros to artisanal kitchens and local hidden caffs. Want to find stashes of vintage fashion, furniture and decor and discover the cities finest designers from shoes to lifestyle? Fancy your own yacht, personal museum guide, or food guru to show you the markets and taste the local seasonally sourced delicacies? Want the absolute cream of the mod Scandi design world, or even to customise your own interior pieces? Want the best and to avoid all the rest? Well, of course you do. And now you can.

LUXE Stockholm. Chic, fun and terribly useful.

LUXE Stockholm guide review -Here’s what I say:

Packaging:

Purse or front pocket size on card stock that folds accordion style. It comes in a plastic sleeve to hold it together. I don’t think it’s printed on recycled paper, or at least it isn’t labeled as such.

Tone:

Concise, snappy British English with words like, spenny (expensive), brekky (breakfast), bugbear (complaint), and of course loo (toilet).

Content – The LUXE Stockholm guide is divided into the following sections:

1. Hej Sötis (Hi sweetie – usually directed to a child or when being flirtatious) greeting.

2. Overview – Straight and to the point in only two full sentences.

3. Blah Blah – 16 general info bullet points, 4 need-to-know Swedish words/phrases.

4. Accommodation – The 12 Stockholm and two suburban hotels recommended by LUXE can be booked at luxecityguides.com with categories ranging from Action Station, Comfy Contempo, to Mamma Mia.

5. Restaurants – OK, the LUXE Guide crew really likes to eat. In this section you will find information on 49 places for fine dining, smart/casual, relaxed, lunch/brunch, and coffee n’ cake.

6. Bars – 10 bars are listed which is a very select list when one considers how many bars there are in Stockholm. How many bars are there in Stockholm?

7. Clubs – Wow, only four are listed, including one that shares my middle name, with Café Opera omitted. Bravo LUXE. I think that place is overrated though I feel the average tourist would be remiss if they didn’t go there and conclude for themselves that the place is overrated. Maybe people like Will Smith (I wasn’t there that night) went there because he didn’t have a copy of the LUXE Stockholm guide.

8. Spa and Beauty – These 11 recommendations include actual spas, make up stores, an outdoor rooftop heated pool as well as take a yoga class. One recommendation claims to have been a favorite of Stockholmer Great Garbo.

9. Museums – One can easily spend a week visiting museums in a capital city only to regret having spent the entrance fee and time inside. LUXE lists 10 must-see museums. That greatly helps when having to pare down to just a few.

10. Activities – Not your basic activities, or maybe they are: boat rides, skydiving, foodie tours, glass blowing and more are included in the 12 recommendations.

11. Very useful information – 16 bits of information that can come in handy including emergency care, limousine service, personal guides, buying wine and beers and getting your clothes cleaned and shoes repaired.

12. Shopping itineraries – If shopping is one of the main reasons you travel you will be delighted to find several shopping itineraries included in the LUXE Stockholm guide for interiors and fashion, fashion and accessories, vintage and antiques, funk fashion and vintage, as well as stores to visit on Birger Jarlsgatan, Östermalm, Södermalm/SOFO (South of Folkungagatan – OK, I’d never heard of SOFO but it does crack me up when Stockholm tries to give New York City attitude), Odengatan/Upplansgatan and Gamla Stan.
–Standout design – The best in vintage, new classics, modern, signature prints, elegance, old values, gadgets and 4 more are listed.
–Standout stores – 14 stores that sell everything from film and fresh fish to press samples at 50% off from one of Sweden’s leading fashion brands.
–Advanced shopping – need custom made furniture or one of a kin wallpaper? You get the idea of what is included in the 10 listings.

The guide concludes with a list of 14 things/places that LUXE Loves about Stockholm and (eek) 5 things LUXE Loathes about Stockholm. Only 5? They didn’t talk to any expats (ouch).

Highlights:

While everyone’s taste is different the LUXE guide lives up to its mantra of chic, fun and rather useful. This isn’t your “do Stockholm on $50 a day” guide. Rather it is “here’s how to do Stockholm if you’ve got money to spend. But even if you don’t have a wad of kroner to blow this LUXE guide includes plenty of affordable must-sees.

Lowlights:

The print is very small and in all capital letters.

Love factor:

I hated to get to the last page of the guide. It was an entertaining read.

Personal note:

I don’t know whether to be depressed or grateful for having read the LUXE Stockholm guide. Of the 123 LUXE listings (excluding the shopping itineraries) packed into this compact guide I have only eaten at 4 restaurants/lunch/coffee establishments, drank in 5 bars, partied at 1 club, indulged at 1 spa & beauty business, visited 4 museums and participated in 3 activities recommended.

After a short pause I’ve decided I’m grateful to LUXE for they have given me literally dozens of solid leads and motivation to be a professional tourist in my adopted city. Winter be damned; I’m going to check off these LUXE recommended places (excluding hotel accommodations, though I will recommend them to out of towners) one by one. Look for a new series on Stockholm Expat where I explore Stockholm the LUXE way.

LUXE City Guide give-a-way.

Black Expat is pleased to announce that we have 5 LUXE City Guides to give-a-way to 5 readers. You get to pick a guide from their selection. Simple tell us which is your favorite issue of Black Expat.com and why. Please include which expat inspired you the most and how.

Submit your answer as a comment here or to contact@blackwomenineurope.com.

Good luck!

In Denmark you get a week off in February. It’s called winter vacation and should not be mistaken for Christmas vacation (the fact that it is in February is a good hint). It is a remnant of the days of farming, when supposedly the kids were needed at home to help harvest the potatoes. Danes love their potatoes. Isn’t it funny that the potato isn’t even European and wasn’t even brought here until 1536? I figure Columbus was trying to throw his sponsors off the fact that well, no, he didn’t make it to India, and no, he didn’t find all the gold they lusted so heavily after.

If you can afford it, the best plan is to escape the last of the winter gray into a sunny part of the world, where you can cheat your way into Spring, Summer even. Last February, I figured I too, would treat my son and myself to a little sun.

The problem with traveling without purpose is that you often end up somewhere that does not fit you.  I picked Lanzarote because it looked beautiful and it is.  I managed to get a pretty decent rate for tickets and hotel.

Lanzorote is beautiful. It’s a volcanic island in the Canary Islands, a group of islands I have always wanted to visit based on the fact that I knew I could get my Caribbean weather fix, hear Spanish, get out of Denmark and be close to the spot that played not a small part in Columbus launching the seeds of imperialism out into the world. I particularly became interested in the Canary Islands when once, during a bout of researching, I discovered that there was an indigenous group there and they too, were conquered, colonized, but now, no longer existed.

No one in Denmark seems to understand my preoccupation with colonization.  Many don’t even know what it is despite the fact that Denmark once had a slave colony in what is now the U.S. Virgin Islands for almost 200 years[1]. In Danish school history books this curiously only occupies a page, whereas WW2 which spanned  six years, is granted 100s pages.

But anyway, I became intrigued by the Guanches[2] of the Canary Islands because throughout my travels around the world, one thing made itself particularly clear: We are actually not that far away from each other as we think we are. For example, something as simple as housing, whether you’re in Hawai’i, the Caribbean, the U.S. South, South America, Africa, you will see that there is a pattern there. In these places, you will find galvanized rooftops, verandahs, wooden louvers: all clues of the European adjusting to tropical climes.  If you come from a country that has once been colonized by a certain European country, well, chances are you have just as much in common with that European country and other colonies than you do with your ancestors.

So Lanzarote. I was excited. My son and I looked at pictures of it on the internet for days, commenting on its black, volcanic landscape.

When we landed a wall of heat hit us as we deplaned that took me back to the Caribbean. Ah, I am home, I think.

As we drive in the taxi to our hotel, my son’s smile is as large as the sky, and we can’t help but comment on the white-washed houses glittering like diamonds against its backdrop of black lava-covered landscape. The sky is blue and the hotel, once we arrived, sprawling.

It’s always a good time to travel when the economy is bust. Prices go down as the wise hold on tighter to their money. It is the fools who fuel the economy.

So for a very modest price my son and I were able to stay in a five star hotel, with an ocean-view and 3 resident swimming pools. After we enter the hotel room, we immediately raid the fridge for goodies. We bounce on the bed and contemplate the view.

Lanzarote is, indeed magical. The staff, gracious. We soon learn the grounds, the way to the small town and enjoy the fact that a. we are out of Denmark and b. the weather is fantastic.  There isn’t much to do the first day we arrive except discover our neighboring town. Fortunately for us, it is populated with a few good places to eat. That night, before we sleep and wake up to start the day with the breakfast buffett, my son and I look up at the sky and it is as if the stars are all bowing down to us.  The perspective of the night sky, from that location and time of year was spectacular. I showed my son the Pleiades star constellation[3] which resembles an arrow, and from that I was able to discover, for the first time Orion.

In an attempt to sustain whatever connection my son may still have to the Universe, I have begun taking an interest in all things nature. But this ends up being pathetic disparate attempts at gathering information from the internet in a life not able to contemplate its own existence. How can I catch him, while I am falling?

It should be apparent to you by now, in case I have not mentioned it, that one of the ways you can describe my current state of mind, if you want to avoid crazy, is by using the term mid-life crisis.[4]

I’m like what is going on? What are we all doing here? Why are people running around like they know what this is all about, but don’t? Nobody does! And then I start thinking, imagine if everybody in the whole world just kind of stopped. I kind of envision like every single human being stopping what they are doing, putting down their guns, getting off their computers, turning the tv off, putting that hoe down in the field kind of thing and come together. Come together and decide, we’re going to figure this life thing out. We’re not going to leave it to philosophers or other people of science, we’re not going to hand it over to religion, we’re going to look into ourselves and each other. We’ll make LIFE our focus. It’ll be like a world contemplate life day, except it won’t be just one day, it will be our priority, til we get it right.

I know what you’re thinking: in your dreams. And then I’ll tell you, you know what? I can only cry in my dreams, but one day, I really do hope to make those tears real.

But until then, I attempt to squeeze my contemplation of life in between teaching disgruntled students who want only to learn grammar, and a child who thinks what he sees on television is normal.  Why does everything have to be so alienated from the other?

So I endeavor to decode the skies and stars. I plot all the full moons into my calendar for the rest of the year. This I do in Lanzarote. My son admits that the constellations are magnificient. I do think he manages to get the enormity of it, just enough to snap him from the ipod stuper he seems to be in of late.

So that night we rest, my son and I, in Lanzarote, thinking, hey, we certainly beat the system this time! In the middle of the winter, we have escaped south…

One of the reasons I need to leave Denmark is because I find it suffocating.  I realized, while living here, how important it is for me to see difference.  But when you live in a country that was cited by the right-wing Norwegian suspected of recently blowing up Timothy McVeigh style some buildings in Oslo, Norway’s capital, as one of the only two European countries to have it right (read: anti-immigration policies firmly in place) then you get my drift when I tell you that difference is certainly not celebrated in a country like Denmark.

To put it mildly: I can’t even wear my hair out in this place.

So traveling has become a kind of cure for this.  I have used Copenhagen as my European base to see, well, more of Europe.  It is in this spirit that I traveled to London and experienced a multiculturalism I thought only existed in New York or Trinidad for that matter. It is in this spirit that I traveled to Madrid and experienced, well, how not culturally diverse that city was.  It was in this spirit that I traveled to Berlin, only to be flanked by the overpowering, opulent architecture that can only had been designed to make human beings feel, well, small.  It was in this spirit that I traveled to Amsterdam, and reveled in the First Annual Black Women in Europe Festival, and fell in love with the Surinamese people, recognizing my Caribbean roots in their food, their faces, their spirits.

But this time, although it belonged to Europe, it was not the mainland, and again, I was intrigued by the idea that the Canary Islands was once inhabited by a aboriginal people that were perhaps, related to the Berbers of Northern Africa. The Guanches are described as being tall, blue eyed and blond. Who spoke in a language of whistles.

The next day at the breakfast buffet, my son leaned in towards me and whispered, over the table, “Mom, we really stand out here.”  There we were, yet again, although far from Copenhagen, two rare birds sticking out amongst a sea of pigeons.  I vowed that I would never travel like that again. We wanted to escape the conformity of Denmark, but found ourselves entering the conformity of the world.

If you are an American living overseas you are invited to join the Americans Abroad professional network on XING.

The old adage holds true: it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

View last year’s Power List.

7 Financial Tips to Help Expatriates Prepare for When Danger and Disaster Strike Abroad

Summary: The unrest in Libya, Bahrain and the tsunami in Japan are vivid examples of the unexpected dangers faced when living abroad. How would you move money, pay bills and conduct other necessary banking transactions if you were stuck in the middle of political unrest or living in a country that experienced a natural disaster?

The unrest in Libya, Bahrain and the tsunami in Japan are vivid examples of the unexpected dangers faced when living abroad. Whether you are a career expat or starting your first assignment, when sudden events cause a country to descend into chaos to the point where the basic infrastructure starts to decay, the lives of everyone living overseas is impacted.

In Egypt during the civil unrest, the government shut down the internet. Forget trying to access Facebook, Twitter or Skype. Try conducting banking activities without phone or internet service. How would you move money, pay bills and conduct other necessary banking transactions if you were stuck in the middle of political unrest or living in a country that experienced a natural disaster?

Also in some areas of Egypt banks were closed for several days. When banks are closed for days, ATMs will begin to run out of money as customers start to hoard cash and the central bank can’t make deliveries to resupply banks.

Also as unfavorable weather conditions also impact the local employees, who do you think will be staffing the bank in your host country? Last November, while on vacation in Koh Samui, I was caught in a monsoon. As I was checking out, I realized I did not have enough Thai Baht and went across the street to the local bank to exchange money. However due to the excessive flooding in many areas, the bank never opened because the staff could not make it to work.

I think it is easy to imagine what it is probably like trying to find a bank or ATM in areas of Japan that have been tragically reduced to a pile of rubble and sludge.

Unfortunately in other parts of the world, life goes on and it is business as usual. Tuition needs to be paid. Mortgages on rental property are due. Financial obligations must still be fulfilled.

These 7 financial tips can help expatriates living abroad financially prepare for when danger and catastrophe suddenly strike.

Cash will always Rule
Citizens in the developed countries depend heavily on credit cards and cash in the form of plastic (ATM/Debit cards). However, many citizens of emerging countries don’t always have access to banks. In these countries only the rich and middle class can afford credit cards and the privilege of a formal banking structure. Also, in some cultures to incur debt is not looked upon favorably. These citizens operate on a primarily cash basis.

Keeping a supply of cash on hand in the local currency as well as a mix of other easily convertible currencies such as the U.S. dollar, Euro and Pound Sterling may help you secure hard to come by necessities and transportation.

Retain a bank account outside your host country
When expats move to another country they sometimes assume they won’t need a banking relationship with their home country and close all their bank accounts. If you are a expat, frequent business or leisure traveler, it is probably not ideal to keep your money in one country.

Have a bank account outside your home country that you can access remotely via online banking or telephone banking. If you feel comfortable enough, enlist someone you trust as a joint account holder or signer on the account so they can access the money for you in an emergency.

A multi-currency account is the best possible banking option. You will have access to more than one currency if global financial markets start to fluctuate wildly as they often do after widespread civil unrest and a catastrophic event. HSBC, Lloyds TSB, Everbank and Barclays offer multi-currency accounts.

Maintain a portfolio of financial solutions
Relying only on cash or credit cards can be a recipe for disaster for a dangerous situation that is changing rapidly and is escalating by the minute. As my Jamaican grandmother used to say “it is a poor rat who only has one hole.” Leave no financial stone unturned. At a minimum you should have the following financial solutions:

Debit/ATM cards
Credit Cards
Pre-Paid Cards – This is the new financial product du jour gaining in popularity due to its less regulated status. Banks and non-banks offer pre-paid debit and credit cards. Cash PassportTM a re-loadable travel money card available in several currencies by Travelex is a popular choice.
Virtual Credit Card/Virtual Credit Card Number – Due to an increase in global identity theft and fraud rings, these are also becoming more popular. They eliminate the need for having a physical card and work well for online transactions. Check with your bank to see if they offer this product or service.

Don’t overlook Pay Pal and Western Union. A pay pal account will allow you to send and receive money and make payments online with a valid email address. Western Union is available in over 300,000 locations worldwide and you can also send and receive money online and in person.

Also don’t forget to pack your checkbook when you move overseas. Although almost obsolete, checks are still recognized as a negotiable instrument. A check drawn on a global bank with branches in several countries might come in handy. Exchange fees and rates might not be the best, but an emergency is hardly the time to join the raging debate on bank fees.

Fund your own exit strategy
Before taking that overseas assignment, plan and begin to fund your exit strategy. After 9/11, most companies developed Business Continuity Plans. Your company’s primary goal will be to implement this plan effectively. Have your own financial resources available to execute your exit strategy for leaving your host country and ensure flexibility to make decisions for you and your family’s well being and security that best suits your needs.

Purchase extra insurance
Travel insurance is essential. However, it is not enough these days. Make sure your exit strategy includes a plan with a crisis response company that can provide travel, security, medical and evacuation services and if necessary repatriation of mortal remains. These companies are staffed with medical and security personnel and have vast experience in dealing with natural disasters and large scale emergences. Many of these companies offer corporate and indivual plans for travelers not attached to a corporation. Global Rescue, On Call International and MEDEX Global Solutions are some of the companies that have provided advice and assistance on evacuating people from Egypt and Japan.

Pay for membership with local chapters of expatriate organizations
Don’t wait for your company to sponsor your membership to expatriate organizations. Create your own network by purchasing membership for local chapters of expatriate organizations where you can meet veteran expatriates who have experienced an emergency or two and can provide support and helpful tips.

Also, these expatriate organizations work tirelessly on behalf of the rights of their citizens overseas and can provide a wealth of information about what is going on in your home country and how it impacts you even though you are living overseas. American Citizens Abroad (ACA) and The Association of Americans Resident Overseas (AARO) offer memberships. InterNations is an expat community for people living and working abroad and it is especially great for solo expats as they have quite a few social events to network and meet people. Membership is by invitation only.

Invest in technology
Technology is one investment you can’t do without. A satellite phone is useful if cellular service becomes unavailable. If permissible in your host country, a two way radio is also a good option. I never travel without my Doxie scanner, which fits into my carry-on luggage and is useful for uploading receipts, pictures and important documents. For storing sensitive data like passwords and account numbers, there are many IPhone apps available, and some of them offer encryption as added protection.

Lisa R. Mitchell is a global business leader with over a decade of experience in financial services.

Regarded as a “thought leader” on international financial services, she has spoken at several international conferences and written articles on financial topics that impact expatriates.

She spent 7 years as the Vice President and Manager of International Personal Banking (IPB) at Wells Fargo and she has also worked for Citigroup in several different divisions including retail, small business credit, relocation mortgage and expatriate banking.

Lisa holds an MBA from Thunderbird, School of Global Management and a BA in Political Science from The State University of New York at Albany.

Lisa is currently working on a book, Global Money Matters: A Guide To Making Smart Money Choices While Leading A Global Lifestyle to help individuals living overseas navigate their finances.

For more info or to purchase the documentary on DVD for $15, visit:
www.inspirefilms.net

These positions have a duration of 2 to 5 years with salaries up to $250k per year (USD) depending on assignment.

LANGUAGES
Arabic (MSA, Algerian, Egyptian, Gulf, Saudi, Yemeni, Iraqi, Levantine), Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telegu, Indonesian, Javanese, Japanese, Korean, Pashto, Dari, Persian-Farsi, Turkish, Turkmen, Urdu, Hausa, Igbo, Somali, Swahili, Yoruba, Baluchi, Bengali, Cambodian, Chechen, Georgian, Kurdish, Malay, Papiamento, Tagalog, Quechua, Thai, Azerbaijani, Kazakh and Uzbek.

QUALIFICATIONS
Required:
• An excellent command of the target language, as well as strong verbal and written American English skills (grammar, vocabulary, idioms, and spelling);
• Must be capable of providing idiomatic translations of non-technical material using correct syntax and expression from English to the native language or vice versa;
• Ability to conduct consecutive, accurate translations/interpretation of ongoing conversations/activities;
• Must be capable of providing cultural social, ethnic context of translations and interpretations, and advise supported organization on the cultural, social and ethnic significance of conversations, situations, documents, etc.;
• Must have good interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a civil-military team in an unstructured environment;
• Must be familiar with the local culture, conduct oneself in accordance with local customs;
• Must hold a current U.S. passport;
• Applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information;
• Must be willing to travel/work in various locations worldwide;
• Willingness to work shifts and extended hours in support of 24/7 operations;
• Must be able to live and work in a harsh environment.

All applicants will undergo a background check, oral and written skills language examination, medical examination and counter-intelligence screening per conditions of employment on this contract.

U.S. Security Clearance Required: No
Schedule: Full-time
Travel: 100%
Benefits: Yes