Living in Advice
Living abroad without health insurance isn’t as risky as you might think
In a more perfect world, every citizen everywhere would have affordable access to high-quality health care and medicine. But most of the world isn't even close to this ideal, and for many it's all about risk and trade-offs and hoping for some good luck. Some people seem to be terrified of leaving the United States or Europe without knowing that [...]
Expat bars and why we love to hate them
When I grew up in Orange County, California there was a small windowless bar near my high school where Mexicans were the main clientele. Only recently did it occur to me that it was an "expat bar," because we normally use that term to describe a place where better-off foreign residents congregate in so-called 'developing' countries. I suppose [...]
World’s best places to live in 2012 survey reveals some strange choices
This time of year we are deluged with lists involving either last year or the current one, and a new entry that might be of interest to the expat communities has just been released. The Daily Telegraph in the UK (known for its right-wing politics and likely an upscale readership) has announced the results of its survey of the World’s best places [...]
Getting a job teaching English is easier than you might think
You are probably aware that "teaching English" is a huge industry almost the world around, and also that it's the most popular profession of those who work abroad while traveling. Until you actually make your way around the world, particularly through Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, you might assume that skilled English teachers must be [...]
Luxury v. child-raising-friendly: Expats choose one
While it's true that many potential expats have a choice of going to one particular country or staying in their home country, many others can choose a country out of many choices. Recent results of a large international expat survey that generally you'll have to choose either a more luxurious lifestyle in a "developing" country or a more basic [...]
6 Countries with very cheap wine
For those of us who like a drink now and again, the price of alcohol can turn into a real issue. In some places it's so cheap that you need to find excuses to avoid it, and in other places it's so expensive (or hard to find) that being a teetotaler makes more sense. Recently we discussed countries with very cheap beer, and in that case the list [...]
The 2011 ‘most livable’ cities list is dominated by boring and expensive European cities
This year's Mercer Quality of Living Survey is freshly out and as expats or potential expats we might all be interested in which cities are considered the best. Anyone who has seen this survey or ones like it in the past will not be surprised that the top spots are all dominated by very expensive cities, mostly in Europe, that very few people [...]
Breaking out of the English-language expat bubble
It seems possible to get by nearly anywhere in the world knowing no other language than English. This situation has opened up the globe to those of us fluent in English and it's made us native-English speakers even more welcome in some unusual ways. But for the expat, it seems the temptation to just stick with English puts us at a major [...]
Many expats don’t like to be thought of as “lucky”
When you tell your friends back home that you are living an exotic lifestyle in an exotic part of the world, have any of them ever called you "lucky" in response? It's a natural reaction from some to assume that someone living an enviable lifestyle is doing it based on good fortune, or perhaps people use the term as a lazy way of implying that you [...]
6 Destinations with very cheap beer
Whether it's for an extended holiday or for a permanent move, for some people having access to very cheap beer is a major selling point. With alcohol taxes varying wildly from one place to another you can't necessarily just show up in a cheap city and expect cheap beer. And if you are in a Muslim or Hindu city you might have a hard time finding [...]
The 2011 HSBC Expat Explorer survey results show Thailand on top
Almost everyone loves wide-sweeping survey results and if you are an expat or considering becoming an expat then it's likely you'll be interested in the 2011 HSBC Expat Explorer survey. The full results will be released later in November, but there is a preview out now and I must say that in many ways it adds more confusion than clarity to the [...]
Internet speeds can make or break the expat experience
As usual, it will be necessary to break potential expats into two distinct groups for the following discussion. There is a small set of expats whose entire goal is to immerse themselves in their new environment, and for that group of people it's possible that solid internet service might be a distraction. But for the rest of us it's impossible to [...]
Expat stereotypes: Do we deserve them?
We are all aware of the different stereotypes attached to local groups when we are visiting or living in their country, but it seems to be less often discussed how we expats might also easily be stereotyped. Obviously the locals in a city where many other nationalities are congregating can generalize about each group, and the expats themselves can [...]
More potential expats thinking about Asia, but many for the wrong reasons
The global economic slowdown has influenced increasing numbers of people to consider moving to Asia, according to a recent article in Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper. What I think is interesting about the situation is that people quoted in it mention that there are groups of people who they won't really consider hiring at all. (more...)
Research the visa-run situation before choosing where you’ll live
People who are moving to another country that have a residence permit organized before they even leave won't need to worry about this, but for the increasing numbers of people who want to live abroad without going through all that paperwork, the "visa run" is a very important factor for choosing a destination. While just knowing that you can [...]
