Don't let reverse culture shock ruin your visit back home.

Reverse culture shock describes the feelings of confusion and frustration someone may experience returning home after time abroad. It is not easy to get over it because no one expects not to fit in at home anymore. Even though you rationally accept that life at home didn’t freeze the moment you left, to actually see people get by quite fine even without you is a big shock even for the most non-egocentric person.

Spending time abroad changes a person, whether they can see it immediately or not. You don’t realize how accustomed you have become to those “strange” little habits of your host country that you couldn’t make sense of at first. Sadly, this epiphany comes when you go back home. Perhaps this is why one of the most surprising and hardest to deal with “symptoms” of reverse culture shock is when you realize that you miss your host country as much as you used to miss home… or even more!

Why do I feel like a Martian in my own home?

Going back home for the first time is an exciting moment in the life of every expat. We have all spent hours planning our stay. Anticipation and daydreaming about  various reunions, conversations and other possible memorable events take more time than actually getting the suitcases ready.

Unfortunately, soon after you arrive, you start to realize that the places you used to go with friends feel sort of weird and unfamiliar even though they haven’t changed. For some reason you don’t feel as close to your friends as you used to. Even the neighbourhood you grew up in doesn’t seem like the safe harbour you thought it was when you were leaving. Suddenly, being home is not as good, as safe and as comfortable as you expected it to be.

There is also that unpleasant moment when you share your life-changing experiences abroad and you can see the people closest to you trying their best to show understanding. You feel they want to show empathy even though they a) don’t have the slightest idea, b) would love to change the subject to something mutually interesting, or c) all of the above.

Is there a cure for reverse culture shock?

Of course there is! First of all, preparation is a key factor in dealing with reverse culture shock. Remind yourself that life went on, that it is possible that your relationships have been altered because of time and distance. Don’t have high expectations, rather consider a couple of worst case scenarios, just in case. The less you expect, the harder it is to get disappointed. It also makes it easier to be pleasantly surprised.

Be patient. Give your loved ones time to understand what you have been through, but also, give yourself time to get back into their lives and their “not-so-extraordinary stories”. While buying a new car might seem like nothing, compared to the Argentinian dance instructor who taught you how to tango… in Argentina, it could be the highlight of your best friend’s year.

Search for activities related to your host country that you enjoyed during your stay there. Try to contact people from the host country that now live where you are, or connect with other expatriates who might understand what you went through.

The best way to not drown in the sea of culture shock (reverse or not), is through communication. Whether it is your friends and relatives at home, or your new friends abroad, keep in touch, share your experiences with them and ask about their lives. Not only will it strengthen your relationships, it will also make future transitions less stressful.

Ally Richards, winner of Just Landed's Expat Banking Poll prize

The Expat Banking Poll has officially come to a close.

Lucky Australian Alison Richards, who has been living abroad in Germany, was over the moon to find out she was picked as the winner of a new iPad2.

Her comment about her frustrations with banking abroad was one of many from expats contributing to The Expat Banking Poll, a social campaign sponsored by Lloyds TSB International.

Alison commented, “Being able to understand what banks abroad are saying can be quite tricky, especially when there was a problem with the chip in my card, as there was with many others.

“And when I chose to close my account they “lost” 200€! Then, after investigation, I was told this was due to a “chip error” that occurred on New Year’s Eve. I have never experienced this back home. So no trusting German banks for me!”

She later added, “I was delighted to have been picked as the winner. I’ve been so busy downloading apps and playing with it! My favourite apps are Angry Birds, Words with Friends and Photosynth.”

Get involved in the expat banking debate

While there is no longer an iPad on offer, the Expat Banking Poll Facebook page still has a lot to offer.

The information we have found so far is fascinating, and we plan to find out more. For example, the poll has so far revealed that as many as 59% of people living abroad completely trust their foreign banks. And that in Spain, 64% of expats do not trust Spanish banks “at all”.

In fact, we found the discussion so interesting, we’re going to continue posting regular questions, useful links and will also get involved in the conversation ourselves. And if that’s not enough, there will be regular articles about expat banking on Just Landed’s Expat Wealth blog – a great source of news and features on finance for foreigners.

And we’re not the only ones who’ve been enjoying the debate. Results from the poll have attracted a lot of attention from sites owned by big financial brands such as The Wall Street Journal and Yahoo! Finance, as well as British newspaper The Telegraph.

So join more than 1,000 (and counting) expats who completed the poll and have submitted their comments on banking abroad. We want to know what you think!

Like our Facebook page now to get involved in the discussion on expat banking.

Justin's Expat Adventure starts in 2012

It’s a brand new year (well, not brand new, it’s almost February already!) and Just Landed has got some exciting things planned.

Last year was a busy one for us… You will probably have noticed the redesign on our site by now. The fresh, new colours and simpler navigation we launched in the second half of 2011 have proved to be a big hit with our users and advertisers.

Also, Just Landed became a far more social experience in 2011. You can now share your favourite articles with your fellow expats on Facebook and tweet useful information to your Twitter followers.

And it’s not only www.justlanded.com that saw some big changes. Hopefully you will have already checked out our new sister sites, Expat Wealth, Expat Health and Expat Marketing, which have been making waves both on the web and their social media pages.

But, amazingly, this year is going to be even busier for us! As part of our plan to maintain Just Landed’s position as the number one place on the web for people living or moving abroad, we’re investing a large amount of resources into making Just Landed an even more informative, user-friendly and enjoyable experience for our users. For example, Justin’s Expat Adventure will see our very own alien mascot travelling around the world looking for the best places for expats to live. You’ll be given the opportunity to comment on his adventure via Facebook, as well as finding out helpful information about living in popular expat destinations. Get ready to start following his adventure by liking the Just Landed Facebook page.

We’ve also been working hard on a new housing portal, set to launch in the next couple of months, that will make finding a new home abroad a far less stressful experience. Watch this space…

Of course, we’ll also be busy making sure our extensive archive of country guides are always up to date, keeping you posted on the latest expat news via our blogs and social media pages and generally making life easier and more enjoyable for people living abroad.

Exciting stuff!

Expats tend to change their eating habits.

Are you an expat with an overhanging belly? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Putting on weight seems to be very common in expat communities.

But is it really that surprising? Moving to another country isn’t only about new languages and cultures but also about new and exciting food. Exotic dishes, bizarre food combinations and traditional drinks are something every cosmopolitan expatriate should experiment. So, let your food adventure begin!

How do we gain weight as expats?

It usually goes like this… The new expat, feeling good and in fairly good shape, arrives in a new country ready for new experiences. The likelihood is they’ll first stick to their regular eating habits, probably even craving familiar foods from home. But soon, all the exciting new delights in shops and restaurants start calling. The expat can’t resist the temptation of the curious packages with funny-sounding names on supermarket shelves or the weird dishes available in traditional restaurants. Without even realizing it, the expat has already said goodbye to mama’s comfort food from home and is plunged into an intoxicating mix of flavours and spices. But this is just the beginning…

The second fatal phase of the fattening journey begins with making new international friends. It’s at this stage that eating evolves into a social event. Invitations to dinners where guests prepare typical food from their countries are so much fun, that the expatriate just can’t resist. Parties with calorific drinks become more frequent. Then inevitably, the phrase “I heard about a great restaurant, we have to go!” becomes commonplace. When the connoisseur finally gets short of cash, cheap junk food starts to work its way into their diet. With a tight budget, and even tighter jeans, their only consolation is that their fellow expats are getting larger as well.

Is culture shock to blame?

Your extra fat may be just a natural consequence of culture shock. This is a state of loss and disorientation that every new expat experiences after changing their environment. Culture shock commonly leads to lethargy, depression and, believe it or not, weight gain! Living in a different country without support can make expats feel anxious and, as a result, they will often seek emotional comfort in food. Being more aware of what, how much, and why you’re eating can help you understand how you’re feeling on an emotional level, and hopefully lead to overcoming your anxiety about living abroad. Expats should take extra care to make sure they stay healthy and informed about expat health news.

What do you think? Is it common for expats to be overweight? How did your moving abroad affect your weight? Share your experiences and tips in the comments section.

Austrian Arnold Schwarzenegger is arguably the most successful expat in the USA. The former bodybuilder originally made the move to the states to pursue a movie career. Not only did Arnie manage to fight his way through the mountains of paperwork and bureaucracy involved in being an expat, he also managed to become the governor of California. Not bad.

British actor Sir Sean Connery prefers the sunny Bahamas over his native Scotland, purportedly to avoid the invasive British press. Sir Sean claims it was a politically influenced move and has been quoted as saying, “like a lot of Scots abroad, I look forward to coming home to an independent Scotland”. We imagine the millions of pounds in tax savings would be a bonus though… Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger also moved to the south of France to avoid high taxes in the UK. The Rolling Stones critical album Exile on Main St. is a nod to this move.

“Look twice before you leap”

Some famous expats move for love. American socialite Wallis Simpson caused a scandal in the 1930s when she met and fell in love with King Edward VIII of England, who consequently abdicated (stepped down as king) to marry her. The couple were asked to leave Britain and they spent the rest of their lives together abroad. A less successful love story; English novelist Charlotte Brontë moved to Brussels with her sister Emily to study in 1842. She fell unrequitedly in love with her teacher and returned home heartbroken.

And did you know that Monty Python actor Terry Gilliam was born an American but took British citizenship? He left the USA in the late 60s to work in London as an illustrator and editor. For years he had dual-nationality and paid taxes in both countries. But In 2006 he renounced his US citizenship citing “the man at the head of the US” (George W. Bush at the time) as the main reason. As a result, he can now spend less time per year in the USA than most Europeans.

It seems that even rich and famous expats don’t always have it easy…

Skype is a great way to stay in touch with friends and family.

Two of my best friends independently announced their engagements last year and started planning weddings for this summer. Great news, except that they both asked me to be bridesmaid and I don’t even live in the same country! After the initial congratulations, a sense of dread overwhelmed me as I realised exactly what I was letting myself in for.

Being a bridesmaid twice in as many weeks would be hard enough without coordinating things from another country; how would I be able to perform my duties correctly? Flying in a week before the big day, hoping the dress fits, throwing together a suitably raucous hen party, make-up and hair run-throughs. Would a week be enough?

In this age of social networking, email and Skype, there is no excuse for not staying closely in touch with friends and family. Without it I am sure I would have lost touch completely with a few people. With two weddings looming I set about putting all this technology to use. Potential dress choices were exchanged on Facebook, Skype chats went a long way to calming any bridezilla tendencies, and the hen parties were booked and coordinated via email. I even managed to contact a long lost university friend through LinkedIn.

In an age where many people malign technology and claim it takes over their lives, I rejoice in it. I can see pictures and videos of my friend’s new baby, experience my Grandparents’ wonder when they see me on Skype and book flights home quickly and easily online. As an expat I am having an experience no one at home is having but I’m still in close contact with those people, so as I see it, I have the best of both worlds.

The classic
The King and I (1956) – The tale of a British governess and her relationship with her employer, the King of Siam. Those expats employed by local royalty, proceed with caution.
Casablanca (1942) – This eternal favourite about an American living in Morocco during WWII has got everything an expat needs, a bar, love, and a teary ending.

The uplifting
Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) – An unlucky-in-love American writer ups sticks and moves to Italy. She buys a villa, renovates it and consequently, her life.
Chocolat (2000) – Not exactly an expat but an ‘out-of-towner’ opens up a chocolate shop in rural France just before Lent and faces all kinds of opposition from the locals, only to win them over in the end.

This is just a small taster of the many films concerned with expat life.  As an expat, let’s hope that your experience abroad is filled with adventure, but not the organ-stealing, slavery type. You may encounter unwelcoming locals or a challenging environment, one thing is for sure, you will learn something new.  While your experiences might not read like a film script, try not to end up wanting to quote Leo in The Beach –  ‘I just feel that everyone tries to do something different, but you always wind up doing the same damn thing.’

Whatever your opinion, we want to know what you think about managing money abroad. In fact, we’re so keen to hear what you’ve got to say, we’ve teamed up with Lloyds TSB International to offer you the chance to win an iPad!

Just answer two simple questions and tell us your story to be entered into the prize draw. What are you waiting for?

Update: This poll is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

Since food and eating are the common passion for most Chinese people, if you want to make friends with Chinese people, inviting them for a dinner or going out to eat something tasty is always a great start. Many foreign friends of mine have told me they have an impression of Chinese people that we don’t like to go out for partying and prefer staying at home with a group of friends. Well, that’s basically the truth since for most Chinese people, a yummy hotpot at home is way better than a bottle of cold beer at the bar.

So now you have a general picture about how important food is in the Chinese culture. So next time, if you are invited to eat with your Chinese friends, don’t get too surprised if you see a rich feast on the dinner table. Just enjoy the food together and share the food passion with them.

However, when it comes to international romance, there are many questions: are relationships between people with different nationalities easily accepted? How is dating a foreigner different from dating someone from your own country? Are there any difficulties?

Generally speaking, most people see no problem with relationships involving two different nationalities – this is especially true in the West. Most people think that as long as the relationship is healthy and the couple is happy, then they should be accepted.

However, traditional families do not see international romance this way. Take my relationship with my Dutch boyfriend as an example. Once my mother found out I was seeing a foreigner she was furious,  because it is one of the things that will ‘ruin a girl’s reputation in the village’. It took my family over one year to realize that we were determined to be together, and only then did they accept to have dinner with us.

While societal pressure on international couples is far less than before, there are still problems that arise, especially when it comes to cultural issues. But this can be overcome by learning more about each other’s cultures – only then can you really understand each other. For instance, my boyfriend used to complain that I talk too indirectly, making myself difficult to be understood. Meanwhile, I thought that he talked so directly that it offended me. We solved this problem (and also many others) by reminding each other of our cultural differences, accepting them and adjusting ourselves.

Relationships between people of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds can not only work but also thrive. However, it depends on whether the people involved are willing to make concessions and learn about each other’s culture. Only then will they be able to fully appreciate each other.