Expat Explorer

How to make a long distance relationship work

paulsay@hsbc.com — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 02:32:32 PST

Last week, we blogged about “What would you do for love” which looked at some of the film classics about long distance relationships.

Making long-distance relationships work is tough, but not impossible. Here we share some advice to overcome the obstacles of trust, communication and distance:

Source: ConnectingSW

There are no regular relationships

This nugget of advice comes direct from the experts at popular dating site eHarmony on how to have a successful LDR. They suggest that the only way to accept your relationship is not by defining it as “abnormal” or “different”, just that it is not as local as many relationships.

Communication, communication, communication

As with any great relationship, whether that is romantic, business, family, local or long-distance, communication is of the upmost importance. Jessica Reed at eHow caveats this with a little warning: try not to reply too much on non-verbal communication, such as email. There are many other, new ways to communicate that are cost effective and reliable. For more ideas see this post using technology to keep in touch.

Pursue common interests, even if it means pursuing them apart

It’s all well and good emailing each other throughout the day, sending little pictures on WhatsApp, and finding a time that suits both your time zones and schedules to Skype each day, but if you have nothing to talk about when you do it all may seem a little fraught. One suggestion is to do things together, apart. Perhaps read the same book, stargaze whilst on the phone to each other; come up with your own, innovative ways to bond.

Are you in a long distance relationship? What are your top tips? We’d love to hear about your innovative ways to keep the romance in the relationship. Leave us a comment in the box below.

Guest Blogger Series: Introducing… Sine Thieme

paulsay@hsbc.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 07:59:14 PST

We love it when we hear from expats from around world and when South Africa-based expat, Sine Thieme got in touch and shared with us this beautiful account of her experience in South Africa, we thought it was only right to spread the love to the rest of our readers…

Living in South Africa

One thing I love about living in South Africa is that our lives suddenly seem to be filled with adventure. In the space of little more than a year, we have become scuba certified and gone on several diving trips, watched our teenage son hurl himself into the void off the world’s highest bungee jumping bridge, swam with great white sharks, ridden on elephants, battled a bush fire, gone on several safaris - one of them from a balloon - and paddled on the Zambezi river above Victoria Falls.

This could be due to the fact that you always try to live more intensely when you’re an expat, knowing that your assignment will end all too soon, and wanting to explore as much as you can while given the chance. But I think South Africa has something special. South Africans love their country, they love spending time outdoors, and they love sharing their joy with others. From the day we set foot here we got swept up in this spirit of exploration and we haven’t slowed down since then.

When we arrived here in March 2010, I was very determined to methodically check off the typical post-move stuff before exploring the new world around us: open bank account, get phone, internet, sign school forms, find doctors, buy a car... However, it didn’t quite happen like that. Everything moves a lot slower here than my efficient American housewife self could ever have imagined, often throwing two new problems in your way when you’ve just finally gotten rid of one. I remember well those early days, how I’d finally inched closer to getting that elusive traffic register number, which is a prerequisite for buying a car, only to find out on my third trip to the registration office that I wouldn’t be allowed to register after all, since my husband was the one with the job and the visa. Or I’d wait – in vain - perched over the phone for the promised callback “just now,” only to be enlightened by friends later that “just now” in South Africa means “maybe,” at best.

Africa, it seems, was just as determined teaching me patience as I was determined to bend it to my will. Needless to say, I admitted defeat when I realised after more than a year that I was still carrying around with me the same dog-eared to-do list that I’d written the first day. The curious thing is that I’m grateful rather than annoyed. It’s amazing how well life goes on even if certain things simply do not get done, or at least take a lot longer than you expect. Your power is cut off? Back home I would have been on the phone within minutes to complain to some person of authority. Here, I shrug my shoulders and go read a book, fairly certain that eventually it will come on again. And when it does, I have great material to type up yet another story about the wondrous workings of South African bureaucracy.

Making the move

Moving to South Africa can be very scary. At least up to the point where you actually do the moving. I remember googling South Africa and Johannesburg when the prospect of relocating first came up, and I was shocked to find out that we probably wouldn’t survive the trip from the airport to our house. Every expat forum discussing South Africa tries to outdo the next one in terms of spreading crime horror stories, so that when you finally arrive here you are saddled with a huge amount of anxiety that takes time to shed, little by little, until you wake up one morning and realise you live in a beautiful place.

Yes, Johannesburg isn’t the safest city, but that is true for many other cities out there. Most locals will tell you that you just have to be “sensible” and I find that to be very true. You’re careful where you go at night and you keep your eyes open, but you also realise that the possibility of crime and bad luck can’t rule your life.

There are so many positives of living in Johannesburg: The weather is beautiful year-round (I think we must get 355 days of sunshine a year). The flowers here are gorgeous, and though winters are pretty cold, they are very short. Domestic help is easily available. There is nothing in the world that quite matches an African sky at sunset. The people are friendly and fun-loving.

On top of this, there are amazing opportunities to travel and explore, be it to nearby Pilanesberg to view the Big Five in the wild, to the snow-covered Drakensberg, to Cape Point at the Southern tip of the continent, to one of the best wine-making regions of the world near Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, to the beautiful wild beaches of Sodwana Bay and the St. Lucia Wetlands in the East, to the majestic Kruger Park, or to the parched sand dunes of Namibia. Southern Africa offers an amazing variety of landscapes, climates, and wildlife that you won’t easily find anywhere else.

What has helped us settle in quickly was the wonderful group of friends we’ve made. We had opted to send our four children to a South African private school, rather than an international one, and were admittedly anxious how that would work out in terms of friends. We needn’t have worried. Most of our friends are South Africans, with a sprinkling of expats, and we couldn’t be happier. In fact, enrolling your kids in a local school is one of the best ways to truly experience a country, even if they might have more of an adjustment to master upon returning or moving on. What they learn in terms of a new culture far outweighs what they might learn academically. It’s a bit of a shock when you have to go from basketball and baseball to netball, cricket, and field hockey, but if you keep an open mind about it, you will be surprised how much fun it is (and – sacrilege - you might discover that rugby is indeed superior to football).

Another myth about Africa that I’d like to dispel is that it is a parched and hot place. Yes, the weather is mostly beautiful where we live and there is a lot of sunshine to go around, but it’s such a dry heat that more often than not you end up being chilly as soon as you sit in the shade or the sun goes down. When it does finally rain in the summer months, it feels more like winter. I’ve been colder than ever before in my life when going on early morning game drives in a drafty safari vehicle, and our kids make fun of me because it takes a really hot day before I as much as dip my big toe into the pool.

One aspect of life in South Africa that is really hard to get used to is the extreme poverty all around you. Even though it has been over fifteen years since the end of apartheid and the advent of a true democracy, masses of people still live in mere shacks, crowded together in townships, with barely any access to running water and electricity. South Africa is so much more developed and westernised than the rest of Africa, and yet there is this huge discrepancy between rich and poor. Nevertheless, you will hardly find a place with more cheerful and friendly people than South Africa, and the energy and vibrancy all around you is palpable. Life seems to be painted in bolder strokes in Africa.

If we had listened to all the naysayers condemning South Africa for its crime rate, or if we had been discouraged by the ridiculous amount of paperwork you’re required to submit to obtain your visa, we might never have moved here. We would have been the poorer for it, as this is an amazing place to live. And there is still a lot of exploring for us to do! To find out more about our expat adventures in South Africa, visit http://joburgexpat.blogspot.com.

About the author

Sine Thieme, also known as Joburg Expat among her fellow expats and bloggers in Johannesburg, moved to South Africa in 2010 together with her husband and four children. Her blog chronicles life in South Africa in all its beautiful and at times irritating variations. She blogs at http://joburgexpat.blogspot.com/ and tweets @sthieme

What would you do for love?

paulsay@hsbc.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:20:56 PST

Source:Chunkiemunky

Inspired by this week’s article on Expat Telegraph about three couples who uprooted their lives and moved thousands of miles to be with the one they love, Expat Explorer brings you tales of love without boundaries and keep your eyes peeled for the next blog post on some tips from the experts about keeping that long distance relationship (LDR) alive.

According to In Love Abroad, a site for people who mix the exciting worlds of love and travel, the top five movies about long distance relationships are:

1. The Notebook

Source:Popcorn Now

The Notebook tells a story of a poor and passionate young man who falls in love with a rich young woman and gives her a sense of freedom. However, like any classic Romeo and Juliet-type stories, they are soon separated by social differences.

2. Sleepless in Seattle

Source:Moviefanatic

Widower and single father, Sam ends up lamenting about his lost love on a talk radio program, when his son Jonah decides to call into the station. Little did he know that thousands of miles away, Annie hears the program and immediately falls in love with Sam, despite the fact that she has never met him and that she is engaged to humdrum Walter. Believing they are meant to be together, Annie sets out for Seattle to meet Sam.

3. Going the Distance

Source:Moviefanatic

Going the distance is your typical romcom centered on a guy and a girl who try to keep their love alive as they shuttle back and forth between New York and San Francisco to see one another.

4. Like Crazy

Source:filmofilia

This film is about a British college student falls for an American student, only to be separated from him when she's banned from the U.S. after overstaying her visa.

5. Casablanca

Source: Chess Ville

Your classic LDR movie. Casablanca is against the backdrop of unoccupied Africa during the early days of the Second World War. Rick Blaine, an American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.

All these movies have one underlying theme - couples having to overcome the barrier of geography. Of course, with the increased popularity in global citizenship, secondments and working abroad, many couples do indeed encounter the obstacle of distance. How do you overcome these? In the next post, we take a look at some tips and advice on how to make a long distance relationship work.

Guest Blogger Series: Creating a community within a community

paulsay@hsbc.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:35:46 PST

Followers of Expat Explorer might recognise a familiar name for this week’s guest post. Back in 2010, UK-based expat, Bryce Keane shared with us his tips and advice on integrating into a completely new country and was one of the most read blog posts that year.

Two years on, Bryce is safe-to-say, fully settled in and has even gone about creating his own community of like-minded individuals. Here, he talks about how he came up with the idea of combining the appeal of a cold beer, sizzling sausages and burgers and good banter.

Creative Spaces are Flourishing Everywhere, but it's Communities That Can Make the Impact*

Source: Digital Sizzle

The idea for Digital Sizzle was born one Saturday afternoon on the rooftop of The Queen of Hoxton pub in Shoreditch, East London. A start-up project manager, a web designer and an Aussie ex-pat digital PR guy sat down and wondered if there was a way to make a real contribution to the local tech and start-up community? How could we create a space to share stories, work, lessons and laughs? We decided on something as simple as the common BBQ and, for the first time, we would try and bring together the start-up community with the digital, advertising and other creative agencies in the area that have the skill and resource to help them grow.

We would later realise two things:

A digital, tech and creative networking BBQ would prove hugely popular amongst our little community and;
It's incredibly hard to hold a BBQ in Central London

What seemed like impossible to start off with, we somehow managed to make it a reality. With this, Digital Sizzle was born.

Lately, it seems to have grown to be one of London's most-attended and talked about meet-ups, thanks largely to a steadily growing (and digitally-savvy) community of fans, and the fact that it is the only networking event that brings together the world of creative agencies and tech start-ups. We like to think it might also have something to do with the burgers...

Building the community

Mid-last year, we were approached by Michael Acton-Smith, CEO and founder of the of global kids hit Moshi Monsters, to partner with him to develop and expand his popular tech meet up, Silicon Drinkabout, in association with the quarterly Sizzle events.

Founded at the end of last year, the Silicon Drinkabout has become a popular Friday night event, a regular Friday night drinks for tech start-ups in or around Shoreditch - (dubbed the Silicon Roundabout or London's Tech City). As The Digital Sizzle team had been regulars at Silicon Drinkabout since its inception, and felt it represented a very important part of the community that we were trying to create, it seemed a natural fit.

When speaking to Michael, we realised that it made sense to combine forces and ensure that there are really great weekly meet-ups for the tech community, and then much larger quarterly events for the wider creative community, in place to help connect people. After all, community is so important in the start-up industry, and more regular meet ups can help to help drive growth and innovation.

Overnight our little community doubled. With the weekly casual drinks and a much bigger quarterly event now under our care, we very soon began seeing the results of our work go from online, to offline and back again. New jobs, new working relationships, new creative collaborations, new relationships with interested members of the media, and even interest from the big players - we began to see first hand the fruits of our labour of love. Our community was growing but, more importantly, it was growing based on open collaboration, co-operation and mutual connection.

It’s exciting to be in such a vibrant community. Out of that unique combination of creative and business integration that exists here in East London has emerged not just "traditional" tech startups like Huddle, Mind Candy and Skimlinks, but a new breed of creative and digital agencies like Albion, Poke, and TH_NK.

They exist alongside an array of VCs and investors, a mature and responsive tech media including, and the big technology companies that are moving into the area.

About the author

Bryce Keane is an international communications professional with experience managing a wide variety of communications campaigns in both the EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions. Originally from Melbourne, he has a fascination with digital, tech and London's booming start-up culture, and has managed communications campaigns across a wide variety of sectors including national and regional campaigns across a variety of industries including: Resources, Agri-Business, Government, Travel/Tourism, Telecommunications, Hospitality, Transport and Logistics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Architecture and Design, Lifestyle, Not-For-Profit, Hygiene, and Technology. He has recently joined the Cohn & Wolfe London team as a Digital Strategist, is a co-founder of tech and creative networking BBQs Digital Sizzle and is a co-organiser of Silicon Drinkabout,a regular after work drinks for startups every Friday 'round the Silicon Roundabout. You can reach him on LinkedIn or Twitter.

*An edited version of this article originally posted on The Huffington Post UK.

The Rise of the Expat Mummy Blogger

paulsay@hsbc.com — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:13:21 PST

Yesterday in The London Evening Standard there was an incredible article about exercise shorts that help you lose weight. Zaggora HotPants have been on the market for just six months and their revenues are set to hit a staggering £10 million this year! With no advertising budget, Dessislava Bell, creator of the HotPants, attributes this amazing success to sending out a free pair of the shorts to each of 500 bloggers, many of whom where Mummy Bloggers.

From The Evening Standard

But where did these Mummy Bloggers come from? Dave Lee and Snezana Curcic, BBC World Service Reporters, say that, “For the mums, they provide a discussion and support network”.

Clearly, if this is the main reason for blogging, this can only be amplified for Mummy Bloggers living abroad where a support network may not be immediately underneath them in their expat posting. Writing a blog can be a way of connecting with people in a similar situation, although may not be in a similar geographical location.

So to celebrate all the wonderful Expat Mummy Blogs out there Expat Explorer has compiled an A-Z of the Top Ten Expat Mummy Bloggers.

4 kids, 20 suitcases and a beagle

In her own words: Kirsty is an Australian writer and Blogger currently living in Qatar. After calling 7 countries home over the past 11 years she's embarrassed to admit she still can't pack a suitcase properly. Kirsty is currently writing a book about having 4 children in 4 different countries while trying to remember her new telephone number and where she packed the can opener. You can catch Kirsty on twitter @shamozal

Bringing Up Brits

In her own words: Meghan Fenn is an American expat and mother who has lived in England since 1999. After graduating from university with a BA in English and Art, she became an English teacher and lived and worked in Prague for two years and then in Tokyo for two and a half years. She moved to England to complete her Masters degree in Design Studies and then worked as a web designer at a company in Nottinghamshire. After being made redundant whilst pregnant with her 2nd child, she set up her own web and graphic design company, White Ochre Design Ltd.

Meghan currently lives on the Southeast coast of England, is married to an English man and has 3 young children, all born in the UK.

Bringing Up Brits is her first book and she is currently working on another book about raising a family around a business (and vice versa!).

Dubai’s Desperate Housewife

In her own words: Dubai’s Desperate Housewife has lived in Dubai for 11 years. She quit her high-flying job to be a full-time mum to a 4-year-old and a small baby – something she wrestles with every day. Although she loves being there for her kids, she lives a parallel life in her head; one where her career continued its upward trajectory and her days are not spent on the school run and dangling rattles for a baby to swat.

Expat Mum

In her own words: Quite simply I'm a Brit who was whisked off by a knight in shining armour (well, an accountant) to live in the USA some twenty years ago. We now have three kiddy-winkies and a mutt with selective hearing.

My days are filled with writing for various things on the web (see next tab), finishing another book, running a charitable organisation to fund a school in Ghana, and of course, being a devoted wife and mother to my adorable family. (That would be British sarcasm in case anyone's now a little confused.)

I was brought up in the northeast of England (God's own country), went to university in Bristol and worked for the rest of the 80's in London. When I first moved to the States, I lived in Dallas, but the rest of the time has been spent trying to come to terms with the oppressively hot summers and unbearably frigid winters of Chicago.

Happy Homemaker UK

In her own words: Follow my journey as it unfolds as an American mom living in England. Often featuring local locations and tidbits, I love photography & a good story.

Note from Lapland

In her own words: Note From Lapland is where I write about whatever the hell is on my mind, whether that’s Finnish supermarkets selling vibrators or more serious posts about dealing with life after children and discovering who you are but hopefully always in an entertaining manner. I swear, I rant and rave, I make you laugh and hopefully also make you think.

Mommy has a Headache

In her own words: Who am I? Displaced Londoner now living in the States with my two little girlies and long suffering husband. Co-author of hilarious parenting book Cocktails at Naptime www.cocktailsatnaptime.com My mom's an Austrian, my dad's a Brit, which makes me a Britaustrian, or possibly an Austrish?

The American Resident

In her own words: The American Resident is written by Michelle Garrett, an American expat making a home in Britain for over 20 years.

I am a freelance writer who enjoys being creative in an interactive way during my free time. That’s why, besides blogging, I also love cooking, gardening and hosting parties–all creativity enhanced by interaction with others. Sharing makes most things more fun.

As a freelance writer and professional blogger I have written for magazines, websites and larger projects. I am currently working on two eGuides for expats.

If you’re curious about my back story, click here: How I Got Where I am Today

If you would like one cool fact about me: I can do that thing where you run up to a chair, stand on it with one foot on the seat and one on the back, and slowly tip it over. Can you?

The New Diplomat’s Wife

In her own words: The plan was to become a diplomat myself, but I somehow ended up marrying one instead. We started out as a duet and recently became a trio, just to spice up the spirit of adventure. Previous post: Vienna, Austria Current post: Washington, DC

Vegemite Vix

In her own words: Well not all about me obviously, this is the internet.

I moved with my three kids, my dog, cat, a guitar and twenty boxes of books, from New Zealand to North Hampshire in the UK in August 2008. Why in God’s name did I swap beautiful beaches for Blighty, pavlova for pork pies and sand, surf, sun for …. snow… and sleet…

You’d be surprised how often I’m asked that question, but in truth, I did it for lots of reasons – work opportunities, opportunities for my kids, but mainly for the love of my Englishman this crazy man I met and fell in love with in Paris in June 2007.

This is the story of our experiences, of our brave adventure. Sometimes they’re funny, sometimes they’re sad, but always – at least I hope so – meaningful.

This is our story about how to really live – wet-paint-on-your-fingers-live – in another country as an expat, a long way from the places, the people and the land you call home.

And a final word for any aspiring bloggers out there (expat, mummy or other), here are 25 Top Tips for Bloggers from Expat Mummy Blogger, The American Resident, Michelle Garrett.

Are you an Expat Mummy Blogger? Get in touch and share your blog, tell us why you love blogging!

Guest Blogger Series: Introducing… Candace Kuss

paulsay@hsbc.com — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:34:24 PST

For this week’s guest blogger, we have the pleasure of introducing Candace Kuss, an American expat who’s been living in London for more than six years.

With Super Bowl season upon us, Candace shares with Expat Explorer readers, the incurable homesickness of missing Super Bowl Sunday.

Missing the Super Bowl

Missing friends and family during the holidays is a common expat experience. But for Americans like me, incurable homesickness attacks hardest during our biggest unofficial holiday — Super Bowl Sunday.

It is the only day that can’t be truly celebrated on foreign soil. London is lovely at Christmas time. Halloween is growing in popularity. Thanksgiving is all about English expats (aka Pilgrims). And it is cheeky good fun to have British friends over to toast and roast on the Fourth of July.

But living in a country where football means soccer, it is impossible to translate what the Super Bowl experience is all about. The BBC, with kind condescension, will broadcast the game, but not the commercials, even though they will be analysed as seriously and as deeply as the game itself. Indeed, it is the Super Bowl which has single-handedly kept the glamour of TV advertising alive, even as social media soaks up all the oxygen and marketing spend keeps moving online.

It is this carnival surrounding the spotlight stealing ad sideshow that make Super Bowl Sunday a holiday for all American. The fight to entertain us during the commercial breaks can make even a dull game fun. You don’t have to be a football fan to join the party. Families all over America stock up on beer, chips, dips, ribs and red velvet cupcakes with their team’s logo. There’s a reason Doritos and Budweiser are the brands that go large for the game. For the last five years, Doritos’ mega ‘Crash the Super Bowl’ contest has consumers creating their own Doritos commercial for a chance to win a million dollars and the fame of having their ad shown in the game. And my personal favourite, the Budweiser Clydesdales, is an American icon in their own right.

The pain of a loyal Patriot on the sidelines

Before I was an expat in London, I emigrated from Long Island, New York to Boston, Massachusetts. Thrown into a sports obsessed city, I went over to the other side and swore allegiance to the Celtics, Red Sox and the Patriots - all bitter rivals with the teams from New York. So imagine my joy, not to mention that of the network executives, to be gifted with this year’s rematch of the New York Giants vs the New England Patriots. Historic teams from huge media markets. MVP quarterback (Tom Brady) with a super model wife vs MVP quarterback (Eli Manning) from a legendary football family and Madonna at halftime. Oh my! The coverage is insane. This year, NBC Sports Network will air more than 18 hours of live programming ahead of the game. It’s like the entire hoopla of an Olympics squeezed into one day.

But sadly, I will miss the parties, the mass quantities of food, the electricity of the whole country coming together in celebration. As I struggle to stay awake in GMT, tweeting and texting friends, I will vow to be there in person this time next year. Let’s go Pats!

About the author

Candace Kuss is an American in London. Voting address is beautiful Sonoma California but her sport homebase is Boston. When not watching sport highlight clips online, she runs the Interactive Lab for H+K. Please say hi on Twitter, check out the work blog and, if you are inclined, root for her team, the New England Patriots to crush the Giants on Super Bowl Sunday.

Questions of the Day

paulsay@hsbc.com — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:09:03 PST

This week Expat Explorer has been asking its Twitter followers about their lives as an Expat. Check out some of the answers below – and answer the questions yourself ion the comment box below!

Question 1 – Do you have any top tips for #expat entrepreneurs?

David Kennedy, an expat from Dublin living it up on the Costa del Sol, says:

“Keep believing in yourself!!!”

This is a great tip for anyone adventuring off into the entrepreneurial world – but even more so for expats! In case you missed our last post of tips of expat entrepreneurs, here are the highlights:

Build some solid connections

Hire the right people

Knowledge and resource share

Develop the perfect pitch

Have you started up your own business abroad? We’d love to hear from you - what were your biggest challenges and achievements?

Leave us a comment in the bow below!

Question 2 - Did you become an expat for financial gain?

Greg Lexiphanic, an expat living in Hong Kong, said:

“I became an expat for the lifestyle.”

Moving to a whole new country is a massive ordeal – so there must be something to make it all worthwhile! For some this is money prospects, either a better career, more disposable income or a more luxurious lifestyle. In the latest Expat Explorer Survey the country that came top for Economics was Saudi Arabia.

One expat here gives a great tip:

“Bring a sense of humour, an open mind and expect the unexpected.”

If, like Greg, lifestyle is more your thing – whether that is a good social life, great food and a lovely local culture, our expats reported that Thailand is the best place to go! An expat living in Thailand says:

“Try to learn the language and take full advantage of the quality but reasonably priced healthcare.”

From Flickr

Question 3 - How are you celebrating Australia Day?

Nikki Moff, expat and third culture kid from Australia living in Durban, replied saying:

“wine & cheese night with girlfriends as husband away & no other Aussies in Durban”

Journalist Rebekka Hodges, and Australian expat living in the UK, wrote a great piece for The Australian Times about her first Australia Day abroad. She describes Australia Day as:

“a melting pot with all of the greatest elements of Australian culture coming together to form one harmonious day: daytime drinking; sunshine; water; music; and best mates. What more could you want?”

What did you do for Australia Day? Leave a comment in the box below! To compare what expats think of countries around the world, head over to the Expat Explorer Survey interactive site – and enjoy!

Expat Entrepreneurs

paulsay@hsbc.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:48:34 PST

Expats and entrepreneurs often share many similar traits. The ability to recognise opportunities, openness to change and coping under pressure for example. For our first post of 2012, we thought we’d begin by looking at an emerging breed of expats – the expat entrepreneur. SWMG6EC26P5M

Image source: Creative Commons- The Trampery in London

Moving abroad, expats might find more favourable policies, tax regimes, economic climate and infrastructure that really help to promote the entrepreneurial spirit and inspire expats to go down the start-up route. In other situations, people actively seek to move abroad to be in hotspots where start-ups naturally cluster be it New York, Berlin or East London and be part of the local tech scene.

For those thinking of setting up their own businesses, there is a wealth of information out there to help you get started and tap into the right resources. Here, Expat Explorer shares some our our top tips for prospective expat entrepreneurs:

1. Connections, connections, connections

One of the most important takeouts experienced entrepreneurs will tell you is that, to build a successful business, it seriously helps to know the right people. Your ability to tap into the right circles, meet the right people and make the right connections can make all the difference in whether you thrive or survive.

2. Sign up to meetups

There are lots of events you can join to meet like-minded people both formally and informally. Events like Entrepreneur Week in New York and Silicon Drinkabout in London are just some examples. You can also attend your local Startup Weekend – an event where you pitch your idea and build a team around it in 54 hours. Teams go from idea to getting a business hacked together in a single weekend, means there’s no room for talk and no action. Check out this list for other great events to join.

3. Hire the right people

Starting up can be tough. That is why finding the right people from the beginning can make or break your business. Often your first couple of hires are those who will have a big input into your company’s direction. Having a complementary skill set and being able to get on well with them also helps given the long hours involved.

Speaking at Webstock in New Zealand, Kevin Rose,

founder of Digg said:

“Ensure staff are committed to and understand your vision. Passionate, committed staff have a tendency to rub off on people. There is nothing like a new junior developer who runs circles around everyone to get people hyped up and raise the bar! Stay involved in the hiring process as long as you possibly can.”

4. Knowledge share and join co-working spaces

The value of knowledge sharing with peers is massively helpful to expats setting up their own businesses. Being with like-minded people and those who are going or have gone through similar challenges can help entrepreneurs problem-solve, bounce ideas and solutions off each other.

As you’re starting out, renting a desk in a co-working space can help surround yourself with other start-ups. Collaboration software developer, Huddle has put together this handy list of cool co-working spaces from around the world. See if there’s one near you!

5. Develop perfect pitch

Crafting the perfect pitch is a critical skill for expat entrepreneurs to have, be it for raising capital or to attract new business prospects. Knowing your business inside out and perfecting the elevator pitch is also a good start in getting your foot into the door. This Forbes article gives some great tips on developing and refining your pitch.

We’d love to hear from you other tips you have for entrepreneurs. Leave us a comment below.

Taking Christmas Top Ten Lists to the Extreme!

paulsay@hsbc.com — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:10:48 PST

With Christmas fast approaching it seems that every publication is posting at least one or two “Top Ten” lists, from Top Ten Christmas Movies (everyone has a favourite) to Top Ten Wackiest Christmas Decorations. So here is a rundown of the Expat Explorer Top Ten Christmas Top Ten Lists!

From Flickr

10. Top Ten tech gifts for grandparents this Christmas

1. Senior-friendly mobile phone

2. Webcam

3. Plant sensor

4. e-Book reader

5. Digital photo frames

6. Motion Sensing Gaming Console (MSGC)

7. HD video cameras

8. GPS

9. Large print keyboards

10. Portable media player

9. Top Ten best Christmas Movies Of All Time

1. Die Hard

2. Brazil

3. Nightmare Before Christmas

4. 1941

5. A Christmas Story

6. The Bishop’s Wife

7. Elf

8. Gremlins

9. Miracle on 34^th Street

10. A Christmas Carol

8. Top Ten Christmas markets in Europe

1. Munich, Germany

2. Cologne, Germany

3. Vienna, Austria

4. Prague, Czech Republic

5. Copenhagen, Denmark

6. Nuremberg, Germany

7. Strasbourg, France

8. Manchester, England

9. Brussels, Belgium

10. Zurich, Switzerland

From Flickr

7. Top Ten Most Wanted Christmas Gadgets

1. iPad2

2. iPhone 4S

3. Kindle Fire

3. Nintendo 3DS

4. Blackberry Playbook

5. LG Star

7. TiVo

8. Chromebook

9. Motorola 3.0 Tablet

10. Sony Ericsson Experia Play

6. Top Ten Unusual Christmas Decorations

1. Bah Humbug Bauble

2. Jelly Belly Baubles

3. Christmas Pudding Bin Bags

4. Cluedo Crackers

5. Cat Badge Christmas card

6. Christmas Loo Roll

7. Moscow Fur Stocking

8. Moustache Snow Globe

9. Feather Tree

10. Gisela Graham White Feather Owl

5. Top Ten Ethical Christmas Gifts

1. Fairtrade Fun Ball

2. Kamikaze Airlines Organic T-Shirt

3. Organic Green / Pink / Charcoal Proportional Striped Socks

4. Fairtrade Organic Hi Top Trainers Black & White

5. Organic Turquoise / Aqua Affirmation Socks

6. Fairtrade Organic Low Top Trainers Red

7. Fairtrade Mini Football Ball

8. Kamikaze Women’s H20 Organic T-Shirt

9. Fairtrade Pro Football

10. Fairtrade Organic Kids Hi Top Trainers Black & White

4. Top Ten Best Childrens' Christmas Books

1. The Night Before Christmas - Clement C Moore

2. Cops And Robbers - Allan and Janet Ahlberg

3. The Snowman - Raymond Briggs

4. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

5. How The Grinch Stole Christmas - Dr Seuss

6. Letters From Father Christmas - JRR Tolkien

7. A Child's Christmas in Wales - Dylan Thomas

8. The Polar Express - Chris Van Allsburg

9. The Tailor of Gloucester - Beatrix Potter

10. Horrible Christmas - Terry Deary and Martin Brown

3. Top Ten Christmas Lists

1. The Best Christmas Books Ever

2. The Only Christmas Gifts You Should Buy This Year

3. The Coolest Christmas Card Ideas You’ll Ever See

4. Christmas Albums You Probably Don’t Own But Should

5. Best Advent Calendars EVER

6. Christmas Printables, Websites & Other Cool Online Tools

7. Handmade Christmas Gifts for Kids to Make & Give

8. Best Advent Calendars EVER

9. How To Wrap and Detangle Christmas

10. Presents Without Bows Are Just Wrong

From Flickr

2. Top Ten Best Novelty Christmas Songs

1. “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” — Alvin & The Chipmunks

2. “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer” — Elmo and Patsy

3. “All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth” — Spike Jones and his City Slickers

4. “I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas” –Gayle Peevey

5. “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” — Thurl Ravenscroft

6. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” — Jimmy Boyd

7. “Snoopy’s Christmas” — The Royal Guardsman

8. “Santa Baby” — Eartha Kitt

9. “Feliz Navidad” — Jose Feliciano

10. “Frosty The Snowman” — Gene Autry

1.Top Ten Expat Christmas Posts!

1. An Expat Christmas – hungary for adventure

2. Christmas Edition: Carols – Life of an Expat Parent

3. A Mince Pie for Christmas – Expat Daily News

4. Classic Displaced Writing: Dickens – A Christmas Carol – The Displaced Nation

5. Expat Christmas: Holiday Blues to Holiday Cheer – Memoirs of a Young Adventurer

6. Christmas Variability – Boreal Expat

7. Happy Expat Christmas – Punchbuggy

8. Twelve Crafts of Christmas [Guest Post] Swedish Christmaswith Bailie from Expat in Training – her new leaf

9. Christmas spirit in Lugano – Expat with Kids

10. An Expat Christmas – The Life and Times of Chantelle

We hope you have enjoyed these Christmas Top Ten lists. Do you have a Christmas themed Top Ten list to share with us? Tweet us @ExpatExplorer or share the link in the comments box below. Merry Christmas!

Expat Guest Blog - Cocktails at Naptime: How two writers met in Cyberspace and wrote a book

paulsay@hsbc.com — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 04:14:07 PST

Once upon a time, two mums who really should have been doing housework wrote a book together. They called it Cocktails at Naptime and some nice Australian publishers called Finch Publishing laughed out loud when they read it on the train home and thought their readers would laugh out loud too on their trains home, possibly startling some fellow passengers along the way.

Here’s their story:

Emma says:

Gillian was like Nanook from the frozen North (Aberdeen) while I was a sunburnt British ex-pat living in East Coast America. How, you may well wonder, did this unlikely duo meet on the blogosphere. I am ashamed to say my chat up was that corny old line, “I really like your blog.” Luckily she was polite enough to reply.

At first I was suspicious. What was the matter with Gillian I wondered? She was not loud and shouty like so many people on the blogosphere. She never posted pictures of her cats or mumsy articles about how to create rainy day activities out of a thousand saved yoghurt pots. She was immature in a certain way like me, a Eurovision Contest fanatic who liked to dress in cheap spandex for non sexual purposes, yet unlike me seemed to run her family like a well organised military machine. Whereas I was domestically challenged, leaving the dirty washing to overflow the baskets like Mount Vesuvius and sometimes (okay a lot) getting my two daughter’s names mixed up.

So in some ways we were chalk and cheese and yet before we even disclosed we were both Capricorns (born a mere two years and 10 days apart) there was a certain indefinable chemistry between us. Well I’m not sure how it happened but we realised that we were having the sort of synchronised and brilliant ideas that could no longer be hidden under a bushel and before long we were telling each other we had to write a book together.

Now why that worked out is a bit of a mystery. Why we understood each other so well despite the fact we’ve never met in person may be partly astrological but it is also deeply geographical. For while I was born in the South and Gillian in the North we both shared the same soggy, damp landmass for many a moon. Essentially our shared heritage involves such cultural reference points as finding the royal family ludicrous, a genetic disposition to enjoy things like fried sausages and eggs without worrying about its cholesterol content, a 70′s childhood involving numerous electricity strikes where we sat in the dark listening to ABBA on a portable radio and an adolescence spent dating weedy pasty men with crooked teeth (tans only briefly becoming a fashion statement in the UK in the 80’s when orangey fake tan made a debut which looked awful unless you were a member of Wham!).

Even though we were psychic twins in many ways including a love of cheesy pop music and the fact that we both speak German it still didn’t take a genius to figure out that writing a book together in cyberspace was going to be about as easy as asking Lindsay Lohan to lay off the sauce. And yet, because we are both goats we dug our hooves in and got on with it, with bits of text flying back and forth until we had amassed something that looked distinctly like a book. And now that this book is done and dusted and filled with marvellous illustrations, we’re hoping there are other mums out there – not necessarily Capricorns – who will enjoy our peculiarly skewed but perceptive views on what really happens after your midwife screams, “Mrs Mum! Take a deep breath and push. You’re crowning!”

Gillian says:

It was October 2008 and I was hatching plans for that year’s over the top Halloween costume (Marie Antoinette, as I remember, complete with a papier mache dead Louis XVI’s severed head in a basket) when an email popped into my inbox from someone I only knew as Emma K in the strange world of blogging.

“Hi Gillian

I always enjoy your blog and believe you are on the ball, so I just wanted to pick your brains. So, I was wondering……”

And that was how Cocktails at Naptime started. We added the Woefully Inept bit later as we realised there was a slight theme emerging when none of us put forward any recipes for anything anyone could feasibly feed our kids or any top household tips on how to get any baby puke cleaned off of anything that would normally require dry cleaning. So, effectively what I’m saying is that the email there is the evidence I need when my own mother reads this book for the first time and gasps at all the naughty bits so that I can point squarely in Emma’s direction and shout “She started it!”

What strikes me now, over two years on, is that what is even more bizarre than starting this tri-continental book in the first place is that we actually finished it. You see, Emma and I have never met in person. Not even as I write this little epilogue as the book’s about to go into print. Yet, I feel I know Emma pretty damn well as for the past two years we have been writing and sending little funny stories and daft lists about “Ten Ways to Hide Birthweight with Nothing More than Electrical Tape” to one another, and fretting over what’s funny and what’s not, and what’s too rude and what’s not rude enough and somehow getting a book written between us. Along the way we’ve talked about what’s going on in our lives, made each other laugh frequently and possibly cry with frustration on the odd occasion.

We’ve even had the odd off-peak long distance phone-call where we nervously tried to suss out if one of us was one of those unhinged crazies you meet on the internet, who given half an inch, will turn up at your bedroom window one evening wielding an axe or start sending you carefully constructed and physically uncanny representations of yourself as a voodoo doll through the post. Turns out we were only as unhinged as each other and that’s why we got on so well. If Emma ever sent me a voodoo doll I’m sure it would have been well meant. I’m certainly currently working on a simply darling one for her.

One thing’s for sure it’s not been the easiest way to write a book I’m guessing, but it certainly has been an incredibly interesting one. At first I was convinced that at one point Emma and I would have to at least meet geographically half way and actually clap eyes on one another to get this book finished. Maybe we could rent a cheap garret in the Faroe Islands halfway across the Atlantic and stay there for a week, with one of us sitting at a laptop typing furiously with fingerless gloves on as the other paced the creaky floor brandishing a half empty wine bottle, dressed in a parka ranting about nipple shields, support pants, colic and the humour therein. After all, isn’t that the kind of thing writers do? It never happened. We each just sat in our respective kitchens thousands of miles from one another and wrote and edited and emailed, and then rewrote and edited and emailed some more without requiring any Faroese hospitality, garrets or otherwise. I still wore fingerless gloves though for that feeling of writerly authenticity — I can’t speak for Emma although I’m guessing, like me, she was in spandex a lot of the time. We both also confess to occasionally brandishing half empty wine bottles.

After all the blood, sweat and emails there came a lovely time when a good while after we had dispatched Cocktails out into the world of publishing and sat expectantly by our letterboxes, we indulged in quite a lot of virtual jumping about hugging one another in cyberspace when we were asked by some nice Australians if they could publish our book. This was indeed an unexpected twist to the already insane geography of this whole project. Let’s get this straight: I live in Aberdeen, Scotland- Emma is English but lives in Baltimore in the United States- and a publisher in Sydney, Australia wants to publish our book? And none of us have ever even been in the same continent as one another at the same time, never mind the same room? Somehow, even in the era of an international web community and the whole “global village” thing, that still seems completely and utterly mental.

The big question for me is; will Emma and I ever meet one day? I really don’t know. But I know I feel like we already have. In fact, I feel like we’ve been sharing a flat for nearly three years. And yeah, that horrendous mess in the living room, yeah that wasn’t me, that was Emma.

The authors are excited to announce that Cocktails at Naptime is now available as an iBook from the Apple iBookstore and can be downloaded to an Apple device such as iPhone or iPad. Cocktails at Naptime is available in English on all Apple iBookstores worldwide, that is in Australia/New Zealand, America, Canada, UK, France, Germany and other EU countries.

It is available for download here:

Cocktails at Naptime by Emma Kaufmann and Gillian Martin http://itunes.apple.com/au/book/cocktails-at-naptime/id481628324?mt=11

You can follow them on twitter here:

www.twitter.com/naptimecocktail

And read more of their great writing here:

www.cocktailsatnaptime.com

Lonely Planet- Friends for Friends

paulsay@hsbc.com — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 03:17:07 PST

As an expat you are probably quite familiar with feeling totally alone in a new city, and how long it takes you to start to feel even remotely at home, rather than just a visitor. Lonely Planet have come up with a great Facebook app that helps you to find friends of friends in your destination city. Although the app seems to be geared towards tourists, it is a great idea to help you get to know a new place whether you are there for a week, a month, a year or indefinitely.

Watch this video on this fun and really useful new tool and tell us what you think. What do you think of reaching out to a friend of a friend to help you get to know a new city and become a local in no time? Leave us a comment below!

Expat Explorer Survey: The Results!

paulsay@hsbc.com — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:54:14 PST

Over the past week, through this blog and Twitter, Expat Explorer has been sharing what expats really think of their country of residence and experience as an expat. Some of the highlights include expats being able to afford a more luxurious lifestyle in developing countries, China came out as the most cost effective place to raise children and (an expat favourite) that expats don’t seem to be as affected by economic conditions!

There has been much discussion on Twitter about the results of the study, such as here, here and here, now it’s your turn to tell us your thoughts right here! If you haven’t had a chance to look at the results of the survey, you can check it out right here! Have a play, compare two countries, read all the reports on the findings, and post us a comment!

Did you know that social media is increasingly important for expats across the globe to keep in touch? Even when there is not a lot of social media usage in their country of residence? Do you use social media? Skype? Facebook? Flickr? Tell us your experiences.

Are you living in France? Do you have children? The Expat Explorer findings report that France tops the charts for bringing up children abroad, but do you agree? Perhaps you have lived there in the past, and think it is better than other countries you have been in.

It’s been a hell of a week here at Expat Explorer HQ! We just wanted to say a big thank-you so much for all your support throughout, from filling in the survey to commenting here on the blog and tweeting @ExpatExplorer on Twitter. We really would love to hear what you think, so have your say!

Expat Explorer Survey findings released! Money doesn’t buy happiness for expat children!

paulsay@hsbc.com — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 04:14:21 PST

Expats from across the global rated their current countries on quality and cost of childcare, the health and wellbeing of their kids children, and how they integrate into the community. The findings revealed France (1st), the Netherlands (2nd) and Australia (3rd) to be the top places for raising children abroad!

Children in these countries appear to lead a much healthier lifestyle: they are more likely to be spending more time outdoors (France 53%, Netherlands 53% and Australia 75%) and playing sport (France 47%, Netherlands 56% and Australia 81%) since relocating than average (47% and 46% respectively).

However, expats living in these countries benefit from a child friendly environment at the cost of wider economic benefits. These countries find themselves towards the bottom of the rankings in the Expat Economics league table (France 28th, Netherlands 29th, Australia 21st), revealing that expats in these locations are less likely to benefit from higher salaries or accumulate luxuries.

Are you raising children as an expat parent? What do you think of the country you live in? Let us know in the comments box below. And you can check out the full results by clicking here.

Expat Experience – Social Media Savvy Expats

paulsay@hsbc.com — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 04:31:14 PST

Did you know… Expats are using the latest in social media and communications technology in order to stay in touch with loved ones all over the world, according to the latest findings from the 2011 Expat Explorer survey from HSBC Expat. While Facebook tops the list as expats’ social media channel of choice, expats across the globe would be lost without the latest technology such as Skype to keep in touch with their friends and family.

Facebook use among expats is remarkably high, even in regions where general use is pretty low. In Africa and Asia, Facebook penetration among the local population here is extremely low (3% and 4% respectively), yet the channel is still one of the most popular methods of communication among expats (67% and 65% respectively)!

This trend actually consistent across the world, where Facebook use among expats continues to be much higher than the local population, as witnessed in Europe (26% usage locally vs. 73% among expats) Latin America (21% local vs. 72% expats) and the Middle East (8% local vs. 68% expats), further demonstrating how important these tools of communication are for expats living away from home.

Does this reflect your experience as an expat? Check out the full findings and a load of other interesting expat stats here.

Expat Economics – Good news for expats!

paulsay@hsbc.com — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:38:15 PST

Expat wealth remains robust in spite of global economic conditions!!

Across the world economic unrest has unsurprisingly impacted expat’s confidence in the strength of their host country economies; one third of expats globally say there has been deterioration in their local economy since the beginning of 2010. However it’s not all bad news as the findings of the 2011 Expat Explorer survey show that expat wealth remains widely resistant to these economic troubles, even in countries which have, unfortunately, experienced a certain amount of turbulence over the past year.

A massive 97% of expats in Egypt believe that their economy has deteriorated since 2010, alongside 92% of expats in Bahrain and 80% of expats in Japan. Expats in these countries are also more likely than average to report that their economy is weak: Egypt 77%, Bahrain 40% and Japan 40%.

However, despite this negative economic outlook, expat finances in these countries remain resilient to the wider troubles. Egypt find itself 2nd out of 31 in the Expat Economics League Table, which ranks countries based on a number of factors such as earning levels, disposable incomes and ability to accumulate luxuries. Bahrain and Japan also perform strongly, ranked 10th and 12th respectively in this league.

Furthermore, expats in these areas are better off financially. More than half (52%) of expats in Bahrain have much higher disposable incomes than they did in their home country, as well as 58% of expats in Egypt and 38% of expats in Japan, compared with the global average of 35%.

If you enjoyed these interesting stats, you can check out more about this and other findings by clicking here!! Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The 2011 results of the Expat Explorer Survey revealed today!

paulsay@hsbc.com — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:28:32 PST

Now in its 4th year, the 2011 survey reached 3,385 expats from over 100 countries and is the world’s largest ever global survey of expats! Many of you participated in the survey, so a big thank-you for helping Expat Explorer! In case you are new to the Expat Explorer, it covers every aspect of living life abroad, including questions relating to expats’ finances, the impact of economic, political and social factors on their current country and even how recent natural disasters have affected their experience of living life as an expat.

You can explore the findings for yourself here and discover the places that expats have rated highly for the things that are important to you. You can also see all of the results of the survey broken down into interesting stories here. The Expat Explorer Twitter feed and this blog will also be keeping you up to date with interesting findings and answering your questions about the results – so if you have a question, just ask!

Just to whet your whistle, here are a few of findings that you might find interesting from each section of the survey:

Quality of life and Expat Experience:

The UK finds itself in the bottom quartile in this year’s Expat Experience league table in the Expat Explorer report, coming 29th out of 31 countries overall. Despite this, it is the 6th most popular choice in terms of an ideal expat destination.

The Expat Explorer 2011 findings show that Facebook ranks as the top social media channel among expats, with 69% choosing to stay in touch using this method and two fifths (39%) using the channel twice a week or more to share the latest news with loved ones at home.

Expat Economics:

Expat wealth remains widely immune to global economic troubles, even in countries which have experienced significant turbulence over the past year.

Expats have weathered the Eurozone crisis and even though the UK is in the bottom half of the Expat Economics league table (23rd), it performs well against its EU counterparts on these criteria, ranking behind only Switzerland (5th) and Belgium (21st).

Almost half of expats in the UK feel that the economy has deteriorated since the beginning of 2010. However, only 25% of expats here in the UK believe that the economy will continue to deteriorate compared to 44% in Italy and 38% in Spain.

Raising Children Abroad:

Countries which offer the greatest benefits for expat children in aspects such as settling in to their new country, general health and standards of childcare are less likely to be able to deliver economic advantages such as greater overall wealth, disposable income, and luxuries.

France ranks first in the Raising Children Abroad league table in the Expat Explorer report, with the Netherlands (2nd) and Australia (3rd). Children in these countries appear to lead a much healthier lifestyle and likely to be spending more time outdoors and playing more sport.

We would love to hear your thoughts, so have your say and ask your questions on these interesting results in the comment box below!

NORC Country Series: Norway

paulsay@hsbc.com — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:27:25 PST

Overview

From Flickr

Known to many for its beautiful scenery of fjords, mountains and lakes, Norway isn’t always top of mind for those looking to relocate. Expat Explorer hopes to change this and introduce future expats and those looking for a new adventure that Norway is one to watch. Again, the Lonely Planet guide gives a great overview for those wishing to find out more about this picturesque land and for slightly more information on the country, National Geographic have a nice piece.

Norway is one of the great places to work for high-flying, successful business women. Read more about the fantastic leaps and bounds that female business leaders are making in Norway in these great articles from Harvard Business Review and The Economist.

Resources

It’s really important that to get all the facts as well as the feel of the country, so here are a few resources for any would-be-Norwegian-expat. Firstly, have a look at what your Embassy for Norway has to say as they often have useful information. For UK residents the place to go is TheBritish Embassy Oslo, plus they are also on Twitter.

From Flickr

For women planning on living and working in Norway Expat Women have put together a great set of resources on everything from looking for work to international schools guides. Everything you could possibly want to know about working and living in Norway has been summed up beautifully by Oversees Digest.

One way of what it is like to live in a country as a foreigner (apart from actually visiting) is to read about other people’s experiences, such as in this blog – An Expat’s Norway. Also, try keeping up with the news and current affairs that are going on in the country and imagine what it is like living there. The Guardian has a good overview of Newsin Norway, and for a more local outlook on the news The Norwegian Post is English.

Key facts – from BBC

Full name: Kingdom of Norway

Population: 4.9 million (UN, 2010)

Capital: Oslo

Area: 323,759 sq km (125,004 sq miles)

Major language: Norwegian

Major religion: Christianity

Life expectancy: 79 years (men), 83 years (women) (UN)

Monetary unit: 1 Norwegian krone = 100 ore

Main exports: Fuels and fuel products, machinery, metal products

GNI per capita: US $86,440 (World Bank, 2009)

Internet domain: .no

International dialling code: +47

NORC Country Series: Sweden

paulsay@hsbc.com — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 07:30:00 PST

Overview

From Flickr

Most people would agree that the first place to look when researching a country is a travel guide, such as Lonely Planet. After having a dig around, Expat Explorer found thishandy online overview of Sweden from the lovely people at Lonely Planet. It is brief, but gives you a flavor of what to expect so you can decide whether it sounds like it’s for you. Amongst the many articles that layout the benefits of moving to Sweden, the two most relevant ones come from The Swedish Wire on why childrenin Sweden have the best lives and Marie’ Claire’s The World’sBest Country for Women. Some of the reasons given in these articles are healthy lifestyles, small gender pay gap and long maternity leave period for men and women.

Resources

There are many useful resources to describe every aspects of Swedish life for a potential resident, the difficulty, often, is finding them. For those looking to live/work in Sweden here are a few key sites to check out before making any hasty decisions.

From Flickr

For those who don’t work in a company that will post them in their desired country, trying to get a job may pose the most difficulty to achieving the dream. Sites such as EU JobCentre have many useful help documents to point any potential job hunter in the right direction, such as this page on internshipsin Sweden.

Sweden has many, many benefits to offer residents; some of the more concrete ones are listed here, at sweden.se. The lovely ladies at Expat Women have put together this useful list of resources for women looking to relocate to Sweden, and is very useful.

Depending on what you are looking to get out of your move to Sweden, if you like it you may want to stay there in the long term. To be successful in achieving this, a little career advice could go a long way. Whether you are a jobseeker, a businesswomen or just want to dowell, have a read of these articles to get you going.

Key facts – from BBC

Full name: Kingdom of Sweden

Population: 9.3 million (UN, 2010)

Capital: Stockholm

Area: 449,964 sq km (173,732 sq miles)

Major language: Swedish

Major religion: Christianity

Life expectancy: 80 years (men), 84 years (women) (UN)

Monetary unit: 1 Swedish krona = 100 ore

Main exports: Machinery and transport equipment, paper products, chemicals

GNI per capita: US $48,930 (World Bank, 2009)

Internet domain: .se

International dialling code: +46

Do you live in Sweden? Share your experiences with us about your time there. Would you like to live in Sweden? Ask us your questions and we will try and find out for you! Comment below, or tweet us @ExpatExplorer.

Introducing: NORC Countries

paulsay@hsbc.com — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 07:30:02 PST

When embarking on a life changing adventure such as uprooting your world and relocating to some distant land, making sure you are moving to the right place in seriously important. There is no substitute for putting in the legwork, checking out the reviews, talking to people who have lived there, visiting the city; there is no one size fits all way to find out where is best for everyone.

However, there are a number of studies, surveys and reports that can be a strong grounding for individual research and can be a good jumping off point for those who have no idea where to move. Of course one such survey is the Expat Explorer Survey, which this blog supports and will release the 2011 findings next week, but this post aims to take a slightly different angle.

There are lots and lots of studies on the best places for women to live and work, and the general consensus is that NORC countries (which stands for Northern Rim Countries and consists of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Russian Federation and the northern United States) come out on top. Have a look at this video to see where countries from across the globe fair for women, then scroll down to find out just why Scandinavian countries are so great for women and see if you are inspired.

JESS3 x Economist: Women's Economic Opportunity from JESS3 on Vimeo.

In the coming days Expat Explorer will provide a mini-series of country focuses on some NORC countries that seem to top the charts of places for women to live and work time and time again. They will cover the benefits of each individual country, how to find out more and insight from expats who already live there, so you can a real feel for the place.

Guest Blogger Series: Where are you from?

paulsay@hsbc.com — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:46:51 PST

“It’s complicated” – This is the answer that many third culture kids gave to the question “Where are you from?” on an online survey. Most of the TCKs had moved at least once before the age of 5 years old and spoke at least two languages. An infografic on third culture kids can be found at Denizen, an online magazine dedicated to third culture kids.

After being born in the Zambian bush and living in Africa until I went to university in the Netherlands (also know as Holland), the question “Where are you from?” was a very difficult one for me to answer. During my time in Africa the answer to the question was not so difficult. I was living in Malawi and later Zimbabwe but I had blond hair and blue eyes and I was the “foreigner”, even though I had lived in Africa all my life and was even born there. My parents are Dutch and so I was Dutch.

The shock came when I went to university in Europe. I looked sort of like the other university students. I say “sort of” because I was not wearing the latest fashion, I did not quite sound like the others. There was an accent in my Dutch (ofcourse it was an English accent). Now the question was more difficult to answer. I suddenly discovered that I did not think like the other Dutch young people did, I did not feel like they did. I missed the colour of the Zimbabwean sun. I missed eating the sweet ripe fruits. I missed my friends and family back in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. There were many awkward situations in which I did not know what to do. How do I use the public transport? What brand margarine should I buy? If I visit someone should I always phone first or can I just drop by? Maybe I was not Dutch after all?

Years later I read the book “Third Culture Kids, Growing up Among Worlds” by David Pollock and Ruth van Reken (add a link to the book?). The book helped me realise that I was not strange, but that the confusion had everything to do with my life experiences. I was a “hidden immigrant”, I looked similar but thought differently to my peers.

Libby Stephens’, a cross- cultural transition consultant, says:

"In the 25+ years of working with third culture kids, I don't find cultural identity confusion to be a big issue until the TCKs return to their passport country"

I would advise parents and third culture kids to read the book I mentioned earlier. It also helps to know that problems could arise when children return to their passport country. That is my experience too. “According to my passport I’m coming Home” is an interesting document on the subject. It is writen by Kay Brandman Eakin. She has taught for more than 20 years in 8 different countries.

I recently started a blog. On the blog I want to share my life experiences and share information about third culture kids, children that grow up in other cultures. I have discovered that I feel “a whole person” if I can integrate the experiences I had as a child into my daily life or work. Writing the blog gives me energy. I also have the privilege of being part of a project in Indonesia. I just love the travel, interacting with people of other cultures, tasting new foods, and working internationally.

I would like to invite you to watch the short film “Les Passagers” by Aga Magdolen. It’s about third culture kids:

“I come from here, I come from there, in truth I come from everywhere”

Thank-you so much to Janneke, writer of the blog DrieCulturen, for writing this insightful blog for us. If you would like to hear more, either visit the DrieCulturen blog or Twitter feed.

Bonjour, ciao, hello, hola!

paulsay@hsbc.com — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 01:01:08 PST

One of the biggest quandaries faced by Expats when heading to a new country is the language – is it easy to pick up? Will I be able to get by? How do I go about learning?

Here at Expat Explorer, we have put together some top tips on how to learn a language, do let us know if you have any other tips that you found helped you out, always look forward to hearing from you!

1. Be Realistic

Learning a language is difficult, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you aren’t fluent within the week! It take’s years to be completely bilingual, this is the first step on a long road!

2. Try and use it as much as possible

The best way to learn a language is being immersed in it, and trying to use it as much as possible. It can be very daunting at first when you lack confidence, but you will find, if you start using it day to day it becomes much easier, much more quickly. Don’t worry about mistakes, that’s all part of the learning process, and people will help you if you are making the effort.

3. Use the locals!

Keep your eye out for advert in the local paper/shops for mutual tutors. This is where you can teach someone your language, while you learn their language…it’s such a great way of learning, can be free and also means you are making friends!

4. Mini goals

It can be very daunting wondering how you are ever going to start learning a new language, and small achievable goals can help! Set yourself 10 new words a week and make sure you use them everyday, and suddenly you will find you have built up a solid repertoire of words! It all helps you measure your success, which can act as a motivator.

5. Enjoy it!

Although it can be frustrating, learning a new language should be fun, so try never to treat it like a chore! It opens up worlds of opportunity and allows you to truly get involved in other cultures!

Good luck to all those budding linguists out there – do let us know how you are getting on!

Trans-Atlantic Stereotype Battling

paulsay@hsbc.com — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:12:05 PST

As an ex-Londoner now living in America I find myself in the unique position of being an Ambassador for this much misunderstood country. There is much misinformation about America still flying about but luckily I’m willing to take the bull by the horns and separate fact from fiction.

Do Americans have no sense of irony?
In my experience, I think it’s safe to say many of them don’t – not really. They definitely have a keen sense of humour, it’s just not one that is based on ‘taking the mickey’ and ‘trying to mask our repressed emotions by using humour as a defence’ as we Brits are want to do.
For example on the day Ricky Martin came out as gay I adopted a deadpan voice as I told an American friend the news. While shaking my head as if I’d been winded by the announcement I muttered, “Wow! I never saw that coming.”
In response my friend wrinkled her forehead and said, “I don’t know, he always seemed a bit camp to me. I wasn’t that surprised.”
Which immediately led to me bursting out, “I was joking! Of course I knew he was gay!”
Yes indeed, there is definitely something ‘lost in translation’ between the American and British sense of humour. They just don’t have the same desire to pick something to pieces for its humour value before tossing the carcass aside. But that probably makes them nicer people.

Do Americans all have freakishly white teeth?
For an American, straight white teeth are very important while for Brits it’s more a case of ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.’ As long as you have some teeth why sweat it and put yourself at the hands of a maniac with a big drill who will leave you with a large bill? Let’s face it dental perfection is very low on most British people’s list of priorities. Achieving freakishly straight not to mention white teeth is part of the American dream and if you need to take out a second mortgage on your house to afford dental care then hey just do it!

Are Americans are extremely superficial?
The vast majority are not. However, look at America via TV and what do you see? A huge growth in the breast implant industry (pun intended) as well as a focus on chiselled noses, abs and pecs. For these Hollywood stars the pursuit of perfection is a full time job. Americans have a very strong work ethic which has rubbed off on these celebs: but rather than going to work they are having work done on them. It’s more about looking the part of a celebrity than trying to look younger or firmer. As for the ordinary folk, generally US culture is less focused on looking sexy than in the UK.

So, there are some cultural myths busted, that’s it for now but do let me know if there are any other myths about Americans you’d like my insight into.

by Emma Kaufmann at www.mommyhasaheadache.blogspot.com

Guest Blogger Series: Introducing... Meghan Fenn

paulsay@hsbc.com — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:18:33 PST

Bringing Up Brits

I am a mother trying to give my children first-hand experience of my own culture and country while raising them in Britain with my British husband. Born in Korea, I was adopted at 8 months old by American parents and became an American citizen. I grew up in America as a Korean American girl in an American/Canadian family. After graduating from University, I went to Prague to teach English and it was there in a bohemian expat bar that I met my British husband.

After living and working on Prague for two years, travelling around and then living in Tokyo for another two years together, we moved to England to settle down and start a family. We have three young children; all born in the UK and all have dual British and American citizenship. I consider my family to be very cross-cultural! So, what’s it like raising a cross-cultural family in Britain today?

For one thing, I am completely outnumbered! I live with a British husband and three children (who all speak with a British accent, even my two year old!) and I’m often made fun of and mocked because of my own accent and other ‘Americanisms’ (that I just cannot help having). There are no family members from my side here nor are there any cultural references - my life, and my children’s lives are far more British than American. However, because of my background and my desire to raise my children as partly American, I force upon them American traditions which do not exist here and I always offer the American perspective on situations.

Celebrating American traditions such as Thanksgiving and the 4^th of July have become the norm in our household and my husband and children have learned to love them, not quite as much as I do, but enough to make me proud and happy. Proud that I am passing my cultural traditions down to my children and happy because I don’t have to give them up entirely. Of course it’s not the same celebrating them here, but it is the recognition and the effort that matters and the fact that my children might even pass those traditions down to their children one day (no matter where they end up living).

Language and communication are also very interesting aspects of our lives. When I first moved here, I struggled with both the British lexicon as well as the nuances of British English. Over time, I have become used to hearing and using words like ‘motorway’ instead of ‘highway’, ‘nappy’ instead of ‘diaper’, ‘jumper’ instead of ‘sweater’ and so on and so forth! My children love asking and re-affirming what the American word is for something. They often mix the two without even realising it! I love that they are growing up with another cultural reference – even though they have never lived in America, they are influenced by me and I am instilling in them a part, albeit a small part, of what it is to be American.

I think because language is not an obvious cultural difference between Americans and Brits, it is generally not considered to be problematic. However, it is huge. At times, my husband and I have misunderstandings and even arguments purely because we don’t understand the meaning of what we are actually saying. There is a subtlety in the way things are communicated between British people that is totally foreign to me and probably always will be. It is critical for us to recognise this cultural difference so that we can understand and support each other in any given situation.

Raising children within a cross cultural family is, at times, challenging and full of surprises. It is also wonderful, educational and extremely fascinating. In my book, Bringing Up Brits, I write about my experience as an expat mother and also about other cross cultural families from all over the world who are raising their children in Britain.

About the author
This article is by Meghan Peterson Fenn, author of Bringing Up Brits: Expat Parents Raising Cross-Cultural Kids in Britain
www.bringingupbrits.co.uk
www.bringingupbrits.co.uk/blog

Top Halloween Tweets

paulsay@hsbc.com — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 03:03:56 PDT

Here is a run down of Expat Explorer's favourite Tweets about Halloween from over the weekend.

From The Huffington Post:

'Today' show's Halloween costumes rule http://huff.to/rVP0Qo

From Jimmy Carr:

It’s Halloween. Just as it was exactly a year ago. On this very day. Spooky.

Click here to see original

From Technorati:

Kid's Safety: Tips For Parents On Halloween "Trick Or Treat" Night -http://bit.ly/rt8clG

From UK in California:

Happy Halloween Everyone! Hope to see all of your finest #UnionJack, #MickJagger, and #KateMiddleton costumes out and about!

Click here for original

From Life:

Cats in Costumes, Looking Horrified — appropriate for Halloween, yes? - http://on.life.com/uZnoae

From Robert Ebert:

Video history of Google's Halloween doodles, 1999-2010. http://bit.ly/sH4fFW

From Matthew Karsten:

Cool. RT @kenkaminesky: World's Largest Pumpkin Carved Into an Awesome Creepy Sculpture http://ow.ly/7by3w #halloween

From New Yorkology:

The top of the Empire State Building tonight will light up orange, black and white for Halloween http://bit.ly/rtxFGF

From Mrs Stephen Fry:

The baby won't go near our Halloween pumpkin. I keep saying there's nothing to be scared of . . . http://twitpic.com/78v9dt

From Heather Marter:

Genius Turns iPad Into Amazing Halloween Magic [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO] http://su.pr/2z0Cmo

What are your favourite Halloween Tweets? Leave us a comment below or Tweet us @ExpatExplorer.

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Bonjour, ciao, hello, hola!

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Top Halloween Tweets