What Kind of Expat Are You?

Republished with permission from Simon Black, sovereignman.com

People ask me this question all the time:

“Simon, I really want to leave the country, but where should I go?”

Quite literally, there is a world of possibilities out there, each full of richness and opportunity. But as you could imagine, it depends on what kind of person you are. What would be a great expat haven for some seems like a hellish nightmare to others.

Over the years I have seen thousands of expats roaming in and out of different countries around the world. In my opinion, most expats fall into seven categories… and chances are you probably fit one of the molds as well:

PIONEER: You are an opportunity-focused expatriate, and you are willing to relocate solely for the prospect of making a great deal of money and doing something interesting. You think nothing of charging in to an almost native, potentially dangerous environment and care nothing of dilapidated infrastructure, squalor.

You are willing to learn the local language and don’t care if anyone else speaks English there… you love the almost lawless, wild west persona and can literally smell the money everywhere.

EXPEDITIONER: You are a classical traveler in the mold of British merchants and explorers– you want to make the journey overseas, but you want your amenities too, complete with a triple mocha latte.

You want to storm the plains of the Serengeti… with an armed guide. You want to see India up close and personal… then go back to your five star hotel.

In short, you want the richness of the expat experience, but you want it to be easy and painless.

RETIREE: You have had a full career and are looking for a switch… it’s not about playing golf every day (though there will be plenty of that), it’s about finding a new direction in life, taking new steps, and getting energized again.

You are looking for something worthwhile to throw your time and effort into, and you want to be surrounded by like minded people who are in a similar position in life.  In a way, you want to turn back the clock and find a place that reminds you of home years ago– 1950s America, for example.

NOMAD: You are a permanent traveler. You roam the globe because there are simply too many amazing places to see, and abundant opportunities in each.  You perhaps have a ‘home base’ somewhere, but you don’t see it for months at a time.  You know people all over the world and enjoy making new connections and trying new things.

You count air miles as an asset and talk about ‘running down to Panama for a few days’ as if you were going down the street to pick up a quart of milk at the grocery store.

HERMIT: You shun contact with most of the world because they just don’t get it.  You are passionate about your beliefs and are looking for a place where you can execute an agenda– growing organic food, preparing for social chaos, etc.

You are possibly interested in setting up a small community with like-minded souls, preferably away from major civilization where you can live your life without bother or interference from governments or corrupt social institutions.

INTERNATIONALIST: You are a smart, educated, opportunistic professional that is a cross between the pioneer and expeditioner– you thrive on opportunity but need some basic structure to feel comfortable… probably because you have a family or some other obligations beyond yourself.

As long as basic needs are met– safety, schools, healthcare, etc., you are happy and can focus on building a life and a new business.

HEDONIST: You have been successful in life and simply want to enjoy the fruits of your efforts over the years– wine, women, whatever else seems interesting. You almost feel like a kid again, free to jump on a plane to follow your favorite team, see an old friend, or make new ones.

You pick a country because of its opportunities for pleasure, and are always willing to explore new ones.

… so there you have it. In all honesty, most people can find elements of several categories but are generally dominant in one.

The places that you will probably find appealing depend on which kind of expat you are.  We will explore these together in future letters, and I will use these categories as a reference point from now on when I write about cities and countries.

Think about which one you are and let me know what you think. Did I miss any?

Author Victoria Twead shown on terrace of new home in Spain

Why move to Spain? Why live in a tiny mountain village, with only six permanent residents, no shop and half an hour away from the nearest big town?

For my first blog post for Travelin4Health, I thought I’d shoot back in time, and explain how Joe and I ended up leaving England for the village of El Hoyo, tucked away in the Alpujarra mountains.

It was my fault, of course. Joe was about to retire and already dreaming of a tension-free life, lounging in his dressing-gown all day, writing his masterpiece and perhaps diverting himself with the odd mathematical problem.

But, no, I had other ideas. I had plenty of reasons, some vague, some more solid.

So one particularly cold, wet Bank Holiday, I broached the subject. I gabbled on about the weather, the cost of living being cheaper in Spain, the pace of life slower, etc, etc.

“Why don’t you write one of your famous lists?” Joe suggested, only half joking.

I’m well known for my lists and records, I can’t help myself. I make a note of the weather every day, the temperature, the first snowdrop, the day the ants fly, the exchange rate of the euro, everything. I make shopping lists, separate ones for each shop. I make To Do lists and ‘Joe, will you please’ lists. I even make lists of lists. My nickname at work used to be Schindler.

So I set to work and composed what I considered to be a killer pitch.

• Sunny weather

• Cheap houses

• Live in the country

• Miniscule council tax

• Friendly people

• Less crime

• No heating bills

• Cheap petrol

• Wonderful Spanish food

• Cheap wine and beer

• Could get satellite TV so you won’t miss English football

• Much more laid-back life style

• Could afford house big enough for family and visitors to stay

• No TV licence

• Only short flight to UK

• Might live longer because Mediterranean diet is healthiest in the world

When I ran dry, I handed the list to Joe. He glanced at it and snorted.

“I’m going to make a coffee,” he said, but he took my list with him. He was in the kitchen a long time.

When he came out, I looked up at him expectantly. He ignored me, snatched a pen and scribbled on the bottom of the list. Satisfied, he threw it on the table and left the room. I grabbed it and read his additions. He’d pressed so hard with the pen that he’d nearly gone through the paper.

Joe had written:-

• CAN’T SPEAK SPANISH!

• TOO MANY FLIES!

• MOVING HOUSE IS THE PITS!

Well, to cut a long story short, after weeks of nagging and grinding him down, Joe finally came up with a compromise. We’d move to Spain, but as a Five Year Plan. We wouldn’t sell our English house, and we’d live in Spain and decide whether we’d make it permanent at the end of five years.

But it was Joe’s fault we ended up in El Hoyo. We both wanted to live inland where the property was cheaper, but it was Joe who fell in love with our crumbling ruin of a house. And I’m very glad he did.

The house had no kitchen, no usable bathroom. The walls were a metre thick and disintegrating. Electric cables sprouted out of walls, unprotected and lethal. But Joe saw the potential, and I warmed to the idea.

No, we didn’t have a proper shop in the village, but we could buy fresh produce, fish and bread from the vans that delivered daily. Yes, we had to learn Spanish very quickly. And the added bonus was that the villagers welcomed us with open arms.

Of course, we didn’t know then how hard it would all be. We didn’t know about the snow in winter, or just how hot and fly-infested it would get in summer. We didn’t know we’d become reluctant chicken farmers or get rescued by a mule. But that’s all another story.

What we did know immediately, however, was that we’d made the right decision. Life was certainly very different from what we’d left behind, but so much better in so many ways. Most of the items on my original list came true, but there were many surprises. Like how the villagers adopted us. And how good the Spanish health care system is. Or how I’d become passionate about chickens and Spanish cuisine.

Our lives would never be the same again…

Win a copy of ‘Chickens Mules and Two Old Fools’

Victoria’s website

Amazon link to the book

Good Health Care Available in Pattaya, Thailand

Date: March 8, 2010
Reporting From: Pattaya, Thailand

Republished with permission from Simon Black, sovereignman.com

I managed to pick up some nasty bug that has knocked me into next Tuesday… But while I feel completely miserable at the moment, this little bacterial bout has given me the opportunity to experience, first-hand, the joys of the Thai medical system.

First, doctors make house calls. When you’re as sick as I am, the last thing you want to do is get dressed, sit in the car, and go to the doctor’s office. Not a problem in Thailand… they come to you, all for about $30. And yes, they speak perfect English.

Second, if you’re a believer in medication, you can buy pretty much buy whatever you want over-the-counter– from antibiotics to codeine to Viagra. And everything costs a small fraction of what you would expect. You almost feel guilty, like you’re ripping off the pharmacy.

I paid 80 baht, roughly $2.50, for a 5-day batch of antibiotics, ibuprofen, and throat lozenges.

Third, if you so choose (and I do), you can have a team of nurses attending to your every need while you’re getting better. I’ve got a couple of ladies whose sole mission in life is to take care of whatever I need– changing the sheets, making a bowl of soup or tea, giving me a massage, or just sitting next to the bed with a wet washcloth over my forehead.

It’s funny what kind of misperceptions people have about medical care overseas. I’m frequently asked “What happens if you get sick overseas? Aren’t you concerned about the quality of medical care?”

Trust me, if/when I get sick, especially in an emergency, I truly hope that I’m in a place like Thailand or Panama instead of wasting away in waiting room back in the US, or paying through the nose for medicine.

Anyhow, I’m going to cut this short today for obvious reasons… depending on how I feel tomorrow I may or may not post something, so don’t be surprised in case you don’t hear from me.

best,
Simon Black
Senior Editor, Sovereign Man

The lifestyle living in Discovery Bay, Hong Kong

Hong Kong is such a great place to live because it is so unique in so many different ways. Within 10 minutes radius you can be living amongst high rise buildings and trendy restaurants or by the beach in lovely house.

Discovery Bay is only a short 30 minute ferry ride away from Hong Kong Island, we are situated on the same island as the airport – Lantau Island. I truly believe we have the best of both worlds, we have the luxury of a holiday destination where the only mode of private transport is golf carts and bicycles. The area is also known as delivery bay by many people as the population of DB is generally full of children and their dogs.

This is such a unique place to live where everything is within walking distance which makes access to anything easy. We have many mountains that are definitely worth hiking and a very close nit community where most people know each other! Each area has it’s own community, whether you live on a boat at the Marina or in a townhouse on the golf course you feel part of a community within a community.

When I first moved to Discovery Bay I would often meet expats who would ask “How long are you here for?” and when I would respond “Just 2 years”. To my amazement the response would always be the same “that is what we said 5/10/20 years ago”.

This is why we decided to create an organization for the community. Women In Charge is a networking organization situated in the heart of DB, this unique organization allows like minded women to come together for varying reasons. Whether you have your own business, like to get back into the workforce or you would like to join WIC’s social club then this is definitely worth checking out! There is everything from social events, workshops and networking events to attend.

If you are in Hong Kong why not contact us and join in!

The Vijay Lal family pictured with Dr. Suresh Bhagia following heart surgery on the mother and twin boys (one twin not present).

Three patients from one family – all suffering from the same kind of heart disease – get the help they need from an Indian heart surgeon they met at a charity event in Fiji.  Two of the patients were 13-year old twins; the third patient was the twins’ mother.

Dr.  Suresh Thakurdas Bhagia, a heart surgeon affiliated with Apollo Hospitals in India, relates the following story:

I was in Fiji in October 2006 for a charitable heart surgery mission via Friends of Fiji Heart Foundation.  During our two-week stay in Fiji, the managers of this missionary group befriended me.  The managers were mostly based in Auckland, NZ.

Three months later, when I returned to India in Gujarat, the land of Gandhi, I got an email from one of the managers who told me his distant cousin in Fiji had twins who had heart disease.  I responded quickly and I told them to email me their reports.  I studied their echocardiography and realized that their condition was a correctable congenital heart lesion.

Money Saved Plus a Better Medical Experience

Both the twins had a hole in the heart, called, atrial septal defect.  They were told that in Auckland they will incur an expense of about 40,000/- NZ dollars each.  I told them that they can tour India, eat and drink and get surgery done, all of this at only like 10,000/- dollars each which will include hotel stay as well for an attendant.

So the father (from Fiji) and mother (from NZ) were overjoyed and in February 2007 all of them came to India and had a good time as far as their stay and tourism to Gujarat and Rajasthan were concerned.

The Successful Outcome

Their heart surgery went as per plans and they got 100% positive results in the correction of their anomaly proved by physicians postoperatively and echocardiographically and other radiological tests in India and New Zealand.

Later on, due to the emotional ties developed between the mother and father and twins, the father also applied for immigration to NZ and I wrote a letter to the NZ embassy explaining the heart condition of the twins.  The father is now a resident of NZ.

All is well that ends well.

Grateful Family Keeps In Touch

This family keeps in regular touch with me via emails and exchanges jokes and group photos of festivals which they celebrate in NZ.

I have operated on patients from Australia and Nairobi and Kenya as well, but this above story was indeed really a travel for health story which involved twins… But also the mother was found to have a hole in her heart which was also corrected on the same trip following the boys’ recovery in Gujarat. So it was real medical tourism that helped three patients of one family suffering from the same kind of heart disease.

Lake Geneva, WI – Alajuela, Costa Rica- February 25, 2010–Costa Rica is hosting the First Latin American Global Medicine & Wellness Conference in San Jose, Costa Rica April 26-28, 2010.

This conference will generate more than 750 business meetings, and the organizers expect over 400 participants, with over 75 exhibitors from throughout Latin America. Top level health care industry speakers will address many topics related to the medical tourism industry. Attending this conference will provide you a unique opportunity to participate in negotiations with international buyers, insurance companies, self-insured companies, medical facilitators and other important players of the industry. Visit their website http://globalmedicinecongress.com/.

Costa Rican Medical Care will be showcasing their services at this conference. The purpose of this conference is for insurance company executives, employee benefit mangers, health underwriters, insurance agents, third-party administrators, and other interested parties to experience first hand what the hospitals and physicians of Costa Rica and other Latin American countries have to offer.

Now is the time for employee benefit providers, insurance companies, TPAs, health insurance agents and anyone who is concerned about the rising cost of health care to learn about the benefits of medical tourism, especially in nearby Latin America. One of the main ways to bring down health care costs in the U.S. is for employers to offer a medical tourism option.

“Costa Rican Medical Care will be sponsoring a private dinner on April 28 offering the opportunity for invited quests to meet many of the doctors and medical providers we currently work with”, said Tim Morales of CRMC. “Those interested in sponsoring or attending the conference can sign up on our website at www.costaricanmedicalcare.com and enter the promo code “DINNER.” We are very excited by the amount of people that have signed up already and we’re looking forward to adding to this list.

If you would like more information on working with Costa Rican Medical Care, please contact Tim Morales at Costa Rican Medical Care at 262-348-1300 or visit www.costaricanmedicalcare.com.

Seniors Get Good Care at La Clinica Alemana in Santiago, Chile'

Medical Care You Can Expect as a Senior.

My partner Ivonne is from Chile’, a magical destination of spectacular beauty, pristine national parks, seven weather zones and hospitable people.

The modern nation of Chile’ was founded by German immigrants in the late 1880s and their Germanic ways left an indelible mark on the nation.

Chilean society is low key, structured and rather formal.  Professionals are highly trained and take pride in their work.  It is a progressive nation that emerged from the dark years of dictatorship with a solid commitment to a social contract with its people.  This commitment includes an excellent education system, universal health insurance to all people and funding of superb medical infrastructure.

Medical Emergency

We were notified that Ivonne’s mother, Helga, a feisty 82 year young woman required immediate cardiac surgery.  I heard, with great concern, that her aortic valve required replacement.

Armed with 20-years of healthcare experience, half of which was at a major academic medical center, I had every reason to be concerned.  Aortic valve replacement is considered a complex procedure with challenging recovery.  The location of the valve makes minimally invasive surgery nearly impossible. Frankly, in the USA, patients are routinely steered away from undergoing this procedure at Helga’s advanced age.

Ivonne and I were very concerned and booked ourselves on a flight to Santiago.  Eight hours after leaving Miami, we landed at Santiago’s modern international airport.  Following a brief detention at the airport’s “food police” station and a $210 fine for brining in to the county banned fruit (a Chilean apple that Ivonne bought in Miami as a snack for the flight), we headed South on a modern expressway to Clinica Alemana (the German Hospital).

The Hospital Experience

The Clinic is a modern 500 bed facility some 40 minutes from the airport.  It was 10am, surgery started at 7am and by noon the surgeon came out to inform the family that the operation was routine and that Helga was heading to post-operative recovery.

I was impressed.  And that will not be the only time, as Helga was out of the ICU within three days and after four more days was sent home.  Three days later, she was back on her daily walk to the neighborhood café’ for her afternoon coffee (an institution in Chile’).

As a seasoned healthcare executive, I felt compelled to talk with the surgeon and the hospital administrator and share my profound appreciation for the positive experience and clinical outcome.

I did so and met a humble US-educated surgeon and a hospital executive who took their time to enlighten me about the procedure and the quality of care at the hospital.  I was impressed with the outcome, the family’s positive experience, the kindness of the nurses, the skills of the cardiovascular surgical team and the optimistic outlook of the cardiologist who insisted that Helga is a viable patient for this complex surgery.

With or without accreditation by Joint Commission International, La Clinica Alemana is easily on-par with the BEST hospitals in the USA. For those who may want to retire in Chile’ (like Ivonne and I), you can take GREAT comfort in knowing that Helga’s experience is not an isolated incident.  Chile’ has excellent healthcare professionals, good facilities and a warm hearted attitude towards the patient and the family.

Stay tuned for the next installment.

___________________________________

Authorization and Notice of Use: Published with authorization of International-Triage, LLC.  Reprinting and republishing requires expressed written permission of the writer and International-Triage, LLC.  Copyright International-Triage, LLC 2010

Welcome, Traveling4Health Correspondents of all ages; but particularly you Baby-Boomers.

The truth is a lot of people are hesitant about making a move abroad because they’re concerned about being isolated.  The world can be a cruel place, especially to newbies.  Even corporate expats can feel isolated within the closed garden community of company affiliation.

You can help!

I invite you to build your reputation as a Lifestyle Abroad Correspondent and look forward to hearing your stories on the blog site of www.traveling4health.com.

We publish first hand accounts (consumer reviews) of real lives and lived experiences.  No marketing pitches.  However, you will be given author credit and can include a link to your own website.

By registering and contributing blogs you will be given a free profile and the status of an author on our new social media website launching the alpha version in April.

First register yourself on our blog site.  It’s easy; just 3 steps;  1. register, 2. fill out your author bio (remember to include a link to your website or email address); 3. post a blog (select posts >add new).  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at Ilene@traveling4health.com or call me at 253.334.1833.

We can’t promise to publish your stories, but we will do so if it fits our genre and meets our editorial guidelines which will be forwarded to you upon your registration.  You will hear back from us one way or the other and we value your participation.

We promise to keep your contact information private and will not sell any of your contact information or content.  By posting a blog, you are agreeing to give us permission to publish your blog.

February 2010 update on price of prescription drugs - Guadalajara, Mexico

Hello & Welcome Back!

Just finishing the February Price Updates and thought some would like to see the newest prescription prices in our ‘default’ city of Guadalajara.

Remember that drug prices are about 25% of the USA cash price.

I’ve also noted that the prices on consumer electronics, tv’s and cameras, come in at about 75 to 80 % of the USA cash price.

Here is the link directly to the new $$$:

Panama - A Salesmen's Gold Rush Mentality

According to Secrets from a Panama Real Estate Insider, a 2/18 post on the Sovereignman website, one of the major pitfalls of foreign property transactions is when people entrust their capital to an incompetent or shady real estate agent.

A Salesmen’s “Gold Rush Mentality” is often identified when the money to be made attracts hustlers onto the playing field.

As the article points out, “Panama is one of those countries that registers a lot of interest from potential expats… and with good reason. It’s cheap, it’s close to North America, it has a strong and stable economy, and it’s full of opportunity for an ambitious investor and entrepreneur.”

Certainly that’s confirmed by all reports.  And Panama is attracting a lot of people looking at their options to retire abroad.

The Good News for Baby-Boomers

A lot of people like to compare Panama to Costa Rica 15 or 20 years ago.  It is one of the best places in the world for retirees to retire today because it combines a low cost of living, wonderful tropical weather, and one of the best discount programs for retirees in the world including the pensionado program of special benefits for foreign retirees.

Panama is rated as the number one place in the Americas for retirement by Modern Maturity magazine of the American Association of Retired Persons, in the top five according to Fortune Magazine and International Living. Conde Nast Traveler selected Panama as one of the six best places for a second home in the Americas.

These ratings are based on safety, cost of living, infrastructure attractions, beauty, and the wonderful tropical weather that is nevertheless outside the Hurricane belt.

There are also incentives such as zero local tax for foreign residents and an environment conducive for starting a business.  And Panama has its own coinage but uses U.S. dollars for all its paper currency.

Trust but Verify

When reputable publishers like Simon Black of Sovereign Man and Kathleen Peddicord of Live and Invest Oveseas start to warn people in newsletters about “shady” real estate agents and report bad experiences with attorneys in Panama, we report that as a consumer review.

If you don’t already have a circle of trusted contacts in Panama, Black recommends Panama realtor Ulrich Schwark and Peddicord recommends Panama attorney Rainelda Mata-Kelly.

We, at T4H, believe that finding a trusted resource is as important as “finding a deal”.  You can’t hide a bad reputation but you can forget to look for it when you’re hyper-focused on the deal.