Expats

• Most Topular Stories

• Personal Branding is the Key to Expat or International Career Success

  Expat Focus

  5 Mar 2012 | 5:01 pm

  by Expat Focus columnist, Megan Fitzgerald In today’s dynamic, competitive, global marketplace where employers are seeking out talent across the globe, to succeed professionally we must understand how we create value in the world - and insure that the people that need that value are aware of it. We must be visible to right decision makers so when those choice projects and job opportunities come up we are well positioned to secure them. But understanding what it is exactly that we have to offer can sometimes be a challenge, given we often define ourselves and what we offer based on our job…

• Picnicking in the worlds most polluted cities – Lishi, Shanxi Province

  You're Not From Around Here, Are You?

  steve

  8 May 2012 | 10:47 pm

  16 of the world’s 20 most polluted cities are in China. The area between Lishi and Linfen in Shanxi Province is known as the world’s most polluted area. Picnicking in the worlds most polluted cities – Lishi, Shanxi Province is a post from: You're not from around here, are you?

• Simple guide to choosing a VPN for China (and elsewhere!)

  You're Not From Around Here, Are You?

  steve

  23 Apr 2012 | 11:19 pm

  One of the problems with being in China is that the internet is heavily controlled to filter out information that might be detrimental to the harmonious society. A simple VPN can help bypass the Great Firewall of China. Simple guide to choosing a VPN for China (and elsewhere!) is a post from: You're not from around here, are you?

• Less common tips for first-time visitors to China

  You're Not From Around Here, Are You?

  steve

  26 Apr 2012 | 12:15 am

  There seems to be a lot of outdated advice on the web, mostly about not putting chopsticks in rice, so here are a few tips you may not see in the guide book. Less common tips for first-time visitors to China is a post from: You're not from around here, are you?

• China’s Ten Richest Cities

  China Expat - Chinese Cultural Observations From The Western Perspective

  Ernie

  15 May 2012 | 9:42 pm

  The Richest Place in China?     -by  Ernie Diaz   A list of China’s wealthiest cities recently came out, with hardly a place recognizable to the average westerner. Many Chinese themselves were surprised to notice Beijing and Shanghai nowhere on the list, mistaking GDP, a more abstract yet more publicized form of wealth, for a more personal, tangible form – per capita income. Here are the top ten: why they’re making so much money, and why you might want to know more about them.       #10 Changzhou:   Why It’s Rich: What, you’ve never heard of the…

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  China Expat - Chinese Cultural Observations From The Western Perspective

• China’s Ten Richest Cities

  Ernie

  15 May 2012 | 9:42 pm

  The Richest Place in China?     -by  Ernie Diaz   A list of China’s wealthiest cities recently came out, with hardly a place recognizable to the average westerner. Many Chinese themselves were surprised to notice Beijing and Shanghai nowhere on the list, mistaking GDP, a more abstract yet more publicized form of wealth, for a more personal, tangible form – per capita income. Here are the top ten: why they’re making so much money, and why you might want to know more about them.       #10 Changzhou:   Why It’s Rich: What, you’ve never heard of the…

• China’s Top Female Folk Singers

  Ernie

  10 May 2012 | 7:26 pm

  Sa Dingding, Funky Chinese Folk Singer     -by Ernie Diaz   Anyone mind if we bash pop music in general for a bit, and Mando-pop in particular? In an age when everything is manufactured cheap, shiny and disposable, buying into the same kind of music is an act of surrender. At least your average western pop chanteuse makes an effort at sincerity. Oh, a Mando-pop singer will look genuinely pained, warbling through the interchangeable love song some anonymous schlep wrote. But the singer is drawing on the pain of not yet being a movie star, and the yearning to someday be an…

• The Glasses

  Ernie

  10 May 2012 | 4:58 am

    -from “The Glasses”, by Lao She (b.1899-d.1966)   Although Sung Xiushen was a science student, he was not particularly scientific in his daily habits. He took no trouble, for instance, to keep away the flies from his food; he seemed to believe that they had been disinfected. He was near-sighted but never wore his glasses except when he did his studies, because he shared the traditional belief that the more you wear glasses the worse  your eyes become. If he couldn’t see what was going on around him, it was just too bad.   One morning he was walking close to the…

• Tulous and True Beauty

  Ernie

  9 May 2012 | 8:16 am

      -by Ernie Diaz   Beijing and Shanghai’s rise in fortunes has been aptly mirrored in the pin-cushion’s-worth of internationally-designed buildings that have sprung up apace. Grand, these buildings, staggering even, but not beautiful, not truly beautiful. You’ll rarely see anyone outside Beijing’s CCTV building taking photographs, and then usually only for commercial purposes.     Impressive, yes. Beautiful? Not so much. Everyone with a schoolboy’s grasp of architecture has heard it, but how many have listened? “Form follows function.” It doesn’t…

• James Bond 007 Skyfall: It’s Set in Shanghai

  admin

  4 May 2012 | 4:45 am

  The new James Bond film Skyfall, starring Daniel Craig, is to be mainly set in Shanghai and Macau, Empire Magazine has revealed in interviews with producer Sam Mendes. Bond will mostly likely be revealed anew in a scene set in the “Golden Dragon Casino,” featuring an impressive display of pyrotechnics, red and gold chrysanthemum decor, massive Chinese dragons heads and huge stone-carved lions. Bond is set to arrive via a small boat, punted by a Chinese coolie, then step into the casino where….whatever, its apparently to be the most memorable opening Bond sequence since…

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  expatriate - Yahoo! News Search Results

• Expatriate forums urged to be more creative

  15 May 2012 | 6:05 pm

  Expatriate forums have been advised to be more creative in their activities and usefulness to the community at a recent meeting held to coincide with the 8th anniversary celebrations of the Unity of Pala and Kaduthuruthy Residents (Upakar Qatar).

• Facebook tax expatriate strategy

  15 May 2012 | 4:17 pm

  I don't know why I'm a tax geek. The topic just tends to irritate people. Take Eduardo Saverin, for instance. The Brazilian-born, naturalized American citizen came to the United States when he was a child.

• Indian expatriate dies a day before travelling home

  15 May 2012 | 1:47 pm

  Dubai, May 15 : An Indian expatriate, who had lived in Abu Dhabi for almost four decades, died in a tragic road accident just a day before he was to fly home to Kerala for good to settle down with his family.

• Are Singaporeans becoming anti-foreigner?

  15 May 2012 | 10:46 am

  Online attacks on the Chinese expatriate who drove the Ferrari in a fatal Bugis accident on Saturday have underscored simmering anti-foreigner sentiment in Singapore.

• Ferrari crash fuels Singapore anti-foreign sentiment

  14 May 2012 | 2:36 pm

  A wealthy Chinese expatriate who crashed his million-dollar Ferrari into a taxi killing himself and two others has sparked outrage in Singapore, where anti-immigrant sentiment is on the rise.

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  Expat Focus

• Interview with Lindsay de Feliz, British expat blogger in the Dominican Republic

  15 May 2012 | 6:39 am

  In this interview we talk to British expat blogger Lindsay de Feliz about life in the Dominican Republic, writing a popular blog and her plans for a book. Watch the interview here or download the podcast here.

• Managing US Pension Accounts When No Longer Resident in the US

  14 Mar 2012 | 11:52 am

  If you have worked in the United States for any length of time (either as a US citizen or a foreign national) it is likely that you have paid into a US pension account such as an IRA (Individual Retirement Account) or a 401k (an occupational pension plan). The question arises as to what should be done with such an account once you give up US residency. There are three alternatives: You can transfer it to another pension account, you can distribute the money, or you can leave it in the current account... Read more

• No Peakie Panish (Learning a New Language)

  11 Mar 2012 | 4:48 am

  by Expat Focus columnist, Stephanie Angulo There can be a lot of pressure when moving to a foreign language speaking country when only your better half knows the lingo. It puts stress on one side to constantly translate and the other racing to learn the new language as quickly as possible. In the case of my husband (a.k.a. the hubs) and me, he was already fluent in Spanish before moving to Panama whereas my lingual skills were limited to words like fajitas, fiesta, and margaritas... Article continues here

• France Springs Into Life

  7 Mar 2012 | 2:35 am

  by Expat Focus columnist, Stephanie Dagg I love March. Rural France suddenly springs into life again as the temperatures rise. Here in Creuse we normally have long winters that last from early November until well into March. However, this year we swapped long for intense. The four weeks of le grand froid, the big freeze, were painful with temperatures down to minus 19 degrees C, and three weeks without them going anywhere near zero. January and February are usually quiet enough in the countryside, but everyone practically disappeared this year. Caiti and I visited Paris during the cold snap…

• Personal Branding is the Key to Expat or International Career Success

  5 Mar 2012 | 5:01 pm

  by Expat Focus columnist, Megan Fitzgerald In today’s dynamic, competitive, global marketplace where employers are seeking out talent across the globe, to succeed professionally we must understand how we create value in the world - and insure that the people that need that value are aware of it. We must be visible to right decision makers so when those choice projects and job opportunities come up we are well positioned to secure them. But understanding what it is exactly that we have to offer can sometimes be a challenge, given we often define ourselves and what we offer based on our job…

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  Expat Women

• Missed Some Great Expat Links on Twitter? (April 30 edition)

  30 Apr 2012 | 7:45 pm

  Hi Everyone, I hope you are enjoying a wonderful week. Here are some expat links I have tweeted recently that might interest you... Choosing Between Making Money & Doing What You Love (HarvardBiz) http://bit.ly/HpmDVU Do Expats Need To Balance The Fun Of Now With The Security Of Later? http://on.ft.com/H3VDJo 10 Things To Know Before Traveling To South East Asia http://bit.ly/H0h1Oq New Australian Magazine "International Traveller" Is Looking For Travel Story Contributions (Prizes To Be Won) http://on.fb.me/IJ6wSk Living In The UK? New Subscription-Based Group For Professionals Relocating…

• Missed Some Great Expat Links on Twitter? (April 26-27 edition)

  27 Apr 2012 | 12:26 am

  Hi Everyone, I hope you have enjoyed a fabulous week! Here are some expat links I have tweeted recently that might interest you... How Expat British Cook Rachel Khoo Got A Taste For Life In Paris http://tgr.ph/IlnRVk Clements Worldwide Announces Global Launch of its 4th Annual Expat Youth Scholarship http://bit.ly/JuI9qM 5 Ways To Stay In Your Expat Bubble Abroad http://bit.ly/INAYgq Finding Love When You Least Expect It: An Expat's Story http://bit.ly/IllKB6 Get Up Close Personal With "Expats" Author Chris Pavone http://bit.ly/HSmzkz Tips For Integrating Successfully Into A New Way Of Life…

• Missed Some Great Expat Twitter Links? (March 27-28 edition)

  27 Mar 2012 | 7:41 pm

  Hi Everyone, I hope your week has started really well! Here are some expat links I have tweeted recently that might interest you... How Many Expats Are Living Beyond Their Means? http://bit.ly/GEnMux How To Work In Someone Else's Country http://tgr.ph/GThat2 The THNK Tank: Why Amsterdam Wants Your (Creative) Brains http://is.gd/uV4jVc My Top 3 Tips For Moving Abroad & Then Repatriating http://bit.ly/z6Ny6V The Logistics Of A Dual Career Search http://bit.ly/GWh5RE 44 Countries in 44 Years: What’s Your Travel Philosophy? http://bit.ly/HfQ9fy The Decision To Move Is Never Easy…

• 10 Things Not To Say To A Depressed Expat

  21 Mar 2012 | 9:08 pm

  Hi Everyone, Over the years, I have received many emails from expatriate woman who admit to feeling depressed. For this reason, I am sharing a wonderfully honest article I found on a blog by Noch Noch (an expat in Beijing), that I hope might help anyone coping with their depression (or the depression of loved ones close to them). Warmest wishes, Andrea. Background: I stumbled on Noch Noch's article after I read her Forbes article, 7 Secrets To Success As An Expat Executive. She also wrote the Forbes article, Against All Stereotypes: Stress, Depression, Recovery, and Then? 10 Things…

• Relocation Policies: Are We Being Set Up To Fail? by Expat Rachel Yates

  20 Mar 2012 | 6:19 pm

  Hi Everyone, Rachel Yates of Defining Moves: The Art of Successful Relocation wrote this great post for us, that we would like to share... Relocation Policies: Are We Being Set Up To Fail? We have lived in San Francisco for over a year, and I have yet to sign on with a doctor. I simply haven't had the time to find one whose opinion I trust, and I have had other priorities. I have been investing my time and energy in establishing a support network, ensuring that my children's educational needs are met, and recently spent 4.5 hours getting them admitted to a dental practice. Which is why I am…

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  NYT > Global Home

• Brain Disease Is Found in Veterans Exposed to Bombs

  By JAMES DAO

  16 May 2012 | 1:45 pm

  The same degenerative brain disease found in football players and boxers has been found in veterans exposed to roadside bombs, a finding with potentially profound implications.

• Greece Teeters Ahead of New Vote

  By LIZ ALDERMAN and RACHEL DONADIO

  16 May 2012 | 1:40 pm

  Amid warnings of the possibility of bank runs, state television said June 17 would be the date for a new round of elections.

• Mexicans Unflinching in Face of Drug War’s Carnage

  By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD and DAMIEN CAVE

  16 May 2012 | 1:40 pm

  Many Mexicans are increasingly disturbed by their disaffection as drug violence has taken a turn for the worse.

• Riot Police Break Up Antigovernment Encampment in Moscow

  By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN

  16 May 2012 | 1:39 pm

  The crackdown occurred as an unpredictable political situation continued to unfurl in the early days of Vladimir V. Putin’s new term as president.

• TIMESCAST: TimesCast | May 16, 2012

  16 May 2012 | 1:39 pm

  Greece sets a date for new election amid euro exit fears. | Latino networks take center stage at television upfronts. | President Obama meets with Congressional leaders over the legislative agenda.

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  BritishExpats.com

• Key Destinations When Moving to Canada

  15 May 2012 | 7:22 am

  Canada is an attractive destination for people that want to move abroad, with its cosmopolitan cities, unblemished landscape and multicultural society....

• Targeted Migration Increase to Fill Skills Gaps

  9 May 2012 | 12:38 pm

  The Federal Government yesterday announced a targeted increase to the 2012–13 migration program, providing additional places to help fill skills...

• Skilled Migration Seminars

  7 May 2012 | 12:54 am

  Immigration outreach officers will visit multiple areas to discuss upcoming significant reforms to the skilled migration program. The changes being...

• Skilled Migration Seminars in Darwin

  3 May 2012 | 2:48 am

  Officers from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) will conduct information sessions in Darwin on May 8 to discuss...

• Expat Tax and Accountancy – Part 2

  1 May 2012 | 11:59 am

  What happens if I am only temporarily absent from the UK in full time employment abroad? If an individual...

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  CanuckAbroad.com - Travel and Expat Advice

• Europe’s top 3 destinations for active adventure

  info

  9 May 2012 | 9:46 am

  Europe’s top 3 destinations for active adventure When it comes to choosing a holiday there are some for whom relaxation and recharging the batteries is a prerequisite. For others it is the fun and... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• Travel Guide to Ontario, Canada

  info

  21 Mar 2012 | 10:12 am

  Travel Guide to Ontario, Canada Disclaimer: Be sure to get travel insurance from Kanetix before travelling to Canada. Ontario, Canada, is more than Canada’s largest city Toronto and Canada’s capital... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• Canadians Working Abroad Need to Be Wary of Foreign Exchange Impacts

  info

  12 Mar 2012 | 5:32 pm

  Canadians Working Abroad Need to Be Wary of Foreign Exchange Impacts Your employer is planning to relocate you to distant shores, a real step up in your career and future responsibilities. The... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• Non-Canadian Travel Destinations That Every Canadian Should Visit

  info

  31 Oct 2011 | 10:23 am

  Non-Canadian Travel Destinations That Every Canadian Should Visit Canada is home to some of the most beautiful bits of scenery and many of the world’s cleanest cities. While we encourage everyone to... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• Hostel Reservations

  info

  28 Jun 2011 | 11:29 pm

  Hostel Reservations Whether you're looking for cheap hostels in London, Paris, New York or Timbuktu, we're sure to have it listed here! Contrary to what you may have heard, Youth Hostels are often... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

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  A Canada Immigrant's Blog

• Apartment Rentals? Soon it’s Buy or Goodbye!

  Edar 'Cinnikull' Aihil

  2 May 2012 | 7:13 pm

  How severe rental housing shortage and mindless condo development across Canada is adding to newcomers’ settlement woes! It does not take rocket science to appreciate the importance of affordable apartments to struggling immigrants, young families and all working class people. Yet, something morbidly greedy is happening all over Canada: unchecked condo construction instead of rental [...]

• Holy Backlog Backstab!

  Edar 'Cinnikull' Aihil

  2 Apr 2012 | 7:51 am

  How immigration department’s incompetence will simply trash 284,000 skilled worker applications just because CIC can’t handle the workload! Citizenship & Immigration Canada, thanks to our hardworking, tireless Mr Jason Kenney — the right(eous) honourable conservative Minister of Citizenship & Immigration — has decided that since they cannot handle so many applications for immigration, they will [...]

• The Great Immigrant Health Crisis

  Edar 'Cinnikull' Aihil

  18 Mar 2012 | 11:48 am

  More and more newcomers are likely to develop serious diseases due to unhealthy Canadian foods Immigration doesn’t simply mean human displacement from one part of the world to another. On a personal level, it also means a complete system shock to one’s physical and emotional health — hence requiring a lot of acclimatization, so to [...]

• 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 [...]

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  Life with our Lads

• Fabulous Mothers Day

  13 May 2012 | 8:22 pm

  I had a great day today, starting with a lie-in and then a Craigy scrambler breakfast and lots of kisses and loving off the boys. They got me some lovely diamond and peridot earrings. I feel spoiled.Anyway, I wanted to just do a quick post showing some pictures from the day, though I'm starting with a picture of Jack's first t-ball experience since I forgot to post one yesterday. The rest are of our walk around the Park of Roses and some shots of my garden today.Jack's first t-ball practice (taken by Duane & Heather)My sweet boy DannyYou'll shoot your eye out!Danny & Jack, aka…

• Godzilla Versus Mary Poppins

  12 May 2012 | 10:11 pm

  The BoysWell I made one child cry today and one child happy today (both not mine). Hopefully that cancels out, right?The first was this morning at t-ball practice when a 6/7 yr old was throwing grass and soil in Danny's face & mouth and I ran over to them just as Danny started to really cry so I told the little bugger that it was not ok to do that and he ran and hid under a bush and cried hysterically. His mum came running over and asked him what was wrong and I thought she might come over and say something to me but she didn't.   I have rolled it around in my head a few times since…

• Sadistic Weekend Practices

  11 May 2012 | 9:36 pm

  DudesWell I'm glad that week's over.  It's Mothers Day weekend & the weather forecast looks fab, so it should be a good one. We have lots planned as usual!Bonky Ben continues to make life interesting, including his newest hobby - digging holes in the garden. Not in the flower beds but in my turf.  What a nightmare. An interesting pet dynamic has surfaced though.  Our cat Tutz has always tried to be best friends with Cody but he completely ignores her. But now, if Ben tries to chase her or even goes near her, Cody snarls at him and protects her and Ben will run off. It's…

• It's a Kind of Magic!

  7 May 2012 | 8:37 pm

  Jack has been practicing for his magic tricks. Here's a good one. The other two tricks need a bit of work but I think our little fella is doing a great job. I hope no one laughs or boos at him or there'll be trouble int' mill!

• Date Night & The Avengers

  6 May 2012 | 9:05 pm

  It's been another bonkers crazy weekend in our house. Friday night & Saturday morning we had a big event at Jack's school and then he had a soccer game (he scored two goals! woo hoo!) and we signed him up for another year of soccer starting this fall. Saturday night we got a babysitter and went to an event held by a local public school support group then we went out for dinner and to a local pub. I am loving the date nights with Craig. It's been way too long in coming and it's making us reconnect and feel good about us again, rather than stressed out and not talking about anything other…

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  Livin' la Vida Floja

• Migracion for that visa

  30 Apr 2012 | 10:34 am

  There I am Friday, getting fingerprinted by Migracion in Cancun. Finally! Because I was 2 days late applying for my visa renweal, it inexplicably took 5 months to get the visa!  Maurico Mendoza, my lawyer, is picking up today (no telling why they couldn't give it to me then and there) and I will go to his house tomorrow afternoon and pay him for his service. Getting this FM document took the original letter Mauricio wrote, which included an apolgy, another letter with an apology asking about the status of my renewal,  an interview  in which two Mexican nationals who've…

• On to something big via the dogs?

  23 Apr 2012 | 10:05 am

  This is how Punta's spleen looked when it was removed December 23 by Dr. Pepe Vega. She had a swollen spleen and bad blood counts, that, among other things, showed a lot of dead red blood cells. She had Ehrlichiosis. Her spleen, roughly 10 times normal size,  was not clearing the dead ones and they made the blood very thick andit was therefore not oxygenated. Pepe has done probably another dozen spleenectomies since Punta and that first dog. He documented them, took biopsies.  All the cases involved Ehrlichia Canis. the Ehrilichia bacteria that dogs get  from a tick bite.

• Buggers

  22 Apr 2012 | 8:04 am

  It's been a great few days for bugs! It started when the weather front was at a distance. Ants came out of the electric sockets, water pipe ducts, drains, from under the doors. Everywhere! I was going to Javier Martinez Cen's birthday party Saturday afternoon. My friend Cheryl was late getting here because she was waging war on ants that moved from one space to her bathroom. She had them cornered and couldn't stop. When she got here to go, I told her about the two women who rented for a week but left after a night because of the "filth" that attracted the ants. The place was…

• Dance with me...

  18 Apr 2012 | 10:58 am

  After a four month hiatus, the dance partners were reunited and it was as if he never left! Sergio has been off island for four months thinking in Cancun and working in Playa del Carmen. Now, he is back and ready to be a daddy to a boy due this summer. And Punta, she's just glad to have him here, taking care of his lady and his dog, Maruka, who has been shuttling around three residences and grabbing the occasional golf cart ride with Punta to exchange stories. And the plants and pool at Zina's Guest House need tending. Honestly, they've never looked worse! Welcome back!

• If I'd had a daughter...

  4 Apr 2012 | 8:30 am

  For four months, Anastasia from Vladivostok was my sidekick. She was on the island to be closer to her fiance from Atlanta. Here we are at a Fat Tuesday party and her costume was anchored by the wreath traditional to Ukraine, where girls wear them when they are ready to be brides.Nastia, as her brothers shortened her name, is that. Ready to be a bride. Her USA fiance visa has been provisionally approved. She is back in Russia to pick up the rest. But...While she cleared the interview with the US Embassy in Moscow, an x-ray came back with a spot on it and the US wants her to go to a chest…

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  365 Reasons I Love Costa Rica

• Selfless Esteem

  admin

  15 May 2012 | 8:56 am

  I guess throughout my life I have been plagued with a deficiency in the “self-esteem” department.  I really don’t think self-esteem and vanity are positively connected, but instead inversely related.  Because the most vain among us are generally the ones with the lowest self-esteem….or, at least I would hallucinate it so. Self-consciousness, vanity and low self-esteem tend to go hand in hand.  I would appear, then, that the more I am concerned about me and how the world sees me, the more I tend to not like me that much.  And that is even, especially, true of the…

• Goodness Gracious

  admin

  10 May 2012 | 9:43 am

  I believe many non-Christians are put off by the constant “haranguing” over moral issues, even to the point of politicization.  As if God’s goodness consisted wholly in His behaviour.  Of course, God doesn’t (or, better to say, Jesus didn’t) smoke, drink, dance, play cards, or chase women.  He is moral goodness, but I believe the true goodness of God is found in something else.  Something I might call “spiritual goodness.”  Spiritual goodness to me has more to do with the condition of the spirit, or the soul of a man (or woman).  I like to think…

• Porque o Para Que?

  admin

  9 May 2012 | 9:05 am

  Sometimes things just work out.  When I was contemplating the decision to move to Perez Zeledon in the midst of my great, or imagined, personal crisis, I made several investigatory trips.  I had known the place in the past, but in no great detail.  I would always rent a room in a little hotel in town.  After a days worth of probing the pueblo to undercover what might lie beneath the surface, I could be found relaxing alone in the pool, considering my discoveries and enjoying a nice cool beverage of choice.  One day as I was so engaged, I noticed a sign hanging along the street that I…

• Storms in the Garden

  admin

  7 May 2012 | 10:35 am

  I will readily agree that my last post leaves open a lot of thorny questions.  What about natural disasters, some might ask?  Are they “good?”  No, of course not.  Well then, how can you say that God is good, since man doesn’t create earthquakes, for instance.  Well, the short (and I am sure unacceptable to those who pose such questions) answer is associated with the fact that we live in a “fallen” world. The chief point I was trying to drive home in that less than “good” post is that good and God are intertwined concepts….no, not concepts,…

• Good is God

  admin

  7 May 2012 | 9:25 am

  In the first chapter of Genesis the word good is used repeatedly, six times if my powers of observation adequately serve me (often they don’t).  The Hebrew word is “tobh” and the concept of good conveyed by this word encompasses goodness in terms of both physical quality, aesthetics and morality.  Often we say “god is good.”  I would even go a step further and say “good is god.”  Reading some of my past posts shows that at least in that respect, I was usually on to something, albeit seeing as through a glass darkly.  Again, the point I am…

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  stephanieclayton/artist

• postcards from chinati foundation, marfa

  15 May 2012 | 7:58 pm

  I bought a few postcards at Chinati Foundation (distant view, above) before our tour in order to have keepsake images of the experience, as picture-taking was highly discouraged unless done... Visit my website at http://www.stephanieclayton.com/ to view my complete portfolio and more.

• blurring the lines that define art

  11 May 2012 | 2:11 pm

   A collection of photos of objects seen around Marfa - blurring the lines that define art. You decide. Art or not? In Marfa, anything seems possible. Visit my website at http://www.stephanieclayton.com/ to view my complete portfolio and more.

• ballroom marfa

  8 May 2012 | 2:38 pm

  T.S. Eliot: Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?   While in west Texas a couple of weeks ago, we visited Ballroom Marfa to see... Visit my website at http://www.stephanieclayton.com/ to view my complete portfolio and more.

• encaustic painting | clearing

  4 May 2012 | 6:36 pm

  Newly completed. clearing | 2012 | 12 x 9 inches | encaustic on panel Visit my website at http://www.stephanieclayton.com/ to view my complete portfolio and more.

• prada marfa

  1 May 2012 | 1:19 pm

  I have encountered photographs and various articles on Prada Marfa countless times. However, nothing could have prepared me for an actual encounter with this site specific art installation. I mean,... Visit my website at http://www.stephanieclayton.com/ to view my complete portfolio and more.

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  An Expat Life in Nicaragua

• The Trooper

  Sarah

  30 Apr 2012 | 11:57 am

  I had some minor [major] car troubles yesterday, while Justin was out of town, and it reminded me of this early experience I had in Nicaragua… Shortly after Justin and I moved to San Juan, he took off for a weeklong bachelor party in Colombia.  I knew the trip was planned before we even set foot on Nicaraguan soil, but I don’t think I truly believed that Justin would actually leave me sola in Nicaragua just 5 weeks into our adventure, until he did.  Nevertheless, I wasn’t going to be the girl who stood between Justin and his best buddy’s bachelor party, even if it was 1,000 miles…

• Shameless self-promotion alert!

  Sarah

  1 Feb 2012 | 1:54 pm

  Image by Joshua Berman via Flickr At the risk of self-promoting a little…I posted a blog over at Mom’s the Word about our 4 year Nicaversary.  The highs and lows, pros and cons, etc.  I thought it might be relevant to some of you readers here, as well.  Rather than re-posting, please visit me over there and check it out.  Thanks!

• 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…

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  .

• regularly scheduled blog-casting.

  15 May 2012 | 6:27 pm

  it's report card time - which means we're out a regular internet connection in the house  for a week or two while they use our 3G stick to do what they need to do. i'm also just starting back to a crazy-full summer semester at the uni,  and getting into the swing of things.i'll be back soon (with pictures and my 30th birthday pictures and "goal list")

• creepy crawler

  28 Apr 2012 | 11:52 am

  has anyone seen this bug before?it was about the size of my hand and had pincers like a crab coming from it's "head" area. at first we thought it was a flying cockroach, so the ladies tried to kill it with a sandal, but the thing would just.not.die.reason number #243 why i can't live in the campo full time.

• welcome, baby.

  26 Apr 2012 | 6:16 am

  this little guy was born last thursday. i missed his birth by one day (live-births, the geeky-parents dream... child-of-the-geeky-parents' nightmare, i 'm sure).he was all wobbly legged still, but samil and amely were able to "help" him milk, and learned all about milk-production (the breastfeeding mothers guide to milk production... from a cow!) samil loves to help papa with the animals, but he won't really get too close during the milking process. he helps open the gate and will even run the cows from field to field, but milking freaks him out.not amely.my father-in-law will only let her in…

• color del campo

  24 Apr 2012 | 9:57 pm

  i spent the weekend in the campo with the kids - we didn't really do much besides visit (and i did a lot of reading/planning). i don't have a great camera - in fact, i usually use my blackberry's built-in, but here are some pictures just of the color. i love the countryside and small villages throughout the country. simple lifestyle, laid-back. i couldn't do it full-time, but it's a great break from my "real life".

• not boobies, sitll outrageous.

  22 Apr 2012 | 2:20 pm

  i was in the supermarket just the other day, picking up a few things after work. i almost never really shop in this supermarket, and so i never have any real need to enter into the diaper/baby food/toilet paper/tissue aisle. i usually breeze right past and don't even think twice.except, i needed some baby wipes to take along on our bus trip to the campo this weekend and turned into the aisle. oh.my.godremember the outrageous boobies on these mannequins in the city? i guess this store decided they couldn't be shown up by hard nipples on a hot day, and stuff the pants of this geriatric diaper…

• 

  Musings from inside, outside, and underneath

• Monthaversary 10 & 11: Mango baby takes a tumble

  Clare

  15 May 2012 | 10:23 pm

  Dear Little Elephant, You are your own person, clearly full of ideas, opinions, and jokes that you want to tell us.  You are so communicative despite having no language.  You say “Mama” when talking about me.  Last week, you knew I was asleep upstairs and your Abue (Grandma) was walking you up and down the hall downstairs.  Each time you past the staircase you would point at it and say “MAMA”, demanding to be brought to me.  It was an argument, but you won and my nap lost.  You also say “Maaa Maaaa Maaaa Maaaa” when you want us to feed you more.  This is particularly true…

• Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms out there

  Clare

  13 May 2012 | 11:59 am

  Especially mine. (all of them). Thanks to Frugal Dad for the image.

• The trouble with Fraud Alerts

  Clare

  11 May 2012 | 5:49 pm

  I love the fact that in the US, I feel safe that my credit cards are protected. When my number was stolen and $9,000 in charges were placed— Bank of America contacted me before I knew anything was wrong. I was not liable for any of the costs incurred. Fraud Alerts– YAY! However, most days, I don’t feel that way about fraud alerts. Most days, I am frustrated with a frozen card, usually calling from overseas, to bed the bank to reinstate me. Most of the time, it is me that triggers the alerts. Yesterday was one of those times. Surprisingly, the alarm was triggered not because…

• Time

  Clare

  8 May 2012 | 9:39 pm

  Cerro Polanco, originally uploaded by coming2cambodia. The hardest thing about visiting home is never having the time to see everyone I love or visit the places I miss. For example, for a second time, I don’t think I will make it to Valpo or Vina. With Little Elephant around, we are mostly homebodies staying with the in-laws. It is wonderful…. but there are so many others I wish I had the time to see.

• More from Bishkek

  Clare

  31 Mar 2012 | 3:47 am

  After yesterday’s post, I wanted to add a few photos I shot on my trip to Bishkek.

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  Brenda's Blog

• Friday's Favorites

  Brenda

  11 May 2012 | 4:30 am

  May is a very, very busy month for me.  I am covering other people's desks for vacation plus having a busy spurt of my own.  So I am working hard on taking some pictures that chronicle the simple things I'm thankful for during the week- because by the time I get to Friday it all seems to be a blur. . . 1.  Loads of fresh vegies bought from a fruit stand while I was on the road for work.  I baked these two huge pans and then threw them in to a pasta salad.  So delicious! 2.  The Fog, such an iconic part of San Francisco but I am thankful it rarely comes to my…

• Friday's Favorites

  Brenda

  4 May 2012 | 3:00 am

  EEK!  It's Friday again!  The weeks are rolling around far too quickly for me and I'm not accomplishing all that I should.  But I am having fun!  Some fun things I did this week include: 1.  Getting a mani/pedi with my daughter.  Is there a better way to have girl-time than being pampered while having your nails done?  I used this color above, it's called "Wild Thing"  2.  Reading a book with Lugo resting on my lap.  He keeps me warm! 3.  A walk on the beach on a warm afternoon.  We don't know why these posts are here, but they made…

• Friday's Favorites

  Brenda

  27 Apr 2012 | 12:36 am

  Lots of fun things to share with you this week.  We had a wonderful time last weekend, the weather was warm and we spent a lot of time outdoors, so my very favorite of the week was, 1.  A beautiful Sunset.  Bob and I went to Fort Funston and enjoyed this site rather than sit in our hot apartment on a rare 80 degree day in San Francisco. 2.  Cesar Chavez Days Parade, on that same sunny, warm day.  Beautiful music and horses and people outside just enjoying themselves.   3.  Collapsable Water Bottles, that I ordered on-line and arrived this week.  They…

• Tamale Balls-Crock Pot

  Brenda

  24 Apr 2012 | 5:35 pm

  Don't you love recipes that are easy and tasty?  These Tamale Balls fit that description.  I tried them over the weekend and we have been enjoying the leftovers this week.  They are great tucked in to corn tortillas with a little queso fresco on top.  They are also wonderful on rice.  I found the recipe here, but changed it out like this: 1 pound ground beef 1 pound ground pork 1 1/2 cups cornmeal 3/4 cups tomato juice 1/2 cup flour 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp dried oregano 2 tablespoons chili powder 2 tsps salt Mix together with your…

• Industrious Women

  Brenda

  21 Apr 2012 | 8:20 pm

  Today they celebrated Cesar Chavez Days in the Mission District of San Francisco. We saw the parade and walked along the street fair. But my favorite part were these girls. Yay! Nice to see a young girl going to college and trying to help herself. They were tie-dying t-shirts and selling them.  See the pots, they made them right there on the street. I love industrious young women! (so yes, I bought a shirt)

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  Expat Chronicles

• Ripped Out Program Review

  Colin

  14 May 2012 | 3:17 pm

  Expat ChroniclesRipped Out is a program to get you ripped. If you follow it, you will be comfortable taking your shirt off anytime, anywhere. And buying it supports Expat Chronicles. My friend Craig is a natural bodybuilder. We were best friends in college. We were jock-ish, always playing sports and lifting weights. Craig Leonard at 240 lbs For his last years in university, however, Craig had less time for the gym and sports because of his increasingly difficult engineering classes combined with a full-time job. Craig got fat. I didn’t realize it had gotten that bad, until I saw this…

• Contributed Story: Private Man’s Vasectomy Venture

  Colin

  9 May 2012 | 7:04 pm

  Expat ChroniclesThis story is from Private Man, a fellow Evil Patriarchy blogger: I got a vasectomy. I met a girl soon afterwards. She was nice and attractive but a selfish streak raised red flags. She was 32 and I could HEAR her biological clock ticking. But she was a good lay, easy on the eyes, and reasonably good company. I did NOT tell her about my vasectomy and always used a condom. She assumed the condom was only used for birth control. Silly girl. We dated for a few months. I never made any move towards commitment but she brought it up ocassionally. For me, this was a casual but…

• Contributed Story: The Truth about Coca

  Colin

  7 May 2012 | 5:49 pm

  Expat ChroniclesEvo Morales with a coca leaf Three years ago I lived in Arequipa with a Swiss fella who loved climbing mountains. He organized a group to climb Misti. It’s a 2-day excursion. You camp at the halfway point so your system acclimates to the altitude. On day 2 the Swiss fella couldn’t continue. He had altitude sickness and stayed at camp. He’d climbed several mountains in the Alps, and he was fit. He believes he couldn’t go on because he didn’t bring any coca. I, one the other hand, brewed 2 liters of coca tea to drink in addition to water on the…

• Censorship and the Image of Colombia

  Colin

  2 May 2012 | 7:44 pm

  Expat ChroniclesAlternate Title: Promoting Colombian Tourism Better than Anywhere Else on the Web “Don’t hit me with that positive shit, I know you lyin’.” - DMX I’d be rich if I had a dollar for every time a gringo or gomelo complained that I “perpetuate the negative image of Colombia.” My friend Joey was reading my copy of Killing Pablo soon after arriving. Some Colombian gave him shit, told him he shouldn’t be reading it! I couldn’t believe that. One of the most compelling news stories from the continent, and the world’s most…

• My Pseudo-Deportation from Colombia

  Colin

  7 Apr 2012 | 5:03 pm

  Expat ChroniclesI spent some time in Peru last year, enough time to write 7 articles featuring over 200 pictures. The trip was planned – sort of. I planned to spend two weeks in Lima getting a new Colombian work visa. A new work visa, as opposed to a renewed visa with the same employer, must be applied for outside Colombia’s borders. I could get it at any Colombian consulate in the world. Last time I chose Buenos Aires. This time I chose Lima so I could sneak down to Arequipa for a few days and see old friends. And I missed Peruvian food! I had been hired by a Colombian to develop…

• 

  Northern Natterings

• Spring in Oslo

  8 May 2012 | 5:11 am

  I love spring in Oslo.  Suddenly, over the course of a week or two, everything explodes in fresh green leaves and new blossoms.  I couldn't name these trees if I tried, but their white flowers remind me that soon the lilac will bloom, and the giant lilacs behind our apartment building will crown the park nearby with outrageous wands of purple and pink. After the harshness of fall and winter, spring and summer in Norway are like gifts, to be treasured and enjoyed to the fullest.  I look forward to my morning walks with Max.  When the weather is fine--not too warm, but…

• Sundog

  2 May 2012 | 5:59 am

  Someone else enjoyed himself during our long walk yesterday.  The beer break provided ample opportunity to sniff, relax in a strip of shade, meet new friends, and beg for pizza crusts.

• Holiday

  1 May 2012 | 5:25 pm

  The first of May is the Norwegian Labor Day (and I think just about everywhere else in Europe, but don't quote me).  After a few weeks of miserable weather we were blessed with incredible sun and warmth.  We took the opportunity to go on a long walk and clocked 5.2 miles, circling around Majorstuen, Bislett, Frogner, and back up to St Hanshaugen for a well-deserved break.  People were lounging outside on balconies, and occupied every available sunny green space in the parks. Slottsparken, the palace grounds open to the public, was crammed full of people.   If you stayed…

• Consolation

  27 Apr 2012 | 7:25 am

  Instagram photos of my favorite pooch are some small consolation for Google and Samsung eating my pictures.

• 26 Apr 2012 | 2:07 pm

  26 Apr 2012 | 2:07 pm

  Yesterday we were taking Max for a walk when a man in a black coat and hat brushed past us."Did you see that?  The man in the coat and hat?  That was Lillebjørn Nilsen, he's a very famous musician," Sverre hissed in my ear.Nilsen was on television today, leading Norway in a several tens-of-thousands strong sing-along.  One of Nilsen's most famous songs in Norway is "Barn av regnbuen," Children of the Rainbow.  It is a translation of Pete Seeger's "My Rainbow Race," and is a well-known children's song in Norway.  During the trial of the 22 July terrorist's case,…

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  Happy Hamburgers

• Our new house!

  15 May 2012 | 3:55 pm

  We.Bought.A.HOUSE!!!!!!!Isn't it pretty?!?It seems as if we've looked at every house for sale in New Hampshire!  Over the past month we have looked at zillions of houses...  Every night we would search online, our Relator would take us out a few times a week for an "all-day-looking-at-houses" event, every Sunday we'd google open houses and drag the kids from house to house.  I'm SO HAPPY this part is all over!AND....  I'm glad we held out until we found this house!  I think it's perfect.  I really like it.It is on 2.5 acres... See the big field in the front yard?

• Go CUBS!!!

  12 May 2012 | 7:31 pm

  I love T-Ball!  I can't believe I almost missed this part of life by living in the baseball-free zone of Europe!  AND a special thanks to Kelly's husband, Matt,  for taking Scotty out in his yard a few days before we moved here.  Matt started throwing a ball to my son who was wielding a bat and little Scotty starting hitting home runs, seems like he is a natural!    (PS.  My blog.  My permission to brag shamelessly... Facebook or Blog and I pick Blog...  then I can print my "brags" into a book one day...)Here is also where I have to…

• It's happened...

  8 May 2012 | 4:10 pm

  I am a mini-van mom ...sliding doors and all.HOWEVER ...I'm a cool mini-van mom because I can push a button to make the doors slide open and close.  :)(In my mind I've never owned a mini van.  A mini van has to have cheesy sliding doors and I've never owned a sliding door car.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)Anyways, when we moved to Denmark five years ago we couldn't bear to part with our trusty, blue 98 Honda Odyssey.  It was our favorite little car so we kept him safe and sound at my grandma's house where my Uncle loved him for us; washing him off every…

• Cape Cod Kids!

  6 May 2012 | 12:49 pm

  So on the spring break the kids had we went to Cape Cod ...the place us cool people living in New Hampshire like to refer to as, "The Cape".  :)  ...and while in "The Cape" one must visit the Cape Cod potato chip factory.  So we did, and it was good.We traveled with the only other family we know here in NH, a friend Paul has had since college.  His friend thankfully has two girls and Sierra and their oldest have been inseparable within seconds of our arrival here.  I am sure this accounts for 80% of Sierra's happiness here in NH.While on "The Cape", we…

• PROOF: USA is the nicest country on earth.

  5 May 2012 | 8:16 am

  I found this sign at the library.  It says, "Interpretation Services Available". Then it says, "Point to your language.  An interpreter will be called.  The interpreter is provided at no cost to you."It is written in Arabic, Armenian, Hindi, German, Korean, Russian, Portuguese, Thai....  it is written in 20 different languages!!  I do wonder if someone would actually show up able to speak every language, but I'm sure a phone call could be made ...but, who knows, maybe they do have a back room full of 20 interpreters just waiting to speak…

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  Abu Dhabi Daily Photograph - Get the BIGGER picture

• Trinkets & Treasures

  AbuDhabiDailyPhotographer

  13 May 2012 | 2:00 pm

    The traditional souq at Abu Dhabi Heritage Village is located on the Breakwater and offers a glimpse of Abu Dhabi life before oil. It's one the last remaining places in the capital you can haggle your way to a bargain.

• How much is that camel in the window?

  AbuDhabiDailyPhotographer

  6 May 2012 | 12:00 pm

    Just 59 Dirhams = US $16. Will that be cash or card?

• The Money Tree

  AbuDhabiDailyPhotographer

  22 Apr 2012 | 9:30 am

    One of my all-time favourite buildings in the city is the iconic Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) Tower. Built in 2006, it was once the tallest building in the city at 185 m. It’s now dropped down to number 13 with the Domain (Central Market) currently taking top spot at 382 m. According to http://www.emporis.com/ the ADIA Tower  has an innovative double-glazed facade, curtained with automatic blinds and air-conditioning inside the two glass panels which is controlled by the direction of the sun and the heat on the inside and outside of the windows - Cool…

• Time Square

  AbuDhabiDailyPhotographer

  18 Apr 2012 | 9:30 am

    Time Square Circle is located at the far end of the Corniche road near the Sheraton Hotel & Resort and features an enormous sundial and laser clock.

• Twin Peaks

  AbuDhabiDailyPhotographer

  16 Apr 2012 | 10:00 am

    The new Abu Dhabi Investment Council HQ located at Al Qurum beach in the eastern district of Abu Dhabi. Once complete, the towers will provide working, private amenity, dining, conference and meeting spaces for over 2,000 employees.

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  WordPress.com News

• Stay In The Conversation

  Beau Lebens

  15 May 2012 | 6:01 pm

  It’s now much easier for you and your commenters to keep track of the conversations you’re involved in across WordPress.com. Some recent tests have shown that by subscribing commenters to new comments by default, they are more likely to stay engaged and come back and comment more on your blog. With that knowledge, we’ve changed the default comment following behavior to help you get more conversations going on your blog. We made the initial changes last week and after great feedback from you we just launched an update. Here’s how it works: By default, posting a comment…

• Look at These Gorgeous Blogs

  Sheri

  15 May 2012 | 1:05 pm

  We’ve added a user showcase where you can view stunning customizations made by people just like you. From complete redesigns with CSS to adding pizzazz with Custom Fonts to clever use of options like background and header, this showcase will spark your imagination and inspire creativity. Discover details about what each showcase blog is doing with WordPress.com themes and customizations by clicking a thumbnail to see a colophon-style list of credits on the left. We’ve also updated footer links so blog owners can show off the types of customizations they’ve made and visitors can…

• Photo Blogging 101, Part 1

  Erica V.

  14 May 2012 | 10:00 am

  Spring is in the air. With the weather warming up, now is a great time to get started on a photo blog. Creating a photo blog is a wonderful introduction to blogging on WordPress.com or an opportunity to refresh your current site. Ready to get started? You can sign up for a new blog right over here. Getting started Photo blogs, sometimes called phlogs, use pictures instead of words. While many photo bloggers choose a type of photo that they want to focus on, such as portraits, others use their photo blog to document their life’s events. Photo blogs come in a variety of styles, including…

• New Themes: Just Desserts and Oxygen

  Michelle Langston

  10 May 2012 | 8:11 am

  Happy Thursday! We’ve added some exciting new themes to our ever-growing collection, and we’re happy to tell you all about them. First out of the oven is…Just Desserts. Yep, that’s a theme! Designed by Andy Rutledge, Just Desserts is a deliciously stylish premium theme that’s perfect for blogs centered on food. With its responsive, single-column layout and unique presentation of images and posts on the front page, Just Desserts gives you a delectable canvas on which your mouthwatering photos and text can really shine — even when viewed on smaller mobile devices…

• Find Friends Who Use WordPress

  Nick Momrik

  1 May 2012 | 2:32 pm

  Are you curious to see how your friends are using WordPress? Give the new and improved Friend Finder a try to connect with your Twitter, Facebook, and Google contacts who have WordPress sites! After authorizing WordPress.com to use your Twitter, Facebook, or Google account to find your friends (don’t worry — none of this account information is saved!) you’ll see a list of people you know who have WordPress sites. Click Follow and each time your friend publishes a new post it will show up in your Reader under Blogs I Follow. If you have multiple blogs, make sure to set the…

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  TRAVELS INTO OMAN - holidays, tours and experiences with us -

• TEDxMuscat at the Millennium Resort Mussanah

  ynotoman

  16 May 2012 | 12:10 am

  the 2012 is the 2nd and hopefully not the last. Continue reading →

• Trucks and Chicks

  ynotoman

  28 Apr 2012 | 9:57 am

  in Oman Continue reading →

• School visit to Oman

  ynotoman

  28 Apr 2012 | 9:52 am

  with a chance to enjoy Oman's nature Continue reading →

• Serenade of the Seas in Muscat

  ynotoman

  28 Apr 2012 | 9:45 am

  to replace the Brilliance of the Seas Continue reading →

• Gershwin and Mendelssohn at the Royal Opera House

  ynotoman

  19 Apr 2012 | 3:09 am

  We enjoyed an evening of Gershwin and Felix Mendelssohn at the Royal Opera House , while Thunder & Lightning played outside around Muscat. Gershwin’s music was An American in Paris and Rhapsody in Blue with piano performance by Alexei Volodin, … Continue reading →

• 

  Simply LeAnne

• Letters from Egypt: Harassmeter Survey

  16 May 2012 | 10:43 am

  Source: Harassmeter's FB Page With work overwhelmingly busy and little motivation, I have two important blogs to get out but I feel the Harassmeter is the most time sensitive. I was sent an invite via one of my Facebook friends about an online survey gauging the reactions of sexual harassment in Egypt. Harssmeter was started by a group of four Egyptians who chose to “tackle this issue as a result of a workshop by World Learning and the Jordanian Center for Civic Education.” Aiming to get 1,000 responses, I decided to post the link (available in Arabic and English) for any of you living…

• Letters from Egypt: Israel, the Enemy

  17 Apr 2012 | 7:44 pm

  As presidential candidates were announced – and rebuked – it should come as no surprise that some continue spewing the Israeli links to certain candidates. When some Egyptians are displeased, they instantly cite reported connections with Israel as the reasoning. And didn’t you know that Israel is the enemy? Sure, Israel is responsible for the illiteracy rate in Egypt. Israel is responsible for the harassment in Egypt. Israel is responsible for all the garbage that’s thrown throughout the country because placing rubbish in a trash bin is just too cumbersome. Maybe it’s Israel’s…

• Letters from Egypt: Important Dates

  12 Apr 2012 | 8:39 am

  Tomorrow will mark the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice party-led “Million Man March” in Tahrir Square. While not anticipating a “million” strong marching if previous numbers are any indication, an advisory has been issued by the US Embassy. The embassy also said, “As Egypt’s presidential election draws nearer and the final list of candidates is soon to be completed, campaign rhetoric and political gatherings will likely increase throughout Egypt.  Opposing viewpoints, campaign posturing and party rivalries could lead to tension  or clashes as parties and their…

• Letters from Egypt: Airlines and Airports

  8 Apr 2012 | 9:00 am

  Taken in CAI: "The people of Egypt are the greatest people on earth; and they deserve the Nobel Prize for Peace." The irony. What happens when an Egyptian loses it on a flight bound to Cairo? It’s been awhile since the last entry, but after 1.5 years, I went back to the US. Upon my return on an Emirates Airlines flight from Dubai (DBX) to Cairo (CAI), I was jolted awake by what could be perceived as a mad man shouting at the top of his lungs. Considering the fact that I’d hardly slept on my 16-hour leg because I was chattering away with the person next to me, I would like to think I was…

• Letters from Egypt: My Trip to Cairo’s Public Schools

  20 Feb 2012 | 8:19 am

  On the rare occasion, I get an assignment that allows me to witness contributions that are being directly allocated to those in need. Yesterday was one of those days. I visited four public schools near the Khan el-Khalili to document an international company’s work and commitment to social responsibility. While I will withhold the names of schools and the company, I was somewhat alarmed at what I saw but in some ways not surprised. I suppose I should backtrack. First, these schools were chosen after the company had conducted a study and likewise wanted four schools near one another. The…

• 

  Ruth's Place

• Finishing

  ruthsplace

  7 May 2012 | 9:16 pm

  There has been some knitting going on. These socks were my last South African finish. I grafted the toe the night before we were due to fly out of the country. Details here. These were a fun knit. These are my first Papua New Guinea knitting finish. Details here. I wasn’t too sure about the combination of yarn and pattern, but they grew on me. You can see my lovely wooden floors in my new PNG house in the background. I love wooden floors, but they sure collect the dust! Current knitting project is Socktopus. I’m struggling a bit with the feet, the short-row heel is fiddly and…

• Seeing

  ruthsplace

  24 Apr 2012 | 1:18 am

  Recently we visited the National Orchid Garden. There were some truly magnificent orchids on display. These curly ones were my favourite variety. There is a lot of public art around Port Moresby. However, most of it is too difficult to photograph from the car – a lot of the sculptures are in the centre of roundabouts and it is too dangerous to stop. But the National Orchid Garden did have some art that was easy to photograph. Then we went next door to the Wildlife Sanctuary, which really just has birds. They have a breeding programme for birds of paradise, but my favourite bird of the…

• Making

  ruthsplace

  12 Apr 2012 | 8:44 pm

  Making a quilt: Two rounds of hexagons added to the quilt. I’m pleased with how it’s turning out and I’m finding the hand stitching very relaxing. Making a scrapbook: I started this album while visiting my friend Kerin in Perth in January. The letters and patterned paper are from her scrap stash. The stickers and zebra ribbon are left over from when she did her own African album many years ago. I supplemented Kerin’s generosity with a pad of neutrals I picked up before leaving Australia. Making a pencil case: For Christmas Gorgeous Girl received a lovely set of pencils…

• In our new house

  ruthsplace

  5 Apr 2012 | 11:27 pm

  So, we have moved into the house that is to be ours for the next 4 years. I still don’t have my own furniture (or plates or yarn, paper and fabric stashes) but the house comes partially furnished, so we are managing. We don’t have any glass windows in the house. Just flyscreens and metal louvres. The garden needs a lot of work, Gorgeous Man and Gorgeous Girl made a start on it today and there will be pictures when it is a little further along. I’m thrilled that the previous occupant planted basil. Otherwise I would need to buy stuff imported from Australia (usually half dead…

• Going to school

  ruthsplace

  22 Mar 2012 | 10:02 pm

  Gorgeous Girl has been asking to go to school since the middle of December last year. Now that we have a car she was finally able to start. and wearing her hat. I was very nervous about driving Gorgeous Girl to and from school every day. We did test drives on the Friday and Sunday before she started school so that I would know the way and the conditions of the road. It takes about 35 minutes to get her to the school if the traffic is good and there are no new major potholes. The roads are constantly being repaired and new potholes being created when it rains (which is every day at the moment…

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  Taiwaneers

• Back in the USSR…I mean USA

  Michael

  4 May 2012 | 1:32 pm

  Well this has been officially the longest amount of time between blog posts since the beginning of Taiwaneers four and a half years ago. The reason is pretty much the fact that Emily and I no longer live in Taiwan. In early April we packed up our house, said goodbye to our friends and moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan….yes there is such a place as Kalamazoo. During the process I kept on thinking it would be nice to post about the transition, etc. But, it never happened….until now. Moving back has been strange. The culture shock comes and goes. It definitely isn’t all at once. I…

• Boredom Survived or Chinese New Year Break at Home

  Michael

  29 Jan 2012 | 6:45 am

  For a Taiwanese person Chinese New Year break (a week of vacation from work, school, etc.) is full of meals, mahjong, poker, sightseeing, etc., with extended family. But, for foreigners it’s basically a week to do whatever. Normally Emily and I are gone on a trip somewhere, but this year we are trying to save money so we just stayed here in Taipei. Well the short and skinny is that it rained basically all week…except for like a day and a half. I’ve played so much Grand Theft Auto Vice City during the past week that I am chomping at the bit to get back to work again tomorrow.

• 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…

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  From America to Australia

• Being a tourist in your own city

  dsduffy

  11 May 2012 | 4:49 pm

  It didn’t strike me as weird until I had snapped at least 25 pictures in New York City. I’m not a New-Yorker the way Carrie Bradshaw is a New-Yorker, but my birth certificate lists “New York” as the place of birth.  I only lived in the State of New York for four years until we moved to New Jersey and then Philadelphia became “my city.” I had been to NYC many many times in my life but I always felt like a stranger, always following whoever I was with, explaining, “I don’t know my way around this city.” Never had I been to the city on my…

• Grocery store

  dsduffy

  2 May 2012 | 1:13 pm

  Brightly coloured boxes as far as my eye can see line the cereal aisle. Some familiar, most not. My eye is immediately drawn to the “Honey Nut Cheerios” and I have to stop myself from opening a box right then and there in aisle 14. I don’t have a bowl and spoon anyway. But I really want to grab a handful. My boys copy my excitement when I see the array of Pop-Tarts opposite the cereal, they don’t even know what I am referring to, and Jake just picks one out that looks like chocolate with sprinkles saying, “I love these!” when he has never seen or tasted…

• A break

  dsduffy

  23 Apr 2012 | 3:26 am

  Sometimes you just need a break. From lots of things: work, school, life in general. And sometimes, as a blogger, you need a break from putting it all out there. There are a lot of things I’d love to share, but just not right now. I am in need of a break.  

• In the same boat

  dsduffy

  12 Apr 2012 | 6:36 am

  I haven’t gone out of my way to meet Americans. It just happens. For example, at the playground over three years ago I heard “the accent” and was immediately drawn to a girl who has become a very good friend. We had a mutual friend, but she never mentioned it to either one of us that she had an American friend (which I am thankful for, it’s not dating!) And my other very good awesome American friend I met at Jake’s kinder two years ago. I stalked her until I finally worked up enough nerve to start in with the, “Hey, you have my accent!” We just…

• A public apology to all Aussies:

  dsduffy

  11 Apr 2012 | 1:11 am

  I was wrong. I complained time after time, I huffed and I puffed, I judged, I was angry. And all that time, I was wrong. At my job, I have to talk to people on the phone. I see lists of names on a screen and I call them. Some names are easy ones: Christopher, Jennifer, Michael, Karen. Others are more ethnic and I have to silently practice them in my head. And then there are the names that I thought were easy, but then when the person answers the phone, “Hello, this is xxx speaking,” I am momentarily frozen. They are saying it different from how I would, what do I do?  Do I say,…

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  Woman On A JouRney

• Early Morning Shot

  MsRay

  12 May 2012 | 3:39 pm

  Our backyard lake at 2:42 a.m. I was up all night taking pictures of the super moon.  Before heading off to bed, I took a shot of our backyard lake.  

• A Day in Fantasy Land

  MsRay

  9 May 2012 | 5:25 pm

  Watching a movie is like leaving behind reality and stepping into a world of fantasy.  When hubby and I visited the Universal Studios Orlando, we felt like kids again as we were "transported" into another world and became "one with the characters" in some of our favorite movies.  We even got to star in our own action movie via "Disaster".  We experienced how it is to be in the midst of a tornado in "Twister...Ride It Out".  In "Shrek 4-D", we joined my favorite character, "Shrek" and his sidekick, "Donkey" rescue Princess Fiona from the evil Lord Farquaad. As agent…

• The Guitar Man

  MsRay

  30 Apr 2012 | 2:08 am

  Last Saturday, hubby and I dropped by a newly opened music store at the promenade near where we live.  The store carried several brands and models of drums and percussion, guitars, bass, keyboards as well as a wide variety of music accessories. Quite noticeable were the Bass Amp Heads on display, which ranged from the smallest to the biggest I've seen.  Most of them were of high quality but competitively priced.  My son who is a guitar aficionado  would have loved this place. As for my hubby, he's a drummer, so he spent most of the 45 minutes we stayed…

• 'Twas a Foggy Sunday

  MsRay

  30 Apr 2012 | 1:24 am

  One Friday morning in January, hubby and I took a long (about 10 hours) drive from our place at Boca Raton to Pensacola, Florida, known as the home of some of the world's most beautiful beaches.  When we reached Pensacola Beach, we were greeted with stretches of pristine snow-white sand beaches with coral-green waters.  Sea oats growing on sand dunes and rows of brightly colored cottages and houses completed the picturesque view.  It was postcard-perfect! We were busy going around and visiting the nearby tourist areas and had plan to make the beach as our last stop before we…

• "Play it again, Sam"

  MsRay

  29 Apr 2012 | 11:42 pm

  I started playing the piano when I was six years old and even though I have not played for several years now, I still love listening to piano music.  I am also fascinated by wind instruments, particularly the woodwind.  Flute music is hauntingly beautiful and saxophone music is inherently sexy.   Learning a musical instrument can be very challenging.  It takes practice, patience, discipline and hard work to master an instrument; but if one has the interest and determination, it is a lot of fun.  Woodwinds instruments, like the flute, clarinet and…

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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

• eat SUSHI – Fresh Sushi with Free Delivery in Brussels

  Alison

  16 May 2012 | 1:25 am

  Our selection of sushi goodness from eat SUSHI Brussels There are two questions about food we are asked consistently here at CheeseWeb: ‘What restaurants offer affordable delivery in Brussels?’ and ‘Where can I get decent sushi?’ Finally we have an answer to both of those questions – eat SUSHI, near Port de Namur. We have tried many sushi restaurants in Brussels – big, small, authentic, trendy, fancy, and hole-in-the-wall. What seems to be really lacking, is a good quality to value ratio. We’ve had excellent sushi but paid way too much for it and we’ve had affordable sushi…

• A Tale of Two Towers in Belém, Lisbon, Portugal

  Alison

  14 May 2012 | 7:25 am

  Belém Tower, Lisbon, Portugal In the bustling quarter of Belém, in Lisbon, Portugal, two towers; one a modern monument and one an ancient fortress, offer a view of the city and its maritime history that should not be missed. There is an unwritten rule when Andrew and I travel to a new place, we end up climbing things: church bell-towers, clock-towers, monuments, and basically any other structure that will give us a good view of our surroundings. Unfortunately for my parents, who joined us on our recent tour of Portugal and Andalusia, our two week adventure began with climbing two towers on…

• A Weekend Drive in Search of Rochefort Beer and Grottos

  Alison

  11 May 2012 | 2:18 am

  Rochefort Trappist Brewery in Abbey of Our Lady of Saint-Remy, Wallonia, Belgium (photo via Luca Galuzzi - www.galuzzi.it) Today we’re excited to bring you a special guest post about Rochefort, Belgium, not to be confused with Roquefort, France. You know how we feel about beer and cheese here! Roquefort and Rochefort is a culinary dance of words. The first is a French cheese while the later is a Belgian beer. Both depend on yeast,  are connected to amazing natural grottoes and pair amazingly well with bread. However, Roquefort and Rochefort are two distinctly different goodies and the…

• The Brussels Tram Experience – Our Review

  Alison

  9 May 2012 | 2:07 am

  Better late than never! Here comes our Tram Experience. It’s not every night you eat a four-course meal while riding around Brussels on a tram, but maybe it should be. You may remember, back in February, I was invited to a sneak peek at the Brusselicious Tram Experience.  At the time, I thought it was a great concept and I couldn’t wait to try it out for myself. After months of waiting and hearing about how much our friends had enjoyed it, we were finally able to give it a try. Andrew and I had the Tram Experience last Saturday night, along with my parents, on the final night of…

• Photos of our European Travel Highlights

  Alison

  7 May 2012 | 7:30 am

  The Mezquita-Catedral (Mosque–Cathedral) of Cordoba The past five weeks have been big ones here at CheeseWeb. While things have been ticking away, mainly on autopilot, here at CheeseWeb HQ, Andrew and I have been exploring some new corners of Europe. In early April, my parents came to visit and, as we do, we decided to take them on a European adventure. For me, this included 2 brand new countries, 2 new regions of countries I’ve visited before, 7 new UNESCO World Heritage sites and 8 of my personal bucket list items accomplished. I’d say that was a pretty great 5 weeks! You can…

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  Blogitse

• my wet hair

  BLOGitse

  16 May 2012 | 3:53 am

      makroviikko/macro week challenge #59     teema / theme: märkä / wet     aamumärät hiukseni / my wet hair this morning    

• Digital Fun Challenge #40 – cloud(s)

  BLOGitse

  13 May 2012 | 4:58 pm

      Digital Fun Challenge #40   theme is   >>> cloud(s) / pilvi(-et) <<<   Here’s my entry       Now, show me yours! Welcome to play along!   Nyt on sinun vuorosi – tervetuloa mukaan!     ps. Capture daily life ‘On May 15th we ask you to photograph what is close to you. Upload a photo, share it, compare it and join others all around the world doing the same. Let a part of your life inspire generations to come.’   Read more about this project >   aday.org     

• Helsinki seashore and dry grape

  BLOGitse

  10 May 2012 | 6:35 am

    weekend #19 photos   Huh, I’ve been active this week! Yesterday I visited in an interesting place which I’ll post in near future.   On Sunday it’s Mother’s Day in Finland. This time we’ll have late lunch at my mother’s place. She likes cooking and her food is always good.  We asked salmon in cream & garlic and new potatoes…aah, can’t wait!   It’s getting green in Helsinki, finally.      I shot these a couple of days ago – now trees are much greener!    Shadows like veins, right?  …

• Digital Fun Challenge #39 – ‘waves’

  BLOGitse

  6 May 2012 | 4:58 pm

      Digital Fun Challenge #39   theme is   >>> wave(s) / aalto (aallot) <<<     Here’s my entry     Now, show me yours! Welcome to play along!   Nyt on sinun vuorosi – tervetuloa mukaan!  

• blossoms and blooms

  BLOGitse

  4 May 2012 | 12:40 am

    weekend #18 photos   Buds here and there and everywhere…       My mother gets wood anemones on Mother’s Day 13.5. She got one of these already   A view from my friend’s flat, that’s Gulf of Finland. If you cross it you find yourself in Tallinn, Estonia.   Colorized shadows on our living room wall.     Shadow Shot Sunday2     Sundays In My City     Life In Pictures       Have a relaxing weekend!      

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  gweipo 鬼婆

• Poem for today

  15 May 2012 | 7:49 am

  A friend was complaining bitterly on FB the other day.  Her teenaged son was being made to memorize tracts from "The Tempest" by his English teacher.  In the chorus of sympathy and commiseration by her friends I was the only dissenting voice.  I suggested memorization was not a bad thing for children.  I remember in my high school years memorizing a lot of Shakespearean speeches, paragraphs from the set work novels, poems, sonnets, and since I was still god-fearing and going to Sunday school verses from the bible. It sure helped get me very good grades in English, since I…

• Beauty and marketing

  14 May 2012 | 5:23 am

  Sometimes it is possible to get things just horribly wrong.  My dear children and husband gave me the luxury of a facial yesterday morning as a mother's day gift.  90 minutes of pampering (I can't remember when last I had a facial).  It was great.  But then after, the beautician sat me down and did the hard sales talk on me.  Was I aware that I had wrinkles.  Well, duh, shock horror, I'm 46, if I didn't there would be something rather un-natural about the matter.  And it was not just enough any more for a woman my age to think she could just do the cleanse…

• Normal vs. natural vs. I know not what

  13 May 2012 | 3:10 am

  I've been meaning to blog on this subject for a while, and the whole Time magazine breast issue has kind of pushed the imperative.The whole idea started when I was reading Robb Wolf's "The Paleo Solution" he brings up the question of what we consider to be normal viz a viz eating, weight, sleep etc. and suggests most logically what every parent on earth will at least once have told their children "just because "everyone" is doing it, that doesn't make it right".  In fact a whole ton of things have become normalized that if one stops to think about it, just don't make sense.  And…

• What not to do in a BKK taxi

  7 May 2012 | 7:27 am

  For some reason this post wasn't posted in January when I first wrote it!  Here goes...

• mum, do you have any blood diamonds?

  7 May 2012 | 7:22 am

  As a parent you've just got to be prepared to take any and every question on the chin (including intimate ones about your sex life while in a packed lift as happened to me once a few years ago - all innocent). Having a dog is a wonderful thing in so many ways.  But the best part of it is the compulsory dog walks twice a day.  The morning walk is usually undertaken by myself or the helper, but the afternoon walk has become a ritual with my son and I.  And what a great way to spend some time together chatting about anything and everything, memorizing timetables and divisions,…

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  Bleeding Espresso

• Experiencing Joy, Unapologetically and Without Fear

  michelle

  7 May 2012 | 11:00 am

  Gemma in my lap and Gioia looking on. As some of you know, we had a miracle happen here two weeks ago. Two miracles actually, and their names are Gemma and Gioia. Our goat Pasqualina gave birth to these two lovelies, which you can read more about at Goat Berries; containing my excitement, happiness, and joy has been impossible — as evidenced by my plethora of postings of photos and videos. I even gave the goaties names that showed just how wonderful I found their arrivals to be: Gemma (JEM-mah) means jewel, and Gioia (JOY-ah) means joy. Did you know that outwardly expressing so much…

• What Are You Waiting For?

  michelle

  13 Apr 2012 | 5:09 am

  Telephone by Esparta on Flickr (CC license) What’s that? The phone ringing? The call that’s going to change your life?! Eh. Probably not. Don’t get me wrong: you may actually receive a life-changing phone call (or its symbolic equivalent), but I love what comedian and actor Jay Mohr had to say about when that phone call arrives on a recent Mohr Stories podcast. He said you don’t want to be sitting there just waiting for that phone to ring – You want to have to reach behind you to answer it. That is, you need to keep moving forward, keep yourself busy, keep pursuing whatever it…

• Gut Check: How Bad Do You Want It?

  michelle

  18 Mar 2012 | 8:35 am

  Closed door waiting to be opened I’m a lawyer by training and a writer by nature. Being able to pinpoint the perfect word has been a talent of mine dating at least back to my high school creative writing days when my teacher praised my “dime-sized portion” of shampoo I used to wash my dog and the squirrels “scurrying” away from danger. And it’s one I’ve worked hard on honing over the years. But then on the plane ride over the Atlantic, in just about eight or so hours, I lost all ability to express myself in even the most basic situations, not to mention my sense of humor—or at…

• Announcing My Latest Up-Venture: Gemelli Press, LLC

  michelle

  12 Mar 2012 | 9:14 am

  My one-word theme for 2012 is UP, and upwards we go, indeed . . . right into a new position as the Co-Managing Editor of Gemelli Press, LLC – Calabria location (press release). Some of you may already know of Gemelli Press as I’ve reviewed a few of the company’s books (Beyond the Pasta, Pieces of Someday, and Impariamo l’Italiano con l’Aiuto della Mano), but in case you don’t, Gemelli Press is a boutique publishing company founded in Seattle in 2007 by Kari Hock, who lived in Sicily and fell in love with the bel paese. The company gets its name from…

• Keeping it Simple with Pasta and Cauliflower Recipe

  michelle

  12 Feb 2012 | 4:32 am

  Pasta with cauliflower Way back when I started this blog, I posted recipes every week in a series called What’s Cooking Wednesday. I started out wanting to record the recipes I make all the time, many of which come from my family — my grandmother’s meatballs and Italian wedding soup, my mom’s chocolate cake and apple pie, and even our neighbor Louise’s banana cake. I expanded into including some of P’s mom’s recipes, true Calabrian treasures, like her chicory and cannellini beans and spicy sausage with fava beans. But a true food blogger I was never…

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  La Mom - an American mom in Paris

• The D-word

  La Mom-an American Mom in Paris

  27 Apr 2012 | 6:40 am

  In a posh, leafy suburb of France’s capital, little boys and girls from all over the world flock to a certain Catholic prep school.They go for the American curriculum and a strong base in the four R’s – Reading, ‘Riting, ‘Rithmetic – and Religion.Seven-year-old Emma came home from a class preparing her for first confessional with a lot of questions about God. Not to mention some serious dirt on her classmates’ parents:Father O’Halloran: Let’s think of some things that we could talk about with a priest during confessional.Emma: Um, sometimes I forget to pray at…

• Very Interesting Parisian Profile + Giveaway

  La Mom-an American Mom in Paris

  14 Apr 2012 | 4:36 pm

  Who's the French journaliste at ease reporting on everything from pesticides in food and France's next presidential election, to decorating a Parisian apartment on a budget and American Thanksgiving?Hint: You've seen one of her reports on M6 100% Mag here. She's also working for France 2 on a program that profiles the lives of interesting Parisians. Sounds like a perfect gig for a woman who is oh-so Parisian herself!Please say bonjour to Clémence, the journalist Les Moms became friends with while filming Thanksgiving dinner for M6 TV.  Enjoy…

• Oh, Phoque

  La Mom-an American Mom in Paris

  1 Apr 2012 | 2:18 pm

  Ever wonder what it's like taking a bilingual child to visit the French ophtalmologue? A phoqu'ing r-eye-ot.It's also a lesson in bilingual ABCs and the f-bomb.Here's what went down when Big Fry went to see the ophthalmogogist, Docteur Oeil.Docteur Oeil: So you do speek Eengleesh?Big Fry: Yes.Docteur O: So do eye. You weel seet 'eere forrr ze reeding ze letters in ze frrront of you eyes. Zees one.Big Fry: Uh, pardon?La Mom (smiling, Big Fry clearly doesn't understand her English): Tell the doctor the letters that you see on the screen.Big…

• VIP (Very Interesting Parisian) Profile + Giveaway

  La Mom-an American Mom in Paris

  23 Mar 2012 | 3:19 pm

  Cara BlackOn La Mom's recent ski trip, one of her copines, Aimée, tagged along, too.But Aimée never went skiing with La Mom and her family. Instead, she kept La Mom up extremely late at night with a story that happened in 1998. A story about murder, love, lost secrets of Medieval guilds, illegal immigrants in Parisian sweatshops, dirty cops, and the French secret service. All that, and with a little vintage Chanel, Christian Louboutin, Yves Saint Laurent, and a swanky piece of real estate on the coveted Ile Saint Louis, thrown into the mix.Needless to say, Big…

• Parisii Skierus

  La Mom-an American Mom in Paris

  14 Mar 2012 | 4:42 pm

  Photo: MonclerVisiting tourists may have wondered why the city zoo was nearly empty during the last half of February and into early March. Where were the Parisii Putaindemerdus species?Otherwise known as the Parisii Skierus, and following typical winter migratory patterns, the Parisii Skierus could be found in the snowy, mountainous regions of the Haute-Savoie, during the school holidays.You know you are vacationing with the Parisii Skierus species when you observe the following:8pm HOTEL ARRIVAL :The hotel's parking lot is a colony of Parisii Voiturus. Identifying characteristics: license…

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  Everyone's Expat Blog Posts - Expatacular! - Global Expat Community

• Investor wanted

  mike korpi

  6 May 2012 | 6:17 am

  AMERICAN ENGLISH COFFEE TALK Here is my proposal in a nutshell. Repayment or partnership terms are negotiable and what I have here is only one option.I have already located an ideal shop that is suitable and is much larger than I have planned it is about 70 m2 The interior needs very little remodeling,it has adequate lighting and is in very good shape all that I need now is an investor who can see the future in franchising these after a flagship is up and running. In addition to coffee and English I will have promotions such as a guest tattoo artist  a womans beauty seminar with makeup and…

• Tommyboy Coffee is opening at Dongcheng Center

  Alvin Lee

  19 Apr 2012 | 10:21 am

  Tommyboy coffee is opening at Dongcheng Center beside mealtessen bakery. 21 - 22 Apr is buy 1 get 1 free day. 23 - 25 Apr is buy 2 get 1 free day. Don't miss this opportunity to try your coffee / iced tea / smoothies etc from Tommyboy's

• Looking for German Native Interpreter

  Lexi

  18 Apr 2012 | 2:57 am

  Good day everyone!  Thank you all for reading my post again.  We are still looking for 1 German native for helping us translate our new website from English to German with decent paid for your hard works. Plz contact me at lexi@goip.asia if you are interested. Thank you  Have a great day! Lexi

• FREE Weekly English Corner/免费参加英文环境

  Raymond Y. Zheng

  12 Apr 2012 | 3:37 am

      I've been in Dong Guang for two months now, the heat is arriving and it can get stressful, so if I rub you the wrong way, I didn't mean it. And if you have a need for punishment or revenge, PLEASE take your chances. I would love to learn my lesson : )       I hope everybody is having a wonderful summer, drink lots of water to fight heat-stroke and stay positive, my company is making this english corner a weekly thing so if there's anyone not partying on a friday night, come join us....we're thinking of starting a "pot luck" dinner kind of thing, everyone that comes bring some…

• Looking for Relocation Consultant in various cities

  Adeline Chur

  10 Apr 2012 | 7:47 am

  An international relocation company is looking for part-time expats relocation consultant in the following cities: - Tianjin - Chengdu - Qingdao - Wuxi Interested, please contact adelinechur@hotmail.com

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  1, 2, 3... ELEVEN Petals

• Riverside by Agnes Obel – haunting, captivating… oh and Homeslice helped

  Daisy

  7 May 2012 | 1:52 pm

  I talked to Homeslice today.  His call was perfect timing.  So much on my mind – TOO much on my mind.  He keeps accidentally rescuing me. He gets me.  He sees the way I work.  He can follow my trains of thought and he knows where I’ll go with them, mostly.  This would be great and fantastic and all but you’re not supposed to stay friends with former teammates – ESPECIALLY ones with bipolar baseball disorder!!  BUT his heart appears to be bigger than the DOUCHE rooted deep in his psyche, so I’ve decided to accept and acknowledge he’s a douche,…

• BIG! no, moderately, ok, maybe only semi important decision made today

  Daisy

  6 May 2012 | 1:53 pm

  Two days in a row? WHOA!!! Am I out of my mind? Yes. Probably. Or at least it would seem so based on the pretty big decision I made today.  a CRAZY decision.  One of ALMOST mind blowing proportions.  As in, it would blow your mind if your mind was kinda weak and surprising thoughts were like human size grenades.  It’d be like “omgosh that is so surprisi”**BBBBOOOOOOOOM**** your mind just blew up. And someone should clean that up STAT (obviously YOU can’t because your mind is gone) because Dog #1 might accidentally run through it, splattering vomit ON THE WALL…

• Homeslice turns K. Pete into a Grumpster

  Daisy

  5 May 2012 | 1:54 pm

  I keep telling myself I’m going to start blogging again. like for REALZ blogging. like do it on a regular basis like I used to blogging. And then I think about all of the back story, the new people, the __fill in the blank with whatever word delights you__, and it OVERWHELMS ME! AH! where do I begin? So I’m just going to start with today, right now, this moment.  I’m here (you don’t say…) and although I still have all of the YAY HAPPY PEPPY RAINBOWS AND BUTTERFLIES AND TWINKLY WHITE LIGHTS STRUNG IN PRETTY BLOOMING TREES in me – I ALSO have, at least in…

• 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!!

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  Newsvine - feed

• VIDEO: Why I breast-feed my toddler

  The Associated Press

  13 May 2012 | 8:29 am

  How old is too old? Katie Hamilton says mothers should decide how long they want to breast-feed their children, not society.

• Alicia Silverstone -- I Feed My Baby By Spitting Into His Mouth (Video)

  Erica S.

  28 Mar 2012 | 2:49 am

  This is how Alicia Silverstone feeds her 10-month-old son -- chewing up food in her mouth ... then spitting it directly...

• Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter Bans Outdoor Feeding Of Homeless

  CameraObscura

  15 Mar 2012 | 11:42 am

  This week Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter announced a ban on the feeding of large numbers of homeless and hungry people on, or near, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and on all outdoor feedings of large numbers of people on city parkland.

• Why Can't We Be Permitted Our Right Of Choice? GMO In Surprising Places-The Public Gets Fed Up!

  Dr Rex Dexter 'DeX'

  29 Feb 2012 | 9:27 am

  Washington continues to resist, despite the efforts of leading Ag Senators like Chuck Grassley, Tom Latham, and others the seemingly simple option of letting the American Consumer CHOOSE whether they want to eat GMO Foods or not. There's a preponderance of information on both si …

• Land-Ocean connections: Scientists discover how tree trunks, leaves and kukui nuts are indirectly feeding bottom fish in the submarine canyons off Moloka'i

  cried

  28 Feb 2012 | 1:23 am

  ...recently discovered that land-based plant material and coastal macroalgae indirectly support the increased abundances of bottom fish in submarine canyons, like those off the north shore of Moloka’i.

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  Seashells and Sunflowers | Necochea, Argentina

• Linguistic Camouflage: Learning to Blend In

  Katie

  8 May 2012 | 5:10 pm

  Over the past several years, I've worked hard to perfect my Argentine Spanish. I've learned a fair bit of the lingo and tried my best to adopt the cadence and accent of an Argentine from the province of Buenos Aires (after all, there are many accents in Argentina!). I'm far from perfect, but I usually manage to fool native speakers for at least a minute or two. Even once they've realized I'm foreign (usually because of those pesky American r's), they have a hard time believing that I learned to speak Spanish as well as I do without having been born in Argentina or having Argentine parents.

• Foul Language in the Argentine Workplace

  Katie

  24 Apr 2012 | 8:35 am

  [Note: The following post contains foul language written in Spanish. If such things offend you, please visit this post with pretty pictures instead.] Memo from an American Company to its Argentine Staff It has been brought to our attention by several officials visiting our office in Buenos Aires that offensive language is commonly used by our Spanish-speaking staff. Such behavior, in addition to violating our policy, is highly unprofessional and offensive to both visitors and staff. All personnel will immediately adhere to the following rules: 1. Words like "carajo," "la puta…

• Argentina iPhone Apps Worth Checking Out

  Katie

  19 Apr 2012 | 8:26 am

  I still enjoy thumbing through the paper editions of travel guides, but there's no doubt that technology has ushered in a new era of trip planning and research. Travel-focused apps often provide access to in-depth information about places that traditional guidebooks barely even mention, and without the constraints of traditional publishing, they can be updated on a more frequent basis as well. You can carry around the equivalent of hundreds of paper guidebooks right there on your lightweight mobile device, another distinct advantage of going digital, especially if you're visiting multiple…

• 7 Super Shots: Adventures in Argentina

  Katie

  14 Apr 2012 | 1:50 pm

  Lucky number 7 is at it again! Last year, I unearthed a few special posts for the My 7 Links challenge. This time, I'm taking part in the HostelBookers 7 Super Shots game to showcase some of my favorite photographs. I'm happy to find an excuse to share these photos from the archives, especially since a couple date to my pre-blogging days. I dusted off these seven photos—all from my adventures in Argentina—for your consideration: [1] A photo that…takes my breath away [The Modesta Victoria docked at the entrance to the Bosque de Arrayanes, Patagonia] Offering amazing vistas at every turn,…

• Butternut Squash and Ricotta Gnocchi, Two Ways | Ñoquis de Zapallo y Ricota, Servido de Dos Maneras

  Katie

  28 Mar 2012 | 8:02 am

  We're celebrating one of Argentina's most beloved Italian imports, gnocchi! At their most basic, gnocchi take the form of small dumplings made from potato and flour, but with a bit of imagination, you can transform any number of ingredients into gnocchi. Add a luscious sauce of your choosing, and you've got one satisfying meal. Last year, my blogging pals and I joined forces to spread the love about alfajores. This time, at the initiative of Aledys Ver at From Argentina to the Netherlands, For Love!, we decided to team up again to tackle gnocchi. At the bottom of my post, you'll find links to…

• 

  Newsvine - feed

• VIDEO: Why I breast-feed my toddler

  The Associated Press

  13 May 2012 | 8:29 am

  How old is too old? Katie Hamilton says mothers should decide how long they want to breast-feed their children, not society.

• Alicia Silverstone -- I Feed My Baby By Spitting Into His Mouth (Video)

  Erica S.

  28 Mar 2012 | 2:49 am

  This is how Alicia Silverstone feeds her 10-month-old son -- chewing up food in her mouth ... then spitting it directly...

• Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter Bans Outdoor Feeding Of Homeless

  CameraObscura

  15 Mar 2012 | 11:42 am

  This week Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter announced a ban on the feeding of large numbers of homeless and hungry people on, or near, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and on all outdoor feedings of large numbers of people on city parkland.

• Why Can't We Be Permitted Our Right Of Choice? GMO In Surprising Places-The Public Gets Fed Up!

  Dr Rex Dexter 'DeX'

  29 Feb 2012 | 9:27 am

  Washington continues to resist, despite the efforts of leading Ag Senators like Chuck Grassley, Tom Latham, and others the seemingly simple option of letting the American Consumer CHOOSE whether they want to eat GMO Foods or not. There's a preponderance of information on both si …

• Land-Ocean connections: Scientists discover how tree trunks, leaves and kukui nuts are indirectly feeding bottom fish in the submarine canyons off Moloka'i

  cried

  28 Feb 2012 | 1:23 am

  ...recently discovered that land-based plant material and coastal macroalgae indirectly support the increased abundances of bottom fish in submarine canyons, like those off the north shore of Moloka’i.

• 

  Expatify

• Lessons to be learned from a lifelong serial expat

  Tom

  16 May 2012 | 5:12 am

  We’ve discussed many times how there are two main branches of expats moving around in the world. There are those of us who are choosing to move to (or from) a place for social or lifestyle reasons, and there are those who move because their job moves them there. I suppose a third group would [...]

• Choose an expat destination based on the expat community there

  Tom

  14 May 2012 | 6:21 am

  Many potential expats have exactly one choice of destination, based on a job offer or a spouse or some other situation, but many potential expats can choose nearly anywhere in the world. Especially retired people and location-independent people with good incomes, some have the ability to spin the globe and move to a place they [...]

• 5 Reasons you might want to live in Bangkok

  Tom

  9 May 2012 | 5:46 am

  Thailand is easily the most popular country in Southeast Asia for both tourists and expats, and Bangkok is the obvious starting point for a great percentage of these visitors. The huge Thai capital has a lot going for it so it’s a magnet for all types of potential expats, and the visa system is relatively [...]

• Do different types of expats move to different areas?

  Tom

  7 May 2012 | 6:55 am

  It seems pretty obvious when you think about it, but I’d imagine that not many people really think about it. There are millions of expats from the US, Canada, Australia, and Western Europe living in countries all over the world, including in those same countries, and I think there are a few main categories of [...]

• 5 Reasons you might want to live in southern Turkey

  Tom

  2 May 2012 | 7:02 am

  There are thousands of interesting expat destinations around the world, and each has individual things that recommend it. In this series we’ll be exploring some of the notable benefits of some of the more popular destinations, especially those I’ve lived in myself. We’ll start with Mediterranean Turkey, which covers a lot of ground. The largest city [...]

• 

  Sovereign Man: Offshore Business, Global Opportunities, Freedom and Expat News

• The deadline is today

  Simon Black

  15 May 2012 | 11:00 am

  May 15, 2012 Santiago, Chile Over the weekend, I had the privilege of breaking bread with our workers at the farm in celebration of the phenomenal harvest season we’ve had. Some of the workers during the grape harvest And a celebration it was– everything from the blueberry harvest in December all the way up to the wine grape harvest that just ended, this season shattered previous production records. Moreover, in keeping pace with (and even surpassing) the rate of inflation, the prices we’ve been able to contract from wholesale buyers are also higher than ever before.

• A great example of the coming financial repression

  Simon Black

  14 May 2012 | 11:00 am

  May 14, 2012 London, England [Editor's note: Tim Price, frequent Sovereign Man contributor and Director of Investment at PFP Wealth Management in the UK, is filling in for Simon today.] Imagine you are one of two people playing Monopoly. While you follow the rules religiously, the other player, who also happens to be the banker, does not. He routinely appropriates properties. If he doesn’t like the score on the dice, he simply changes them. He continually takes as much money from the bank as he likes. Whenever the rules don’t suit he arbitrarily alters them in his favour.

• And the ‘dumbest person of the week award’ goes to…

  Simon Black

  11 May 2012 | 11:13 am

  May 11, 2012 Undisclosed location Former US Republican presidential candidate Michelle Bachmann receives the Sovereign Man dumbest person of the week award for obtaining… then almost immediately renouncing… Swiss citizenship. I’ll explain: Bachmann’s husband is a Swiss national; they’ve been married since 1978, and as a result, Bachmann eventually became qualified for Swiss citizenship as well. She recently received confirmation of her citizenship from the Swiss authorities, a fact that was reported in some mainstream media outlets. Bachmann was subsequently…

• The city that represents the future of Brazil

  Simon Black

  10 May 2012 | 10:55 am

  May 10, 2012 Florianopolis, Brazil Brazil is undoubtedly a land of superlatives. One may easily defend that it is the most beautiful country in the world, or claim that Brazilians are the friendliest people in the world. And yes, even the most attractive. Economically, the story is the same; at $2.4 trillion, Brazil’s economy is twice the size of its nearest regional rival (Mexico), and as a consumer market, it has twice the population with a far greater propensity to consume. Moreover, foreign investment in Brazil is greater than every other country in Latin America. Combined.

• In case you really have to flee the authorities…

  Simon Black

  9 May 2012 | 11:51 am

  May 9, 2012 Sao Paulo, Brazil When most people think of Brazil, it’s the incredible beaches that come to mind. Or the crazy parties of Carnival. Or the spectacular vistas and great weather. Or how indescribably gorgeous (and welcoming) the locals are. But here’s a little known fact, and it’s something that sets Brazil apart from most other places: Brazil’s constitution prohibits the extradition of Brazilian citizens to other countries. This is a rare gem in the world… I’ll explain. Believe it or not, most countries are happy to sell their citizens down the…

• 

  Expats Blog

• Expats Moving And Relocation Guide

  16 May 2012 | 12:52 pm

  Get ready for expats living and relieve your stress with an easy to follow action plan that will help you face the unknown with more confidence

• Australian on a 2 year Canadian working Visa - pregnant

  11 May 2012 | 4:25 am

  Hi I'm an Australian on a two year working visa and just found out I'm 3 months pregnant. What should I do? Go home to Australia or stay in Canada?

• Victoria BC has the Mildest Climate in Canada

  25 Apr 2012 | 2:50 pm

  As we turn the corner from winter into spring, people who are living in Victoria breathe a sigh of contentment. Daffodils nod their cheery heads in gardens

• Looking to Relocate to Canada

  18 Apr 2012 | 6:28 am

  Hello, I am prior military. I spent 14 yrs in the US Army. I am currently living in Peoria, IL. My specialty in the job industry is Logistics/Supply

• Do my sister need transit visa or any visa for canada?

  13 Apr 2012 | 6:28 am

  Dear Sharon. Firstly thanks a lot. Last time your mail and suggestions helped us a lot. Now we are in Canada and it was all due to your suggestions

• 

  MyBrownBaby

• Speaking of Breastfeeding, Alicia Keys Says No One Told Her About the Pain

  Denene@MyBrownBaby

  16 May 2012 | 8:34 am

  Alicia Keys sat down with Amanda de Cadenet just a few days before Mother’s Day to talk about body image, motherhood and even sex. The usually private Keys opened up on an episode of the new Lifetime... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• Halle Berry Wants President Obama To Stop Paparazzi On the School Pick-up Line

  Denene@MyBrownBaby

  16 May 2012 | 8:23 am

  Halle Berry is ticked that paparazzi got way too close to her and her daughter, Nahla, last week while she was picking her child up from school—so much so that she’s thinking about tapping into... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• Maternity Leave Laws: The Best and Worst States For Working Moms

  Denene@MyBrownBaby

  16 May 2012 | 7:00 am

  So basically, it sucks to be a working mom in America. That’s according to a new report by The National Partnership for Women & Families, which handed out “F” grades to 18 states for failing to... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• What’s In a Baby Name? For Some of Them, No Interview

  Denene@MyBrownBaby

  15 May 2012 | 7:00 am

  By NICK CHILES The Social Security Administration released the list of top baby names for 2011 and as I perused the list, I thought about the oft-repeated line among black parents when it comes to... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• Jada Pinkett-Smith Explains Willow Smith’s Independence, Quirkiness In Red Table Talk Series

  Denene@MyBrownBaby

  14 May 2012 | 9:17 am

  During my Mother’s Day yesterday, I was taking a much-needed book writing break and tooling around on the internet when I stumbled on Jada Pinkett-Smith’s new Red Table Talk project, a... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• 

  Czech Off the Beaten Path

• Divoká Šárka (Wild Šárka) Nature Reserve

  Sher

  9 May 2012 | 3:20 pm

  Dzban Hill Hi Everyone, Spring is coming along nicely in Prague; this is the time of year Czechs love to get in touch with the sun and nature. Czechs love being out in nature; weekend jaunts are part of Czech culture in spring and summer. Many families have a chata (a cottage or cabin) located in the moutains around the country, or in the forests and hills not far from Prague. Cities and towns, including Prague, empty out on the weekends, as many people head out of town to enjoy the beauty and serenity of Nature in this beautiful country. However, if you can't get out of Prague, there are…

• Slivovice o Jirko?

  Sher

  1 May 2012 | 4:26 pm

  Hi Everyone, When I was reading through some expat blogs the other day, I came across this post from the DISPLACED NATION:  Q: What is the Weirdest Multi-Cultural Celebration You’ve Ever Attended?  This article is a great read—be sure to check it out. After reading the article, it got me to thinking. What was the weirdest celebration I’ve ever attended in the Czech Republic? A couple of memories came to mind (link to past posts). But there is one I’ve never told you about before:  the first meeting with my in-laws-to-be. Now, that’s a good, funny story, though…

• The Rivalry Between Czechs and Slovaks

  Sher

  23 Apr 2012 | 12:05 pm

  Hi Everyone, Today I’d like to tell you about the rivalry between Czechs and Slovaks. Czechs and Slovaks have a relationship that goes back thousands of years, and both are Slavonic. I can’t delve into the deep intricacies involved in this relationship—it would take a book to explore the interesting relations between Slovaks and Czechs. However, I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned and experienced in this close relationship between Czechs and Slovaks since I moved to the Czech Republic. Please look at this post as an overview—it’s not meant to be a comprehensive treatise…

• Miscellaneous Things and a Bin Fire

  Sher

  18 Feb 2012 | 6:00 am

  Just before fire really got going. Hi Everyone,Things have been going along OK, for the most part, since my last post. We’ve gone through a Siberian cold snap which killed about 300 people across Europe. This is not the worst cold I’ve experienced. Being a Minnesotan and then living for years in the Rockies, you are accustomed to much worse cold and more snow. Still, it was pretty cold.  Along with that, my back/leg trouble is still in process. The neurologist ordered another, more extensive MRI, to see what it might show. We’ll have the results of that later this week. They…

• 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…

• 

  balancedmeltingpot.com

• La Perdida

  Deborah

  14 May 2012 | 7:23 am

  I’ve been extremely busy the past few weeks. But, it’s been a good busy. In addition to helping out a lot at the Embassy, I’ve sped up my Spanish course and am organizing a reception for my daughter’s First Holy Communion. About the Embassy business: What can I say about this. I’ve become a jack of all trades and chip in with anything from cultural affairs to administration. It’s so varied, I have yet to figure out how to add any of this to my resume. About the Spanish course: Ok, I’ve been going at it for 2 years and I’m in module 11 of 12. At this point, it would be a shame…

• Afro vs. black vs. whatever other label

  Deborah

  25 Apr 2012 | 7:14 am

  Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of chatter on Twitter about afro-latinism. For the most part, they’re coming from Puerto-Ricans whose diversity is often an issue. When I say diversity I mean they range (like many Latin Americans) from caucasian-looking to black. It’s amazing what post-colonial issues are still lurking in many of these cultures because as far as I’m concerned this is a non-issue. Nonetheless, it’s still a very big issue that people; especially young ones are trying to figure out. I remember while working in social services in Florida reading a…

• It’s my horn and I’m tootin’ it

  Deborah

  23 Apr 2012 | 7:12 am

  Here, my dear friends, is my latest attempt at making quiche… This time it was spinach and onions. Why did I make it, you ask? Well, uhh, because I felt like it. This is a big deal for me because once upon a time baking was something really good chefs (like the Barefoot Contessa) did and I wasn’t even going to try. After discovering paté sucrée, I’ve realized that dough isn’t that daunting at all. You eventually learn your dough and know when it needs to be chilled a little longer for better handling. And because I’m quirky, I actually prefer to use this recipe…

• Hey, there!

  Deborah

  12 Apr 2012 | 12:10 pm

  So, I’ve been a bad blogger this week – it happens. But, I do have a great interview published on the Voices of Haiti website. Check it out, you might learn something new about me…

• Temporary insanity

  Deborah

  5 Apr 2012 | 7:07 am

  Remember my trip to Boston back in January… That’s me thinking it would be cute to take a picture while the snow was falling (cutest.facial.expression.ever). But one wasn’t enough. I wanted several. So, my poor friend humored me… And about 10 seconds after taking this one, I started to lose feeling in my toes – even though I was wearing two pairs of socks and stockings. Thus, I decided that the snow wasn’t that cute after all. I’m still glad I took these pictures, though.

• 

  An American in Moscow

• My Bank Thinks “I” Means Idiot, not Interest

  Amir Sharif

  15 May 2012 | 4:51 am

  They also think that red is a good color in finance. Alfa Bank (is my bank in Russia.  In case you are wondering, I have not misspelled “alpha.”  My bank choice is as unfortunate as the idiotic and intentional English misspelling of the bank’s name. My bank account hit by what appears to have been a systematic fraud operation in Russia:  Somehow, my debit card information and PIN number were compromised and the result was a multi-thousand dollar theft loss.  The same appears to have been true for many other people, including a few acquaintances, at various…

• Made in China, Almost Mexican

  Amir Sharif

  7 May 2012 | 2:41 pm

  Here comes the TACOS steamroller.  Sorry, my error.  It is the TC4OS kind.

• Thievery, Mastery, and Artistry

  Amir Sharif

  7 May 2012 | 6:17 am

  Approximately one year ago, I was walking in downtown Moscow, less than half a mile away from the Kremlin.  Three men, without any apparent connection, were walking towards me almost in a single file.  The first dropped something as he passed me.  The second picked up the dropped package, appearing to be a stack of $100 bills, and asked me, with an innocent smile and a bushy tail, whether this were my money.  As I was explaining that he package probably belonged to the first man, the third man approached the second man and me, showed a police badge, and started to…

• Bad Governance and Good Friendships

  Amir Sharif

  14 Apr 2012 | 12:41 pm

  The social fabric is considerably different in US than in Russia.  For the sake of simplicity, I will narrow this discussion to two circles:  One small, consisting of family and friends, the other one large, consisting of the society at large. In Russia, the smaller circle is far more integrated and tightly knit than its counterpart in the US.  Russian relationships in this circle are deep and loyal.  Individuals - sisters, sons, aunts, schoolmates, and so forth - go out of their way to be supportive.  They sacrifice themselves to contribute to their network in a…

• Oxymoron

  Amir Sharif

  8 Apr 2012 | 12:18 am

  The above clip comes from m-w.com, the online version of Merriam-Webster Dictionary.  Put simply, an oxymoron is a contradiction in terms, which brings me to the venerable Russian proverb of "доверяй, но проверяй," or "trust, but verify." Per Wikipedia: Trust, but verify was a signature phrase adopted and made famous by U.S. president Ronald Reagan. Reagan frequently used it when discussing U.S. relations with the Soviet Union ... Soviet revolutionary Vladimir Lenin also frequently used the phrase ... After Reagan used the phrase at the signing of the INF…

• 

  Funky Doodle Donkey

• The Hunger Games

  15 May 2012 | 11:31 pm

  As in the USA, the Hunger Games are really popular amongst kids and adults here in South Africa. The hype is not as big as in the US, but it is pretty 'IN'. So last week the kids had to dress up as a presenter or TV/Movie character. Juliet went as Rue, of the Hunger Games. With her hair curled JJ pretty much looked like Rue :-) The kids in her class made up a group of children who had read

• Making Umqombothi in Kliptown

  15 May 2012 | 2:39 am

  After our lunch we went to walk to a house where they were making the local beer called Umqombothi. This is a traditional South African Beer made from malt, mielie meal (maize) and yeast. It is very high in vitamin-B and has a sour taste.  But first a bit of a walk through Kliptown, which its lovely people! These boys asked me to take a picture of them, love these smiles :-) School

• A spectacular lunch in Kliptown

  14 May 2012 | 12:45 am

  After our wonderful morning at the Shwe Shwe Poppies house and the Creche we had another surprise waiting for us... a LOCAL lunch in Kliptown, another part of Soweto. Kliptown is home to the signing of the Freedom Charter, which was signed in 1955 by anti-apartheid activists, Kliptown holds a primary place in South African history. Today, Kliptown still struggles from lack of water, electricity

• A visit to the African Children's Feeding scheme

  10 May 2012 | 7:31 am

  After the Shwe Shwe poppies (see my last blog post) we went to the Creche were the children are during the day, the ones who drew the poppies are bigger now and not at the centre anymore. But many other children are there and we were looking forward seeing them. Outside the centre we saw that many women were tending small plots of gardens, so there is more to this centre than meets the eye

• At the home of the Shwe Shwe Poppies

  9 May 2012 | 2:03 am

  We have a group of ladies who are part of this Facebook page 'Fun Fridays', so as the title suggests we do something FUN each FRIDAY. Well, last week we went to Soweto, one of the oldest and biggest townships here in South Africa and we went to the home of the Shwe Shwe Poppies in a part called Zola. Remember that I talked about those cute little handmade dolls made of African Shwe Shwe fabric?

• 

  Monkeys and Mountains

• English Garden: Munich’s Playground & Sanctuary

  Laurel

  15 May 2012 | 5:20 am

  The English Garden in Munich is one of the world’s largest city parks.  It’s larger then Central Park in NYC, but smaller than Richmond Park in London.  It’s where Münchners (Munich residents)  go to play, or to relax, drink beer, or to surf, or to sunbathe naked...It all happens in the English Garden! The most popular stuff: The English Garden is divided into two parts, separated by the Isarring, a road that goes through the English Garden.  The southern part is the most popular section of the park where you can find: Surfing in Munich at the English Garden Surfing at…

• Drink Like a Finn: Finnish Drinks You Should Try At Least Once

  Laurel

  11 May 2012 | 9:34 am

  During my trip to Finland, I tried to be as Finnish as possible.  I went snowshoeing on the Baltic Sea and dog sledding in Iso-Syöte.  I traveled like a local, heck I even went ice fishing and ate reindeer meat in Oulu, Finland! So naturally my research wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t also drink like a Finn and sample a few Finnish drinks – even if I am a complete lightweight who rarely indulges in more than a glass or two of wine. Lonkero, my favorite Finnish drink on the left and Salmiakki which tastes like salty black licorice on the right. First up was Lonkero, a…

• Marmore’s Falls: World’s Tallest Man Made Waterfall

  Laurel

  10 May 2012 | 10:36 am

  Marmore’s Falls (or Cascata dell Marmore) is the world’s tallest man made waterfall at an incredible 165m! Making Marmore’s Fall  even more incredible is that it was constructed during Roman times and dates back to 271 BC!  Guess building the Rome Coliseum for the gladiators weren’t the only things keeping the Romans busy! Marmore's Fall When Its Turned Off For the last 20 years Marmore’s Falls has been used to generate electricity for the Umbria region and so miraculously the falls turn on and off – off when the water from the canals above the falls…

• Adventures in a Zulu Village, South Africa

  Laurel

  8 May 2012 | 10:01 am

  “I’m very excited that my village is getting electricity at the end of the month,” proclaimed Eric, our Zulu guide as he proudly showed us around his Zulu village in the Drakensberg in the shadow of Catherdral Peak.  I was shocked to learn that only a couple of houses had electricity.  When I asked what he was most looking forward to about electricity he didn’t hesitate to answer “A refrigerator, so that I can eat more meat.  Now I only eat meat a couple of times a month when I go into town, but I have to eat it quickly before it spoils.” Eric our Zulu…

• Gladiator School: Battle of the Bloggers

  Laurel

  7 May 2012 | 5:48 am

  And they say travel bloggers are a friendly bunch – and we usually are…that is until you put us into a gladiator ring to fight until our deaths!  OK, we didn’t really fight until our deaths, but pride was at stake and there was a title to be won. Our gladiator guide, Marcus was intimating – shouting at us and pointing a finger in our face for any slight indiscretion by one of our group of wannabe gladiators.  He simmered down as he dove into nearly an hour of Gladiator history, peppered with some interesting facts about gladiators, but a bit too long.  Among the…

• 

  The Expat Coach Association

• Coach of the Month – May 2012

  Margie

  1 May 2012 | 2:01 am

  Name:Margie Banin Title: Expat Coach Business Name: Stepping Forward Coaching Client Testimonials: http://www.coachingwithmargie.com Niche/Specialties: Expats abroad not supported by large corporations; for example:  accompanying spouses / family members, cross-cultural marriages, international students, retirees. Expat Experience: I’m an American who has lived in Russia and Japan.  I’m also married to a Russian (for nearly 2 decades now!) and have experienced the added challenge of cross-cultural communication in a relationship. Languages Spoken: English (coaching language),…

• Coach of the Month – April 2012

  Margie

  1 Apr 2012 | 2:01 am

  Name: Patricia Comolet Title: Intercultural/Multicultural Coach Business Name: CamComCoaching Client Testimonials: http://www.camcomcoaching.com/Interculturel Niche/Specialties: Preparing for departure, integration and return. Multicultural teams in high stress environments. Dealing with the unspoken – hesitations, concerns, fears.   Preparing teams leaving for short term actions.  Currently developing Facilitated Mastermind Groups for expats and recent returnees. Expat Experience: Born and raised in the US, lived and worked 1.5 years in Holland, 5 years in Switzerland, 6 months Israel,…

• The Science of Successful Parenting . . . regardless of what country you live in

  admin

  17 Mar 2012 | 6:21 pm

  By Nita Talwar, Peak Experience Parenting, www.peakexperienceparenting.com Who are you going to listen to for parenting advice? Will you follow Amy Chua’s disciplined approach from her book “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother?” Will you follow Pamela Druckerman’s approach from her book “Bringing Up Bebe?” I have lived in Asia and Europe with my children and have witnessed the Asian and European approach to parenting. Both are interesting and have benefits. Why do we look to culture to give us parenting tips? We all share a common human nature and we are, in general, social beings.

• Expat Coach of the Month – March 2012

  Margie

  1 Mar 2012 | 1:01 am

  Name: Marie Brice Title: Certified Professional Coach Business Name: Zencompass Client Testimonials: I am not sure I believe in them… Niche/Specialties: Expats, Women, Accompanying Spouses and Expat Relationships Expat Experience: I have lived in 5 countries (New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, India and the USA), worked, travelled and played in 26 countries and have moved 22 times in 29 years. Languages Spoken: Chronically monolingual unfortunately – English Life Experience: I was born in New Zealand and made Australia my home of choice many years ago so I know one day I will…

• Expat Coach of the Month – February 2012

  Doris

  1 Feb 2012 | 4:37 pm

  Name: Doris Fuellgrabe Title: Coach, Trainer, Speaker Business Name: Building the Life You Want LLC Client Testimonials: http://www.buildingthelifeyouwant.com Niche/Specialties: My favorite topics of conversation are the impact of international change on the leadership style for the executive, on the role and identity of the accompanying spouse, and all the communication adventures that ensue for everyone involved when you move abroad. As a couple. Or a family. Or on your own. Expat Experience: Born and raised in Germany, I’ve been an expat since 1997 having lived, worked and studied…

• 

  You're Not From Around Here, Are You?

• Visitor Tips to Wutai Mountain Scenic Area

  steve

  13 May 2012 | 5:47 pm

  Made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009, WuTai Shan is the most holy of the four Buddhist mountains in China. Visitor Tips to Wutai Mountain Scenic Area is a post from: You're not from around here, are you?

• Picnicking in the worlds most polluted cities – Lishi, Shanxi Province

  steve

  8 May 2012 | 10:47 pm

  16 of the world’s 20 most polluted cities are in China. The area between Lishi and Linfen in Shanxi Province is known as the world’s most polluted area. Picnicking in the worlds most polluted cities – Lishi, Shanxi Province is a post from: You're not from around here, are you?

• Less common tips for first-time visitors to China

  steve

  26 Apr 2012 | 12:15 am

  There seems to be a lot of outdated advice on the web, mostly about not putting chopsticks in rice, so here are a few tips you may not see in the guide book. Less common tips for first-time visitors to China is a post from: You're not from around here, are you?

• Simple guide to choosing a VPN for China (and elsewhere!)

  steve

  23 Apr 2012 | 11:19 pm

  One of the problems with being in China is that the internet is heavily controlled to filter out information that might be detrimental to the harmonious society. A simple VPN can help bypass the Great Firewall of China. Simple guide to choosing a VPN for China (and elsewhere!) is a post from: You're not from around here, are you?

• Faking it: Simple Phonetic Mandarin Chinese for Tourists

  steve

  20 Apr 2012 | 4:28 am

  If you’re only coming for a couple of weeks it’s a bit unlikely you’ll learn Mandarin so here’s a very rough guide to making yourself understood, beyond just pointing at things. Faking it: Simple Phonetic Mandarin Chinese for Tourists is a post from: You're not from around here, are you?

• 

  OMAN HOLIDAYS Blog .•*´|`*•.

• TEDxMuscat 2012 at the Millennium Resort Mussanah

  omanholiday

  16 May 2012 | 12:00 am

  Its great to be able to attend TEDxMuscat 2012. The speakers are an eclectic mix and should be interesting to hear. Abdullah Al-Zakwani the executive director of industrial innovation centre of Oman. Resul Pookutty Oscar winner and a sound engineer for one of the nicest films recently “ Slumdog Millionaire “. Eythor Bender who is developing mechanics to augment human mobility and capability. Suleiman Bakhit the TED-fellow who must be hoping his Arabic super-heroes inspired by Middle Eastern history and mythology launch a super-hero trajectory into a film like ‘The Avengers’ . Niels…

• Royal Cavalry of Oman at The Queens Diamond Jubilee

  omanholiday

  30 Apr 2012 | 9:37 am

  With only a few weeks to go until the Royal Windsor Horse Show the horses from the Royal Cavalry of Oman have been ‘air freighted’ out from Oman to London to participate in the event at the Castle Arena Windsor. The event will culminate on Sunday May 13th when The Queen and Sultan Qaboos will enjoy the event as part of the Diamond Jubilee. Royal Cavalry of Oman With almost 100 horses arriving from Oman organiser and director Simon Brooks Ward says its been under planning for over 2 years. The Queen was guest in Oman at a horse event hosted by Sultan Qaboos at the end of November…

• Chicks and Trucks

  omanholiday

  28 Apr 2012 | 3:04 am

  The weather is still to reach over 40c so it was great to have a walk through an Omani Wadi. Truck passing us in a Wadi Passing us, trucks with children who looked as if they had come from swimming broke the wonderful peace of the valley. Later we came across some Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse with chicks. The chicks froze as they crossed the track.  So in case the were run over by a passing truck we took them and placed them on the road side, and took a quick picture of their camouflage. Lichtensteins Sandgrouse chicks in Oman

• School Trip in Oman

  omanholiday

  28 Apr 2012 | 2:43 am

  We enjoyed having and organising a school trip in Oman. Setting off from Muscat we took in one of Omans great wadis, the Green Turtles and the Wahiba Sands. School Wadi Trip in Oman After heavy rains a couple of days before the wadi was a bit more difficult than we expected, but as the children were energetic they all did the entire walk. School Trip meal in Omani Desert Lunch with some Bedouin friends was a great highlight and as the food was  served the traditional way, on the ground, gave a small insight into local culture.

• Cruise Excursion from Muscat

  omanholiday

  28 Apr 2012 | 2:23 am

  It will be sad to no longer see the Brilliance of the Seas on her regular visit into Muscat. Brilliance of the Seas overnight in Muscat She is being replaced for next seasons visits by the Serenade of the Seas, a sister ship. Here on one of the final visits we took guests down the coast and onto Sur via a palm filed wadi in Oman. Picture of a Wadi in Oman

• 

  The Displaced Nation

• RANDOM NOMAD: Jeff Jung, American Expat in Colombia & Career Break Travel Guy

  ML Awanohara

  16 May 2012 | 12:25 pm

  Place of birth: Fredericksburg, Texas USA Passport: USA* Overseas history: South Africa (Vanderbijlpark): 1988-1989; Argentina (Buenos Aires): 2007 (on and off between March-December 2007, continuously from September-December); Colombia (Bogotá): 2009 – present. Occupation: Editor of CareerBreakSecrets.com and producer/host of the soon-to-be-globally-televised “The Career Break Travel Show.” Cyberspace coordinates: Career Break Secrets Website/blog, Facebook page and YouTube channel; @CareerBrkSecret (Twitter handle). *It’s filled up again so time to get to the…

• EXPAT BOOK REVIEW: “Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore” by Barbara Conelli

  Kate Allison

  15 May 2012 | 4:47 pm

  TITLE: Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore AUTHOR: Barbara Conelli AUTHOR’S CYBER COORDINATES: Website: www.barbaraconelli.com Twitter: @BarbaraConelli Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorBarbaraConelli PUBLICATION DATE: May 2012 FORMAT: Ebook (Kindle) and Paperback, available from Amazon GENRE: Travel SOURCE: Review copy from author Author Bio: Born in London to an Austrian mother and an Italian father, Barb now splits her time between Milan and New York. Her first book, Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita, was published in 2011. She is the host of  Chique Show at Blog Talk Radio, where she…

• Kidding yourself over La Dolce Vita

  awindram

  14 May 2012 | 10:50 pm

  As you are doubtless aware, this month’s theme is la dolce vita, an Italian phrase meaning the sweet life. It would be remiss of us to choose that theme without referring to Fellini’s 1960 masterpiece of the same name. Regular readers of The Displaced Nation may not be surprised to learn that I was a somewhat pretentious teenager. A thin youth, callow and pallid, I could be found most nights ensconced in my bedroom reading the novels of Thomas Hardy or writing in a notebook my own cringe-worthy poetry. However, I would sometimes, late at night, usually on a Friday, descend…

• THE DISPLACED Q: What’s the most delightful sound you’ve heard on your travels?

  tjslater

  11 May 2012 | 12:00 pm

  Have you ever just stopped and listened — really listened, I mean? Yes, of course you have! Because you’re Displaced Nation readers, which automatically means you’re closely in touch with all five senses. After all, that’s what travel is all about! But just in case those ears of yours have been missing some vital input — of the kind that would help you to appreciate life’s sweetness — let’s do an exercise in aural comprehension and memory. Yes, it’s time to pay some attention to those great big flappy things on the sides of your head — you know,…

• Me and my shadow: LIBBY’S LIFE #50 – Home again

  Kate Allison

  10 May 2012 | 4:56 pm

  Oh, thank the lord and all his angels. I am on my way back to England, after an extended stay with the Patricks. How extended, exactly? Two weeks, two months, two years? Who knows? Time expands to encompass the drama available. Never have I wanted to be somewhere else so badly as on the evening that Tania Patrick appeared on Libby’s doorstep and refused to leave. She wanted to meet her big brother, come what may — and never mind the collateral damage to his family. The awkwardness, the embarrassment, the toe-curling please-God-get-me-out-of-here-ness of that meeting. The sister seemed…

• 

  Expat Ukraine Forum

• Anyone else on Volia 100Mbit?

  16 May 2012 | 1:06 pm

  I got connected to Volia's fastest data plan recently (100Mbit) and today I received the new DOCSIS 3 modem. After running some speed tests, I can't break 20Mbit, and that's even using Volia's FTP server test, not just speedtest.net. What are your expe...

• Re: In Need of Psycho-Therapist in Donetsk

  16 May 2012 | 12:51 pm

  Call and ask Dobrobut - medical network is the first in Ukraine network of private medical establishments which work on the modern standards of quality of grant medicare.Donetsk Call-centre: (062) 210 03 00, 210 03 03Pediatric out-patient departmen...

• In Need of Psycho-Therapist in Donetsk

  16 May 2012 | 11:36 am

  I suffer from depression. Just the garden variety, nothing bi-polar or fancy about it. My psychiatrist here in the States will maintain my medications even while I'm in Ukraine, but my therapist won't sleep until I find an English-speaking therapist in...

• Re: Cell Phones

  16 May 2012 | 11:27 am

  How much are Iphones 4 going for in Ukraine? Are they easy to unlock?

• Re: Waiting on work permit; best place to get visa from Kiev?

  16 May 2012 | 11:13 am

  So, I am set to get my work permit on the 29th of May. I'm going to take a leap of faith and say that the docs will indeed be ready. So, my plan is to fly out to Budapest late that night, hit up the consulate first thing in the morning on the 30th and ...

• 

  Muscat Mutterings

• Buying alcohol in Oman

  Sythe

  15 May 2012 | 10:00 pm

  Apologies for the tarnished example, my book gets a work-out! Another installment in the irregular series of posts: MM Guide to Oman, here's the low down on booze in the Sultanate. There are bars all over the country that are licensed to sell liquor to anyone of age (including Omani's - the of-age here in Oman is 21). These licenses are almost exclusively held by hotels, but there are a few exceptions dotted around the place, albeit lately these seem to be dying out. Alcohol, like Pork products, are available here, but there is a 100% tax levy in place on these products, making the cost quite…

• Internet in Oman

  Sythe

  14 May 2012 | 10:00 pm

  It seems that an increasingly large number of people are arriving at ze blog after searching about internet and phones here in the Sultanate, so I figured I'd write a little summary of internet connectivity options here to help these searching people as a part of a new series of irregular blog posts I intend to write: The MM guide to Oman. Essentially, in Oman, there are 2 methods for internet connectivity: ADSL or Wireless. By wireless, I mean either 3G (or 4G!) or WiMax. In terms of vendors, there are two major ones to consider, plus a few smaller MVNO's (I'll get to them in a moment): For…

• An update on the phone / jail thing, and some free bubbly for the ladies

  Sythe

  14 May 2012 | 6:00 am

  Firstly, an update to yesterdays post about the story in the Times of Oman stating that if you were busted using your phone while driving, you'd get a 10 day all-inclusive stay in the naughty-boys club, courtesy of Muscat's finest. The people at Merge 104.8 had someone from the ROP join them during their afternoon show who then announced that these rules were not actually finished being implemented and researched yet. Of course not, we'll just pretend that the initiative announced in the Times of Oman yesterday said the dates were May 1st to June 30th were actually just made up. In true ToO…

• Japan Day - free J-Pop concert

  Sythe

  13 May 2012 | 10:00 pm

  This Tuesday the 15th May marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Japan and Oman, and this year the Japanese have decided to focus on Japanese Pop Culture, even going to the extent of flying in May J for a free concert at the Scientific College of Design in Airport Heights sort of just behind the Bank Muscat building - on the road that takes you along towards the MOD camp. May J is a host of a TV program called “J-Melo” which is the only Japanese music show presented in English for a global audience on a satellite channel of NHK, Japan’s biggest broadcaster. It all kicks…

• New law: 10 days in the clink for using phone while driving

  Sythe

  13 May 2012 | 3:00 am

  Regular readers of ze blog will know that I've written about the chaotic state of driving in the Sultanate a few times before, with my last post on the issue attracting more than a few comments from observers. Which is why I'd like to share this story from today's Times of Oman front page, which has this headline story above the fold. It seems that since May 1st, 2012, the ROP have been enforcing a new road safety campaign and have been banging people up for 10 days if they are caught using their phones while driving. The article goes on to say that "even as the campaign ends, this law is…

• 

  ExpatriateLife

• Expat support groups: Forums

  Judy

  6 May 2012 | 7:30 pm

  (Sorry if you’re receiving this by email for a second time.  I goofed and hit the Publish button before I was ready and then for some reason the post disappeared altogether on the blog.  That’ll teach me to talk to my husband and blog at the same time *sigh*) If a measure of success is longevity, then the ExpatWoman forum has to high on the list of online support groups for expats. When I moved to the Dubai for the second time, Jane Drury had just launched her website www.expatwoman.com (not to be confused with Andrea Martin’s successful website www.expatwomen.com). Jane was a…

• A double-edged sword: Expats and the Internet

  Judy

  16 Apr 2012 | 8:04 am

  “Great, let’s do it!” was my reaction when my husband phoned to tell me about a job he’d been offered in Azerbaijan. As soon as I’d hung up, I reached for the atlas to see where on earth I’d committed to go. I knew Azerbaijan was a former Soviet republic and had a vague idea about its location but that was all. My next step was a trip to the local library, where I found 2 books about Azerbaijan, both looking something like this. I didn’t expect they’d tell me much about my future life there as the spouse of a western expat, and I was right. Please note, I’m talking…

• Not where I should be

  Judy

  29 Mar 2012 | 8:04 am

  I should be at the Families in Global Transition Conference which is starting today, but I’m not.  The reason I’m not there is because I picked up the phone to speak to my medical insurance company after reading about recent incidents with Canadians who’d traveled to the US and ended up with huge medical bills as a result of not understanding their policies. Now I’m the first to admit that insurance policies are right at the bottom of my reading list. But the helpful woman at the other end of the phone explained that because I’m currently undergoing tests, my…

• Laugh out loud: Diplomatic Incidents by Cherry Denman

  Judy

  13 Mar 2012 | 6:58 am

  That middle-aged women snorting on the subway this past week was me.  No, I’m not going senile, or at least not yet, I was reading Cherry Denman’s hilarious “Diplomatic Incidents,” billed as the memoir of an (un)diplomatic wife.  Yes, it is a little over-the-top in places, but let’s face it, the life of the average expat, is pretty unbelievable at the best of times. Although she’s lived in Libya, Cyprus, Hong Kong and China, Cherry opens her story by confessing that she’s not an enthusiastic traveller. “Abroad means dodgy lavatories and pillows dribbled on by other people. …

• An Insider’s Guide to the FIGT Conference

  Judy

  21 Feb 2012 | 8:01 am

  A recent blog post by Rachel Yates about her fear of attending an Families in Global Transition Conference got me thinking about the first one I went to in 2010.  Like Rachel I was daunted by my fellow FIGTers.  They all seemed so well qualified and successful and there was I, recently repatriated, unemployed and feeling pretty useless.  I’d never attended a professional conference before and had no idea what to expect.  So I have every sympathy for Rachel’s nerves and would like to share what I’ve learned since then. It’s far friendlier than you’d expect.  At the last…

• 

  In Search of a Life Less Ordinary

• My Big News

  Russell Ward

  9 May 2012 | 1:27 am

  It's been a week for big news here at In Search of a Life Less Ordinary. First of all, I got to the finals of the Best Australian Blogs 2012 competition (by the way, the winner is announced on 10 May). Now I get to share my biggest news of all. This journey is about to take an incredible and exciting turn because... we're having a baby! Photo credit: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net I'm as proud as punch to share this news. I've been keeping it to myself for what seems like ages. On 12 November, our small family will grow as a new addition arrives. He or she will emerge to a life we've…

• I'm a Finalist! (So I'm Good At What I Do, Right?)

  Russell Ward

  2 May 2012 | 12:12 am

  I didn't see this coming. I turned on my Twitter feed a few days ago to some incredible news. In Search of a Life Less Ordinary had been selected as a finalist in the personal/lifestyle category of the Best Australian Blogs 2012 competition organised by the Sydney Writers' Centre. As one of only eight finalists in this category and chosen from 1,100 submitted blogs, it was the kind of news that made me stare at the screen of my laptop, mouth agape and eyes agog. I'd completed the online application with no serious aspirations of any kind. This was a national competition that attracts vast…

• Finding Love When You Least Expect It

  Russell Ward

  26 Apr 2012 | 5:56 am

  Do you ever really find love when you most expect to? My own journey - and the journey of others like me - says you probably don't. I spent last Saturday evening celebrating the birthday of a good friend's wife. We arrived at their ground floor apartment terrace to the distinctive rhythm of Latin American music, colourful garden lights twinkling from up high on the marquee, and the mouthwatering aroma of chicken and beef skewers grilling on the barbeque. Chilled drinks were served and a mix of Spanish-English chatter ebbed and flowed around me. Half-closing my eyes and with the warm autumnal…

• One Dir Are Here And Here's What I Think

  Russell Ward

  11 Apr 2012 | 10:14 pm

  The word went out early Tuesday evening on Facebook. They'd been spotted in Manly, a local beach suburb. And drinking at Hugo's no less. After screaming hysterically for an entire five minutes and dancing my way around the house with hands in the air and shapes being thrown, I jumped in the car, whacked the stereo on high to the sounds of 'One Thing', and drove the fifteen minute journey at high speed to find them. Prepared for the biggest moment of my life, ever, I shoved the car into the nearest available parking spot, unfurled my favourite poster, pulled on my beloved t-shirt, and legged…

• Sydney: An Englishman's Parallel Universe

  Russell Ward

  2 Apr 2012 | 12:27 am

  Walking up to the door, it seemed like a regular enough building. Rectangular and squat. Yellowy-orange brickwork and a flat tiled roof. Rusted lettering peeling away from the heavy swing door. An uninspiring and bland piece of design. But then it was just a toilet block. Yet there was something uncannily familiar about this average-looking toilet block. Something almost homely about it. Then I realised why. I'd seen this building before. Many times before. This was exactly the kind of public amenity block you'd find across the length and breadth of England. In busy town centres, regional…

• 

  Expat Explorer

• What's in your suitcase?

  15 May 2012 | 3:40 am

  Image source: Awards Daily Those who have seen George Clooney's “Up in the air” will be familiar with the storyline. In the film, Clooney plays the charismatic Ryan Bingham, who travels a more than 320 days a year for his job, flying from one city to another. He has perfected the art of packing a carry-on bag, breezing through airport security, and collecting membership points with the ultimate goal of hitting 10 million miles. Expats who have moved abroad for work might find themselves flying frequently, be it to and from home for weekend breaks (if the distance is not too far) or making…

• Expat Excellence featuring Gillian Kemmerer – Part 2

  14 May 2012 | 5:35 pm

  This is the second of Gillian Kemmerer’s three-part series on Expat Explorer. Gillian is the founder of Ready Set Jet - a fantastic resource geared towards Generation Y expats and looks at common concerns of expats under-29 encounter. This week, Gillian shares some top advice for young people to keep safe whilst studying and working abroad. Top 3 tips to keep safe abroad Source: Creative Commons/ houy.in 1. How do you look?  Image isn’t everything, but it certainly counts for something.  Regardless of whether or not you are consciously aware, foreigners attract attention. …

• Guest Blogger Series: Introducing… Laurel Robbins

  8 May 2012 | 3:48 am

  Can your host country ever feel like home? How long before you stop exploring your new environment and call it “home”?  Laurel Robbins, our guest blogger this week shares with us her account on settling in and settling down, and how she plans to keep the adventure of being an expat alive. The next stop is… Closer to home  Source: Creative Commons/ LenDog64 I was so excited when I moved to Germany. I spent my first year as an expat in Stuttgart where I extensively explored my new home. After learning that there were 400 castles in my state, I vowed to see them all. I failed…

• Guest Blogger Series: Introducing… Ashley Thompson

  8 May 2012 | 3:46 am

  We’re excited about this week’s guest blogger, Ashley Thompson of Surviving in Japan – a blog sharing many valuable tips for expats living in Japan. Ashley’s blog offers an unconventional how-to guide for living in Japan, including navigating through its complicated transport system, freelancing in Tokyo and deciphering Japanese food labels. Here, Ashley shares with Expat Explorer readers… How to survive in a country when you don’t understand (or can’t read) the language Stepping off the plane and navigating through Narita Airport, Japan’s largest airport, for the first time,…

• Top 10 Expat Explorer blog posts

  8 May 2012 | 3:45 am

  A re-cap of the most popular posts on Expat Explorer this month: 1. How to make a long distance relationship work - Making long-distance relationships work is tough, but not impossible. In this post, we share some advice to overcome the obstacles of trust, communication and distance. 2. Guest Blogger Series: Introducing… Ashley Thompson – Navigating a completely new country can be daunting, especially if you don’t understand the language. One expat shares her tips on how to get around the language barrier. 3. Are you an expat entrepreneur? – We’re looking for expats who have set up…

• 

  Expatify

• Lessons to be learned from a lifelong serial expat

  Tom

  16 May 2012 | 5:12 am

  We’ve discussed many times how there are two main branches of expats moving around in the world. There are those of us who are choosing to move to (or from) a place for social or lifestyle reasons, and there are those who move because their job moves them there. I suppose a third group would [...]

• Choose an expat destination based on the expat community there

  Tom

  14 May 2012 | 6:21 am

  Many potential expats have exactly one choice of destination, based on a job offer or a spouse or some other situation, but many potential expats can choose nearly anywhere in the world. Especially retired people and location-independent people with good incomes, some have the ability to spin the globe and move to a place they [...]

• 5 Reasons you might want to live in Bangkok

  Tom

  9 May 2012 | 5:46 am

  Thailand is easily the most popular country in Southeast Asia for both tourists and expats, and Bangkok is the obvious starting point for a great percentage of these visitors. The huge Thai capital has a lot going for it so it’s a magnet for all types of potential expats, and the visa system is relatively [...]

• Do different types of expats move to different areas?

  Tom

  7 May 2012 | 6:55 am

  It seems pretty obvious when you think about it, but I’d imagine that not many people really think about it. There are millions of expats from the US, Canada, Australia, and Western Europe living in countries all over the world, including in those same countries, and I think there are a few main categories of [...]

• 5 Reasons you might want to live in southern Turkey

  Tom

  2 May 2012 | 7:02 am

  There are thousands of interesting expat destinations around the world, and each has individual things that recommend it. In this series we’ll be exploring some of the notable benefits of some of the more popular destinations, especially those I’ve lived in myself. We’ll start with Mediterranean Turkey, which covers a lot of ground. The largest city [...]

• 

  The Zieglers Blog

• “Mr. Lube”, What can possibly go wrong in an oil and filter change?

  Mr.G

  14 May 2012 | 2:09 pm

  This is one of those stories that is able to show those small details of everyday life in this country. Many of us come from countries where being a customer is a blessing. A blessing for you that have the opportunity to do business with that establishment. And if you don;t like it, just get the fuck out of here. We don’t need you. Not that it does not happen in Canada. But in this country I learned I not only have the right to ask for the best customer service. I also have the right to complaint… and be heard! Let me share with you one of those stories of good customer service. A…

• “Open Thread Friday” What do you want to talk about?

  Mr.G

  11 May 2012 | 1:10 pm

  We can call it a week (almost). Why not having a conversation? Let’s have a chat in the comments about anything you have in mind. Related to Canada or not. Do you have a question, a tip, an advice, an offer, a problem, an answer? Just leave a comment and share with your fellow readers at The Zieglers Blog. Thanks!

• Lessons from Mama Goose

  Mr.G

  7 May 2012 | 1:40 pm

  Nature has always some lesson for us. It’s just a matter of looking around and pay some attention. For instance, this past March marked the beginning of one of those great lessons from Mother Nature. My cube at the office is beside a great window that gives me not only great light during the day, but a very nice view. It’s a beautiful view to the front yard of the office, always being taken care of by a landscaping company. In Spring, Tulips are planted. After the tulips, very colorful annuals. But this year, besides the flowers and the avenue a few yards away, there was a…

• From $9.27 to $10.25: Provinces announce minimum wages for 2012/2013

  Mr.G

  1 May 2012 | 5:17 pm

  Every May 1st the Provinces announce what the minimum wages in the Province are going to be until next May 1st. Of course, every May 1st other two things happen: Employers complaints because the change may affect their businesses…. and employees complaints because the change will not affect their pockets as much as they would like! Today CBC Canada published a table with this information and I wanted to share it with you. Minimum wage in Canada from May 1st 2012 Province Minimum Wage More information Alberta $9.40 Alberta Employment and Immigration BC $10.25 B.C. Ministry of Labour…

• How to Acquire Your Boat License in Canada

  Mr.G

  1 May 2012 | 3:00 am

  If you recently moved to Canada and are wondering what the process is for acquiring a boat license, we have provided this quick guide to give you the most important details. The first thing to know is that all Canadian provinces require a boat licence in order to operate a motorized boat. The good news is that a license is valid for a lifetime and the license from one province is valid in any other. Licenses are relatively easy to acquire and they are available online, which makes the entire process rather convenient. In the following steps, we outline what it takes you to fulfill all legal…

• 

  usexpatcostarica.com

• Tamara’s At It Again – Mosaicos

  A Dull Roar

  15 May 2012 | 2:37 pm

  The Fish Bench Tamara hasn't had a commission for a wall mosaic lately, but that doesn't mean she's not been busy with her projects. She's worked out a new deal with a local "pila shop" to make some display models as it were of her work on his pro...

• How To Have Christmas In May

  A Dull Roar

  14 May 2012 | 10:49 am

  Recently, in USExpatCostaRica.com there was an article about how Costa Rica Customs are enforcing the collection of import/sales tax on items mailed to Costa Rica from outside the country (usually via Internet). If your stuff gets caught in their ever...

• Breath of Fresh Air in Costa Rica

  expatcostarica

  13 May 2012 | 12:00 am

  A comprehensive ban on smoking in public places, just two months since its first legislature approval now enjoys widespread acceptance in Costa Rica. For some in the English-speaking community, the change generated a great deal of confusion. The smoking ban, which became law following the signature of President Laura Chinchilla on March 22nd prohibits smoking [...]

• Chinchilla Sagging Under the Weight of Scandals

  A Dull Roar

  9 May 2012 | 6:36 pm

  La Presidenta of Costa Rica,  Laura Chinchilla, has been having some rough times the last several weeks. She belongs to the PLN (Partido Liberación Nacional) and they tried to push through a massive fiscal law in an attempt to improve Costa R...

• U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica Warns of Phishing Scam‏

  expatcostarica

  9 May 2012 | 5:57 pm

  Please be aware that U.S. Embassy San Jose has received multiple reports about fraudulent ?phishing? phone calls directed at American citizens in Costa Rica. The phone calls have been made in an attempt to garner personally identifying information, such as social security numbers. In each of these instances, a man falsely identifying himself as an [...]

• 

  The American Resident

• Is it possible to live without regrets?

  Michelloui

  16 May 2012 | 4:25 am

  The American ResidentLaying in the grass watching the clouds drift by is not one of my regrets! Should we try? I have many—some big, some small. I try to use them as learning points and not repeat my mistakes. Doesn’t always work. Some time ago a Facebook friend posted a link to a Guardian article The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying, a list created by a person who works with a lot of people who are at the end of their days. Stop and think a minute what might have been the very most common regret of all. Or even what might have fallen in the top five. Go on. Stop reading and look off into…

• Can you learn to love living overseas?

  Michelloui

  14 May 2012 | 7:45 am

  The American ResidentNot everyone loves it. And of those who do love living overseas, not everyone loves it all the time. I’m currently thinking Texas in August is better than England reinacting the biblical 40 days of rain thin (and I’m a gardener, I’m supposed to love this stuff). The animals started pairing up a couple of days ago, wondering where they need to go to wait this out. Of course, the next time I’m in Texas in August and I start complaining loudly about THE HEAT and THE HUMIDITY you can remind me I said this. Theoretically the best way to deal with a Bad…

• The mystery of the cow and the cart

  Michelloui

  1 May 2012 | 6:19 am

  The American ResidentThere's a hint in this image... When my daughter was tiny and she and I lived in a tiny house in town she started coming into my bedroom at about 4 am some mornings. I cuddled her in under the duvet with me and snuggled into her warm hair and told her we could go back to sleep for some sweet dreams. Then one evening I was tucking her in her bed at bedtime and she said ‘Can I sleep in your bed tonight?’ She slept like a starfish and I needed my sleep so I said no, but I crawled into bed with her and cuddled her until her eyelids flickered closed, then I tucked her…

• Think about it

  Michelloui

  19 Apr 2012 | 2:25 am

  The American Resident

• Make money with spring cleaning–what a great incentive!

  Michelloui

  19 Apr 2012 | 1:59 am

  The American ResidentYou may look forward to the brighter colours and warmer weather that spring usually brings, but there’s one thing about the season that you’d rather do without — the dreaded spring clean. If your home is in dire need of a good scrubbing and a purging of everything old, here are some tips to make tidying your house go by quickly so that you can begin enjoying the season. To start with, sort through your wardrobe to get rid of clothing, shoes, hats, and even jewellery that you no longer wear. Tackling your wardrobe will be one of the biggest tasks you complete…

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  Czech Off the Beaten Path

• @Renata: Wow, I'm sorry to hear you had such a...

  2 May 2012 | 11:27 am

  @Renata: Wow, I'm sorry to hear you had such a scary experience when you traveled by bus from Prague to Germany.I have to say I'm no expert in this, as I've experienced this only once or twice. The police car that stopped our bus was like the one that stopped your bus--it looked like a regular car--not a police car. However, the police that came onto the bus to check passports did show ID. Did the police who stopped your bus show their ID to you or the bus driver? It's a scary experience. When they saw my passport, their eyes really lit up--like they had found someone…

• @Tony: Thanks for your comment--it sounds like you...

  2 May 2012 | 10:54 am

  @Tony: Thanks for your comment--it sounds like you had an interesting Easter!I'm afraid I didn't give a true representation of that first Easter with my Czech family. It wasn't a family hazing event for the foreigner! We didn't have so many "shots;" I've updated the article--we had three. That was a lot for me, as I don't typically drink much hard alcohol. I can't tolerate too much. I'm sure your mother would not be happy to hear you had a celebration with many shots of hard liquor! I'm not advocating that type of behavior at all--I'm not a…

• Wow! I got pretty drunk this Easter, but not quite...

  2 May 2012 | 3:09 am

  Wow! I got pretty drunk this Easter, but not quite like that! I love the idea of the whole family getting involved - though I can't imagine my typical English mother being overjoyed at me drinking that many shots!Na zdravi!!

• Hi Sher! I was searching google about an issue I h...

  30 Apr 2012 | 6:02 pm

  Hi Sher!I was searching google about an issue I have, and found this really interesting blog. I will definitely come back and read your posts more carefully!But now, I think maybe you can have an answer to me... I was in a bus from Prague to Nürnberg, and got this police check just like you describe (driving to the rest area, getting a lot of passports, checking forever for a really long time...) but I was not really convinced about it yet. My doubt relies on whether they were really police or not, because the car was a citizen car, from a small city in Germany, not a police car as one would…

• @Ivanhoe: Most of this information I've learn...

  25 Apr 2012 | 11:28 am

  @Ivanhoe: Most of this information I've learned since moving to the Czech Republic. It's all a learning process!That's great--you consider yourself Czechoslovak! I actually do, too...since I have a little bit of both in me :0) Yes, the Slovaks actually wanted to separate from the Czechs...really interesting history, and I would like to write more on the relations between these two national cousins!Have a great day,Sher :0)

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  Culture Every Day

• Where Does Culture Take You, Teresa Barile?

  Justine Ickes

  15 May 2012 | 11:01 pm

  Caio, bella! Teresa Barile talks to us about international education, family history, and the Big Apple. Your family is a classic immigrant success story. Yes, I’m a second generation Italian-American. Both sets of grandparents immigrated from Italy at the turn of the century and landed at Ellis Island. They managed to raise many children and send them all to school, even in the midst of the Great Depression. As a teenager, my father delivered ice on the Lower East Side of Manhattan to fill ice boxes in tenement buildings. I’m proud to say that my three brothers and I are all…

• Love Among the Ruins: A Guatemalan-American-Russian Family

  Justine Ickes

  3 Apr 2012 | 11:01 pm

  Marina and her three hombres Russian-born, New York-raised Marina Villatoro talks about the expat life, Central America, and that international phenomenon – the picky eater. You were touring Mayan ruins when you met your husband, right? Yes, I’d left New York and was traveling solo around Central America. One night I camped near Tikal, Guatemala. Lico was there too. We got to talking and, well, here we are, 11 years later, married and parents to two boys. What do you like best about being an expat mom? To start, I love that my kids speak three languages. But the best part is that…

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  Pass the Ham

• Chasing Saints

  Hamatha

  16 May 2012 | 4:25 am

  Pass the HamIt’s a hard life chasing saints all over the place, but I’ve  managed to squeeze two saints into one month, one Italian and one Spanish. I know – my coolness is palpable. So, I’ve already told you the modernly twisted version of  Madrid’s Patron Saint San Isidro, but now I would like to fill you in on another saint, St. Efisio of Cagliari, Sardinia and I’ll try to keep it straight this time, okay? San Efisio, or Ephysius of Sardinia, is the patron saint of Pisa and Sardinia, but is especially revered in Cagliari. While both saints are…

• The Creepiest Thing I Have Ever Seen

  Hamatha

  13 May 2012 | 4:04 pm

  Pass the HamThere are no words ... Pass the Ham

• The Real Story of Madrid’s Patron Saint, San Isidro

  Hamatha

  11 May 2012 | 4:35 am

  Pass the HamSummer, Sun, and Saints!! May has to be the best month in Spain, especially in Madrid. Everything blooms in May, event-wise, that is, and if you’re here in town for this weekend’s puente, you’ll notice a bouncy, festive vibe to the city as it celebrates the opening of bullfighting season, the anniversary of 15M, and most importantly, San Isidro! San Isidro Labrador Yes, the true reason for the season is Madrid’s patron saint, San Isidro. And if you don’t know the story of San Isidro (Isidore the Farmer), well it’s pretty interesting. Isidore was…

• Kissing in Cagliari, Sardinia

  Hamatha

  3 May 2012 | 1:53 pm

  Pass the HamSee? Kissing is an epidemic in Cagliari... Every once in a while, I want to kiss a total stranger.  Before I know it, in mid-conversation, I’ll get this overwhelming urge to plant one on some poor unsuspecting fool that I have never met before. It’s not a sexual thing, mind you, it’s just something that comes over me when someone, man or woman, (I go both ways) goes out of their way to be nice to me. In Sardinia, this urge occurred on a daily basis and only due to the disapproving looks of my husband did I manage to control myself and my well-intentioned lips.

• Madrid Eco City

  Hamatha

  17 Apr 2012 | 1:53 am

  Pass the HamThis past weekend, we had the pleasure of going to Madrid Eco City Event that took place in the Madrid Rio. In case you hadn’t heard, Madrid Eco City is a conference that discusses the feasibility of creating an eco-friendly city, mainly using electric or solar powered cars. The conference was on Thursday with a lot of Spain’s regional mayors and representatives discussing what they are doing to encourage a green lifestyle in terms of transport in their communities. But, the coolest part was the car race on Saturday and Sunday. Unfortunately, it rained on Saturday and…

• 

  Le Franco Phoney

• National bread celebration week!

  Wendy

  14 May 2012 | 1:08 am

  On reflection, I should have taken this photo from a different angle. Too late now, so let me tell you what it is and why I’m writing about it. First of all, it’s a double-chocolate bread roll. But more on that in a minute. Today, the 14th May, signals the start of La Fête du Pain (a festival of bread) here in France. The celebrations began back in 1996 when the then French minister of commerce, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, inaugurated the event. So, why May? Because the 16th May is the Saint Honoré day. ‘What saint is that?’ you ask? He’s the patron saint of bakers,…

• Asian food in Annecy

  Wendy

  10 May 2012 | 12:33 pm

  Just a few summers ago, the few Chinese restaurants in Annecy served less than authentic food, including omelettes and stir-fries using tasteless, pre-cut, frozen vegetables. Some were called ‘Asiastique’ restaurants, serving everything from Thai to Japanese — the authenticity watered down with ever country added. In the past few years, things have improved! Not only are there better Chinese options in Annecy, but sushi and Thai food options have improved too. Here are my top three: 1. Sushi Shop (13 Rue de la Poste, Annecy) This place opened in late 2011 with the involvement of…

• Voting in France

  Wendy

  4 May 2012 | 3:17 am

  Here’s a quick guide to how to vote in France if you hold an Australian or British passport. 1. You can’t. Sleep in instead. Easy, isn’t it? I own a business in France and I pay all sorts of taxes. I’m expected to integrate and be conversational in French upon arrival (since no paperwork is in any other language), but I don’t have the right to vote in the presidential elections. Immigration is one of the hot topics, and with around 3.6 million immigrants living in France without French nationality, that’s a lot of votes that are never counted. No wonder…

• A fete without the main attraction

  Wendy

  30 Apr 2012 | 3:56 pm

  Pictured is one of the two planes that performed stunts at the Defi Foly in La Clusaz last weekend. After contestants slid down the snowy ramp and into the freezing Lac des Confins on Saturday, a group of us wheeled a BBQ up to Les Confins on Sunday to watch the finalists and the other entertainment. However, we were greeted by a relatively empty lake area, and this portable toilet, on its side, which had blown away at least 50 metres during a night of 150km/h winds. Its twin was out of sight. The competition wasn’t happening but music was still playing. The pontoon end of the ramp,…

• Candide does it again with Few Words

  Wendy

  27 Apr 2012 | 2:30 am

  As the season in La Clusaz draws to an end this Sunday — ending with the Defi Foly competition and hopefully good enough weather for the BBQ not to be needed as an outdoor heater — something else in La Clusaz has just arisen, like a marmot fresh from hibernation. It’s Candide Thovex’s teaser for his latest crazy film, ‘Few Words’, filmed here in La Clusaz. From around 2 minutes 40 seconds in the video below, Candide can be seen jumping in the La Balme area of La Clusaz, where he built the jumps with some buddies just a few weeks ago. A friend and I tried to stay on…