Expats

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  • Indian High Commission celebrates 63rd Republic Day of India

    expatriate - Yahoo! News Search Results
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:42 pm
    The High Commission of India and the Indian expatriate community celebrated the Republic Day of India on January 26. The High Commission of India and the Indian expatriate community in Sri Lanka celebrated the 63rd Republic Day of India on Thursday, January 26, 2012, at India House in Colombo.

  • The Five Elements and You

    China Expat - All Around China in One Website
    Ernie
    19 Jan 2012 | 10:18 pm
      by Ernie Diaz   “Ooh – a dragon year! That’s lucky, right?” Wrong. It’s not unlucky either. It’s all relative, not least to what you make of the new year, moment-to-moment. There are other factors. We could tell you that if you’re born in a dog year, to keep your tail down, and that the rats and monkeys among you will find favor with the dragon. We also know you’d be highly unlikely to give it any serious consideration.   Why? The moon has invisible but irresistible influence on the tides. At the atomic level, you’re made of the same stuff as the stars.

  • Interview with Judy Rickatson, Social Media Director at Families in Global Trans

    Expat Focus
    20 Jan 2012 | 5:11 pm
    I guess you could call me a professional trailing spouse. I was born and raised in the UK and unwittingly married a Third Culture Kid. Soon after, we immigrated to Canada where I built a successful career in real estate. When my son was 9 years old my husband’s job took us to Azerbaijan just after its independence from the Soviet Union, which was a huge culture shock, but also a life-changing experience (in a good way!)... Interview continues here

  • Missed Some Great Expat Links on Twitter? (January 25-26 edition)

    Expat Women
    25 Jan 2012 | 7:42 pm
    Hi Everyone, I hope your week has been fantastic! Here are some expat links I have tweeted recently that might interest you... Self-Published (Former Expat) Author Gets Movie Deal After Being Discovered On Twitter http://bit.ly/AqIunA Invent Your Future Job: Be Unique, Be Social, Be Global - by Expat Coach Anne Egros http://bit.ly/wdglBS 5 Most Common Expat Injuries in China http://bit.ly/yiXRLA Is America Shutting The Door On Expats? http://tgr.ph/Az9u4X Delhi Journal: The Expat Experience (Wall Street Journal) http://on.wsj.com/AbnBkU Expat Selena's Observations On Her New Life In the UK…

  • Syria Armed Force Helps Rebels Gain Ground

    NYT > Global Home
    By KAREEM FAHIM
    28 Jan 2012 | 4:58 am
    The growing assertiveness of a loosely organized force in Syria hinted at the expanding role of the armed opposition in a movement that began peacefully more than 10 months ago.
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    China Expat - All Around China in One Website

  • The Five Elements and You

    Ernie
    19 Jan 2012 | 10:18 pm
      by Ernie Diaz   “Ooh – a dragon year! That’s lucky, right?” Wrong. It’s not unlucky either. It’s all relative, not least to what you make of the new year, moment-to-moment. There are other factors. We could tell you that if you’re born in a dog year, to keep your tail down, and that the rats and monkeys among you will find favor with the dragon. We also know you’d be highly unlikely to give it any serious consideration.   Why? The moon has invisible but irresistible influence on the tides. At the atomic level, you’re made of the same stuff as the stars.

  • Waist-Drumming, A New Year Ritual

    Ernie
    17 Jan 2012 | 9:00 pm
      by Ernie Diaz   Turn around and wave goodbye to your youth if you look forward to the Spring Festival, or holidays in general, as you look forward to an easy-chair after a long day on your feet. If, on the other hand, you look forward to holidays as being freed from a cage, you’ve still got it, tiger.   Do not discount the power of that difference, the friction it can create. In suburban strata, that difference can lead to having to get off the couch and deal with neighborhood kids knocking over garbage cans.   In less alienated strata of society, and older, the…

  • China Moments

    Ernie
    12 Jan 2012 | 11:30 am
      from Chinese Lessons, by John Pomfret   My first impression of the Chinese at the Beijing Languages Institute was how skinny they were. Foreigners studying at the institute were not allowed to live with Chinese, so for me the best way to meet them was to play pickup basketball, introduced to China in 1896 by American missionaries. Despite its imperialist pedigree, Mao loved basketball; it was the only Western sport not banned during the Cultural Revolution.   Courtside, the Chinese students would peel off layer after layer of clothes; a blue or green Mao jacket, a brownish…

  • Kunqu Cliff Notes

    Ernie
    12 Jan 2012 | 6:57 am
      by Ernie Diaz   No one rational is going to deny that Beijing Opera and its mother, Kunqu Opera, is hopelessly dated. The high-pitched caterwauling, the body-language semaphore, play to sensibilities dulled by motion pictures. But there is a reason it’s still around after centuries – the moral kernels that still pop, if heated with some patience and imagination.   So no one’s asking you to sit through Kunqu Opera performances, which have been known to go hours with nary a car chase or sex scene. We will first kindly ask you to conjecture if the solipsistic dilemmas…

  • Things to Do in Harbin When It’s Cold

    Ernie
    10 Jan 2012 | 8:32 am
      by Ernie Diaz   Just to be clear from the outset: no one on this side of your screen is actually recommending you go to the Harbin Ice Festival. We’re a little long-in-the-tooth to play the hipster, who scorns the good just because too many normal people like it. But we are contrarians, and busy trying to give you perspectives of China not available on your next China Travel bookmark.     OK, maybe vacationing in a clime designed to kill mammals without a natural pelt and thick layers of blubber is contrarian. We’ll evaluate the festival, and other fun to be had in…
 
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    expatriate - Yahoo! News Search Results

  • Indian High Commission celebrates 63rd Republic Day of India

    27 Jan 2012 | 1:42 pm
    The High Commission of India and the Indian expatriate community celebrated the Republic Day of India on January 26. The High Commission of India and the Indian expatriate community in Sri Lanka celebrated the 63rd Republic Day of India on Thursday, January 26, 2012, at India House in Colombo.

  • US man kidnapped in Nigeria freed: embassy

    27 Jan 2012 | 11:43 am
    A US expatriate worker who was kidnapped by Nigerian gunmen in the oil-rich Niger Delta region on January 20 has been released, his embassy and police said Friday.

  • William at a holiday meal at ANIM for expatriate faculty

    26 Jan 2012 | 5:38 pm
    Jay Harvey joined the staff of The Indianapolis Star in 1986, after 15 years on the staff of the Flint Journal in Michigan. He has covered classical music and jazz, theater and dance and served as a features copy editor. He was born in New York City and grew up in Pennsylvania and Michigan.

  • The Syrian Expatriates Organization Participated in a Silent Demonstration in Support of the Protection of Medical ...

    25 Jan 2012 | 2:22 am
    The Syrian Expatriates Organization participated in a silent demonstration organized by Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS)-Michigan Chapter on Sunday Jan-22-2012, in Ann Arbor- Michigan in support of the protection of medical personnel in Syria and to express condemnation over what the Syrian Expatriate Organization feels are unethical attacks of the Syrian regime against physicians, medical ...

  • Expatriate forum honours Indian coach, shooter

    22 Jan 2012 | 4:22 pm
    The Idukki District Expatriates Association Qatar (Idea Qatar) recently feted the chief Indian coach of the team that took part in the Asian Shooting championship that concluded in Lusail on Friday.
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    Expat Focus

  • Interview with Judy Rickatson, Social Media Director at Families in Global Trans

    20 Jan 2012 | 5:11 pm
    I guess you could call me a professional trailing spouse. I was born and raised in the UK and unwittingly married a Third Culture Kid. Soon after, we immigrated to Canada where I built a successful career in real estate. When my son was 9 years old my husband’s job took us to Azerbaijan just after its independence from the Soviet Union, which was a huge culture shock, but also a life-changing experience (in a good way!)... Interview continues here

  • Conquering My Driving Demons

    7 Jan 2012 | 10:17 am
    by Expat Focus columnist, Aisha Isabel Ashraf For a long time, before exchanging my British driving licence for a Canadian one, I would mentally rehearse driving here. Closing my eyes, I would imagine every part of the journey into town, all the intersections, traffic lights and lane changes, haunted by the fear I would end up on the wrong side of the road and terrified of the potential carnage... Article continues here

  • The Pitfalls of Exotic Expat Investment Strategies

    1 Jan 2012 | 4:19 pm
    by Expat Focus investment partner, Tom Zachystal For the better part of this year investment markets have been largely trendless. There have been many ups and downs but no clear breakout to either the down-side or the up-side. The current state of things, a slowing and fragile economy in Europe as well as issues with sovereign debt, better economic data in the US, and perhaps a more stable outlook in Asia with lower inflation and still good growth, support the view that we may be in for an extended period of up and down investment market performance. In such a market, and... Read more here

  • Missing the Movies?

    30 Dec 2011 | 2:20 pm
    by Expat Focus columnist, Stephanie Angulo Just because you move abroad doesn’t mean that everything in your life is suddenly 100% different. You will find yourself partaking in many of the same activities you did back home, like going to the movies. The hubs and I have always been avid movie goers and didn’t let moving to Panama, a Spanish speaking country, slow down our movie date nights. Waiting in line to see midnight showings of Lord of the Rings, all the Matrix movies, and Ironman 2 barely scrapes the tip of the iceberg. Since our big move in January of this year, we’ve learned a…

  • Christmas in England

    23 Dec 2011 | 2:37 pm
    by Expat Focus columnist, Michelle Garrett A few days before my first English Christmas, I walked along wet cobbled streets, past the warmly glowing windows of the little honey-grey stone houses built right up to the sidewalk. The faint coal smoke trail lay a trace for my memories forever. Now when I smell coal smoke on a cold night I am brought back to my first winter in Britain. Article continues here
 
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    Expat Women

  • Missed Some Great Expat Links on Twitter? (January 25-26 edition)

    25 Jan 2012 | 7:42 pm
    Hi Everyone, I hope your week has been fantastic! Here are some expat links I have tweeted recently that might interest you... Self-Published (Former Expat) Author Gets Movie Deal After Being Discovered On Twitter http://bit.ly/AqIunA Invent Your Future Job: Be Unique, Be Social, Be Global - by Expat Coach Anne Egros http://bit.ly/wdglBS 5 Most Common Expat Injuries in China http://bit.ly/yiXRLA Is America Shutting The Door On Expats? http://tgr.ph/Az9u4X Delhi Journal: The Expat Experience (Wall Street Journal) http://on.wsj.com/AbnBkU Expat Selena's Observations On Her New Life In the UK…

  • Expat Entrepreneur Success Story in Russia

    25 Jan 2012 | 6:25 pm
    Hi Everyone, Here is a wonderful expat success story from Russia. A premium bakery chain that turns over $2 million each month. Incredible! Hint: If you cannot see the video in your email feed, try clicking on the Russia Today page: http://rt.com/news/prime-time/story-success-pain-quotidien-605/

  • Insights from Robin Pascoe, who Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Her First Book for Expats

    25 Jan 2012 | 12:40 am
    Hi Everyone,  Our wonderful friend Robin Pascoe, well known for her books about expat living, recently celebrated her 20th anniversary of the publication of her first book for expats (congrats Robin!). She reflected on this milestone on Facebook recently, and kindly gave us permission to republish her insights here for your easy reading... From Robin Pascoe on 12 January 2012: "I’m always telling people not to ignore important milestones in their lives, but did I mention I rarely take my own advice? It’s the 20th anniversary of the publication of my first book for expats, indeed an…

  • Happy Birthday Expat Women!

    16 Jan 2012 | 7:59 am
    Hi Everyone, Just a quick but sincere post to thank you for your support, feedback and testimonials over the past five years that ExpatWomen.com has been online. I was just about to log out for the night (it's nearly midnight here) when I realized that today is the birthday of our site's launch five years ago, on 16 January 2007! Thank you for 'being there' and for 'spreading the word' for us. Incredible to think that we now have more than 2,000 self-submitted Expat Women blogs on our directory, more than 1,000 quality content pages (country and expat club information, motivational…

  • Missed Some Great Expat Links on Twitter? (January 16 edition)

    16 Jan 2012 | 5:02 am
    Hi Everyone, I hope you are having a fabulous start to 2012! Here are some expat links I have tweeted recently that might interest you... The World's Most Walkable Cities http://bit.ly/ypO4Po The Highs and Lows of Expatriation http://fb.me/sECmUFGY Expat Liz Visits a South Korean Cat Cafe http://bit.ly/A3VcJz Registration Now Open for FIGT (Families in Global Transition) Conference, 29-31 March, Washington DC http://bit.ly/xJnS7k Is Hong Kong's Pollution Driving Expats Away? http://tgr.ph/A17DiR It's Easy to Break the Law in Dubai Without Realising It http://tgr.ph/wghGT5 Note: After I…
 
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    A Canada Immigrant's Blog

  • How to Market Your Products to Immigrants

    Edar 'Cinnikull' Aihil
    11 Jan 2012 | 11:39 am
    Whether small business or big brand marketing – when selling to immigrants, what’s often more important than how to market should be how not to market I‘ve always marvelled at how some of the most simple, no-nonsense approaches often completely escape Canadian marketers when it comes to selling products and services to immigrants. A newcomer’s [...]

  • The Selfish Immigrant

    Edar 'Cinnikull' Aihil
    18 Nov 2011 | 1:18 pm
    Survey shows how short-sighted and self-centred immigrants with ‘conservative values’ want it all for themselves! Maintaining and increasing high immigration and population levels is a no-brainer solution for long-term economic growth in Canada. This has been well studied and documented. Every sizeable developed economy that is also well-populated tends to be economically stronger.  It achieves [...]

  • The Long Walks – Loving It!

    Edar 'Cinnikull' Aihil
    5 Nov 2011 | 4:29 am
    Little things that bring big satisfaction in Canada – III This post is part of the Loving It series. One of the greatest small pleasures of living in an orderly, clean, well-developed and law-abiding society like Canada is the sheer joy of taking long urban walks just on the sidewalks or footpaths. Especially if you [...]

  • How to Get Canadian Experience Fast

    Edar 'Cinnikull' Aihil
    13 Oct 2011 | 3:51 pm
    How to gain up to 3 years of Canadian experience in a matter of hours. Our resident immigration expert’s revolutionary new treatment guarantees maximum results with no side effects. This is the second part of our How to Succeed in Canada series of interviews with Dr Grey V Trayn, continuing from Part One. Canada Immigrant [...]

  • Ontario Election 2011: Phew, That was Close!

    Edar 'Cinnikull' Aihil
    7 Oct 2011 | 5:39 am
    In Canada, Ontario is one of the last few places left where people are still using their own brains. But like my fellow immigrants, the dark side is converting them fast too. A subdued Hurrah! Ontario Libs dangerously live to see another term. But the oxymoronic “Progressive Conservatives” (how can you even say that with [...]
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    Life with our Lads

  • Countdown to Three

    26 Jan 2012 | 8:56 pm
    Today at pre-school they made a big fuss of Danny and sang him Happy Birthday. When I picked him up he was wearing his green paper crown and he's been wearing it all day. He's grasping the fact that it's his time to shine and he's starting to like it. Course he's still telling me that he's going to be five and all he wants is a Mario cake.It's been a bugger of a week at work so we have nothing done yet. Tomorrow night we'll be making his cake and I found a great Lightning McQueen tent that we can set up in the front room for him on Saturday morning. No party this year but we'll make a bit…

  • Losing Marbles at a Rapid Rate

    24 Jan 2012 | 7:56 pm
    A common remark when I state that I waited till I was older to have kids is that it must be much better than having them young, but I think I've stated before that it's got its equal share of issues, like not being able to crawl around on your knees to play horsey for one. Well another is that we completely lose our marbles after about 40.For example, when I picked Danny up from pre-k yesterday he had wet pants and when I asked the teacher why she was quite taken-aback and said "he's used the potty twice so I don't know why" When I got him home I discovered that Craig had sent him to school…

  • Playing Catch-up at 1020

    21 Jan 2012 | 4:01 pm
    I missed making a big deal about my 1,000th blog post, which I intended to do but forgot & now I'm at 1020. Aspirations of doing a review of my blog from the last 7 years went to that part of my brain that stores my would-like-to-do list, which includes house DIY projects, doctor's visits, an oil change and sorting though Danny's underwear drawer (there really is no need to keep baby socks in there anymore since he has feet marginally smaller than Craig's). There's just not enough hours in a day, especially when both boys want my undivided attention and willingness to play at the drop of…

  • Bucks & Dexter

    8 Jan 2012 | 8:25 am
    It's a big week for our family this week. I will be going to California and leaving Craig and friends to rally and make sure all goes smooth with school and pre-k. I have the best neighbours in the world I have to say. Craig's in a cheery mood though. After 5 years of hunting he got his first deer yesterday with his muzzle-loader. A 9-point buck as well! He was in shock I think, then on an adrenaline rush and then he crashed when he got home. The deer is currently at the butcher being made into burgers, steaks and sausages for us. I am excited to see how much meat we get.At some point we are…

  • Salad Rant

    5 Jan 2012 | 3:34 pm
    Being on a health frenzy (is it possible to lose 30 lbs before my conference next week?) I have been consuming a lot of salad lately. The veggie salad is my favourite because it has radish and carrots and cabbage in it as well as the usual lettuce. It also has snap peas in it though which I pull out with disgust. Which brings me onto my rant. At our work's Christmas party one person brought a salad with cooked, cold green beans in it. Thankfully I spied it before I put it in my mouth or I might just have barfed all over the white elephant gift I brought. Green beans for goodness sake!Here's…
 
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    Livin' la Vida Floja

  • Banking with Bureaucrats

    22 Jan 2012 | 1:39 pm
    I was so upset Friday that I am just now able to write about it! The bank closed my account. With a lot of ceremony.I was called the evening before by Elvia, the desk person at Banamex, who opened the account, saying I did not have valid migratory documents.Yes, I told her, I am in tramit. That is the Mexican way of saying your documents have been accepted for a visa renewal, but it is still in the system. It is acceptable here to be in tramit.I have a taxpayer number and a CURP, the permanent ID like a social security number. I can buy a cell phone without being suspected of being a drug…

  • Old Mexican Wives Tales

    16 Jan 2012 | 9:24 am
    My mother had a whole set of wives tales of what would make you sick. Sitting on the lawn is something guaranteed to make you sick, was one. Here in Mexico, I have learned to listen to the old wives tales, but didn't dig deeper. It might have helped if I had. I have a cold from being caught in the rain two consecutive days. My logical mind says that's not so. The mind of the retired doctor staying here also says that's not so. So, as this cold was festering, I took my house guests to Chuuk Kay Restaurante for happy hour yesterday with the Band Without a Name. Marla, the place's internet…

  • An inkeeper's life

    14 Jan 2012 | 12:29 pm
    I am sitting here in wet clothes, waiting for my hot water heater to make the water hot enough to warm me up. I am a landlord and I turn my own hot water off when not using it. Anyway, It all started in a downpour last night, when my house guest Marte and I toughed it out to go to happy hour at Villa la Bella. We had thought the weather broke, but alas, it didn't. Once there, we had hurricane-style fun, the locals amongst us telling the guests that it's like this in hurricane season.When the weather did break, we took Anastasia home and Marte and I made a break for home. This morning looked…

  • Dealing on the wheels

    25 Dec 2011 | 8:47 pm
    I thought I'd give the issue of my Christmas present to myself a rest over the holiday since it was on the back burner anyway. I couldn't complete the insurance purchase on Christmas Eve day, so it's just sitting there.For a 10 a.m. appointment to sign the "Vocho" title over and collect 19,00o pesos, Andres aka Luis May, a postal letter carrier, showed up at 10:45. What's the hurry, eh? I had the VW Beetle for nearly a week. I took it for short rides around the block, where I learned it had a fuel thrust problem and called in the electro mechanical pooh ba. Jorge Leon took it for a ride and…

  • 40 years and 40 pounds later

    22 Dec 2011 | 12:49 am
    This is the car I bought from my guidance counselor my junior year in high school And below is the car I am about to buy from the letter carrier on Isla Mujeres. I believe there are no coincidences in life! And this VW Beetle, affectionately called a Vocho, is in much better shape. Having the ceiling re-draped is all that's necessary at a cost of $100. Sometime next month! And a better spare tire if I'm to go on the car ferry into Cancun and beyond. Jorge brought it back from the shop in Cancun yesterday and it purs like a kitten. Santa Pirata and Punta immediately went for a ride.If I get…
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    365 Reasons I Love Costa Rica

  • Thoughts on Colombia

    admin
    19 Jan 2012 | 8:29 am
    I haven’t been writing in the blog lately.  December just didn’t afford me the time (or the ability to concentrate long enough to bang out 400 – 500 of coherent words).   And for the last of December and first of January I was bringing in the new year in Medellin, Colombia.  For most of the time I was there I was either too inebriated on Aguardiente Antioqueño (Medellin manufactured ”guaro”), or too much suffering the effects of said inebriation to even think about writing (or even think at all, for that matter).  No, really, I am just kidding a little…

  • God and Gulnare

    admin
    7 Dec 2011 | 2:17 pm
    We live in a highly segregated society, with neighborhoods, schools, churches, friendship cliques, and families themselves divided upon clear lines of ethnic demarcation.  With that as a starting point it is no wonder that when it is time to choose a life’s mate, one generally ends up choosing someone who shares a common ethnicity.  However, while that may be the general rule, there are certainly many exceptions.  And when those occur, in my opinion, they should be celebrated as great leaps forward in societal evolution.  However, it is obvious that some, many, don’t see it…

  • Wall Street Speak

    admin
    30 Nov 2011 | 3:24 pm
    I don’t completely know why I have been so heavy with the political and philosophical stuff lately.  It seems that I go through these phases of depth versus shallow-ness.   Who knows?  A friend told me to “get my mind out of the gutter.”  Easier said than done.  I like the gutter….if it means the “guttural” attempt to articulate an evolving philosophy.  Cause, you see, I really don’t know what it is that I believe.  But lately I get this uneasy sense that I have been sold a bill of goods.  That what mainstream American thought would have one…

  • The Premise of Laissez-Faire

    admin
    29 Nov 2011 | 9:14 am
    I ran across an old video of Phil Donahue interviewing the renowned economist, Milton Friedman.  The topic of the discussion was greed, with the left leaning Donahue intimating that “capitalists are greedy.”  Friedman doesn’t disagree and further points out that greed is in fact the engine of economic growth.  He makes a statement that I would say pretty much sums up the premise of laissez-faire economic theory.  That is, that “the world runs on individuals pursuing their separate (and selfish) interests.”  It is hard to argue against that point.  It…

  • Should There be a 1%?

    admin
    25 Nov 2011 | 12:02 pm
    The graph paints an alarming picture.  The share of total income by the top 1% peaked in 1928 and 2007 at just shy of 25%.  Wow, does the graph really mean that 25% of all income earned in the U.S. went to that select slither of the population?  Yep, that’s what it means and, moreover, it shows that both high points were immediately succeeded by the dramatic low points of the “Great Depression” and the current “Great Recession.”  Some would say therefore, let’s do away with that 1% all together.  Take away their great wealth and spread it around to the…
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    stephanieclayton/artist

  • encountering encaustics workshop - part 1

    27 Jan 2012 | 9:00 am
    Earlier this month, I attended a two-day workshop taught by artist and author Michelle Belto (above images). Since 2010, I have been working in encaustic after teaching myself via online research... Visit my website at http://www.stephanieclayton.com/ to view my complete portfolio and more.

  • untitled watercolor 11

    24 Jan 2012 | 10:31 am
    11th piece in the reductive watercolor series... Color variations in the neutral zone are quite apparent. The texture of cold press paper adds an element which works well with this series'... Visit my website at http://www.stephanieclayton.com/ to view my complete portfolio and more.

  • watercolor in my studio

    20 Jan 2012 | 9:00 am
     Working in watercolors - beginning with top photo - A collection of paint samples serves as color references. - I don't need a large variety of watercolors because I mix my own... Visit my website at http://www.stephanieclayton.com/ to view my complete portfolio and more.

  • untitled watercolor 10

    17 Jan 2012 | 4:15 pm
    Another 6 x 6 inch watercolor in this ongoing series. I created this color scheme at the advice of artist friend and writer Nancy Terrell (see her work here). Over the weekend, I participated in... Visit my website at http://www.stephanieclayton.com/ to view my complete portfolio and more.

  • untitled watercolor 9

    13 Jan 2012 | 8:38 am
    Using a very similar violet to Untitled 8... I continue to be intrigued by the outcome of layering two transparent or translucent hues; sometimes I am even surprised.  I want to do hundreds of... Visit my website at http://www.stephanieclayton.com/ to view my complete portfolio and more.
 
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    An Expat Life in Nicaragua

  • Video Tour of San Juan del Sur

    Sarah
    21 Jan 2012 | 12:05 pm
    Here is a great video tour of San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, shot by the guys over at The Surf Ranch

  • Manhandling Managua

    Sarah
    18 Jan 2012 | 12:23 pm
    I need to take a moment to brag a little here… Justin and I crushed it in Managua last week.  I mean, we freaking rocked.   Anyone who has ever ventured into Managua on a day trip understands this accomplishment.  If you plan on 4 hours to complete your errands, you can expect it to take 8.  If you hope to get home before sunset, you should assume that you will return before sunrise the following day.  If you dare to say “this shouldn’t take long,” it will take longer. Managua days are tough for San Juaneño transplants.  Us Expats are used to having 5 malls…

  • Activities in and around San Juan del Sur

    Sarah
    30 Dec 2011 | 2:19 pm
    When my parents visited us in San Juan for the first time in early 2008, they both commented that it is a beautiful town, but they didn’t know how to access the various activities our pueblo claims to offer.  So, this post is for you, Mom and Dad.  Enjoy!  And FYI – this is really just an expanded list of Rancho Chilamate’s A to Z Guide, with the exception that all of these activities are within 30 minutes (más o menos) of San Juan. Horseback Riding with Rancho Chilamate Canopy Tour with Da Flying Frog Take Surf Lessons with NSR, Chica Brava, Casa Ariki Visit La Flor…

  • 2012: Is Nicaragua coming or going?

    Sarah
    29 Dec 2011 | 11:53 am
    Tim Rogers, of the Nicaragua Dispatch, writes about the future of Nicaragua.  Click the photo or the link to read the full story. 2012: Is Nicaragua coming or going? First in a two-part series on the transition from 2011 to 2012, and what the New Year holds in store for Nicaragua.

  • Itinerary for a 10-day trip to Nicaragua: Lake/Beach/Volcano Style

    Sarah
    26 Dec 2011 | 1:03 pm
    Justin and I have been fortunate to travel a decent amount of Nicaragua while living here.  Every trip we take, I deign to say it was my favorite, until the next one comes along.  I have documented various sojourns throughout the country in previous posts: Purisima in Leon, Leon Viejo, Volcano Boarding, Poneloya, Granada, Granada Isletas, Ometepe, Corn Islands, Esteli, Condega, Miraflor, and Tisey, Jinotega, Laguna de Apoyo, Masaya, Tola, Montelimar But I am often asked for ideas for a solid 7-10 day vacation for first-time visitors to Nicaragua.  Though this particular itinerary…
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    .

  • post-partum reflections.

    27 Jan 2012 | 12:23 pm
    i wrote about visiting the public hospital's maternity ward awhile back - i haven't just let it lie like so often happens around these parts (these parts = my heart). i am so scared sometimes of being vulnerable, that i just steer clear. i am involved in a number of activities - most just peripherally, one (another post when i can.... oooo, vague) way more intimately. but seeing the conditions, talking with the teenage moms-to-be, holding the babies... it touched me in a way i just haven't been touched in a long time.i've always had a soft spot for mom's - especially teen-age ones - but it…

  • reason #243

    26 Jan 2012 | 1:24 pm
    this may sound super simple to some, but one of the many reasons that i love raising my kids in this country is that they don't take things for granted. (this is not a social commentary, it's about my family and how we work... i know there are kids in the states who don't take everything for granted and are grateful for simple wonders. we have worked hard and intentionally to try to instill certain things in our kids, and that's what's important to us.)we don't frequent too many places with blow-driers in the bathrooms, but one of the supermarkets has one of the new, high-speed/low-heat…

  • this is why we discourage using the ladder.

    24 Jan 2012 | 8:30 pm
    i used to spend a lot more time working with short-term missions groups and other foreign do-gooders in the country. it's something i really enjoy, but just don't really have time to dedicate to anymore what with working a real job and kids and my own philanthropy (or let me be less pretentious and say "things i do that make me feel good about myself).whenever i work with construction groups, or even groups where a ladder might be present, i give a what seems to be a funny lecture. anything that needs height added to YOU, find a dominican to do it. DO NOT GET ON A LADDER. mostly it has to do…

  • milk pick up

    22 Jan 2012 | 8:08 pm
     my father and two sister-in-laws live in the campo. basically, they don't live in the city. i mean, it's more complicated than that, but the campo is rural - which, for me, is anything not in a big, dominican city. my sister-in-law has a butcher shop in her house. and a colmado, a kind of everything you need corner-store, where the neighbors hang out and dance merengue. it's a nice place to visit, but i wouldn't want to live there. i mean, there's running water and electricity (i know, tecnologia que se entro, mariposa! wao!) but it's cold-as-ice water straight from the river…

  • there's a what in that bag?

    21 Jan 2012 | 7:47 am
    i'm sitting here, trying to catch up on this blog - and the internet is being ridiculous. fun.i've been taking pictures like crazy. i'm sure people on public transit think i'm a nut case with my phone out, snapping pictures away of things that, for us, are normal. they're all saved in my phone, and because it's such a pain to take my phone apart to get to the memory chip, they've been sitting there for awhile.i laughed when i pulled these pictures up, and it took me a minute to realize what it was. a little blurry, and completely unrecognizable to anyone who wasn't there. in a car. smashed in…
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    Brenda's Blog

  • Friday's Favorites/New Job Edition

    Brenda
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:58 pm
    Eek!  Its Friday and I forgot all about my favorites!  I've been so wrapped up in my new job that I lost touch with the rest of the world.  Since that is all I can think about, I'll tell you the top 5 of my new job. To put it all in context, I'll let you know that I am working as a nurse case manager- my job is to be sure that patients with complicated medical cases get the care they deserve from their provider and to be sure that the provider is being charged what is reasonable.  I like it because I see it as a way to help people through our complex medical system. This…

  • Friday's Favorites

    Brenda
    19 Jan 2012 | 11:17 pm
    Another great, if not very cold week here in San Francisco.  I'm grateful for many things this week, including: 1.  San Francisco Football!  Yes, this is my shirt, and I wish it actually said 49'ers, but I couldn't find one to buy!  They played a great game last Saturday and we are looking forward to seeing the play-offs on Sunday.  I'm not usually a football fan, but when the team in your city is winning, you gotta be a fan! Lugo and Delphina supervising my packing 2.   Hotel Reservations!  I start training for my new job on Monday and I'll spend several…

  • Black Bean Soup-Slow Cooker

    Brenda
    16 Jan 2012 | 10:10 pm
    It suddenly got very cold here in San Francisco and I was craving soup.  I love the spicy black bean soup that comes in a carton at Trader Joe's and decided to try and recreate it in the crock pot with delicious results! 1 pound dried black beans 6 cups water 4 carrots, sliced 4 potatoes, cubed 2 tsp olive oil 4 slices bacon, chopped 3 stalks celery, chopped 1 onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 jalepeno pepper, chopped (no seeds) 1 red pepper, chopped 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped 3 bay leaves 4 tsp salt (more or less to taste) 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp paprika…

  • Friday's Favorites

    Brenda
    13 Jan 2012 | 12:00 am
    Its been a busy week in my world, for my last two weeks at this job, I intended to work less and use all my PTO, but work had another idea.  They have called me in on all of my days off and asked me please, please work every day I am available and they will cash out my PTO.  Its a little tough but I want to leave well so I'm doing it.  One more week of this craziness (then I'm sure I'll be off to new craziness). There have been a lot of great moments this week though, including, A Church service near this intersection. We are starting a new church and having practice services…

  • 6 Jan 2012 | 1:20 am

    Brenda
    6 Jan 2012 | 1:20 am
    Happy 2012!  I think its going to be a great year - we have at least one wedding in our family this year and lots of other exciting things that I can write about as they approach.  Some favorites in this first week of 2012 include: 1.  Hunchback of Notre Dame, the silent movie.  We saw it at an old church here in San Francisco accompanied by a live pipe organ.  I'd never seen that movie before and its amazing.  Very sad but moving.  Not at all like the Disney version but worth seeing- its written by Victor Hugo, the same author of Les Miserables. 2.
 
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    Expat Chronicles

  • Santa Catalina Monastery in Arequipa, Peru

    Colin
    26 Jan 2012 | 11:16 am
    Expat ChroniclesSanta Catalina, a top tourist destination in Arequipa, was a monastery built in the 16th century and operated well into the 19th century. It takes up two square blocks of downtown Arequipa. Inside is a small town closed off to the outside world. It’s a concrete maze of hallways leading to living quarters, dining rooms, kitchens, and gardens. The convent’s stated mission was to liberate souls stranded in purgatory, where nuns pledged to a life of simplicity in hopes to reach the highest spiritual level. However, Santa Catalina became quite a party house. Women had…

  • Pictures of Arequipa, Peru

    Colin
    19 Jan 2012 | 10:14 am
    Expat ChroniclesPictures of Plaza de Armas, Plaza España, el centro (downtown), Sachaca, Yanahuara, and Cerro Colorado in Arequipa, Peru. For easier viewing see the Arequipa, Peru album on Expat Chronicles FB page. Related posts:Pictures of Barranco in Lima, Peru Pictures of Miraflores in Lima, Peru Bogota’s Zona Rosa in Pictures Chapinero Alto in Pictures Photo Exhibit in Bogota Pictures of Arequipa, Peru

  • Two Gringo Killers of Peruvian Women

    Colin
    15 Jan 2012 | 9:40 pm
    Expat ChroniclesAlternate Title: Joran van Der Sloot and William Trickett Smith II Alternate Title: Gringo Treatment in Latin American Prisons Joran van der Sloot Joran van der Sloot, Peruana killer #1, in 2005 Joran van der Sloot grew up in Arruba a Dutch citizen and the son of a prominent lawyer. He played soccer and tennis at his private, English-language high school. His parents have said he was a manipulative liar as a child. Despite academic and athletic success, he grew a taste for casinos and partying on the Caribbean island. At only 17 years old, Van der Sloot’s life would…

  • Pictures of Barranco in Lima, Peru

    Colin
    10 Jan 2012 | 8:10 pm
    Expat ChroniclesPictures of the artsy, bohemian neighborhood just South of Miraflores in Lima, Peru. Included are Bajada de Baños, San Francisco plaza, El Ermito church, Puente de Suspiros, murals, the coastline, residential areas, parks, etc. For easier viewing see the Barranco, Lima album on the Expat Chronicles FB page. See 2009 murals from Barranco, my 2009 tourism pics from Barranco, or read about my 2009 adventures in Lima. Related posts:Pictures of Miraflores in Lima, Peru Barranco Murals in Lima, Peru Bogota’s Zona Rosa in Pictures La Candelaria in Pictures Save Barranco! Pictures…

  • Pictures of Miraflores in Lima, Peru

    Colin
    6 Jan 2012 | 9:09 pm
    Expat ChroniclesPictures of the most happenin’ and upscale neighborhood, the heart of Lima, Peru – Miraflores. Included are Kennedy Park, Avenida Larco, Larcomar, the coastline, residential areas, parks, etc. For easier viewing see the Miraflores, Lima album on the Expat Chronicles FB page. Or read about my 2009 adventures in Lima. Related posts:Bogota’s Zona Rosa in Pictures Barranco Murals in Lima, Peru Chapinero Alto in Pictures Medellin’s Parque Lleras in Pictures La Candelaria in Pictures Pictures of Miraflores in Lima, Peru
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    Northern Natterings

  • Comfort

    21 Jan 2012 | 11:58 am
    The snow has been driving down all day. We have cleaned the entire apartment, completed a major shopping trip, broke the car (whoops), and walked the dog several times. Now we are ready to spend the evening relaxing on our comfy couch, keeping the bad weather outside where it belongs.

  • The Benefit of Oversleeping

    11 Jan 2012 | 3:31 am
    The benefit of oversleeping is the opportunity to greet the morning sun while we are on our walk. The fog lifted just in time for the park to seem a little bit magical.

  • Winter Is Here

    9 Jan 2012 | 6:01 am
    Snow is falling in fat flakes at school. Guess this is where winter has been hiding...

  • Crises and Honeymoons Ending

    5 Jan 2012 | 1:35 pm
    “How did your mother sound when you called her,” I asked Sverre over my glass of chardonnay. “So happy. Her voice was almost unrecognizable, she's been under so much stress. She sounds like she does when she's not worried, and that's been a long time.” “Let's get out the idea to go to the hytta with them sometime...I'd like to meet this woman. I don't think I've ever seen your mom not in some crisis ever since I moved here nearly three and a half years ago.” “She's been under so much stress in the past three years, it's insane.” We're coming down from the most stressful eight…

  • God Jul!

    25 Dec 2011 | 1:22 pm
    Merry Christmas, everyone!As I've said before, the big celebrations in Norway are on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day is for relaxing with family and spending time together. We've spent the day at Sverre's mother's, and now after a good dinner and riskrem for dessert, we're set up to relax and spend the evening watching movies.We hope you are all having a good Christmas, however you choose to celebrate it.
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    Happy Hamburgers

  • Happy's Goose

    17 Jan 2012 | 3:43 pm
    Sorry in advance mom.  I love you.This is our Christmas Goose.  It is a Christmas decorations that my mom made ...I think.   I do remember my mom making wreaths at some point.  I obviously get my awesome craftiness from her.  :)Anyways, this festive decoration was handed down to me many, many years ago.  The goose comes out every Christmas and is put in a special spot.  :)We put it right where Happy can see it the most ...because he loves it and thinks it's wonderful.  In Denmark it hung above his computer ...here in Germany it hung right next to…

  • Good Family Makes Cookies. GO MOM!

    9 Jan 2012 | 4:35 pm
    Look at us.  Making Cookies... like a good family...  There is some unwritten rule that if you don't make Christmas cookies with your family you are a terrible mom.  :)  FYI.HA!  I only say that because every year I actually succeed in making cookies with my kids, despite swearing that I'll never do it again...  :)  Usually it's okay because in the end, although I have a complete mess in the kitchen, I at least have yummy cookies.  This year I made cookies with ...ugh, ...crisco.  I thought they would be good since that is what…

  • Back up to the Eve

    5 Jan 2012 | 3:55 pm
    On Christmas Eve we went over to Kelly's house for a FONDUE PARTY!  :)  We had cheese and chocolate and I have to admit to eating way more of the chocolate than the cheese.  :)  It was a really great day because all my favorite German-Living families were there...   :)   The kids kept to themselves, the husbands mostly kept to themselves...  perfect.  :) Krista and Andrea!  They have gotten twin comments several times while being out in public.  They have the same floppy hair and I caught them both hitting themselves in the head the other…

  • Christmas Morning!

    5 Jan 2012 | 3:37 pm
     The monkey danced and sang...  Andrea loved it!  Thanks Dale! Michaela got some Norwegian money to spend in Norway.  It looks like more than it really is.  :) Love those mermaids! Poozie would open a few presents, but always end up back at the castle.... Yes, there is candy in her mouth.Can you find the kid in the mess? Fuzzy socks...

  • I survived!

    1 Jan 2012 | 4:27 pm
    It's all done!  Christmas is back in the attic... New Years Eve has been cleaned up... Michaela comes home tomorrow.  Andrea starts school back up this week. The other three kids go to school next week.  I can't wait for a schedule!Yes, that's what my life has become, one where I thrive on waking up at 6:45, drinking a coffee, making four different lunches, waking up four children, and heading out the door on the way to school at 8:00am.  I really do love it!  A schedule makes me happy.  I have two calenders, I make lists, and I have a special laundry basket…
 
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    WordPress.com News

  • Chrome Users: Try the WordPress.com Extension

    Christopher Finke
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:54 pm
    Want to receive WordPress.com notifications instantly, even when you’re not on WordPress.com? Add the new WordPress.com extension for Chrome and as soon as you get a new follower or a new like on one of your posts, a notification will appear in your browser: Simply click the icon to view your latest WordPress.com notifications: Start following new blogs without visiting WordPress.com The Chrome extension also makes it easy to follow sites from your WordPress.com account by displaying a Follow button whenever you’re browsing a site that has an RSS feed. Clicking the Follow button…

  • Your Stats Have a New Home

    Andy Skelton
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:46 am
    Are you addicted to checking your site stats? You are not alone. The stats dashboard has always been one of the most popular admin screens. It’s gratifying to know that people are visiting your place online. With the WordPress.com front page evolving into a one-stop shop for posting, exploring, following and reading blogs, it seemed natural to put your blog stats there, too.  Stats are becoming more and more about interacting with your readers and other bloggers. You’ll still see your summary stats and chart on your main dashboard, and the full stats page in your dashboard will…

  • Reblogging is Back!

    Erica Johnson
    22 Jan 2012 | 1:27 pm
    As we mentioned last week, you can like and reblog posts directly from your reader, which displays a stream of all the updates published on all the blogs you follow from your WordPress.com account. We’ve also brought the reblog button back to the toolbar that appears at the top of the screen when you’re logged into WordPress.com. Note that you’ll only see the like and reblog options while you’re looking at individual posts. For example, you’ll see this on the left side of your toolbar while viewing http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/read-blogs: And your…

  • New Theme: Newsy

    Philip Arthur Moore
    20 Jan 2012 | 12:18 pm
    It’s been an extra big week in the news ’round these parts, so much so that the launch announcement of our latest premium theme seems like an extra extra good way to headline our Friday. Newsy is a versatile business and news-friendly theme that offers up to ten different layouts, four footer columns, custom link and accent colors, and a custom site header. Brand and content-focused editorial teams will love publishing with this theme. Newsy: Home Page Designed by Themify, Newsy comes with an impressive set of Theme Options that afford you a great deal of flexibility with how you…

  • Read All Your Favorite Blogs in One Place

    Erica Johnson
    19 Jan 2012 | 6:04 pm
    If you feel like it’s a chore to keep up with all your favorite blogs, you can now read posts from all the blogs you follow (even the ones that aren’t on WordPress.com!) in one convenient place on the WordPress.com home page: Your reader displays all the posts across all the blogs you follow in the order they were published, with the most recent content appearing at the top. You’ll see an excerpt of the introduction to each post, the first image in the post, and thumbnails of any other images that the post contains. You can even like and reblog WordPress.com content directly…
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    Simply LeAnne

  • Letters from Egypt: Did Lara Logan Really Get Harassed in Tahrir?

    24 Jan 2012 | 5:26 am
    Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of Egypt’s revolution. That’s almost a year after US reporter Lara Logan made claims as to being sexually assaulted in Tahrir, and months after her first interview with 60 Minutes. Is it coincidental that Logan has now released a statement claiming that she suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? Tomorrow Egypt will appear on every news station and media outlet, so I have to wonder as to Logan’s real motives behind her latest report featured in the Huffington Post. Throughout Logan’s horrific tales, all that could be found was…

  • Letters from Egypt: My Mohamed is Different

    13 Jan 2012 | 9:26 am
    Image from DivorcedWomenOnline.com “My Mohamed is Different,” or MMD, was coined by a friend of mine regarding foreign women dating Egyptians. We’ve all heard the stories, and unfortunately, you find very few successful situations regarding a union between a foreign woman and an Egyptian man. And it doesn’t matter how many times you may try to shield someone from entering into a less-than-pleasant situation, all the women turn and say: “But My Mohamed is different.” And should you continue to believe in the MMD ideology, there are some precautionary measures that a female can take…

  • Letters from Egypt: MAADI SPECIAL on Taxi Fare from ACE

    11 Jan 2012 | 6:30 am
    While this doesn’t pertain to all of this blog’s readers, there are many of you that might find it useful. I’ve noticed with the increasing membership of the expat club, ACE, that many are being taken for a ride via the cab drivers standing in front of the club. Please note that those cab drivers are NOT affiliated with ACE and while many may think they’re safer than walking to the medan to acquire a taxi, in some cases this is not true.  Alternately, if you've had a bad experience with one of the drivers that block the entrance to ACE, take a photo, be sure to warn your friends,…

  • Letters from Egypt: An Exhausting Year

    9 Jan 2012 | 8:12 am
    This year has been exhausting to say the least. The one-year anniversary of Egypt’s revolution is approaching on January 25 (the Arab Spring began with Tunisia on January 14). So while this blog has more than documented the on goings pre-, during and post-revolution, I realized that many of us are just down and out about this country. Some may say, “If you don’t like it, leave.” True. However, you can’t pretend that if you went through a year of constant turmoil that you wouldn’t be a little downtrodden yourself. Hence why I haven’t written in awhile (that and having to yet…

  • Letters from Egypt: US Embassy Refuses to Help a Jailed American

    18 Dec 2011 | 6:06 am
    Register with the State Department, they say. For emergencies, contact such and such number, they say. What the US Embassy in Cairo doesn’t say: We will fail to help any American citizen in need unless it makes national headlines in the US and forces us to act accordingly. Local news editor for Bikya Masr Joseph Mayton was arrested Saturday, December 17 and held and beaten for 14 hours. Mayton and his wife relocated to an apartment overlooking Tahrir Square. When Mayton’s wife contacted the US Embassy, they refused to help. Not at all surprising as the more I delve into the inner matters…
 
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    Ruth's Place

  • Zambia – Day two and three

    ruthsplace
    15 Jan 2012 | 10:28 pm
    After spending the night at our campsite we headed out of Livingstone towards Shesheke. Gorgeous Man had posted on a Zambia travel forum asking for good places to see butterflies and after taking a look at his blog  a lodge approached him with the offer of free accomodation in return for a survey of their butterfly population and so that was our first destination. This was the main road. This was a good road as far as Zambian roads go. From the road we had our first view of the Zambezi River. We also passed through traditional villages. The picture was taken from the window of the car as we…

  • Zambia – day one

    ruthsplace
    14 Jan 2012 | 1:35 am
    So, we are still in Brisbane waiting to sort out our visas for Papua New Guinea. But I have a new computer and am once again connected and may as well inflict my holiday photos upon you regal you with tales of our Zambian trip… After having the house packed and rehoming the cat (This is mostly books) We got up at 5 am to head to Zambia for a much needed holiday. Gorgeous Girl was thrilled to find a family of cats living at the Livingstone International Airport. So we had to stop while she said hello. After leaving the airport we were met by an employee of Hemmingways and taken to pick…

  • Just popping in

    ruthsplace
    28 Dec 2011 | 4:44 am
    Just popping in to say that our trip to Zambia was *amazing*. I shall inflict a detailed account of the trip upon you in the fullness of time. (Once I have access to a computer and internet other than internet cafes). The weather in Zambia was a good introduction to the climate of our new home. We will be living in the capital city. We’ll be heading to Australia on Friday to see family and sort out visas.

  • An explanation for the lack of posts

    ruthsplace
    25 Nov 2011 | 1:47 am
    Gorgeous Man’s contract in South Africa was for 6 years. This year was our sixth year and so Gorgeous Man has been looking for work elsewhere. I’m happy to say that he has secured a new position. But life is a little hectic right now. I finish work on November 30 and we have removalists booked to come and pack 90% of the house on Friday the 2nd of December. They will leave our beds up and we will camp among boxes for the weekend and then on Monday the 5th of December they will finish the last little bit of packing and load the boxes and furniture into the shipping container. We…

  • Trading skills

    ruthsplace
    19 Oct 2011 | 8:53 am
    Recently a dear friend and I did a skills swap.  I made her this shawl. Gratuitous second shot. In return she used her mad jewelery making skills to make me this. Sadly, my photography skills do not do it justice. I’ve also been reconnecting with my sewing machine. This little guy was a gift for a birthday party Gorgeous Girl attended recently. The denim is from a pair of Gorgeous Man’s jeans that grew holes far too quickly. Lastly, this gorgeous handspun yarn has been knitted into pieces and is being assembled into a bag for my good friend Lisa. I’m hoping we will get a…
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    Trailing Grouse

  • Not a birth story

    trailing grouse
    28 Jan 2012 | 5:01 am
    I can’t decide if I want to put my birth story online. On one hand it is such a major part of my life, I want to put it out there. On the other, it was a deeply personal experience, I’m not sure I want to share it with you, when in all likelihood, you won’t be sharing something as personal with me! So, I’m undecided for now. However, what I will share is that it was not, absolutely not a nightmare, it left me able to see how orgasming through childbirth could be possible (I didn’t really get it before) and I’m really, truly looking forward to being in…

  • Being Mama Grouse

    trailing grouse
    24 Nov 2011 | 5:37 pm
    It’s funny, we talk about parents and “their children”. We hear parents say, “my son” or “my daughter”. I thought I couldn’t get used to refering to Chicklet as “my son” because it was surreal: I have a son! And, quite honestly it is – in the most perfect of ways. But that’s not why the words trip uneasily off my tongue. If someone were to ask me if I thought that Chicklet came from inside me, or if he was delivered by a stork, despite the fact that I’m still recovering from the pregnancy, labour and birth, I would…

  • Feeding Chicklet

    trailing grouse
    29 Oct 2011 | 9:12 am
    Baby grouse has arrived. He’s gorgeous. He’s nearly three weeks old and has already a beautiful personality. I’ve no idea what people find boring about newborns, this one at least is cute to the nth..according to his parents! I was just reading Girls Gone Child’s 2006 post about her boobs. It’s a funny old thing, as she points out, because those who have them, generally don’t want them and those who don’t, do. Until we finish school and then more important things in life take over. Except, if you have really big boobs, like around a G cup with a 30…

  • People watching in Paris

    trailing grouse
    12 Aug 2011 | 12:02 am
    I love to watch people. How they walk, how they move, what they’re wearing and where they’re from have always fascinated me. Usually I just drink it all in and enjoy, rather like watching a film. Occasionally though, somebody surprises me (like intergalactic Grandma) and I’m shaken out of my reverie. This takes quite some doing as I have been consciously people watching for at least fifteen years, everywhere I’ve been. I’m not sure if this man was a scout leader, something that only ocurred to me when I got the photo onto a bigger screen and saw the inverted…

  • Poilane for Bastille Day

    trailing grouse
    9 Aug 2011 | 8:27 am
    Righty ho, it’s a bit late, but isn’t this just superb?! “Yes, yes it’s the Eiffel Tower, so what?” I hear you say. Well, it’s made from BREAD! This was the window display at Poilane for Bastille Day. The tower was a good metre high. Next to it was this: Yes, that’s right, a bread carrousel!  And can you make out what the animals are? An elephant and a horse! Wowee! Poilane often have interesting windows, but this just blew me away!
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    Taiwaneers

  • Jobs for Expats in Taiwan

    Michael
    19 Jan 2012 | 12:49 am
    One thing that I think many expats come to accept is that we are in some ways, to some people in our adoptive countries, kind of like exhibits at a zoo. We are the cute monkeys that perform oh so human-like actions, but at the same time observers can pick out how we are different and how adorable those differences make us….or something like that. Expats who don’t accept this, to some extent at least, in my opinion, are the angry ones that are always complaining and wishing that everything was just like at home and whom the rest of the us are tempted to shake and ask in a loud…

  • Ernie Said It Well

    Michael
    11 Jan 2012 | 11:03 am
    “It was a long time since I had written to the States and I knew I should write but I had let it go so long that it was almost impossible to write now. There was nothing to write about.” As Emily and I read in A Farewell To Arms this evening we came across the line above and I knew I should get on here and write something…even though it seems there is nothing to write…even though I know that isn’t true. It’s been just shy of two months since my last post. Since then Emily has been tutoring and teaching up a storm all over Taipei. She’s constantly…

  • Chock Full o’Links

    Michael
    12 Nov 2011 | 6:20 am
    My buddy, Daniel, recently showed me this graphic from the Economist that compares US states and countries that are similar in terms of gross domestic product. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the two places I consider to be my homes are pretty much the same…well at least in terms of GDP. Taiwan and Michigan are definitely both industrious places. Michigan equals cars, Taiwan equals semiconductors; Michigan equals seed corn, Taiwan equals rice; Michigan equals Great Lakes, Taiwan equals Taroko Gorge and Taipei 101. I highly recommend both of them! Speaking of Michigan and Taiwan,…
 
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    Clark Nielsen for the Win

  • The China Books Postmortem

    Clark
    6 Jan 2012 | 2:31 pm
    I have two self-published, China-related books on the market: one a short e-book “guide” published in April 2011, the other a paperback novel (and e-book) published in July 2011. Now that they’ve been out for a while, I wanted to publicly assess how they’ve been doing. Well… I haven’t been able to quit my day job, but sales have at least covered all of my publishing and marketing expenses. The teaching guide, for instance, has consistently sold 10-12 copies every month since its release and has appeared on a few “things to get before traveling to…

  • Christmas vs. Spring Festival

    Clark
    28 Dec 2011 | 10:29 pm
    Spring Festival (a.k.a. Chinese New Year) is the biggest holiday in China. Christmas is the biggest holiday in the US. My wife just experienced her first American Christmas, and her #1 observation was: it’s a pretty quiet holiday comparatively. Spring Festival is a non-stop, week-long barrage of fireworks. Noise is a big part of the celebration, as the origin of the tradition was to use fireworks to scare off a monster. She did find it interesting, though, how people would hang lights on (and station inflatable snowmen in front of) their homes. It’s vastly different than the…

  • A Busy Disneyland: A Normal Chinese Day

    Clark
    12 Dec 2011 | 11:29 pm
    My family and I went to Disneyland over Thanksgiving weekend. As much as Sarah has been looking forward to finally seeing this place, my parents warned her that it would be very crowded during the holidays. “I’m Chinese, I can handle it!” she said. Yes, Disneyland was busy, but we both joked how the lines were still shorter than those at the Shanghai Expo, and at least you got to go on a ride at the end! Amusingly, after only a few days in Los Angeles, Sarah was ready to go back to Utah where it was quieter. LA was too busy for her. It’s only been eight months since…

  • Returning Home From a Proxy Server

    Clark
    23 Nov 2011 | 8:45 pm
    I use proxies a lot at work, but not because I have anything to hide. A proxy is a website that lets you browse the Internet under a different IP address. Sometimes, I need to test region-specific code outside of our internal network. Other people might use a proxy to bypass measures their school has used to block Facebook… or measures their government has used to block Facebook, among other things. Sound familiar? Well, that would be China. It’s no surprise that using the Internet in China can be a pain. Desperate expats will pay for a VPN service, but cheapskates like myself…

  • 30 Observations From a Chinese Immigrant

    Clark
    17 Nov 2011 | 9:29 am
    My wife had compiled a list of observations about life in Utah to send to her friends and family back home. That was about a month ago, actually. It took me a while to get around to translating her points into English so we could share them here:   1. It can still snow in April.   2. Noon is a lot warmer than morning/night.   3. Some highways are completely empty.   4. The sky is blue.   5. You have to wait a long time for a bus, and then the bus is empty.   6. When it’s a wet day, nobody bothers to take an umbrella.
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    Live the questions, now.

  • Guest starring Oscar, & pavlova.

    27 Jan 2012 | 3:45 am
    Australia Day in Brissie.

  • On the eve of turning 30.

    17 Jan 2012 | 3:35 am
    I'm turning 30 tomorrow.I was telling Jon today, 'What if some strange gypsy fortune teller told me, on my 20th birthday, that 1 year from then I would stop being a crazy evangelical, meet the man I would marry, and 10 years from then I would have lived in London, traveled across the world, and then had a child and lived in Sydney? I would've told that crazy gypsy fortune teller she was a crackpot.'Yeah, it's been a pretty good decade, but holy Jesus Joseph Mary did that sneak up on me.When I suddenly realised I was crossing this bridge whether I wanted to or not, I spent one day being sad…

  • A little naked summer dinner, outside.

    13 Jan 2012 | 4:25 pm
    Just watch where you're sticking the fork, boys.

  • Thanks: Henry's modern art "cooking".

    12 Jan 2012 | 6:35 pm
    I've been very inspired by a few blogs and articles, lately, in which people of all different persuasions (mums, students, cancer patients, executives), gave thanks every day for something.A few words, a picture, a link - just something small to say, hey universe: you're pretty great.Part of my new year's resolution is to show more gratitude for my life, and so I hope to continue those bloggers' good work, and offer some small bit of thanks on this blog.I'm thankful for what joy a little bit of uncooked rice, a bowl, and a patio full of leaves can bring my son. "COOKING, MUMMY! LOOK!

  • It's Christmas time, in the Sydney.

    1 Jan 2012 | 5:43 am
    WAKE UP WAKE UP IT'S CHRISTMAS. The most attractive family portrait we've ever taken: Jon in his bright pink new cricket tee; me in my jammies, and Henry without pants. He was keen on the antlers, at some point. We could not pry this - a recorded book from Boppa - from his hands. Lovely Christmas dinner with the Lords and Samuels. Picture by SteveO. Thanks to Gaga Sally for this very expensive bottle of wine, which went down well with a cheeseboard and endless game of Hearts. Randomly nice family pictures courtesy of Kate Lord (via SteveO's camera). A little half-naked afternoon television.
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    From America to Australia

  • Be careful what you wish for

    dsduffy
    23 Jan 2012 | 2:12 am
    Apparently the universe reads my blog. I make one mention of possibly sometime in the future thinking about maybe looking for a job. And I mentioned it in a casual conversation at a friends house and what happens? The very next day I get a phone call and an email of a job description. A job that seriously? Could not be more perfect for me. So yea, be careful what you wish for. Watch this space for what could possibly be the announcement of me having a J-O-B, something I haven’t had since 2004. That’s a long time!

  • Plans

    dsduffy
    15 Jan 2012 | 5:01 am
    We all make plans. To meet a friend for lunch, go to a movie with our spouse, to take the car in for service. There are long-term plans as well, where we want to be in ten years, when we will have kids, where we want to live. Before I had kids I always said I wanted to stay home with them until it was time for them to go to school. Being that my kids are two years apart, that gave me roughly seven years to serve as a stay-at-home mom and be as involved as possible in their lives. Well the time seems to have come, quicker than the speed of light I tell you, because in less than three weeks my…

  • Walking in someone else’s shoes

    dsduffy
    10 Jan 2012 | 1:16 am
    A toddler wears her mother’s heels, clomping around the house.  Sisters fight over the same sweater. The little brother wears his big brother’s hand-me-downs. We start out early wearing other people’s things; dressing up in costume, pretending to be a superhero, a princess, or a policeman. Is it the desire to feel like someone else? To see what it is like to be that person? To be something we are not? We’ve all done it, time and time again. And then we grow up and it doesn’t happen as often. We may still dress up for a Halloween party, or a themed costume party…

  • Camping: a sensory experience

    dsduffy
    9 Jan 2012 | 3:28 am
    Each morning while lying in the tent, my ears were filled with foreign sounds. Birds, other campers, rain. Being away from the sounds of the busy street right out front of my house was such a delight. I didn’t miss the concrete, the buildings, the screeching tram turning the corner down the block. The early morning ducks flying overhead and the laughing kookaburras, I felt like they were laughing just for me. The freedom my boys had: being able to hop on their bikes and ride down to the playground all by themselves. There is no way they could do that where we live, there are too many…

  • A camping we will go

    dsduffy
    3 Jan 2012 | 4:40 am
    Yes, you read that right. Camping. For those of you that know me in real life, you know I’m not much for camping. I mean, I did go to sleep away camp back in the 80′s, and I guess sleeping in a “bunk” is kinda like camping,  but it isn’t the same as a tent (think walls, and ceilings!) Plus, I wasn’t a parent back then, I was barely in charge of myself, let along other people. I’ve been camping a few times before kids, and once with kids for only 2 nights. It rained that time, and let’s just say I wasn’t the happiest camper (haha!) But!
 
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    Woman On A JouRney

  • Friday Photo Flashback

    MsRay
    28 Jan 2012 | 5:19 am
    My mother's college graduation photo - circa 1950

  • That old TV

    MsRay
    16 Jan 2012 | 7:48 pm
    The switch from analog to digital t.v. (DTV) has enhanced television viewing because of the clearer picture and better sound quality.  Through this advanced technology, stations can now broadcast shows in High Definition (HD) or multiple Standard Definition (SD).  By June 2009, stations broadcast only in digital signals.  In fact, nowadays, television comes in digital, SDTV, HDTV, EDTV; soon, there will be more advanced types to come. Buying a new t.v. may be the easier solution to enjoy DTV, but if you love your analog t.v.,  or are looking for a more affordable…

  • Martin Luther King Day

    MsRay
    16 Jan 2012 | 8:53 am
    ( a shot of my co-employee's poster) Life's most persistent and urgent question is,  "What are you doing for others" ? -Martin Luther King, Jr.

  • Early Morning Listening Pleasure

    MsRay
    15 Jan 2012 | 6:05 am
    It's a beautiful Sunday morning. Banabear and I are up early. While doing my cleaning chores around the house, I am listening to my favorite gospel singing group, the Heritage Singers.  Here's one of my favorites: Make music to praise the Lord. He has done wonderful things.  Let this be done throughout the earth. - Isaiah 12:5

  • Friday Photo Flashback

    MsRay
    14 Jan 2012 | 6:34 am
    High School Life With friends (sophomore year) Graduation  These pictures, taken more than a decade ago, bring back memories of fun times.  We always remember with fondness our high school days.  I am still in touch with a lot of my high school classmates.   Most of them were my classmates since grade school and college.  Thanks to Facebook-  we are still able to communicate even though we are now situated in different parts of the world. Christmas 2011 get-together in New York with some of my US-based high school friends. "Happy times may come and go but…
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    Expat Life in Belgium, Travel and Photography | CheeseWebExpat Life in Belgium, Travel and Photography | CheeseWeb | Expat Life in Belgium, Travel and Photography | CheeseWeb

  • A Weekend in Belgium’s Eastern Cantons – Part 2 – Hombourg and Aubel

    Alison
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:27 am
    The cosy, quirky interior of Au Vieil Aubel On the second day of our weekend in Belgium’s Eastern Cantons, we were driving north, almost to the Dutch border, to the village of Hombourg (Homburg). We were headed for our second B&B in Belgium and another gastronomic experience. (Don’t forget to read part 1 of our Weekend in the Eastern Cantons of Belgium.) In fact, Hombourg is on the edge of many borders. It is just south of Maastricht, in the Netherlands and just west of Aachen, Germany. Hombourg, although part of Wallonia, is also only 30kms from the Flemish border. All this makes for…

  • A Weekend in Belgium’s Eastern Cantons – Part 1 – Eupen

    Alison
    25 Jan 2012 | 5:16 am
    One of the light, airy upstairs bedrooms at Julevi Although most people think of Belgium as a bi-lingual country with French and Flemish spoken, there is actually a third official language – and no, we don’t mean English. Like most inhabitants of Belgium, Andrew and I knew very little about the Eastern Cantons; the 11 municipalities that are home to the country’s German-speaking community. Last weekend, we decided it was high time we educated ourselves about this under-promoted corner of Belgium. Even though the German-speaking community of Belgium makes up a tiny 0.7% of the…

  • Zucchini, Sun-dried Tomato and Halloumi Cheese Muffin Recipe

    Alison
    20 Jan 2012 | 3:59 am
    Zucchini, Sun-dried tomato and Halloumi Cheese Muffins It’s been quite some time since I posted a recipe on CheeseWeb but I couldn’t resist sharing this one with you. These muffins would make a great treat for this weekend’s breakfast! Over the holidays, Andrew and I decided to do a 15 day detox diet to help get our weight and unhealthy eating habits under control. We were both pleased with the results and are working to incorporate more fruits and veggies into our diets and eat less meat. I’m not a big breakfast eater but I’ve always been a fan of muffins.

  • When in Belgium – An Interview with Yvo Noukens

    Alison
    18 Jan 2012 | 2:25 am
    Yvo Noukens While much of the information about Belgium remains divided by the language border, one Belgian has started a new blog to promote his country to the world. Yvo Noukens, began his website, When in Belgium, to promote the beautiful lesser-known locations he’s discovered around his country to introduce them to tourists, expats and even locals.  We asked Yvo about his new website, his interest in photography and his thoughts on Belgium. Here’s what he wrote for us: My interest in photography was first sparked when we moved to Bournemouth, England in 2001. It was a nice…

  • L’Idiot du Village Restaurant in Brussels

    Alison
    16 Jan 2012 | 5:01 am
    L'Idiot du Village Restaurant, Brussels, Belgium Nestled on the corner of Rue Blaes and Rue Notre-Seigneur, in the Marolles, is a cosy little secret of in-the-know foodies. It’s called L’Idiot du Village, but even the village idiot will tell you, it’s worth finding this  little restaurant. Foodies in Brussels know, choosing a restaurant in the city is always a dilemma. Do you seek out a new and untested venue and run the risk of a disappointing meal or do you return to a tried and true favourite. Last week, Andrew and I decided to split the difference and visit a place…
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    Blogitse

  • snow, a lot of snow…

    BLOGitse
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:28 am
      weekend photos #4   Snow might look beautiful…   but now we have more than enough snow in Helsinki, again.   It’s difficult to walk, drive…roads are slippery under the snow. Imagine old people whose balance and walking abilities are not that good anymore, sigh.   This part of the pavement looks okay – to park a car…     Sundays In My City     Life In Pictures       Shadow Shot Sunday     Our friends from Sweden are coming to visit this weekend. I’ll visit your blogs late Sunday evening!

  • kiss my paper

    BLOGitse
    25 Jan 2012 | 3:33 am
        makroviikko / macro week challenge #44       teema / theme: paperi / paper        

  • four times S

    BLOGitse
    21 Jan 2012 | 1:38 am
      photos of the weekend #3 four times S: shusi, shine, shadows and snow         home made shusi by BLOGitse       I creased aluminum foil…       and played with it…       This is the same as the first one…I have a zillion versions of that shot now   This was shot a couple of days ago. Today we have and will have more snow -   it’s snowing right now!         We have ‘The MATKA 2012 Nordic Travel Fair’ in Helsinki this weekend.   What’s your dream…

  • fashion

    BLOGitse
    18 Jan 2012 | 9:20 am
        “I don’t do fashion, I am fashion.” Coco Chanel   makroviikko/macro week challenge #43   teema/theme: muoti / fashion   Marimekko designs by Fujiwo Ishimoto   Marimekko Fabric Printing     Want to buy Marimekko products?   Go here      

  • weekend photos

    BLOGitse
    13 Jan 2012 | 8:35 am
      photos of the weekend #2 / an orange, reflection and a footprint     Shadow Shot Sunday2   Sundays In My City   Life In Pictures       an orange bathing in shadows…       Otaniemi skyline…       is this your footprint?     Have a good weekend!    
 
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    gweipo 鬼婆

  • How to fill your days with nothing ...

    19 Jan 2012 | 7:35 am
    One of the things I'm asked most often about the retreat is how you can do "nothing" all day and whether or not it drove me - a rather driven person at the best of times - crazy.  Bear in mind, when you register, you surrender all electronic equipment, all books, all paper, all pens.  And of course your voice.  Surrendering books (in my case a fully loaded kindle) was the hardest for me.  I use books to escape, to travel to sooth myself to put myself to sleep.There was a fairly rigid daily program which started with the gong at 4am and ended with lights out (literally no…

  • meditation on mosquitos

    16 Jan 2012 | 9:02 pm
    I've been a little slack on the blogging side of things. After 10 days out of the ether and completely winding down and relaxing, I'm finding it a little hard to drive myself and force myself to do all sorts of things. Slowing down is not a bad things. A couple of you have asked to report back on the retreat, so I'll do so in bits and pieces.One of the most memorable thing about the retreat was Karmic bugs. I'm serious. Having lived with a son for 8 years, 3 of which he was absolutely obsessed by bugs, I'm ok with bugs. Bugs don't bother me. Sure, I find a mosquito buzzing around my head…

  • No room for complacency ...

    15 Jan 2012 | 6:56 pm
    As a mother I somehow always feel I'm running slightly behind.  So last night, it was merely 6.30 pm and I was already getting the children ready for some reading and bed-time.  Pajamas were on and I was shooing them to brush their teeth when my son wailed out in protest "But mum, we haven't had any supper yet and I'm STARVING!"Oops!  All I can say is that it must come from the fact that for 10 days during the retreat our last meal of the day was at mid-day and then nothing until 8.30 the next morning....So, back to the kitchen, cooked dinner and fed them and we were back to…

  • message to the future

    12 Jan 2012 | 11:46 pm
    My children opened a bank account here in SG to deposit the pocket money they receive from us when we remember to give it to them.As a gift the bank gave them these cheapo fold it yourself money boxes.  I was most intrigued to see the message being given to the youth.  How inspirational.  How aspirational.  How fitting in with the way things have to and should and ought to be..."Saving today for our home tomorrow" right there on the top where the money slot is.  Just to remind you what it's all about and the most important thing of all - keep the property barons…

  • Hot shower!

    11 Jan 2012 | 8:06 am
    I'm back in SG after a very interesting and "enlightening" retreat at Suan Mokkh - nope I'm not "enlightened" but I have a new found enthusiasm and appreciation for showers and hot water after 12 days of washing myself with scoops of cold water from communal ponds ...More tomorrow, off to bed so I'm up in time for the 4am bell and meditation (haha)
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    Bleeding Espresso

  • The Evil of Envy & the Importance of Staying in Your Own Lane

    michelle
    19 Jan 2012 | 7:09 am
    Peperoncini & clothespins One of the most prevalent superstitions in southern Italy (and in a lot of Mediterranean cultures), is the Evil Eye. Here it’s called “malocchio” and its roots are in envy, i.e., someone feels envious of another person, even without a malicious intent behind it, thereby bringing bad luck upon the person being envied. I’ve previously written about the Italian-American equivalent of being overlooked. Malocchio can manifest itself in the victim physically via headache and/or general malaise or it may bring about acts of misfortune — such as what…

  • Thinking Outside the Box with Agent J

    michelle
    9 Jan 2012 | 5:50 am
    One of my favorite movie scenes of all time is the testing scene in Men in Black. To refresh your memory: For those who don’t want to watch the first two minutes and fifty or so seconds of the video, let me sum it up: Will Smith’s character (who later becomes Agent J) is in a room with other candidates so the Powers-That-Be can find “the best of the best of the best.” The candidates are all men from either military academies or the NYPD and squeezed into pod-like chairs that barely contain their bodies; they are each given an exam booklet and a pencil. As they scrunch…

  • One-Word Theme for 2012: Up

    michelle
    1 Jan 2012 | 8:16 am
    Up by gothick_matt on Flickr via CC license So here we are in 2012. As you may or may not know, I lost one of my beloved goats on December 19th. I’m still recovering, slowly but surely, trying to remember all the good times and not feel guilty for not being able to save my Pinters. There were also some other disappointments and delusioni toward the end of the year as well, and all together, they’ve put me in a rather down mood — exactly where I hate being around Christmas, which I normally love so much. I’m beyond grateful for all the love and support so many of you…

  • Finding Love, Peace, and Joy During the Holidays

    michelle
    11 Dec 2011 | 1:46 am
    “Peace be with you” is something Catholics say to one another during each and every Mass. “Peace on Earth and goodwill toward men” is what so many of us want year-round, but at Christmas in particular. So why has my Facebook feed been flooded with posts by friends and family stressed out about Christmas since November? Before I moved to Italy, I imagined Christmas here to be spectacular. And it is, but not in a grand, overdone way — at least as I have seen it celebrated. Here in the depths of southern Italy, Christmas is traditionally a quiet day spent with…

  • Meeting Disappointment with Friends, Gratitude, and Apple Pie

    michelle
    24 Nov 2011 | 4:27 am
    Apple pies almost ready for baking Last weekend it became clear I would not be receiving my package of cranberries and sweet potatoes in time to make an American Thanksgiving in Italy. For some, that may not seem a big deal, but Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and hands down the hardest day for me as an expat. Read: Homesick City. I love Thanksgiving because of its important components — family, food, and giving thanks, and when I can’t have my family nearby, well, the food I’ve been eating on this day for 30+ years becomes even more significant. And without the cranberries and…
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    La Mom - an American mom in Paris

  • Slang Word Time Warp

    La Mom-an American Mom in Paris
    17 Jan 2012 | 4:27 pm
    photo: Self Service UKLa Mom's noticed lately that a lot of her expat friends seem to be in a slang word time warp. They use slang words or phrases that makes one take note,  "WHAT did San Diego Mom just say?"This slang word time warp thing got La Mom thinking -  do slang words learned before moving abroad stay through the years in one's expat life? Does slang stand still over time?Je pense que oui. It seems to be the case in La Mom's entourage. Here's what I've overheard:At the expat get-together:Kansas Mom: Dude, Montana Mom has a groovy poncho.La Mom: I love it. It looks…

  • Woteva, Woteverrr, Whatever

    La Mom-an American Mom in Paris
    9 Jan 2012 | 3:31 pm
    W is for WotevaBig Cheese and the French Fries learned a new word while on holiday recently: woteva.<-----  They also learned the hand gesture that accompanies this word."Woteva" was the word du jour and quite overused during our winter vacation in the sun.For example...Big Cheese: Chérie, did you know the French won the men's swimming championship last summer?La Mom: The French finally won a medal in a manly sport.Big Cheese: What do you mean? We win the handball championships every year.La Mom: Wot-ev-a. American girls fantasize about dating basketball stars and…

  • France's Presidential Candidates Wish You a Rockin' 2012!

    La Mom-an American Mom in Paris
    4 Jan 2012 | 7:05 am
    If France's presidential election could be decided by who rocks the dance floor the best, who would win: Nicolas Sarkozy or François Hollande?Leave a comment with your vote.La Mom votes for Daddy Sarkozy - he knows how to bust a move.Bonne année !

  • A Christmas Story

    La Mom-an American Mom in Paris
    21 Dec 2011 | 11:41 am
    The PlotWhat to give Big Fry's teacher for Christmas?The PlayersLa Mom, New Jersey Mom, La MaîtresseThe EmailDear Parents:Madame Blanc (Julie's mother), has kindly offered to extend her employee discount at Chanel towards the purchase of a Christmas gift for our children's teacher, La Maîtresse. If you would like to donate for a watch, an envelope is available with the school secretary until December 19th. The children will present the gift to her at the class Christmas party on December 20th.Merci à tous,Toronto Mom & New Jersey MomHomeroom…

  • WTF

    La Mom-an American Mom in Paris
    13 Dec 2011 | 3:01 pm
    Sing it with me - On the fifth day of Christmas, Amazon France gave to me,Beaucoup de soucis.Two orders placed with two different Amazons (France & US), two problems encountered, two very different customer service experiences...Amazon US customer service exchange:La Mom : Hi, I’m calling from France because I just realized I sent a package to an incorrect address in Florida. It’s order #123456789.Amazon US : No problem ! I can help you with that ! Yep, I see here the order came back full circle and is at our warehouse. I can send out a new one…
 
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    Everyone's Expat Blog Posts - Expatacular! - Global Expat Community

  • If ever a company needed PR department its foxconn!

    Steve powell
    23 Jan 2012 | 10:59 pm
    CEO OF APPLE PARTNER FOXCONN: 'Managing One Million Animals Gives Me A Headache' This won't do much to calm concerns about how the folks who make iPhones, iPads, and other gadgets are treated. According to WantChinaTimes, Terry Gou, the head of Hon Hai (Foxconn), the largest contract manufacturer in the world, had this to say at a recent meeting with his senior managers: "Hon Hai has a workforce of over one million worldwide and as human beings are also animals, to manage one million animals gives me a headache," said Hon Hai chairman Terry Gou at a recent year-end party, adding that he wants…

  • Perking the Pansies - Jack and Liam move to Turkey

    Jack Scott
    8 Jan 2012 | 8:27 am
    Just imagine the absurdity of two openly gay, recently ‘married’ middle aged, middle class men escaping the liberal sanctuary of anonymous London to relocate to a Muslim country.Jack and Liam, fed up with kiss-my-arse bosses and nose-to-nipple commutes, quit their jobs and move to a small town in Turkey. Join the culture-curious gay couple on their bumpy rite of passage in a Muslim country. Meet the oddballs, VOMITs, vetpats, emigreys, semigreys, debauched waiters and middle England miseries. When bigotry and ignorance emerge from the crude underbelly of Turkey’s expat life, Jack and…

  • chinese lessons

    martin edwards
    26 Dec 2011 | 3:53 am
    if anyone needs chinese lessons my wife is available for private tuition. She is an experienced teacher and also works as an interpreter . Send me a message if anyone is interested. Thanks  Martin

  • ESL Job Vacancies in Dongguan, Dongcheng District

    Maria Jose Vela
    15 Dec 2011 | 2:15 am
    Hello!I'm looking at the possibility of moving to Dongguan around February next year. I'm a little bit far away from China at the moment, and would greatly appreciate it if anybody could please help me with a list of English Centres around the Dongcheng district. I'm convinced this is the city I want to go to. I lived in Nanjing 3 years and now looking to go a bit south.Thanks,  Maria xx

  • Particleularities - A Primer on Air Purifiers for Beijingers

    Crumbsey
    8 Dec 2011 | 7:30 am
    The discussion about air quality and how to best respond to pollution can be as heated and endless as our personal creed justifications. Yet when a dark blanket of smog weighs heavily onto the capital for a week in a row again and revives the running gag about the failing US American AQI (air quality index) with a “beyond hazardous” reading exceeding the up-to-500 scale, a statement of mutual solidarity sets in that “this is not good”. “It used to be impossible to get a good cup of coffee,” summarises Mike Murphy, CEO of IQAir, “now you have great schools, restaurants, things to…
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    1, 2, 3... ELEVEN Petals

  • I never finish anythi

    Daisy
    23 Jan 2012 | 12:13 am
    Remember the time I said I was going to teach the world to sing?  And I was so excited and dedicated?  But instead of teach I said blog about stress reduction because I can’t sing?  And then I only wrote like 3 blogs about it? Or what about the time I said I was going to take a self-portrait every single day for a year but ended up only doing it for about 90 days?  Yeah… umm… about that. In other news, I was super pleased and excited to learn that the kids I teach in church adore me. :)  YAY!  Happy days!  

  • Once upon a time she learned to embrace her individuality

    Daisy
    21 Jan 2012 | 3:12 am
    Once upon a time there was girl who really liked to start stories in her mind with the phrase “once upon a time.”  *happy sigh*  ”Once upon a time” is so romantic.  :)  There’s really no other way to start a story I think – unless of course you want your story to be a cold, heartless, bitter, tragedy.  But even then, it’s prolly better to go ahead and give it a good ole “once upon a time” to start, JUST IN CASE at the last second you decide Dexter is going to swoop in and save the day by murdering a bad guy.   Or Detective Morgan!!

  • Get yourself back home. And in case you were wondering? home = me :-o say whaaa????

    Daisy
    6 Jan 2012 | 2:17 am
    If you set it free and it comes back to you, does that mean it’s yours to keep?  What if you’re the one who flew away?  If it’s there when you’re ready to come home – can you stay forever? “oh smooshy face I’ve missed you” and “pumpkin button, I’m crazy wild about you” hee hee – I hope you don’t choke!!! ;) Kiss. “You have perfect Lips” “I know”  :) oops!!! yikes. strike that.  I meant… “Why thank you.”  :) mmmm… yum.  love this song.  I have it on repeat. Want…

  • The one that got away… because I was an idiot and deleted him from my life. :(

    Daisy
    23 Dec 2011 | 4:10 am
    It’s kind of trippy to see Katy Perry as a senior citizen. :-o It’s also kind of trippy when someone from your past starts haunting your thoughts. Want to know what ELSE is ALSO trippy??  Too bad. :)  I’m going to tell you anyway.  :)  It’s ALSO trippy when you realize they never left your thoughts, you just couldn’t entertain those thoughts until now. :-o AAANNNDDD I seriously watch WAY too much ghost whisperer because I thought “Katy Perry has a ghost!!!! Better call Melinda Gordon STAT!” when I saw the end of this video. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Ok so…

  • The break-up in music, with some words, and some hope. :)

    Daisy
    21 Dec 2011 | 10:27 am
    We have got to stop meeting like this. ;)  Late at night.  Too tired to think straight.  Eating a dark chocolate orange ball. *SMACK!  SMACK!* That’s the sound of my Terry’s Dark Chocolate Orange, as always, splitting into perfect pieces.  *happy sigh* It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to realize J-doo-da and I broke up.  Who’s J-doo-da?  Oh, you know, ;) just the guy that I was dating this past year. :) My big mistake AND the inspiration for my new break-up playlist.  YAY!!! haha!! “There’s a side of you that I never knew .. and the things you…
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    Newsvine - feed

  • Vermont dairies scramble to find feed after Irene

    Lisa Rathke
    11 Jan 2012 | 2:02 am
    Flooding from Tropical Storm Irene swept away some bales of hay Doug Turner grew to feed his dairy cows and ripped open others, contaminating them with muddy water. When the water receded, he had to mow down a third of his corn, which had turned brown and moldy.

  • Haitians Sue Jesuits, Connecticut School Over Aid Worker's Sexual Abuse of Children

    maddad
    7 Jan 2012 | 9:20 pm
    (CNN) -- Seventeen more Haitian men are suing a convicted American aid worker and affiliated institutions for sexual abuse they say they suffered while living at a charitable school intended to feed, clothe, educate and house the needy.

  • 9 Dogs Attack Woman Trying to Feed Them

    maddad
    17 Dec 2011 | 6:58 am
    TONOPAH, AZ - Authorities say as many as nine dogs attacked a woman Friday morning while she tried to feed them in Tonopah.

  • 5 Apps To Be More Productive On Android

    Nathan Campos
    20 Nov 2011 | 6:45 pm
    On this post I’m going to discuss 5 applications for you to be more productive on your Android phone, since the only reason for me to keep using my Galaxy Tab instead of my iPad is because I’m a lot more productive on it.

  • More Cats Than Inmates

    tzia62
    17 Nov 2011 | 3:35 pm
    This was in a local paper.  
 
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    Seashells and Sunflowers | Necochea, Argentina

  • Feria de las Colectividades: Food, Frivolity and Funny Hats

    Katie
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:19 pm
    The Feria de las Colectividades, Necochea's annual multicultural festival, celebrates the various immigrant groups that have helped shape our city. The three-day festival takes place at the end of January in Parque Miguel Lillo and features stands serving up the gastronomic specialties of each ethnic group, as well as music and dance troupes wearing traditional costumes. The event culminates with a pageant and the crowning of the festival queen. The following ethnic groups participated in this year's festival: Italians [plus the regions of Basilicata, Calabria and Le Marche], French, Danes,…

  • Red Wine and Watermelon: A Deadly Mix?

    Katie
    18 Jan 2012 | 8:18 pm
    Did you know you will die if you drink red wine and eat watermelon together? According to an old wives' tale widely circulated in Argentina, the mix of red wine and watermelon produces a lethal cocktail in your stomach. While most Argentines who subscribe to this myth are firmly convinced that consuming a bottle of red and a slice of watermelon spells certain death, some believe the combination merely leads to digestive upset. Still others would have you abstain from any type of alcohol if you're in the mood for a refreshing piece of watermelon, lest you be found lifeless the following day.

  • Top Baby Names in Buenos Aires for 2011

    Katie
    11 Jan 2012 | 9:24 pm
    The results are in! According to the civil registries in both the city and province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, the following baby names were selected by parents more than any others in the year 2011. Girls Boys 1.   Isabella 1.   Benicio 2.   Valentina 2.   Benjamín 3.   Sofía 3.   Bautista 4.   Juana 4.   Thiago 5.   Martina 5.   Santino 6.   Morena 6.   Joaquín 7.   Mía 7.   Santiago 8.   Lola 8.   Valentín 9.   Alma…

  • 2011: Our Life in Pictures

    Katie
    31 Dec 2011 | 12:34 am
    Presenting a 2011 recap in pictures rather than words...enjoy! [Please click here if you can't view the embedded video.] Happy New Year! ¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

  • ¡Felices Fiestas!

    Katie
    22 Dec 2011 | 3:24 pm
    In the early days of my blog, I wrote a post lamenting the fact that I couldn't celebrate Christmas with both my American family and my Argentine one. Three years later, I still haven't succeeded in bringing everyone together at one table, but for the first time, I am blessed to be able to share in an American Christmas celebration with my Argentine hubby at my side. We're having a ball here with my family, and it's been fun documenting all of Daniel's firsts here in Yanquilandia (first time eating Chinese food, going on a hayride, picking out a real Christmas tree, etc.). I also had the…
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    Newsvine - feed

  • Vermont dairies scramble to find feed after Irene

    Lisa Rathke
    11 Jan 2012 | 2:02 am
    Flooding from Tropical Storm Irene swept away some bales of hay Doug Turner grew to feed his dairy cows and ripped open others, contaminating them with muddy water. When the water receded, he had to mow down a third of his corn, which had turned brown and moldy.

  • Haitians Sue Jesuits, Connecticut School Over Aid Worker's Sexual Abuse of Children

    maddad
    7 Jan 2012 | 9:20 pm
    (CNN) -- Seventeen more Haitian men are suing a convicted American aid worker and affiliated institutions for sexual abuse they say they suffered while living at a charitable school intended to feed, clothe, educate and house the needy.

  • 9 Dogs Attack Woman Trying to Feed Them

    maddad
    17 Dec 2011 | 6:58 am
    TONOPAH, AZ - Authorities say as many as nine dogs attacked a woman Friday morning while she tried to feed them in Tonopah.

  • 5 Apps To Be More Productive On Android

    Nathan Campos
    20 Nov 2011 | 6:45 pm
    On this post I’m going to discuss 5 applications for you to be more productive on your Android phone, since the only reason for me to keep using my Galaxy Tab instead of my iPad is because I’m a lot more productive on it.

  • More Cats Than Inmates

    tzia62
    17 Nov 2011 | 3:35 pm
    This was in a local paper.  
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    Expatify

  • New Survey of British expats shows Spain, Canada, and Germany are where they are happiest

    Tom
    25 Jan 2012 | 4:51 am
    A brand-new expat survey shows some very interesting results, but also shows that it’s hard to take any one of these surveys too seriously. Specifically, a new poll of British expats done by Lloyds TSB International of people who’ve relocated to 10 different countries shows that Spain, Canada, and Germany get the highest marks for [...]

  • Living abroad without health insurance isn’t as risky as you might think

    Tom
    23 Jan 2012 | 3:56 am
    In a more perfect world, every citizen everywhere would have affordable access to high-quality health care and medicine. But most of the world isn’t even close to this ideal, and for many it’s all about risk and trade-offs and hoping for some good luck. Some people seem to be terrified of leaving the United States [...]

  • New Zealand ranks #1 in work/life balance in new expat survey

    Tom
    19 Jan 2012 | 3:39 am
    It’s hard to find people who’ve visited New Zealand and haven’t at least briefly considered moving there, and a recent survey shows that those who do tend to be quite happy about the decision. New Zealand actually ranked #1 in several key categories of global expats, but one that stands out as very imporant is [...]

  • Expat bars and why we love to hate them

    Tom
    16 Jan 2012 | 3:51 am
    When I grew up in Orange County, California there was a small windowless bar near my high school where Mexicans were the main clientele. Only recently did it occur to me that it was an “expat bar,” because we normally use that term to describe a place where better-off foreign residents congregate in so-called ‘developing’ [...]

  • World’s best places to live in 2012 survey reveals some strange choices

    Tom
    11 Jan 2012 | 6:22 am
    This time of year we are deluged with lists involving either last year or the current one, and a new entry that might be of interest to the expat communities has just been released. The Daily Telegraph in the UK (known for its right-wing politics and likely an upscale readership) has announced the results of [...]
 
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    Sovereign Man: Offshore Business, Global Opportunities, Freedom and Expat News

  • Do as I say, not as I do…

    Simon Black
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am
    January 27, 2012 Manila, Philippines [Editor's note: Tim Staermose is filling in today while Simon is at the farm in Chile.] There is a delicious irony in the world of economic policy at the moment. Back in 1997 and 1998 I had a ringside seat to the Asian financial crisis from my trading desk in Seoul. When everything collapsed, the policy prescriptions from the World Bank and IMF for Asia’s sick economies was to: 1. HIKE interest rates, 2. CUT government spending, 3. Further deregulate, liberalize, and open their economies to foreign investment to attract capital; 4.  And let their…

  • Guest Post: How money can buy you happiness

    Simon Black
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:48 am
    [Editor's Note: Simon's friend Craig Ballantyne is filling in today to talk about the importance of the internet in generating independent income] In the late 1970′s one of my best friends and his family escaped from Armenia, then under communist rule. In fact, his father bought their way to America via Italy, eventually settling in California (legally). In the decades since then, my friend has gone on to graduate high school, drop out of college, and eventually build a 7-figure business on the Internet allowing his family to live the American Dream. Sure there were rough times along…

  • Action trumps hope

    Simon Black
    25 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am
    I woke up this morning to a flurry of emails– “Did you watch the State of the Union address last night?” I did not. Rather, I was busy sharing a delightful meal at one of my favorite restaurants with some close friends; I didn’t even know that the speech was going on yesterday. When you break away from the confines of a single geography, the political theater becomes completely irrelevant. And State of the Union addresses represent the absolute worst of this absurdity.  All the applause, the silly introduction traditions, and of course, the Newspeak. A quick glance at…

  • How to tell you’re living in the wrong country

    Simon Black
    24 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am
    January 24, 2012 Santiago, Chile Yesterday, Kentucky senator Rand Paul was detained by the TSA in Nashville after refusing to be fondled by the airport agents. Paul has been a vocal enemy of the TSA, blasting the agency last year after agents conducted an invasive search of a 6-year old girl despite her parents’ objections. TSA Director John Pistole suggested that, because a young child in Afghanistan is capable of detonating a roadside bomb, all children should be considered potential threats. Paul raised the issue again yesterday in an opinion piece. As usual, the Obama…

  • Yet another reminder that democracy is an illusion

    Simon Black
    23 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am
    January 23, 2012 Santiago, Chile With over 150 million registered users, the file sharing site MegaUpload.com is one of the most popular on the Internet. At least, it was. The site has now been seized by the US government and its homepage converted to an FBI anti-piracy warning. Its founder, a high tech entrepreneur named Kim Dotcom (yes, he had it legally changed), was arrested in New Zealand after his homes were raided and assets seized. These actions were all at the behest of the US government. And it’s just the latest example of Big Brother overextending its authority across the…
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    MyBrownBaby

  • French Elle Thinks Michelle Obama Taught Black Women How To Dress—And Other MyBrownBaby Fresh Links

    Denene@MyBrownBaby
    27 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am
    If French Elle fashion writer Nathalie Dolivo is to be believed—and she is not—African-Americans weren’t stylish until the Obama family came into office. ”For the first time, the chic has... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • If Terrell Owens Thinks He’s “In Hell,” Imagine How His Kids Feel

    Denene@MyBrownBaby
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am
    I’m no Terrell Owens fan and I have no interest in kicking a brother when he’s down, but the former NFL wide receiver known as T.O. isn’t winning any points after revealing in this month’s GQ cover... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Police Officers in School? A Recipe for Student Failure

    Denene@MyBrownBaby
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am
    By NICK CHILES Educators have known for a long time what kind of environment children need to learn: They need to feel safe and supported. Without these two elements, they will never perform at their... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Birthing While Black: This African American Mom’s Experience Was Anything But VIP

    Denene@MyBrownBaby
    25 Jan 2012 | 10:43 am
    There are a ton of things I’ll never forget about the first time I gave birth—showing up with a Donny Hathaway CD in one hand, a beautiful pink and white-striped “going home” dress and a white... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • MyBrownBaby Respect: Maya Angelou

    Denene@MyBrownBaby
    25 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am
    There is, I hope, a thesis in my work: we may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. That sounds goody-two-shoes, I know, but I believe that a diamond is the result of extreme pressure... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
 
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    Czech Off the Beaten Path

  • Best Czech Republic Apps

    Sher
    9 Jan 2012 | 10:10 am
    Hi Everyone,Mobile devices, such as tablet computers and smartphones, are becoming more popular all the time. Even here, in Prague, I’ve seen more people use e-readers on the metro, along with smartphones and tablets. These are typically Czech people, however, mobile devices are also popular with tourists coming to this country from all over the world. Walking in Mala Strana recently, I noticed tourists taking pictures with their smartphones, and even some making photos with their tablet computers. Personally, I can’t imagine taking a picture with my iPad, as it would seem very…

  • Happy New Year 2012

    Sher
    31 Dec 2011 | 9:03 am
    Hi Everyone, Today is New Year's Eve! Where's the time been flying? 2011 has been a very good year for me, despite some challenges with my health (namely, my back/leg injury from the Krknose trip). It seems to me that the year has passed by in hyper drive, and now we are in the very last day of this year, 2011, looking toward 2012 just after midnight! Jiri and I have had a quiet holiday season this year due to my back. Entertaining has been pretty much out of the question, so we celebrated Christmas together, and will be just we two for New Years this year, too. It's been nice. The only thing…

  • Tribute and Farewell to Vaclav Havel

    Sher
    23 Dec 2011 | 7:27 am
    Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Hi Everyone, Today I'd like to pay my respects to Vaclav Havel, a former and first president of Czechoslovakia. He was voted president after the fall of communism, in 1989. Havel passed away this past Sunday, December 18, 2011, after a suffering respiratory illness. He died in his sleep. His funeral is taking place as I type, and it is quite an affair, but more on that later. Vaclav Havel the Man Family Background Havel was known for his modesty, intelligence and love the arts. He wrote over 20 plays, some of which were banned under communism. Havel was from a…

  • Seventh and Fifth Anniversaries

    Sher
    11 Dec 2011 | 6:56 am
    Hi Everyone, Today is a very special day at our house. Jiri and I are celebrating our seventh wedding anniversary, and the fifth anniversary of when I moved to the Czech Republic. Time has sure flown by. Looking back at pictures from that time, it seems we were in a fairy tale.  We were married in Prague, at the Old City Hall, in Old Town Square, Prague. Our wedding was a civil ceremony, but we later had a religious ceremony, on December 31st, 2004 back in my then home town in Texas. Both of our ceremonies were beautiful. I have to say that while the city magistrate, here in Prague, did…

  • Online Gift Shopping for Expats

    Sher
    25 Nov 2011 | 6:47 am
    Christmas presents by heybucketme Hi Everyone, Today's post is my way of supporting expats and capitalism. Online present shopping can be a boon for expats. Christmas shopping can be challenging when you’re an expat far from family and friends, who live back in your home country. The years when I go home for Christmas, it is easy to buy gifts to take back with me. I usually buy gifts that are found here, in the Czech Republic. These presents will be the most exotic and different since they are from a foreign country. However, when I spend Christmas in the Czech Republic, I typically…
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    balancedmeltingpot.com

  • Does this ever happen at your house?

    Deborah
    18 Jan 2012 | 6:16 am
    My daughter is in her room doing her homework and my son *should be* in the living room playing with his toys. I’m in my room trying to escape, ahem read. Daughter: Mooommmmyyyyyy, Kharl’s bothering me!!! Me: Kharl, leave Sissy alone. She’s doing her homework. Son: Okkaayyy!!! 2 minutes later… Son: Sissy! I have a supwize for yooouuu!!! Daughter: Kharl, leave me alone! You’re going to get me in trouble! Son: Sissy lookit! Sissy lookit! Daugther: Mommie! Kharl is still booothering meeee!!! Me: Khhaaarrrrlllll! Son: Mommyyyyyyy! Sissy called you stoooppidd! Mind you, this all occurs…

  • Broccoli and bacon quiche

    Deborah
    16 Jan 2012 | 5:31 am
    So, you know how I mentioned that I surrendered to the domestic gods during the holidays? Well, one of their tasks for me was baking. I’ve never considered myself much of a baker simply because you find so many desserts and pastries already made in the states. I finally decided to attempt some of my favorites – apple pies, tarts and alas, quiche. It wasn’t that difficult (it never is once you get used to it), but the dough gave me a run for my money. Lucky for me, I’d had enough experience with the pie crusts to know when it needed more butter and when it needed to be chilled. And,…

  • Why I can’t in good conscience recommend this place…

    Deborah
    13 Jan 2012 | 5:49 am
    We stayed at the Hotel Tibisay while in Mérida, and unfortunately it was a disappointment. Before I get to the problems, I want to say that it was a nice kept, clean hotel and the customer service was great. But, for a 4 star luxury hotel, I had the following issues:     - They had a group of marketers promoting their location on Margarita Island and they were aggressive. It was the type of marketing ploy where they simply want to “show you how the hotel works” and the whole family had to participate and after an hour you ended up in a room, sitting at a table with a bunch of…

  • Mérida

    Deborah
    11 Jan 2012 | 5:47 am
    As you know, we spent the New Year in Mérida, Venezuela. It’s a mountainous town located in the Venezuelan Andes. We had heard a lot about its tourism and it’s supposed to be one of the better developed areas in the country. The Mérida airport is closed, so we flew into Vigía, which is about a 2 hour drive away. The entire town is surrounded by mountains (sort of like Caracas) and apparently the snowy season is in June and July. This was the only mountain – Pico Bolívar – that had snow and I was told it keeps it year round. There are numerous public spaces/parks – another…

  • Promise kept

    Deborah
    9 Jan 2012 | 5:36 am
    For the past couple of years, I’ve been promising myself to do a year-in-review in January for this blog. January has rolled around twice and I’ve found reasons not to do it – mainly “I’ll do it next week”, and then ”well, it’s already March”. But not this year! I’m stopping myself from coming up with excuses and doing as I planned. Here goes: The beginning of 2011 I actually started off really well, and had a really good schedule going. I posted about my trips outside of Caracas, and debuted my personal superhero. At one point,…
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    Funky Doodle Donkey

  • Markets, what's not to love? #28

    27 Jan 2012 | 10:32 pm
    Last year I started to write a blog post about all the local markets, it took me a long time to get this post together. Researching and writing the text, and linking it so everybody could see more details and addressses and then just before I wanted to post it.... my connection was gone and I lost the post without saving it!!I was MAD!! And didn't feel like doing the whole thing again.... and then just know I stumbled upon a link to the best country markets of South Africa. So now I just copy and paste and we all can enjoy the info!You are welcome!! I know I am nice :-)Going to a market is a…

  • The Best of the Best in Joburg #27

    26 Jan 2012 | 10:04 pm
    Top things to do in the City of Gold…I was reading the House & Leisure magazine and found this best of the best list, and like to share with my local friends here. I hope you enjoy!! BTW I noticed that the list in the magazine is a bit longer, so buy the magazine if you want the complete list. I blog this on Friday, so you can go and pick a few for the upcoming weekend :-)Nice or not??Best for Modernist Furniture It’s a tie between Modernist in Parkhurst, modernist.biz and Decade (011-482-3059) at 44 Stanley. The former opened earlier last year, adding a shot of Fifties elegance to…

  • Job Day at AISJ #26

    25 Jan 2012 | 10:02 pm
    Yesterday the girls had Job Day at school.So they had to dress up as a professional.Juliet decided she wanted to be a Chef. My friend Candice had a chef's hat and glove for me from the Ratatouille movie, and I had a white apron, so her outfit was easy.Jasmine wanted to be a professional Ballerina. When she saw that I made a black tutu for her the day before she decided she wanted to be just like the Black Swan, with make up, wings and the whole shebang. Well... she could do the black outfit, wings, but NOT the make up I told her... too much work at 6am!!See here some pictures of the girls…

  • Hip Hop classes at school #25

    24 Jan 2012 | 10:35 pm
    At AISJ, the International American school the girls attend started with Hip Hop classes as an afternoon activity.So I decided to sign the girls up... they did not really agree with me. But these girls are super lazy sometimes and don't want to do anything after school. They rather come home and read their books.... the only thing they want to do is reading.So as a good mother I want them to be all-round and let them try different things in life. After trying and they still don't like it... OK then they can finish the classes and not sign up again for a next semester. But once signed up...

  • Yummy homemade soups #24

    23 Jan 2012 | 10:24 pm
    I am still on my A-Soup-A-Day thing... although we had some days in between that we didn't have soups, because even though I told the girls we will do this for a month, every day when I served them the soup they said: Soup Again?? as if they thought what happened to my mothers imagination?? These kids are spoiled food wise!! I mean they are connoisseurs. I almost NEVER make the same thing, not like when I grew up and the ritme was every week the same thing... no this is not happening in my house!That can be a good thing but also a bad thing, because when you look back at your own childhood…
 
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    Clogs and Tulips: An American in Holland

  • The Migrating Yankee

    Tiffany
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:56 am
    Are you an expat, third culture kid, or avid traveler? Or thinking or dreaming about become any one of these? As this blog is mostly for Dutch expats, I've started a more global blog called The Migrating Yankee. Current posts include Should I stay or should I go? The expat conundrum The cost of being a legal alien Should you out an expiration date on your stay? Head on over and follow, like and subscribe! See you there :) Did you enjoy this post? Subscribe via rss feed or email to catch the latest from Clogs and Tulips: An American in Holland. ©2011, Clogs and Tulips: An American in Holland.

  • Come join us!

    Tiffany
    10 Nov 2011 | 5:19 am
    Hello everyone! The move to Wordpress is not yet 100% complete, but old posts are making their way over daily including the comments that went with them. Now you can find all things Clogs and Tulips at http://clogsandtulips.com. The URL has been updated on Networked blogs, so if you're a follower through Networked blogs, there's nothing further you need to do. If you are following via RSS feed, please update the feed in your reader to http://feeds.feedburner.com/clogsandtulipsblog. Following via email? You'll need to cancel the subscription you have now and sign up here: Enter your email…

  • Moving to Wordpress

    Tiffany
    9 Nov 2011 | 9:58 am
    Dear Readers, For the last few months, I've been getting a ridiculously high number of spam comments to the blog. Today, it was brought to my attention by a reader that Google and various anti-virus software were blocking the blog. It turns out Clogs and Tulips has been the victim of the latest hacking scheme. You can read more about it here: http://www.question-defense.com/2011/01/08/finditnow-osa-pl-hack-google-search-results-redirect-to-finditnow-osa-pl-instead-of-correct-site I've been trying all day to figure out how to combat the virus, but the only information seems to be for Wordpress…

  • Help me stick it to The Man!

    Tiffany
    10 Oct 2011 | 6:22 am
    Dear Clogs and Tulips Readers, When I came to the Netherlands with no work permit and no Dutch language skills, I realized I'd have to be creative in finding ways to earn money. Not long after the residence permit was thrust into my eager little paws, I started my own company and, to make a little extra money on the side, I began freelancing as a writer. As with all things, when you first start out, you make some stupid mistakes that you learn from and move on and they help you grow. Well, I've made some mistakes in my writing career -- one of those being writing for content mills like Demand…

  • “i am not a tourist” (and why you shouldn’t be either)

    Tiffany
    7 Oct 2011 | 2:36 pm
    I was a bundle of nerves the entire flight. Who would I talk to? What would I do? Would they be able to speak English? How would I make friends? Was it possible to still do all the things I enjoyed doing in the US? Would I get homesick? How badly? What was it going to be like to have to bicycle everywhere? Surely I was the only person crazy enough to move thousands of miles from home. What kind of life would I be able to make in the Netherlands? And how? Hindsight, I realize that I’m not the only person to relocate to the Netherlands and that all expats have similar questions and fears when…
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    Culture Transition Tips & Strategies

  • How to Stop Living With Regret

    Heather Markel
    18 Jan 2012 | 1:06 pm
    Many times in our lives, we can get stuck in regret.  Especially when you make a choice to move to a new location and things don’t go well, it’s all too easy for that to happen.  Carrying that regret around with you can feel pretty bad – like a weight, bad energy, unhappiness.  If you’re tired of carrying that around with you, click here for an original way to try to bust through your regret!

  • BullBusting – A New Venture

    Heather Markel
    4 Jan 2012 | 1:05 pm
    Happy New Year! The cow, er, cat, is out of the bag, so I thought it was time to make a big announcement for 2012!  You may have noticed a bit of a trickle in the number of posts on my blog.  2011 was a challenging year for me, personally, and I opted to transform the painful experience I endured into a new business venture, called “The BullBuster Cafe”. You can learn more about my new business at www.thebullbustercafe.com Note – I will still be supporting my Culture Transition products, and I am still running The Expat Coach Association and Directory.  As an Expat, you…

  • The French No

    Heather Markel
    14 Jul 2011 | 5:10 pm
    Fresh back from my vacation in France, I had a good laugh at a few cultural differences that highlight some of the key differences between our cultures. In America, when it comes to service, we tend to be very helpful and forthcoming with information. There is a “Yes I can” attitude (though economic woes are changing that a bit). In France, however, one should always brace for “non” as in “no, it’s not possible”, and often, information is only obtained, if it is asked for. As an example, I traveled back from France via London and was unsure whether I…

  • Expat Spouse Trials and Tribulations – and ROI!

    Heather Markel
    21 Jun 2011 | 8:34 pm
    At last – finally The New York Times has realized that expat spouses are important enough to write about, as is the loss of revenue to companies who do not take care of their happiness on an expat assignment. Click here to read the full article – you need to read this!

  • Why Repatriation Deserves More Attention

    Heather Markel
    14 Jun 2011 | 11:04 pm
    When the opportunity to live and work abroad presents itself,   individuals tend to focus their attention on the expatriation process as well as the benefits of residing outside the home country. They discuss the impact of an overseas assignment on their career and relationships, identify personal and professional challenges,   speculate about the types of skills and knowledge that will be gained overseas, anticipate career development and personal growth.  Once a decision is made to relocate overseas, practical arrangements follow with concerns mingled with excited anticipation.   …
 
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    The Expat Coach Association

  • Coach of the Month – January 2012

    Margie
    1 Jan 2012 | 1:01 am
    NAME:  Megan Fitzgerald TITLE:  Expat and International Career Coach BUSINESS NAME:  Career By Choice CLIENT TESTIMONIALS:  My professional and executive clients work for Fortune 500 firms like Cisco and Microsoft, embassies & the United Nations on 6 continents. To read about their coaching experience: http://www.careerbychoice.com/WhatClientsAreSayingAboutInternationalExpatCareerPersonalBrandingCoach.html NICHE:  I catalyze the careers of forward-thinking expat professionals, executives and entrepreneurs by helping them become highly visible, sought-after experts and leaders and…

  • Coach of the Month – December

    Margie
    1 Dec 2011 | 1:01 am
    Name: Natalie Tollenaere Title: Life Coach and cross cultural trainer Business Name: Transitions to Africa Client Testimonials: http://transitionstoafrica.com/transition-and-adaptation-coaching-for-expat-kids/ttp://transitionstoafrica.com/adaptation-coaching/ Niche/Specialties: As a life coach I help expatriate families to create the life they desire while away from Home in Sub-Saharan Africa. I mainly coach accompanying spouses as they have a real task to recreate their lives with every move. I also coach teens though their teenager transition and their international transitions. As a cross…

  • Intercultural Competency Survey‏ – December 4th Deadline

    admin
    29 Nov 2011 | 7:54 pm
    This is a request to any who would like to participate.  I received a note from Awang Rozaimie bin Awang Shuib,  a doctoral candidate at the School of Management, Universiti Sains Malaysia who would appreciate our help in research about regarding the establishment of intercultural competency between sojourners (expatriates, managers, professionals, skill-workers, immigrants, international students) and host nationals colleagues.  Responses are requested by December 4th. If you would like to participate, you have two options: online at http://www.sarawak.uitm.edu.my/culturalcompetency/…

  • Career Options and the Accompanying Partner

    Doris
    18 Nov 2011 | 9:42 am
    When one partner is assigned to a new role abroad there are obviously many benefits for all the family particularly the new knowledge and new experiences gained from living in a new country and culture. For the employee there is also the challenge of working in a new environment and gaining the international experience that organizations are increasingly demanding of their employees. For the partner the assignment may create mixed feelings. Valued careers may have to be left behind and indeed for some it may be impossible to find employment in their host country due to work permit…

  • Coach of the Month – November

    Margie
    1 Nov 2011 | 2:01 am
    Name:  Belinda MJ.Brown Title:  Founder, Executive, Expat and Life Coach Business Name:  Equanimity Executive, LLC Client Testimonials:  www.equanimityexecutive.com Niche/Specialties:  Executive, Expat & Life Coach. I have had remarkable success in assisting others. I focus especially on Executives, Expats, Entrepreneurs and their spouses, and their success in reducing stress and strengthening leadership skills while abroad. My clients are successful and I champion people who want to use their skills to create positive sustainable changes in their lives and this world. My purpose is…
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    You're Not From Around Here, Are You?

  • DaShuHua Molten Metal Fireworks – Yu County Lantern Festival, NuanQuan

    steve
    27 Jan 2012 | 7:11 pm
    Wearing only a sheepskin coat and straw hat, the performers throw 1,000 degree molten iron onto the cold brick of the city walls, creating bursts of sparks, giving the Fire Flower show its name. DaShuHua Molten Metal Fireworks – Yu County Lantern Festival, NuanQuan is a post from: You're not from around here, are you?

  • How to recreate Chinese New Year in Beijing, from the comfort of your computer

    steve
    24 Jan 2012 | 8:34 am
    Want to experience the excitement that is Chinese New Years Eve in Beijing? No time to fly to China? Here’s how to recreate it at home… How to recreate Chinese New Year in Beijing, from the comfort of your computer is a post from: You're not from around here, are you?

  • Lijiang, the Venice of the East – Yunnan Province

    steve
    19 Jan 2012 | 10:32 pm
    Lijiang, dubbed the "Venice of the East" by tourists, may well be one of the prettiest towns in China Lijiang, the Venice of the East – Yunnan Province is a post from: You're not from around here, are you?

  • Party approved cab driver, Chongqing

    steve
    16 Jan 2012 | 9:00 pm
    It can be difficult to find a taxi in Chongqing - we struck very lucky and got the best one! Party approved cab driver, Chongqing is a post from: You're not from around here, are you?

  • Walking tour of Chongqing, China’s largest city

    steve
    13 Jan 2012 | 9:54 pm
    A walking tour of Chongqing, taking in the historic Diaojiaolou stilt houses and the Eighteen Steps area leading down to Chaotianmen Docks. Walking tour of Chongqing, China’s largest city is a post from: You're not from around here, are you?
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    OMAN HOLIDAYS Blog .•*´|`*•.

  • The Clipper Odyssey visits the Arabian Peninsula

    omanholiday
    14 Jan 2012 | 9:25 pm
    Last year I gave a series of talks on Oman in a wonderful cruise on the Island Sky from Salalah to past Abu Dhabi. This year the American company Zegrahm is doing a similar cruise travelling between Muscat and Bahrain and has invited me to join the passengers on board for a couple of weeks and provide insights into the region. The highlight of the Island Sky cruise for me was the voyage through the Arabian Sea between Sur and Salalah. Island Sky cruising the Arabian Sea This year as Zegrahm’s small ship the ‘Clipper Odyssey’ will be in Doha I’m anticipating that the highlight will be…

  • Tour of Oman 2012

    omanholiday
    9 Jan 2012 | 8:27 pm
    Looking forward to the Tour of Oman 2012

  • Oman Air’s new CEO

    omanholiday
    6 Jan 2012 | 11:01 am
    Oman Air over Oman's Mountains Oman’ national airline Oman Air now has a new CEO. Wayne Pearce whose career includes Qantas and Etihad took over at the start of January. Wayne Pearce CEO Oman Air Oman Air is being positioned as not only Oman’s flag carrier but also a complimentary luxury airline for the country’s slew of 5 star hotels.

  • Wedding near Muscat

    omanholiday
    5 Jan 2012 | 1:20 pm
    The Three Omani Bridegrooms In a splendid room, thick with the fragrance of Frankincense, I was pleased to join over Two Hundred witnesses for the wedding “Mulkah” of a friend and two of his cousins held near Muscat Oman. Dressed in traditional Omani dress with the addition of a formal Khunjar (dagger) & Saif (sword) the three looked resplendent and very happy at the prospect of their new life. The formal wedding agreement

  • Gazelles and Dhows in Dhofar

    omanholiday
    3 Jan 2012 | 10:30 am
    It was a nice surprise to see the familiar face of Allesandro near Salalah. Allesandro and Dhow He had previously worked on the Jewel of Muscat and was now restoring a Dhow called “The Wolf”. Another enjoyable encounter was with several Gazelle including this handsome male in one of the Wadis which lead up into the Dhofar Mountains. Gazelle Dhofar
 
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    The Displaced Nation

  • My quasi-religious pilgrimage to Oxford University — will I be judged sufficiently pious?

    The Displaced Nation Team
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:45 pm
    In past columns, Charlotte Day has illuminated aspects of her life as a Third Culture Kid who was born in Sydney, Australia, grew up mostly in New York and is now studying at an English boarding school in Kent. Today she describes her quest to earn a place at Oxford, which she has long revered as her spiritual home. At 8:45 in the morning, my taxi turns down Holywell Street, and slows to a stop at the front entrance of New College, Oxford. Approaching the Santiago de Compostela of my adolescent dreams, my state of mind can best be described through shameless lyricism. At this hour, the…

  • LIBBY’S LIFE #36 – Filthy cash, dirty deeds

    Kate Allison
    26 Jan 2012 | 8:26 pm
    Having discovered that another child is making her son Jack’s life a misery at nursery school, Libby has decided to consult Patsy, the nursery school owner. She realises, though, that this Consultation will actually be more a Confrontation. “Have a seat,” Patsy says, waving at the hard wooden chair on the other side of her desk. I’ve been in Patsy’s office only once before, when I enrolled Jack at the nursery school. It’s a small room with a big smeary window and dinosaur print curtains drawn back, offering no shade against the afternoon sun that dazzles the occupant…

  • Jennifer Dubowsky, Acupuncturist — Bringing Eastern healing to the American Midwest

    Kate Allison
    25 Jan 2012 | 3:49 pm
    Born in:   Bean Blossom, Indiana. Now: Practicing acupuncture since 2001; currently has office in Chicago, Illinois, USA.  Cyberspace coordinates: Jennifer Dubowsky (business site); Acupuncture Blog Chicago (blog); @tcm007 (Twitter handle); Jennifer Dubowsky Acupuncturist - Facebook page. Most recent post: Well Being Increases With Our Ability To Make Choices  Tell us how you went from “the smallest of small towns” in Indiana to practicing acupuncture in Chicago. Since I was young, I’ve always had a huge interest in travel and other cultures and spent a year living…

  • Talking with author Dave Prager about his — deliriously unspiritual — expat experience in India

    awindram
    24 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pm
    Reading like the work of a hipster Bill Bryson, Delirious Delhi is an account of Dave Prager and his wife Jenny’s move from New York to Delhi — the largest city in India by area and second largest by population — as they become what they term “New Delhi Yankees.” On arrival in their new home they, like so many expats, started a blog: Our Delhi Struggle. Detailing ther occasional bewilderment and occasional delight as two thirtysomethings acclimatizing to life in Delhi, their online musings quickly became popular. Dave set about expanding Our Delhi Struggle into a book,…

  • Travel yarn: The Holy Land, transformative art — and Michael Jackson?!

    The Displaced Nation Team
    23 Jan 2012 | 1:15 pm
    We welcome Joanna Liss to the Displaced Nation as a guest blogger. A veteran of volunteering overseas, she recently went to Israel with the voluntourism group GoEco — on a quest that can best be described as quasi-spiritual. I must confess I do not consider myself a particularly spiritual person. I have been on what would qualify as a spiritual retreat only once — about 40 years ago, when spending a weekend at a Zen center in the mountains of New Mexico. I was a student at the University of New Mexico at the time, with a religious studies minor (though a non-religious person, I…
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    Muscat Mutterings

  • Have a nice weekend!

    Sythe
    25 Jan 2012 | 5:25 am
    Just a small post this afternoon - I hope everyone has a nice weekend! Don't forget that I'm giving away 2 VIP tickets to see James Blunt next month, I don't give out the emails to anyone (except the winner so they can be contacted by Hi FM) and never will share contacts with anyone. Click here for more information about the concert and how to enter for the tickets. There is the Mommy & Me exhibition today and tomorrow (9am-9pm) in MQ above Silk Route / HSBC / Subway if your interested in that stuff. Also, the Muscat Pirates rugby kids U6,U8,U10 and U12 teams are heading to Dubai this…

  • Mommy & Me

    Sythe
    21 Jan 2012 | 9:00 pm
    This coming Wednesday 25th & Thursday 26th see's the second annual Mommy & Me exhibition here in Oman. The exhibition is held in the Al Noor Hall in MQ (thats the big hall above Subway / HSBC). Doors open on both days at 9am and close at 9pm - so 12 hours for each day. This year it looks like the main sponsor is Pampers, but here is a list of all of the Exhibitors: Mennez Bespoke Memories Cake Heaven Afkaari Boutique The Entertainer Sew Chic and Unique Heaven's Chocolates Twinkle Lazain Boutique BMW Brain Buzz Toys Buzoor Gatherings Lil Bee's Boutique iCommunicate - Speech-Language…

  • Muscat Rugby Football Club Gulf Conference Champions

    Sythe
    20 Jan 2012 | 8:30 pm
    On Thursday evening, MRFC traveled up to Al Ain to play the final of the Gulf Conference league and beat Al Ain 13-11 in a closely fought match in perfect conditions. Muscat took the cup and are the 2011-12 Gulf Conference league champions, something they are very proud of achieving, especially considering the road that was taken to get to the top. MRFC will now spend the second half of this season playing in the Gulf Premiership with fixtures against Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar. The sponsors of MRFC are: DHL Grand Hyatt Muscat i2 Offshore Aggreko Lufkin AIL Muriya - Sifawy hotel SNR Denton And…

  • Have you seen this dog in Qurum?

    Sythe
    18 Jan 2012 | 10:41 pm
    Reading OmanForum this morning, I saw this post. It seems they lost their dog when it ran out from a vet clinic on 16th Jan to the highway behind BMW, ROP vehicle registration building, Sultan Centre area in Qurum. Please do get in touch with the owner if anyone sees her. She is a mix small size German shepherd. If you happen to find this dog, you can email the owner at rohitakovoor [at] yahoo [dot] com Every little helps, I hope they find their dog. le fin.

  • 123 Orion winners, and whats on this weekend

    Sythe
    17 Jan 2012 | 9:00 pm
    Well, its Wednesday, which means it's the weekend, unless you work for Bechtel on the significantly delayed Muscat International Airport project, where apparently they dont give a toss about the Labour Laws and make their labourers work 11 hours a day 7 days a week. Nice. So, first up, the winner of the 2 tickets to 123 Orion's charity gig at the Royal Flight club tomorrow night: Congratulations to Formose Pereira - an email has been sent to you with details on how to claim your tickets! Tickets can still be purchased for RO 6, and proceeds go to supporting the Sindbad mobile library, for…
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    ExpatriateLife

  • Home at last

    Judy
    3 Jan 2012 | 7:54 am
    My friend Maria over at iwasanexpatwife.com has inspired me to write my own retrospective of 2011.  It may have been a train wreck for her, but for me the train finally arrived in the station in terms of my repatriation.  What made it happen? Finding a purpose.  For me that meant finding a job I truly enjoy, but it could easily have been a hobby, a sport or a volunteer activity.  Having a reason to get up in the morning, doing something that’s fun and being valued for it are things we all need and yet they often get blown out of the water when we relocate.  This is my third job in 2…

  • Career choice and the Accompanying Partner

    Judy
    13 Nov 2011 | 2:19 pm
    I try not to indulge too frequently in the game of “I wonder what would have happened if …” as I prefer to look forward rather than backward, but if someone seriously asked me what I wish I’d known then (before I became an expatriate) that I do know now, it would be about the existence of expat coaches.  Was there such a thing back in 1996?  I don’t know and even if there were, I don’t know how I would have found one back then, but now having met many both in person and through social networks, I can see it would have been helpful to brainstorm with a professional as I dealt…

  • My Halloween Howlers

    Judy
    31 Oct 2011 | 6:54 am
    Candy?  Check.  Pumpkin?  Check.  I’m all ready for Halloween.  As a new immigrant to Canada 30-odd years ago, determined to “become Canadian,” I embraced this new and exotic celebration but didn’t always get it quite right. Soon after arriving I was invited to attend a Halloween party.  What fun!  I looked in my closet to see what I could use as the basis for a costume and my eyes immediately fell on my traditional English duffel coat.  Perfect.  I would be Paddington Bear.  But what I’d overlooked was that this classic British children’s story was almost unknown this…

  • Friends and food

    Judy
    15 Oct 2011 | 8:21 pm
    Where do you keep your recipes?  When I first went overseas I had a motley collection of pages torn out of magazines and handwritten scraps of paper which I tucked inside a 1937 cookbook I’d inherited from my mother.  That old recipe book stood me in good stead as I learned to cook in a country where convenience food was almost non-existent.  In many ways it helped me change the way I cook forever, but in time I grew weary of sorting through all the bits of paper and decided to create my own cookbook of family favourites. It took time to type them all into my computer, but once that was…

  • English As She Is Spoke*

    Judy
    9 Sep 2011 | 7:21 am
    When I first arrived in Canada it came as quite a surprise to me to discover I spoke a different language, despite having emigrated here from an English speaking country (the UK).  Aisha, a more recent arrival, wrote a great blog post listing the new words she’s had to learn and I made the following comment. “I will always remember my first day of working in Canada in 1979. I was sent downstairs to the coffee shop to buy coffee and muffins. I looked high and low for “muffins” but all I could find were “buns”   Returning without them, a patient but amused colleague had to take…
 
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    In Search of a Life Less Ordinary

  • 5 Ways to Change My Life in 2012

    Russell V J Ward
    24 Jan 2012 | 9:58 pm
    This week marked the start of the 'Chinese' New Year - the Year of the Dragon no less - while Australia Day will take place on Thursday. A Chinese tiger. In other words, moi. Now I'm no water dragon (I'm a wood tiger according to those that know these things and confirm that I am courageous of heart). And I only recently took on Australian citizenship (but remain a dual national despite attempts by the powers-that-be to drain me of my blessed English roots). But with so much celebrating of national pride and…

  • Expat Jeopardy: New Beginnings for 100

    Russell V J Ward
    18 Jan 2012 | 1:00 pm
    NorthSouthEastWest: Expat Dispatches With 2012 still fresh and new, this month's NorthSouthEastWest: Expat Dispatches examines beginnings from the four corners of the globe. Here at In Search of a Life Less Ordinary, Linda of Adventures in Expat Land (North) explores the moment an expat's new life starts. As for yours truly usually found blogging here at In Search of a Life Less Ordinary (South), I'm dreaming big, and taking an even bigger bite out of 2012. Erica of Expatria, Baby (East) writes of her love beginnings. And Maria of I Was An Expat Wife (West) remembers the first…

  • An Interview with Jack Scott, Published Expat Writer

    Russell V J Ward
    9 Jan 2012 | 4:08 pm
    I had the pleasure of meeting Jack Scott through In Search of a Life Less Ordinary and the wider expat community in 2011. Jack is a regular visitor to this blog and a faithful advocate of pursuing a less ordinary life.  Jack Scott, Published Writer Jack writes a successful blog which has quickly became one of the most popular English language blogs in Turkey. As the blog grew, Jack made the decision to develop the story of his expat life in Turkey into a memoir, Perking the Pansieswhich was published just before Christmas. Perking the…

  • The Best of In Search of a Life Less Ordinary 2011

    Russell V J Ward
    2 Jan 2012 | 11:04 pm
    A New Year.  Image: Idea go / FreeDigitalPhotos.net  In the time honoured tradition of looking back at the highlights of the year that was, I thought I'd round out the year with a look back at the best of In Search of a Life Less Ordinary for 2011. A year of extremes It was an extreme year in Australia - from extraordinarily high temperatures in January and February to an unusually wet and windy start to the current summer in December. When Australia was hit with insanely hot summer temps early on in the year, I asked just How hot is too hot? Not long after, appalling bush…

  • Living in the Lucky Country Doesn't Come Cheap

    Russell V J Ward
    19 Dec 2011 | 6:45 pm
    I recently wrote for the UK Telegraph on the rising cost of expat life in the land down under. This is a contentious issue and one which is stirring up opinion on both sides of the fence - those who agree and those who emphatically do not. I've posted the article below and encourage you to join in the discussion at the end and share your own views on this polarising subject.  The cost of expat living is on the rise here.  Image: martinhoward Only a few days ago, I went to the local supermarket searching out some chilli peppers for the week ahead. At…
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    Expat Explorer

  • Questions of the Day

    27 Jan 2012 | 5:29 am
    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…

  • Expat Entrepreneurs

    23 Jan 2012 | 7:29 am
    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…

  • Taking Christmas Top Ten Lists to the Extreme!

    21 Dec 2011 | 4:55 am
    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 Tentech 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 TenBest…

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

    16 Dec 2011 | 6:14 am
    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…

  • Lonely Planet- Friends for Friends

    14 Dec 2011 | 5:17 am
    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…
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    Expatify

  • New Survey of British expats shows Spain, Canada, and Germany are where they are happiest

    Tom
    25 Jan 2012 | 4:51 am
    A brand-new expat survey shows some very interesting results, but also shows that it’s hard to take any one of these surveys too seriously. Specifically, a new poll of British expats done by Lloyds TSB International of people who’ve relocated to 10 different countries shows that Spain, Canada, and Germany get the highest marks for [...]

  • Living abroad without health insurance isn’t as risky as you might think

    Tom
    23 Jan 2012 | 3:56 am
    In a more perfect world, every citizen everywhere would have affordable access to high-quality health care and medicine. But most of the world isn’t even close to this ideal, and for many it’s all about risk and trade-offs and hoping for some good luck. Some people seem to be terrified of leaving the United States [...]

  • New Zealand ranks #1 in work/life balance in new expat survey

    Tom
    19 Jan 2012 | 3:39 am
    It’s hard to find people who’ve visited New Zealand and haven’t at least briefly considered moving there, and a recent survey shows that those who do tend to be quite happy about the decision. New Zealand actually ranked #1 in several key categories of global expats, but one that stands out as very imporant is [...]

  • Expat bars and why we love to hate them

    Tom
    16 Jan 2012 | 3:51 am
    When I grew up in Orange County, California there was a small windowless bar near my high school where Mexicans were the main clientele. Only recently did it occur to me that it was an “expat bar,” because we normally use that term to describe a place where better-off foreign residents congregate in so-called ‘developing’ [...]

  • World’s best places to live in 2012 survey reveals some strange choices

    Tom
    11 Jan 2012 | 6:22 am
    This time of year we are deluged with lists involving either last year or the current one, and a new entry that might be of interest to the expat communities has just been released. The Daily Telegraph in the UK (known for its right-wing politics and likely an upscale readership) has announced the results of [...]
 
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    The Zieglers Blog

  • 10 abilities you must develop to be a successful immigrant

    Mr.G
    24 Jan 2012 | 11:51 am
    As every year, companies ask you to write your performance review. At the same time. you were supposed to focus your efforts following some corporate guidelines. While I was reading a document to prepare my self evaluation document, I realized that there were many things that, as an immigrant, I also needed in my life in Canada. The immigration process requires the best of you. All your skills must be focused and sharp. You must be ready to act and, at a certain point, you will have to do it blindly. You will be part of a new environment. You may probably not have much idea on how things are…

  • InterNations: A great chance to meet new people and expand your network.

    Mr.G
    20 Jan 2012 | 10:59 am
    A few weeks ago I told you about InterNations, an international online community for people who live and work abroad. Last night I had the chance for the first time to participate in one of their events and I can assure you it was great! Just think of a lot of people like you and me: professionals from abroad now living in Ottawa like you, wanting to meet new people like you and me, willing to make you feel welcome. That is just great. I met a wonderful lady from Egypt that loves writing, a Canadian lawyer of Indian origin with great stories working in small Ontarian communities,…

  • Because I’ve been in your shoes: Free Webinar “Immigration to Canada”

    Mr.G
    16 Jan 2012 | 10:19 am
    You may have heard or read about this: by the end of 2001 there was a terrible economic burn out in Argentina. Pretty similar (if not the same) to what is going on now in Greece and Spain. Things were really bad in many senses: political unrest, financial uncertainty, companies closing the doors and leaving the country, people loosing jobs, poverty and violence in the growth. That was the time we started to seriously thinking about leaving the country. It took us almost two years, may be a little more, to start our immigration process. Those two years were like living in hell. You never knew…

  • What is the Cost of Living in Canada, according to people in Canada

    Mr.G
    10 Jan 2012 | 8:00 pm
    In the list or preoccupations in a newcomers mind includes there are two things you will find for sure: employment and cost of living. Both, my friends, are money related issues that will kidnap our thoughts for long time. “How much money I will have to spend every day/week/month?”,  ”How can I do to make some income to support those expenses?”, “How much my cost of groceries in Canada will be?” I bet you had the questions going around in your mind before coming to Canada or you may be having it now that your are planning your immigration for 2012. Let…

  • Immigration to Canada 2012: What to expect

    Mr.G
    4 Jan 2012 | 7:50 pm
    I’ve been talking to my good friend and immigration advisor Yves Martineau about what does he think will happen in 2012 in Canadian Immigration. He has some interesting thoughts and leads that, may be, could end up happening. If you are planning your Canadian immigration for 2012, this is what you could expect for this year: So, in a nuthsell: The Mexico office of Immigration Quebec will take care of all the paperwork for Latin America and the Caribbean. The Federal Skilled Worker plan and the Quebec Nomination Program will raise the bar for the language skills. You can expect changes…
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    usexpatcostarica.com

  • Villa Hermosa Guest House in La Fortuna

    Doin' Costa Rica
    22 Jan 2012 | 10:24 pm
    The Villa Hermosa is a guest house/bed & breakfast just outside La Fortuna Costa Rica and D'Angelo and myself made a video, here's us eating lunch between video shoots.Porch area at Villa Hermosa.When someone says, "...a little slice of PARADISE." they...

  • High Times in the High Season

    Fabulista de Costa Rica
    18 Jan 2012 | 2:43 pm
    Here we are, time for another Spanish/English dinner party with Marcial and Sadie tomorrow night, which means that almost two weeks have past since my last entry here. If I thought that “retirement” meant inactivity, bo...

  • I’ve got nothing to say, but it’s OK, …

    A Dull Roar
    15 Jan 2012 | 6:27 am
    Good morning, good morning, good morning, ah. - Lennon/McCartney. Dawn is here, lifting Night's cloak with slender hands, asking her if she would like to take a load off, sit by the fire, and warm herself with a cup of hot rompope before dozing off ...

  • KILLER Pico de Gallo with VIDEO

    Doin' Costa Rica
    13 Jan 2012 | 11:04 am
    We LOVE Pico de Gallo and we LOVE videotaping these Costa Rica Cooking Classes...Whoo HOO!'Pico de Gallo' is Spanish for "rooster's beak". From Wikipedia:"According to food writer Sharon Tyler Herbst,it is so called because originally it was eaten with...

  • President Chinchilla’s Christmas Gift

    A Dull Roar
    11 Jan 2012 | 6:34 pm
    Two days after Christmas 2011, La Presidénte Laura Chinchilla gave many people in Costa Rica a belated present. She signed into law yet another tax. This one is aimed at a long-standing tradition here for protecting one's assets, namely Socieadades A...
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    The American Resident

  • I’m joining the watt loss challenge

    Michelloui
    26 Jan 2012 | 4:11 am
    The American ResidentMy top tips for how to save energy around the home? Here’s how I do it, and it has added benefits: I work at home all day most days and apart from the flurry of housework before I do the school run I am mostly sitting at my desk. Which means I get chilly. But instead of putting on a heater I either go for a brisk walk (walks are really good for thinking time as well), or do some exercise to a DVD or on the rowing machine. And if don’t have time for either, I run up and down the stairs 10+ times. Yes, really. It works! It warms me up and wakes me up and I can…

  • Top 5 tips for experienced bloggers

    Michelloui
    19 Jan 2012 | 7:54 am
    The American ResidentIt's a kaliedescope--kind of like all our blogs together, aways an interesting mix. I’m joining one of clever Kate’s listography’s this week and offering up my top 5 tips for bloggers (pop over to Kate’s for many more tips). Yes, I’ve done blogging tips before, and I’ve just given you some ideas for your About page (so, have you jazzed up that About page yet?) but this is a slightly different list of tips–it’s for people who are more experienced. Or perhaps ‘intermediate bloggers’, is a better decription of…

  • The question I always get asked by the British

    Michelloui
    17 Jan 2012 | 4:09 am
    The American ResidentOk so there are two high frequency questions. The first is a variant of “that doesn’t sound like a local accent!” which is the polite way of saying “I know you’re Canadian or American but I have learned from various media sources that it is a serious faux pas to ask where in the States you’re from if in fact you’re Canadian so I’m playing it safe.” My usual, mischievous answer is simply “Minnesota”. Most people who ask me the question in the first place know that Minnesota is in the United States but not all and so I let the uncertainty hang there, a…

  • Too much cat food makes your head shrink

    Michelloui
    12 Jan 2012 | 12:34 am
    The American ResidentIt’s a fact. Look at the evidence: Minky 1 year ago.   Minky today.                                     Can you see it? A year of too much cat food and Minky’s head is smaller now. I’ve never had a cat’s head shrink. My Cat Paddy               My Cat Paddy has always had a big head. He has always been sleek and elegant and he knows he’s number one. That’s why he was so totally shocked when I first brought…

  • Edward Bear’s Peanut Butter Cookies

    Michelloui
    10 Jan 2012 | 4:26 am
    The American ResidentPeanut butter cookies don't even last long enough for a photoshoot! I have a cute story to tell you. My kids may all be teenagers, but there’s still one or two ‘awwwww!’ stories I can pull out of my bag (even if, in this case, it isn’t about my own child). And because this story has been retold several times before it reached me, I may well have some facts wrong, but the essence is correct. My second eldest (step)daughter’s boyfriend is called Ed. Let’s call him Ed Smith. One day not too long after they started dating Ed’s…
 
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    Czech Off the Beaten Path

  • @Geri: Yes, free WiFi is available all over Prague...

    27 Jan 2012 | 9:27 am
    @Geri: Yes, free WiFi is available all over Prague. I know for sure all McDonald's, KFCs and Starbucks in Prague have free WiFi.I also found this list, in Czech, of other places to find free WiFi in Prague. I can't speak for how accurate the list is, as I've never used it myself: http://www.wifi-in.cz/wifi/praha/. For each place, if you click on "ukazat na mape" a map will open and show the location.I hope this helps--and please write if you have more questions!Have a great day,Sher :0)

  • @Sher - yikes, that is good to know about the ATMs...

    26 Jan 2012 | 4:36 pm
    @Sher - yikes, that is good to know about the ATMs - thanks!I also wondered about wifi....is it widely available (coffee shops, etc.? around Prague?

  • @Geri: I'm sorry your post was accidentally de...

    26 Jan 2012 | 1:43 pm
    @Geri: I'm sorry your post was accidentally deleted! Hopefully I remember what you asked me. If I don't address some issue from your comment, please leave another comment--and I'll try not to delete that one! :)You asked if it was easy to find ATMs, and the answer is yes. They are most everywhere in Prague. However, there is one caution and bit of advice for tourists. It's best to use an ATM inside a bank or mall or store. The ones outside a building (which are many) have a habit of being targets of high-tech robbers. They manipulate the machines to give them ATM…

  • @Geri: My response back to you was missing one wor...

    18 Jan 2012 | 6:15 am
    @Geri: My response back to you was missing one word...so here it goes one more time! :0) @Geri: Yes, that's right; if the appliance is dual voltage, all you will need is the plug adapter. I have to say that a Kindle does make it much easier to take books on a trip. You can carry an entire library in that one device! I've traveled with mine, and I won't go back to carrying "real" books anymore.Yes, free WiFi is readily available in the bigger cities, such as Prague, Brno, Plzn, etc. Prague has many coffee shops and restaurants that offer free WiFi. Three sure places to…

  • 18 Jan 2012 | 6:13 am

    18 Jan 2012 | 6:13 am
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    Culture Every Day

  • What’s it like over there in Turkey?

    Justine Ickes
    22 Jan 2012 | 11:01 pm
    Did you hear the one about Turkey? People ask me that question a lot. They ask when they find out that my husband is Turkish. Or when I talk about vacationing in Turkey with our kids. Or when some Hollywood starlet says something like, “Oh, I thought Istanbul was a town.” (Yeah, I know, I winced at that one, too.) And, you know what? I still don’t have a good answer Because, summing up Turkey, or any other country or culture, for that matter, is basically impossible. It’s like asking a mom what labor’s like. (Okay, it’s not that extreme. ) Because, when you’re talking about a…

  • My Dirty Little Secret and What I Plan to Do about It

    Justine Ickes
    10 Jan 2012 | 11:01 pm
    These crocs were made for walking. Fasten your seat belts because I have an announcement to make. I’m going to Turkey this summer. Yes, I’ve been there before, on my own and with my family, but this year is going to be different. I won’t be lolling around a resort like I did on our last fun family beach vacation on the Aegean Sea. And I’m not going there to run a cross-cultural workshop either. The reason I’m going is because of my kids. You see, they don’t really speak Turkish. Sure, they know some basic vocabulary for life’s most pressing needs. Vocabulary and phrases like:…
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    Counting Time

  • So long and thanks for all the fish

    Riayn
    19 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am
    As the title suggests, I’m closing this blog.  This blog represents a period of my life that is well and truly over and it is time that I closed the book on this chapter. However, do not fear, I’m not giving up on blogging.  I’m way too opinionated to do that.  Instead I’m launching a new blog that fits better with the brand new period of my life that I find myself in. Therefore, if you enjoy reading about my sometimes crazy life, please head over to my new blog, Geek Mädel.  For those of you are reading this on your RSS reader, please update to my brand new feed.

  • Must See TV: Sherlock

    Riayn
    17 Jan 2012 | 7:51 am
    I’ve never been a fan of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.  I’ve never read a single book or seen a single movie about him.  I’m sure he is a fine detective, but I just never found him that interesting. However, thanks to pop culture, I know all about The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Reichenbach Falls and naturally, his sidekick Dr John Watson. I probably would have never watched BBC’s version of Sherlock if it hadn’t been created by one of my favourite TV writers, Steven Moffat.  I own almost every TV series he has ever written on DVD, that’s how…

  • Pulling My Finger Out

    Riayn
    16 Jan 2012 | 4:13 am
    Image via Wikipedia With the failure of my Fluent in 3 Months language challenge and the depressing realisation that everyone in my class speaks better German than I do, I have decided to pull my finger out and get serious about learning German. I know I have talked about doing this, but this time I actually am. I’m actually putting all those grand plans into action and I feel I’m very slowly getting somewhere. I read out loud to myself a short German children’s story every night and hope like hell the neighbours can’t hear me, but if they can I hope they are enjoying…

  • Improve Your German with a Web Series

    Riayn
    10 Jan 2012 | 6:26 am
    As you know I’m always on the lookout for ways to improve my German, especially my ability to understand spoken German. The website Young Germany has a section that is full of great resources to help improve your German. One of these is a web series called Jojo sucht das Glück. The language used in this webseries I would class as upper A2 – B1, but it has subtitles which makes it accessible to people who are able to read German far better than they can understand it, like me.  The story is a little formulaic and the acting is at best quite wooden, but it is a fun way to pick up…

  • Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places

    Riayn
    9 Jan 2012 | 4:27 am
    Image via Wikipedia Since I’m failing completely and utterly to kickstart my love life, I want to hear all your stories about how, where and when you met your significant other.  Please give me hope that finding love is not impossible, cause right now, I’m thinking of packing it all in and resigning myself to spinster status.  I would start on my cat collection, but my apartment building has a strict No Animals rule. At the moment, internet dating is coming up with a big fat nothing, even when I cast my net across the whole entire world. I’m still left wondering how…
 
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