For American expats, Thanksgiving can be a difficult holiday. But just because nobody else stuffing their face with exorbitant amounts of food on the fourth Thursday of November, it doesn’t mean that you can’t. In Germany, there is actually a Thanksgiving-esque holiday known as Erntedankfest. This is a kind of harvest celebration that takes place … Read more
I devoured my French ham and cheese dinner crepe like a starving refugee as my husband inhaled his Japanese noodle dish. I certainly wasn’t actually starving, but we were starving for the tastes of home. We’d been living in Panama for a year and a half, and this was my husband’s first visit back to … Read more
Whatever country you’re living in, the day to discover where the closest hospital is, how much healthcare costs, what the quality of service is or what ‘exactly’ your health insurance covers, is not the day you wind up in the hospital. We have been in Thailand for two years now and have not needed any … Read more
Way back in March I contacted our favourite builders. We needed a new back door, a new terrace door, and front door burglar-bars fitted. None of it was urgent but we wanted the work done before the following winter. Our present terrace door lets in the rain and we need burglar-bars fitted before we leave … Read more
I was in an online ‘expat’ conversation the other day when someone suggested we do our children a disservice when we don’t assimilate to our host country. I agree with her, and go one further to ask if perhaps, even when we try to instill a “bit of the old country”, it might not help? … Read more
Despite its large Public Revenue – US$700 million for a population of 50,000 – Cayman has generally low educational standards – the consequence of a poor educational strategy. Two generations ago, the Islands’ political representatives seem to have been persuaded by the British Colonial Office (now the FCO) not to bother about the standards of … Read more
With an average of 300 days of Mediterranean sunshine per year, the Nice area is an ideal place for walking, hiking, biking, and just staying in shape in general. Along the 7 km Promenade des Anglais, it’s easy to walk, rollerblade, and bicycle along the sea without feeling like you are getting a workout. The … Read more
In October, what I call the wet season begins. I come from Manchester where it can certainly rain, but until living here in Guimaraes I don’t think I had ever seen rain quite like this. The Portuguese call this area of the Minho (Guimarães and Braga) the piss pot of the North and the rain … Read more
Having been an expat now for three-and-a-half years, I keep asking myself when I will stop converting things back into British pounds. The realistic answer is probably never. The exchange rate for sterling in some countries makes it very easy to make a quick conversion – for example in Singapore, one pound equals two dollars. … Read more
One of the best tips for expats who want to cope better with homesickness and culture shock and get the most out of their time overseas is to get involved in the local community. There may be community garden projects, an eldercare charity, an annual church event or other projects, charities or events that always … Read more