Expat Women - January 2009 Home Page

Happy New Year Everyone!

We hope you are enjoying (or have enjoyed) some wonderful new year's eve festivities, as we upload our January Home Page:

Success Story
Graziella Zanoletti
CIO (Chief Inspiring Officer) & Founder, Elite Rent-a-Car
Founder & President, Friends of Humanity
Italian-born Graziella Zanoletti started her luxury car hire and chauffeur service company Elite Rent-a-Car in 1987 and has built it today to a €20 million business, spanning seven countries, with sales representatives in five additional countries…

Expat Divorce
Divorce Overseas: 10 Steps To Protect Your Children
Frank Arndt
If your marriage breaks down, the prospects can be daunting if you are “stuck” in a foreign country, without a strong grasp of the language or knowledge of local culture...

Virtual Work Abroad
Working Virtually: A Great Way To Earn Additional Income
Jean Stone, Jobs Online
Are you an expat living abroad who is frustrated with visa restrictions and trying to think creatively about how to generate both satisfying work and income? Then think virtually: working from home gives individuals a chance to earn extra income by performing a variety of tasks...

Bilingual Kids
Raising A Bilingual Child
Barbara Zurer Pearson
Barbara, who has more than twenty years of research experience in the fields of bilingualism and linguistics, shares with us some of the insights from her step-by-step guide for parents who want their young children to become bilingual…

Business Idea
Amy Maguire
Family Manx Magazine
We talk to Amy Maguire, an American-British mother and music teacher who has transformed herself into a successful publisher of a family magazine that not only distributes 9,000 copies across the Isle of Man, but also pays her an income abroad…

Expat Confession
Why Should I Move?
ExpatWomen Girlfriend
My husband has just been offered a one-year assignment abroad and I am thinking about whether or not to quit my job and move away from my ill mother to join him. I have no aspirations to live abroad, I am really very content and happy with my life here, and I feel duty bound to be here for my mother. I have thought about living apart...

Not An Expat Women Member Yet?
Please sign up today, to make sure that you receive our January Members' newsletter (only being sent mid-month this time, while we wait for everyone to return from their holidays). We would love to welcome you to our online community.

Wishing you a 2009 that exceeds your expectations,

Warmest regards, Andrea.

PS. If you missed our Expat Women Best of 2008 Newsletter last week, just Click Here.

Wanted: Expats in India or China, from Denmark, Germany, Finland or the UK

Hi Everyone, An interesting request today from Nicol Foulkes, the lead researcher on this project (and working on her PhD) at the University of Tampere and the University of Lapland. The work is for the project run by the Academy of Finland, Future of Work and Wellbeing 2008-2001.

Basically, Nicol is looking for survey respondents in each of the following specific categories. If you can help, please do. She estimates each survey takes approximately 15 minutes. For questions, please email Nicol directly. Thanks.

**

My company (which is Danish, German, Finnish or British) would like to share information on its expatriation process for employees in the emerging economies of India and/or China.
Click Here

My/my partner's job (in Denmark, Germany, Finland or the UK) has taken me/us to India.
Click Here

My/my partner's job (in Denmark, Germany, Finland or the UK) has taken me/us to China.
Click Here

In the past, I have spent a period in India or China in relation to my/my partner's job. (The sending company was based in Denmark, Germany, Finland or the UK).
Click Here (This one takes approximately 30 minutes)

Final 2008 Update On The Need For Short-Term Researchers For PassportCareer.com

Hi Everyone, Please find below the revised list of locations still needing short-term researchers for the upcoming database for PassportCareer.com.

In case you have missed our previous blog posts, Passport Career is looking for researchers to undertake a 20-25 hour research assignment, in return for a small honorarium per assignment.

If you are currently an expatriate (male or female) in any of the locations listed below (and have been there for six months or more), and you are potentially interested in one of these assignments (and can commit to a January 15 completion date), please urgently contact Susan Musich for more information.

Susan has been working in this arena for 18 years and is starting her online job search support system for international professionals – primarily spouses/partners who accompany expats.

"The research includes using the country profile survey (and template) that will be provided to identify appropriate job search information relevant to expatriates who will be moving to your current country. Such information includes: web sites; business cultural information; social and business networks; resume and interview information relevant to the country in question; and other related job search material."

Disclaimer: Susan has agreed to make a small donation to ExpatWomen.com for each researcher who completes an assignment via an ExpatWomen.com lead. Every little bit helps. Thanks Everyone! :-)

Locations:

China -- Guangzhou
China -- Shenzhen
China -- Nanjing, Jiangsu Province
China -- Wuhan/Hubei Province
China -- Tianjin
China -- Dalian/Liaoning Province
China -- Xiamen
Costa Rica
Equatorial Guinea
Finland
India -- Mumbai
India -- Chennai
India -- Bangalore
Norway
Qatar
Romania
South Africa -- Cape Town
South Africa -- Pretoria/Johannesburg
Spain -- Madrid/Barcelona
Sweden
Taiwan
Thailand -- Bangkok
USA -
· Atlanta
· Boston
· Charlotte
· Chicago
· Cincinnati
· Dallas
· Denver
· Detroit
· Fort Worth
· Los Angeles
· Miami
· New York City
· Philadelphia
· Phoenix
· Pittsburgh
· Sacramento
· San Antonio
· San Francisco
· San Jose
· St Louis
· Washington, DC
· Any other US cities with large expat populations

Got Time To Share Your Expat Story Or City Experience?

Hi Everyone, If you are on holidays now and/or able to make some time, we would love you to support us this holiday season by sharing your expat story or city experience.

The stories and experiences you submit do help other expat women and we are always looking for more contributors.

Many thanks in advance, Andrea.

Want To Win A £1000 Amazon.com voucher?

Hi Everyone, If you would like to be in the running to win a £1000 Amazon.com voucher from HSBC Bank International, all you have to do is tell HSBC how the way you celebrate Christmas (they are assuming of course that you celebrate Christmas) has changed since moving abroad.

Click here for full details, terms and conditions. The prize draw closes on Monday 26 January 2009 and the lucky winner will be randomly chosen on Friday 30 January 2009.


Important notes (from the terms and conditions):

"This prize draw is not open to residents of Australia, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, South Korea, Turkey and the United States of America, or any country where it is prohibited or otherwise unlawful to enter the draw or for the draw to be held."

"The promoter is HSBC Bank International Limited, HSBC House, Esplanade, St Helier, Jersey JE1 1HS, Channel Islands."

Seeking Entries - Re:locate Awards 2008/9

Hi Everyone, Re:locate (UK) would like to invite you to enter their 2008/9 awards, which they hope will pay tribute to inspirational talent from across the relocation spectrum, with seven categories that between them recognise individuals, teams, policy and innovation. Both HR and service providers are warmly invited to enter. The closing date for entries is 16 February 2009.

Award categories:

• Best relocation strategy/policy
• Technical innovation in relocation
• Inspirational HR team of the year
• Relocation service provider or team of the year – categories for large, small and specialist providers
• Best property provider or solution
• Rising star in relocation
• Relocation personality of the year

The judging process will culminate in a gala dinner, to be held on 7 May 2009 at the Institute of Directors, in London’s Pall Mall.

For more information, please visit the Re:locate website or contact Fiona Murchie (Managing Editor) and the awards team via email or phone (01892 891334). Thanks.

Oman Conference: Dates Have Changed

Hi Everyone, The organisers would like to let you know that the dates have changed for the upcoming International Mobility and Relocation Conference (IMRC 2009) in Muscat, Oman.

Old dates: 18-19 January 2009

New dates: 19-20 April 2009

Thanks.

E-Zine Articles: New Travel Categories

Hi Everyone, Many of you may already know that one of the most commonly quoted sites for submitting articles that you have written, in the hope that other sites/blogs/people will link to you and/or quote you, is EZineArticles.com.

However one of the barriers with submission (and getting noticed) on this site has often been the absence of the exact category that you need. One example of this is that there is no specific category for "Expatriates", "Living Overseas", "International Living" or similar. In the past, I have written to them to suggest establishing this new category. Feel free to do the same here. :-)

Anyway, good news this week is their addition of two new travel sub-categories that might help some of you:

Adventure Travel
Articles about/concerning Adventure Travel, Whitewater Rafting, Blackwater Rafting, Rock-River Tubing, Mountain Hiking, African Safari’s, Wildlife Touring, Polar Expeditions, Travel Accommodations.

City Guides and Information
Articles about/concerning City Guides and Information Centers, Online Guides, City Information, Travel Guides, Expert Recommendation.

If you know of any better article submission sites, feel free to share them via a comment on this blog (or via email) for us all to learn.

Best wishes, Andrea.

Do You Know Of Any Best-Practice Repatriation Management?

Hi Everyone, I am urgently searching for best-practice companies or governments who do a really good job of managing expatriates when they return 'home'. If you know any examples of superior repatriate management, please contact me urgently.

Many thanks, Andrea.

Mobility Online - December Issue

Hi Everyone, This month's Mobility Online includes a very interesting speech from the retiring CEO, H. Cris Collie, which was delivered at the closing general session of the recent 2008 Worldwide ERC® Global Workforce Symposium in Washington, DC. If you work in the relocation services industry, you might like to take a quick read.

To see what else is in this month's issue, just click here. Enjoy!

3 Questions To Ask Yourself For 2009

Hi Everyone, One of our Expat Women Mentors in 2007 (when we had our mentor program running), Gayle Scroggs of Essence Coaching, sent out a great e-letter recently that focussed on 3 key questions (that we really liked) to ask yourself as you go into 2009:

(1) What brings you and yours pleasure?

(2) What are your inner gifts?

(3) What gives your life meaning?

Good luck in your planning and resolutions for 2009!

Bookshaker Seeking Authors & Editors

Hi Everyone, A quick shout-out for Debbie Jenkins at Bookshaker, an Expat Women Success Story last year (read the interview here) who is looking for authors and editors to expand the Bookshaker brand...

"Authors
Are you an expat with a story to tell?
Are you an expert in business or making money?
Are you an expert in sales or marketing?
Do you know a thing or two about investing or property?
Do you have a unique and powerful communication or self improvement model?

If you are any of these and want to write a book, we can help.
Get in touch with us here.

Editors
We are also looking for editors who would like to earn up to 20% royalties from lifetime sales of each book they work on. We are looking to build an elite team of reliable editors to work on approximately 60 books each year.

If you want to know more, please get in touch with us today."

So if you are an expat woman who needs more than coffee, talk to Debbie at Bookshaker... you never know unless you give it a go...

Have You Lost Your Job Recently?

Hi Everyone, There have been a lot of jobs lost lately, all across the globe. If you have been affected, expat job or not, you might find some value in Adrienne Graham's excellent Empowered Career Woman blog post: The 1st 30 Days - Survival Mode.

Adrienne, a very experienced recruiter and networker, elaborates on 10 very useful tips for getting through that tough first month and finding light at the end of the tunnel. Take a read, or maybe send the link to someone who might appreciate it. Best wishes, Andrea.

Australians Abroad: Win 2 Flights Home

Hi Everyone, If you an Australian abroad, you might like to enter a competition being run by Advance: a dynamic and diverse community of Australians overseas, with more than 11,000 members, extensive industry networks and strong relationships with global business, government and academia.

First prize is two flights back to Australia, courtesy of FCm Travel Solutions. Second prize is a case of wine for each of the following regions: Asia; UK; Europe & the Middle East; and Australia.

Good luck and may an Expat Woman win! :-)

HSBC Expat Survey- Part 3 of 3

Hi Everyone, Just released is the third and final instalment of the HSBC survey conducted this year which surveyed 2,155 expats across four continents:

Part 3: Expat Experience (or downloadable PDF version)

• Making friends with the locals
• Joining a local community group
• Learning the local language
• Buying property and setting up a new business
• Having children and marrying into the local population
• Changed citizenship
• The age factor

...and if you missed the first two instalments...

Part 2: Offshore Offspring (or downloadable PDF version)

• The cost of raising children abroad
• Travel abroad for more active children
• The cultural advantage
• Languages
• Expectation to remain
• Healthy children

Part 1: Expat Existence (or downloadable PDF version)

• Standard of accommodation
• Popular destinations
• Earn and save
• Luxurious lifestyle

Warmest regards, Andrea.

Manpower Employment Outlook Survey: Quarter One 2009

Hi Everyone, We've mentioned some Manpower Employment data on this blog before. Here is another interesting instalment, especially for expats or wanna-be expats:

"The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey of global hiring trends released [yesterday]... shows that the most favorable first-quarter hiring plans globally are reported by employers in Peru, India, Costa Rica, Canada, Romania, Colombia, South Africa, Australia, Poland, the United States and China.

Conversely, employers in Singapore, Spain, Ireland and Italy are reporting the weakest hiring expectations for the quarter ahead. Read more in the press release.

The quarterly report from Manpower Inc. (NYSE:MAN) is the most extensive, forward-looking employment survey in the world, gathering data from over 71,000 employers across the globe each quarter. To view full survey results for each of the 33 countries and territories included in the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, plus regional and global comparisons, visit the Manpower Inc. site."

Best wishes for your day/evening!

Good News for United States Travellers

Hello again Everyone, Janette Stennart (Esquire, Attorney and Counselor at Law) sent us a link to her article Good News for US Travellers, that might interest anyone travelling into the US.

"Expat Women may appreciate being reminded that in [just over four] weeks, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) will be required of all US Visa Waiver Program (VWP) citizens and nationals for travel to the US, under the program. This becomes effective 12 January 2009. Also, US citizens and US lawful permanent residents have expedited clearance under GOES."

We don't normally delve into visa issues on this blog, but made an exception in the hope that the information might be valuable to a number of you. Thanks.

Have You Heard Of Alltop?

Hi Everyone, We learnt today through Megan Fitzgerald of Career By Choice about Alltop: an "online magazine rack of popular topics", updated hourly. Pick a topic by searching, news category, or name, and they promise to deliver it to you 24 x 7.

Alltop has lots of categories (including one especially for Expats). They aggregate new blog /website entries via RSS feed, for all of the blogs/sites they have registered in that category. Just click at the top of almost any of their pages for their tutorial video.

Megan's blog is in it. Our Expat Women blog is in it (what a nice surprise!). And I recognise quite a number of blogs from our Expat Women Blog Directory there too - so your blog might even be there without you even knowing about it! :-)

If you have a blog/site that you would like included, Alltop says:

Please send us an email, and we’ll consider them. Please note: if your favorite sites don’t provide an RSS feed, we cannot import their stories. And please, tell us what topic you hope to see them in.

Enjoy!

Expat Women December Newsletter

Hi Everyone, We have just finished sending out our Expat Women Members' Newsletter for December. If you are signed up and you did not receive the newsletter, please let us know here.

In addition to all of our December home page features, our newsletter showcases December's winning story, shares an article about how much life insurance you need and announces our monthly winner of the fabulous Explorer Publishing mini-guide pack.

Thanks and enjoy your day/evening! Andrea

Global HR News: Discount on Upcoming Europe-Based Conferences

Hi Everyone, Ed Cohen, President of Global HR News, is inviting all Expat Women members to register for any of his upcoming Europe-based conferences for only 199 Euros (which represents an approximate 50%-66% discount on the standard early-bird fees, depending on which conference you are interested in). I took a look at some of the speaker line-ups and they look excellent...

London (UK)
Global HR Conference
9 December 2008

Paris (France)
Global HR Conference
11-12 December 2008

Köln (Germany)
Dinner, Education, Social
16-17 April 2009

Zurich (Switzerland)
Dinner, Education
20-21 April 2009

London (UK)
Global HR Conference
8 December 2009

Paris (France)
Global HR Conference
10-11 December 2009

To take advantage of Ed's offer, please contact him directly. Thanks.

Expat Women December Home Page

Hello Everyone, Please take a look at our December Home Page. If you like something, please tell your friends. Thanks in advance!

Success Story
Pamela Skuse
Misión México Foundation
When Pamela and husband Alan left their safe haven of home to volunteer at an orphanage in México for twelve months, never did they realise that eight years on, they would be running the orphanage and helping hundreds of México’s poorest children…

Business Idea
Caroline Garrett
Owner: Spice Marketing & PR
President: Company Women
When Caroline Garrett moved to Spain four years ago, she had no guarantee that her freelance marketing and public relations business would survive and she had no idea that she would become the president of a networking group for 500 international women in Spain…

Running Away
The Grown-Up’s Guide To Running Away From Home
Rosanne Knorr
Tired of your current life and looking for a way to escape for a while? Then join us as we talk to Rosanne Knorr about her escape manual: The Grown-Up's Guide to Running Away From Home...

Expat Confession
I Need More Than Coffee
I cannot believe how lost and dissatisfied I feel. I genuinely thought I would get enough stimulation from my surroundings, supplemented by the local expat club activities. However, I need more than coffee…

Flying With Kids
Flying With Children: Tips From An Airline Insider
Sharon, an American expat mother in France and a former flight attendant for two carriers in five countries over thirteen years, shares with us her insider tips and advice for flying with children…

Repatriating?
Six Ingredients For Successful Repatriation
Rebecca Wells
Coming back home can bring mixed feelings. Although some people relish the idea of seeing family, old colleagues and familiar places again, others find the notion extremely deflating…

Not An Expat Women Member Yet?
Please sign up today, to make sure that you receive our December Members' newsletter this week. We would love to welcome you to our online community.

Thank you very much and wishing you a sensational December!

Seeking Expats in the United States for Short-Term Research Project

Hi Everyone, Following on from our recent blog posts looking for expats to help with research assignments (small honorariums apply) on behalf of someone who is creating an online job search support system for international professionals, primarily expat spouses/partners...

Expats are now needed for the following cities in the US:

• Atlanta
• Boston
• Charlotte
• Chicago
• Cincinnati
• Dallas
• Denver
• Detroit
• Fort Worth
• Houston
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• Minneapolis
• New York City
• Philadelphia
• Phoenix
• Pittsburgh
• Raleigh
• Sacramento
• San Antonio
• San Francisco
• San Jose
• Seattle
• St Louis
• Washington, DC
• Any other major US city, if the researcher has a strong knowledge of job sources/networks in their city

If you are willing to help and you have been an expat in one of the cities above for at least six months, you have a good understanding of how an expat might find work in your location, and you can commit to completing the approx. 15-20 hour project (yes, these are shorter projects than the 20-25 hour ones for previous locations requested), please urgently get in touch with us (and tell us your city) for more information. Thanks.

Note: In this first wave of US cities, the research director prefers current expatriates rather than repatriates, as expats 'see' things from a different perspective. Thanks and enjoy your weekend!

New Conference in Oman, January 2009

Hi Everyone, It's official, the International Relocation and Mobility Conference (IRMC): Strategies for Successful International Living is going ahead in Muscat, Oman: January 18-19, 2009.

"IMRC will bring together professionals from around the world to discuss the impact of global relocations on internationally mobile families. Experts will address such topics as education and youth issues, Third Culture Kids, adjustments and resiliency in children, mental health issues for families, employment and identity issues for spouses and caregivers, and the role of schools, counselors, educators, and human resource professionals in meeting this need."

Speakers include: Rebecca Grappo; Jo Parfitt; Robin Pascoe; Jane Bickmore-Jaffer; Dr. Shama Rasheed; Ann Houston Kelly; and Susan Bagyura.

If you have been looking for an excuse to explore Oman and that fascinating part of the world, check out the conference website today. Early bird registration is OMR 153 (or around US$400).

If you cannot go, but know someone else who might be interested, please help the organisers to spread news of this exciting new conference. Thanks.

Update On Need For Short-Term Researchers

Hi Everyone, Just a quick update on last week's blog post urgently seeking short-term researchers on behalf of someone who is creating an online job search support system for international professionals – primarily expat spouses/partners.

Here is an update on the locations that still need researchers (the most urgent ones in red) for the 20-25+ hour research assignment (small honorarium applies):

• Angola
• China-Guangzhou, Guangdong Province
• China-Nanjing, Jiangsu Province
• China-Tianjin
• China-Shenzhen, Guangdong Province
• China-Xiamen, Fujian Province
• China-Chongqing
• China-Shenyang
• China-Xian
• Equatorial Guinea
• Finland
• France (someone based in Paris) (new listing)
• India-Mumbai
• India-Chennai
• India-Bangalore
• Spain (someone based in Madrid or Barcelona) (new listing)
• South Africa (new listing)
• Taiwan
• Thailand (someone based in Bangkok)

"The research includes using the country profile survey (and template) that will be provided to identify appropriate job search information relevant to expatriates who will be moving to your current country. Such information includes: web sites; business cultural information; social and business networks; resume and interview information relevant to the country in question; and other related job search material."

So, if you are willing to help and you have been an expat in your location for at least six months, you have a good understanding of how an expat might find work in your location, and you can commit to a December 15 deadline (this can be extended a little, if requested upfront), please urgently get in touch with us (and mention the location that you are interested in) for more information.

Thanks and best wishes for your weekend!

FIGT Executive Director Vacancy

Hi Everyone, Know anyone who might be interested in the part-time Executive Director role (replacing the much-loved Joyce Blake after the upcoming FIGT Conference) to start around April 2009?

"Families in Global Transition, Inc. (FIGT), based in the United States, seeks a part-time Executive Director with a desire to work for a leading edge non-profit educational organization with an international, national, and local presence. The position requires a creative, innovative and entrepreneurial approach to developing global partnerships, enhancing the strong profile of FIGT, and directing the organization's fundraising and marketing efforts.

Reporting to the FIGT Board of Directors, the Executive Director has responsibility for overall strategic leadership of the day to day management of FIGT, associate programs and services, website development and maintenance, and conference planning.

Compensation will be commensurate with applicant qualifications. Resumes will be accepted until 15 Dec 2008. For a Position Description and list of preferred Qualifications, please contact Sandy Thomas. Thanks."

Goodbye Norma McCaig - Founder Of The Term 'Global Nomad'

Hi Everyone, Some very sad news: Norma McCaig, who coined the term 'global nomad' in 1984 and tirelessly raised awareness of TCKs (Third Culture Kids), passed away last week in her home in Reston, Virginia, US, due to complications from cancer.

Norma once said: "Global nomads are very good mediators. Whenever TCKs move into another culture, they become very good, objective observers. They’re like cultural sponges. Those skills translate into ideal requirements for combating racism and advancing social and refugee work."
Source: Brice at tckid

"Norma's ground-breaking work in this field, which she began in the 1980s, inspired so many of us. She will be missed not only by those lucky enough to have known and worked with her, though, but also by thousands of children who grew up as global nomads never knowing that it was Norma who had given words and a voice to their unique lives."
Source: Robin Pascoe, The Expat Expert, ExpatExpertBlog

"Now, with three major pioneers of this field gone…Ruth Hill Useem, Dave Pollock, and Norma J McCaig…the greatest honor for them all is that each of you in the ‘next generation” build on their gift to us all and continue to see how to take lessons learned and help find ways to bring new understanding of how our global changes affect children everywhere and of all backgrounds."
Source: Ruth van Reken, co-author of Third Culture Kids, on tckid

The Stevie Awards 2008 & 2009

Hi Everyone, Congratulations go out this week to the winners (announced last Friday at a special ceremony in New York) and finalists of the 2008 Stevie Awards.

"The Stevie Awards were created to honor and generate public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and business people worldwide. Beginning with The American Business Awards in 2002, The International Business Awards in 2003, The Stevie Awards for Women in Business in 2004, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service in 2006, our mission is to raise the profile of exemplary organizations and individuals among the press, the business community, and the general public. In short order the Stevie has become one of the world's most coveted awards. All women entrepreneurs and executives worldwide are eligible to participate in the awards."

Request your Entry Kit for the 2009 awards - it will be sent to you by email in May 2009. Any number of entries may be submitted to any number of the 50 categories. The same entry may be submitted to multiple categories.

So go on, get inspired, check out this year's winners and request a kit for yourself for next year!

Expat ROI

Hello again, Just a quick link to an interesting article about Expat ROI (return on investment) on Human Resource Executive Online...

"So what exactly is your company's return on investment after sending an employee on an international assignment? (Don't worry; most other companies don't know the answer, either.)

After paying for flights, housing or schools, HR executives are all too familiar with shelling out big dollars for employees on international assignments, but calculating the return on that investment can be extremely illusive.

Only 3 percent of companies are able to track ROI for international placements, according to the International Assignments Survey 2008, a new analysis of more than 200 multinational firms by New York-based consultancy Mercer."

Click Here to read more.

Living in Australia? Online Divas & Mexico Films

Hello Everyone, If you are living in Australia, you might like to check out the following upcoming events that promise to be lots of fun:

Online Divas
If you have been looking for an online and offline networking group that brings young entrepreneurial women together, who all share a common vision - running an online business and working in the online world - Online Divas might just be your answer.

Upcoming Events:
Sydney: 25 November 2008
Melbourne: 17 February 2009
Brisbane: 19 May 2009

Hola Mexico Film Festival
If you are interested in movies from Mexico, plus supporting a great cause (Mision Mexico, which will soon be featured on Expat Women), take a look at this year's program, which can be seen in:

Sydney: 25 November - 7 December
Adelaide: 3 - 7 December
Brisbane: 9 - 14 December
Canberra: 11 - 14 December
Melbourne: 15 - 21 December

Anyone willing to volunteer at the events to sell Mision Mexico Christmas cards, please contact Deborah. Thanks, Andrea.

Got Time This Weekend?

Hi Everyone, If you have time this weekend to write a story for our Expat Women Stories section or give some advice in our City Experiences section, we would truly appreciate your help.

These sections are read every month by women who are typically hungry to hear what experienced expats like yourselves have to say.

Thanks so much to anyone who can help! Andrea.

Movie: Revolutionary Road

Hi Everyone, Have you heard about the upcoming movie Revolutionary Road, directed by Sam Mendes and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet?

We received an email from their promoters asking us to give it a mention, presumably because of the dilemma of moving abroad and keeping your relationship together etc. (...or maybe they were just being creative in who they were targeting, smile).

Anyway, we watched the trailer: it looks good. Whilst it's not an 'expat' movie, it might strike a chord with some of you - especially those who have encountered resistance to moving abroad - or struggles in their own relationship. Here is the official storyline:

"Adapted from the revealing novel by Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road is an incisive portrait of an American marriage seen through the eyes of Frank (DiCaprio) and April (Winslet) Wheeler. Yates' story of 1950's America poses a question that has been reverberating through modern relationships ever since: can two people break away from the ordinary without breaking apart?

Frank and April have always seen themselves as special, different, ready and willing to live their lives based on higher ideals. So, as soon as they move into their new house on Revolutionary Road, they proudly declare their independence from the suburban inertia that surrounds them and determine never to be trapped by the social confines of their era.

Yet for all of their charm, beauty and irreverence, the Wheelers find themselves becoming exactly what they didn't expect: a good man with a meaningless job whose nerve has gone missing; a less-than-happy homemaker starving for fulfillment and passion; an American family with lost dream, like any other.

Driven to change their fates, April hatches an audacious plan to start all over again, to leave the comforts of Connecticut behind for the great unknown of Paris. But when the plan is put in motion, each spouse is pushed to extremes - one to escape whatever the cost, the other to save all that they have, no matter the compromises."

You watch the trailer here. Have a wonderful weekend!

Urgent: Short-Term Researchers Needed

Hi Everyone, If you are currently an expatriate (male or female) in any of the locations listed below, and you are interested in undertaking a 20-25 hour expat research assignment in return for a small honorarium, please get in touch with us urgently for more information.

The research is for an upcoming website created by someone who has been working in this arena for 18 years and wants to start an online job search support system for international professionals – primarily spouses/partners who accompany expats.

"The research includes using the country profile survey (and template) that will be provided to identify appropriate job search information relevant to expatriates who will be moving to your current country. Such information includes: web sites; business cultural information; social and business networks; resume and interview information relevant to the country in question; and other related job search material."

Thanks in advance for considering this request. Who knows… maybe the knowledge that you might gain during this project might provide you with a stepping stone to other things...

List Of Locations Needing Researchers:

• Angola
• Argentina
• Brazil
• China-Guangzhou, Guangdong Province
• China-Nanjing, Jiangsu Province
• China-Tianjin
• China-Dalian, Liaoning Province
• China-Shenzhen, Guangdong Province
• China-Xiamen, Fujian Province
• China-Chengdu
• China-Chongqing
• China-Shenyang
• China-Xian
• Equatorial Guinea
• Finland
• Greece
• Hungary
• India-Mumbai
• India-Chennai
• India-Bangalore
• Malaysia
• Mexico City
• Norway
• The Philippines
• Poland
• Singapore
• South Africa
• South Korea
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Vietnam

If you are interested, and able to commit to completing the research by December 15, please contact us for details as soon as possible. Thank you.

Note: Please see updated post one week later on this topic. Thanks.

The Glow Project - 'The Secret' for Women

Hi Everyone, Have you heard of The GLOW Project? It is the closest thing I have seen to The Secret to date - with an online trailer featuring high-profile women talking about "it" (glow) in the same way that The Secret personalities talked about "it" (the secret). If The GLOW Project achieves only a portion of what The Secret achieved, you better take a quick look, so you know what others might start talking about...

"How is it that some women are wildly successful, while others, with the same relative education, experience, passion and goals for success, struggle? We all have the same amount of hours in a day, yet some are able to accomplish so much more. What is it that they do so differently? What is it that they possess that is unique? What is it that makes them GLOW?

There is a powerful essence inside of every woman—a critical ingredient that only women possess. When realized, nurtured and expanded, it becomes the key to true happiness and success. You deserve happiness, fulfillment, and the opportunity to achieve wild success. STOP what you are doing. Take a breath, and connect with your GLOW.

The GLOW Project has brought together prominent corporate achievers and dynamic entrepreneurs, to share with you how they manifest, unleash and expand GLOW. Witness their struggles and pain and their strategies for success. By focusing on GLOW, they are fulfilling their destinies and achieving more success than they ever imagined. These women exude the kind of grace, confidence and strength that every woman can achieve, while also being mothers, daughters, wives and leaders. The GLOW Project will ignite your spirit and inspire your dreams. The GLOW Project will show you that, no matter how hard you work, no matter how hard you try, you can never achieve your full potential and happiness without GLOW."

There's also a magazine and upcoming events. Portions of the proceeds of The GLOW Project benefit: Care International; EWomenNetwork Foundation; and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies.

Best wishes for your day/evening, Andrea.

The Myths Of Working Abroad

Hi Everyone, If you have contemplated working abroad, but have always found a reason not to go, take a look at Stacie Nevadomski Berdan's great two-part series (on w2wlink - a community dedicated to professional women) that refutes the following 10 myths of women working abroad...

Myth #1: Women don’t do as well as men overseas.
Myth #2: Women aren’t accepted as equals in international business circles.
Myth #3: It’s only for young/junior professionals.
Myth #4: I can’t go; I’m married.
Myth #5: I can’t go; I have children.
Myth #6: I don’t speak a second language.
Myth #7: My market is the most important, fastest-growing place for business.
Myth #8: It’s not necessary in my field or industry.
Myth #9: Out of site, out of mind.
Myth #10: Such transfers are few and far between.

Read Countering The Myths Of Working Abroad - Part 1

Read Countering The Myths Of Working Abroad - Part 2

About Stacie:
Stacie is a co-author of the book Get Ahead By Going Abroad: A Woman's Guide To Fast-Track Career Success. We interviewed Stacie as one of our Expat Women Success Stories earlier this year. You can read our interview with Stacie here.

Thanks and enjoy your weekend!

Worldwide ERC News

Hi Everyone, If you work in the global mobility industry and have not already heard, Lynn M. Bragg has been named the new chief executive officer of Worldwide ERC®, the workforce mobility association, effective November 21, 2008. Bragg will succeed H. Cris Collie, CAE, who will retire in December 2008 after a distinguished 36-year career. Click Here to read Lynn M. Bragg's full bio and credentials - which include everything from a presidential appointment to being the head of a chocolate manufacturer's association - yum.

Have you seen the Worldwide ERC's latest Mobility Magazine? If not, it's a great magazine for this industry. Below are the topics in their November issue. Enjoy.

Treasury to the Rescue! What the Fannie-Freddie Action Means to Relocation
Patrick Moore

A Changing Climate: the U.S. Economy and the Expatriate
Molly Feldman, CRP, GMS; Eve Avadenka, GMS; Kelli Laffe, GMS; and Katie Auffenorde

Navigating the Zero Fee Environment
Joan Harpootlian Thomas, SCRP, and Elizabeth Nunan, CRP, GMS

Successful Synergy: What HR and Procurement Have Learned from Each Other and How It’s Making Relocation Better
Jack Craven, SCRP, GMS

‘But Wait, If You Buy Right Now...’—Tips for a Creative Closing
Joan M. Brady, Esq., CRP, GMS, and Laura J. Henneberry, CRP, GMS

Searching for Value Through Cash: a Primer on Worldwide ERC® Appraisal Guideline #3
Thomas G. Fryer, SCRP, SRA

Remediating Environmental Hazards: a Focus on Mold
Stefanie Schreck, CRP, GMS

Raising the Bar: Leading Global, Virtual Teams
Karen Cvitkovich

Relocating Minorities: Unspoken Realities
Douglas Stuart, Ph.D.

Globalization of a Corporate Culture: New Perspectives on Successful Repatriation
Kathi Fredendall, CRP, GMS, and Karen Kason, CRP, GMS

Enter at Your Own Risk—the Ramifications of not Having a Comprehensive Expatriate Security Support Program
Edward L. Lee, II

Custom Regulations—a Guide to International Relocation in a Post-9/11 World
Jack Griffin

Heading North: Canada’s Drive to Attract Foreign Talent
Marti Briney, CRP, GMS, and Stephen Cryne

The Odyssey of the Worldwide ERC® Mentor Program
Frank Mauck

The Greening of Worldwide ERC®—“LEED”ing by Example
Doug Weed, SCRP, GMS

Work the Room—Supercharging Your Networking Skills
Denise Starrett

A Wise Investment: Supporting the Expatriate Spouse/Partner on Assignment in Asia
Edmund Seng

Protecting Employees in the United Kingdom—An Overview of TUPE
Bruce Perlman, CRP, and Helena Derbyshire

Pajamas, Foot Massages, and Dogs in Handbags: the Lighter Side of Shanghai
Nigel Crockett, GMS

Immigration in Brazil: Current Scenarios and Legal Aspects
Samantha Machado

Handle with Care—the Experiences of Children Living Abroad
Leah Johnson

Expat Women November Newsletter

Hello Everyone, We have just finished sending out our Expat Women Members' Newsletter for November. If you are signed up and you did not receive the newsletter, please let us know here.

In addition to our November home page features, we showcase our winning story, Expat Wife Blues, by Siobhan (a Canadian in Egypt):

"There are times that I feel rather tired of this lifestyle. Not the having a maid and driver part, (I’m sufficiently selfish and lazy to appreciate the luxuries that Hubby’s employment choices have offered me), but the unemployed housewife part seriously depresses me at times…"

We are always looking for expat stories. Please add your story here.

We also feature some data on Male Expatriate Accompanying Partners, by Dr. Nina Cole, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada:

"The number of female expatriates with male accompanying spouses has slowly been increasing, and this trend is expected to continue. However there is very limited knowledge about the experiences and needs of this new breed of accompanying spouse for global human resources managers to use in designing spousal assistance programs. Three potential issues have been identified: (1) the non-traditional nature of families with male accompanying spouses; (2) the almost certain dual career situation of female expatriates with male spouses; and (3) the expected urgent practical need for employment assistance for male spouses. This study of 45 male spouses, the largest sample group to date, reports their views on these issues..."

Special thanks to our newsletter supporters this month:
Calida Homes
Looking for the finest selection of properties and homes located along Spain's Costas and the surrounding areas?
Kindermusik Germany
Want to teach Kindermusik in Germany, or know someone who might?

Thanks and have a fabulous November! Andrea

Expat Newcomers in London

Hi Everyone, if you are a recently arrived expat in London, or soon to move to London, here are two groovy, new(ish) sites that we discovered recently that might interest you...

MinglePlanet
Newcomers in London who are looking to meet new friends and business contacts might like to check out this site launched by Danish entrepreneur Ulla Vitting Madsen, who has lived in London since 2005. The site targets "likeminded people from all over the world who all face the same challenges: finding a new job, a place to live, new friends and business partners and learning how to mingle, the British way". Mingleplanet targets expats in their 20's and 30's and offers both online and offline (real-life) networking.

Moving2London
This is a site run by Belle and Nick - two Aussies who met in London. It includes some very practical 'how-to' videos for London, including: pre-departure: one-stop shops; just arrived in London; London accommodation; finding a job in London; London transport; UK banking; and one specifically for Americans in London. They have also included some handy resources on their site, such as maps, cost of living, a pre-depature checklist and more. Watch out for their upcoming sites, Moving2Sydney and Moving2NewYorkCity.

To see more links for the UK, please visit our UK Country Page. Thanks.

Expat Mothers Abroad

Hi Everyone, If you are a mother raising children abroad, you might be interested in the article Expat Moms Chronicle Raising Kids In a Foreign Country by Shannon Lowe on BlogHer.

We noticed Shannon's article because she included ExpatWomen.com in her article and has been sending people our way. :-)

Shannon's article quotes several expat mothers abroad. She also quotes Dina Zavrski-Makaric's article, Moving With A Teen.

Have a quick read if you are interested.

Expat Women November Home Page

Hi Everyone, We hope you have enjoyed a wonderful week! Please check out our new Expat Women November Home Page, featuring:

Success Story
Carol Bellamy
World Learning
Carol Bellamy assumed the leadership of World Learning in May 2005, having completed ten years as executive director of UNICEF, the children’s agency of the United Nations. Prior to joining UNICEF, Carol was Director of the United States Peace Corps...

Business Idea
Anupa Horvil
anupa
Born in London, of Indian background and with an intense love of colour, Anupa Horvil is the brainchild behind anupa – a luxury brand currently making its mark in Vietnam. Anupa, which means "unique" in Skanskrit, conceptualizes and individually designs all her products…

Children's Travel
The Little Travelers
Angelina Hart
We talk to Angelina Hart, mother of gorgeous girls Chantelle and Nakia who star in The Little Travelers – a wonderful set of DVDs that literally take the audience along with Chantelle and Nakia in their adventures abroad in Japan, Bali and The British Isles...

Changing Careers
A Career Change Abroad
Amanda van Mulligen
Tackling a career change is a challenge at the best of times, but setting off on a new career path as an expatriate can be even more daunting. Amanda van Mulligen talks to four women who have faced tough career choices abroad...

Expat Confession
My Teenagers Are Not Adapting
ExpatWomen Girlfriend
Hello, I need some advice about my two children, 16 and 14 years of age. Ever since we have moved to Germany last year, my children have transformed into withdrawn, negative children who blame me for taking them away from their friends back home…

Family Matters
Family Matters Survey Results
ExpatExpert.com & AMJ Campbell International
With an impressive 655 workable survey responses, Robin Pascoe’s survey shares some very interesting results about how internationally mobile families view the support they receive during their relocations… (When these results first came out, we mentioned them on this blog and linked you to Robin's site. We have now posted the results on our own site and wanted to showcase them on our Home Page for November.)

Not An Expat Women Member Yet?
Please sign up today, to make sure that you receive our November Member's newsletter next week. We would love to have you in our online community.

Thank you very much and wishing you a fabulous November!

Great News For Expat Women In The UAE

Hi Everyone, If you are an expat living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), we have great news: the main internet service provider in the UAE (name best not mentioned) has finally unblocked our main Expat Women website. Hurray! :-)

We apologize that it has taken so long to negotiate and we hope everyone in the UAE (using this internet provider) will visit our global site ExpatWomen.com again soon. Thanks for your support!

Want To Be A Travel Guide Contributor? Writers in Latin America

Hello Everyone, If you are in Latin America and looking to share your travel experiences, help other travelers and get published in travel guidebooks, take a look at a site we learned of this week: V!VA Travel Guides. Based in Ecuador, they produce online travel guides, focussing currently on Latin America. Their site receives more than 100,000 unique users per month - which is very impressive.

Freelance Writing Opportunities
"For budding or talented writers, you have opportunities to write about Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Mexico! If you’re traveling to, live in, or are interested to hear more about the opportunities that we have in these countries, please send your resume and a short writing sample to us at V!VA here. Or to see more opportunities to get involved, click here."

Photography Contest
"V!VA is currently looking for photos for our upcoming Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Mexico guidebooks... read details here."

333 Most Loved Travel Experiences
"V!VA is currently accepting submissions (written pieces and photos) for the web version of our recently published V!VA World: 333 Most Loved Travel Experiences. The V!VA List series is a way for travelers to share travel experiences and have their stories and photographs published in our award-winning books. Unlike traditional guide books which list all of the "must-sees" and "must-dos" of a place, V!VA World is seeking out the most exhilarating individual experiences, written in such a way that readers will feel the passion and excitement of a place without ever leaving their living rooms!"

Travel Writing Tips from V!VA:

• "Do inform and entertain - be creative, fresh, original and inspiring


• Do set the scene


• Do provide references for factual information - and fact check using 3 different, reliable sources


• Do use a friendly tone


• Do turn in good copy


• Do keep it clean


• Don't write anything potentially libelous


• Don't be repetitive


• Don't be overly flowery with descriptions


• Don't plagiarize the work of others"

Good luck aspiring travel writers. Watch out Lorraine Caputo.

Do You Know Of More Expat Clubs?

Hi Everyone, We are looking for more expat clubs/associations to add to our country pages. Can you please take a few minutes to check your current location (or your former expat locations) here and let us know of any expat clubs/associations that we have missed? (Submit relevant links here)

Many, many thanks in advance for your generous help, Andrea.

Multilingual Living Magazine

Hello Everyone, If you are raising a bilingual/multilingual family, I highly recommend Multilingual Living Magazine. I have just finished reading their September/October 2008 issue and it is excellent!

The latest issue (put out by the dedicated Corey Heller in the US and Alice Lapuerta in Austria) includes these topics and more:

• Multilingualism in Kindergarten
• Parenting in an Adopted Mother Tongue
• Do Media Help or Hinder Bilingualism
• Immigration and Language
• 12 Common Myths and Misconceptions about Bilingual Children
• Interview with author Barbara Zurer Pearson: Raising A Bilingual Child

It also includes lots of fun 'tid-bits' as well, for example:

(1) "Did you know that there are only four words in the English language that end in 'dous'? Tremendous, horrendous, stupendous and hazardous"

(2) "Language is the means of getting an idea from my brain into yours without surgery" Mark Amidon

(3) "Oredr of the ltteers: Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch procejt at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosnt mttaer waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter."

The online bi-monthly magazine (set to be quarterly in 2009) is currently only US$12 per year. You can grab your free sample edition here. Submissions and enquiries are welcome here.

Well done Corey and Alice. Regards, Andrea.

Researcher Interested In Bilingual Families

Hi Everyone, If you are a parent trying to raise a bilingual family, Hidy Basta is looking for you...

"Hello, my name is Hidy. I am a bilingual mom who is trying to raise a bilingual family. I am also a doctoral student in the English Department at the University of Washington in Seattle (United States). I am currently working on my doctoral research project and am seeking input from bilingual families about the advice they receive regarding raising their children bilingually. I am especially interested in the following:

• The reasons a family decides to be bilingual/multilingual;
• The strategies used by parents and children to learn more than one language;
• The way children react to strategies or develop their own;
• The success and challenges a family experiences; and
• The advice a family receives regarding their decision or their strategies.

The only requirement for participation is that you have made a decision at some point in time to raise your children so that they can speak more than one language. There are several ways you could participate in this study:

1. You can fill out an online survey that takes 30-40 minutes;
2. If you live in the Seattle area, I would like to invite you to a group interview (60-80 minutes) with other parents. Snacks and refreshments will be provided;
3. You can participate in an on-line group interview via Skype. In addition, if you have kept a journal, blog or diary entries about your family's experience, you can choose to copy whatever selections you would like to share in the study.

If you are interested in participating in any way, please e-mail me for more information. Thank you!"

Geneva Exhibition: Art & Human Rights

Hello again Everyone, Just a quick shout-out for Charlotta Hayes, from Artists United Against FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) - a volunteer group aiming to use art exhibitions to raise money for organisations working actively to try to stop FGM in Africa.

If you are living in Geneva, you might like to support the group's first exhibition. The opening is tonight, Thursday 23 October, 5pm - 9pm. The opening of the second half of the exhibition is next Thursday, 30 October, same time. Everyone welcome. Thanks.

Heard of CareerJet?

Hello Everyone, Forgive us if you already know about this site, but we only learned of it today...

If you are looking for work abroad, or just in your own backyard, take a look at CareerJet - it is amazing. This fantastic online resource is an employment search engine, that scours 62,358 websites (and this probably grows daily) to display more than 14 million job vacancies, in more than 50 countries around the world, translating the results into 20 languages.

We hope this site proves valuable to you and your networks. Good luck if you are currently job-hunting!

Professional Women's Network in Turkey

Hi Everyone, If you are Istanbul, you might be interested in the new International Professional Women of Istanbul Network (IPWIN) launched this month by the International Women of Istanbul.

"We are interested to hear from women who are working in Istanbul, whether it be in a business environment, in the services sector, the not-for-profit sector, in government or in the academic field. We also welcome women who may have just moved to Istanbul and not sure what direction their career should take or women who have been on a career break through children, choice or circumstance.

IPWIN will be a place where professional women in Istanbul can come and share stories and experiences, tips and information. We would like to see it as both a professional and social network."

If you are not an expat in Istanbul, but know someone who is, please help the group by 'spreading the word'. Many thanks.

700 Expat Women Blogs

Hi Everyone, Today we are very excited to welcome our 700th blog to our Expat Women Blog Directory. This section of our site has become a tremendous resource for women relocating, feeling isolated abroad or just wanting to learn/share overseas experiences, and we thank everyone who has contributed their blog to date.

If you would like to submit your genuine expat women blog (and yes, we do check every single blog is genuine and consistent with our expat women criteria), please click here - it's easy.

If you would like to read the 20 most recent blogs added, we invite you to get inspired here. Thanks.

Empowered Career Woman

Hi Everyone, If you are/were/or want to be a career woman in any shape or form, you might like to check out a blog entitled Empowered Career Woman, written by Adrienne Graham (American).

It's not an expat blog and I don't personally know Adrienne (from memory, I learnt about her blog when she left a message a long time ago on this blog), but for a while now I have been impressed both with the effort that she puts into her blog and her effort to encourage women to 'network for success'.

Some of my favourite recent blogposts that you might enjoy include:

(1) Working Remotely (which includes 16 great tips);

(2) Women Don't Need Separate Business Magazines, Do They? (a discussion sparked from her experience with the relatively new Forbes Life Executive Women magazine); and

(3) Book Excerpt: Go Ahead, Talk to Strangers (excerpts from Chapter 5's A Closed Mouth Don't Get Fed: Asking For What You Want of her upcoming book, Go Ahead, Talk to Strangers: The Modern Girl's Guide to Fearless Networking).

Keep up the great work, Adrienne, Andrea.

Bookstore Guide - Europe

Hi Everyone, If you are in Europe, and you love books, check out Sonja and Ivan's Bookstore Guide: An Amateur Guide to Book Shopping Throughout Europe. The blog has some great links already, and if they keep it up, this blog could really blossom into a wonderful and comprehensive resource for finding books throughout Europe.

Sonja & Ivan: "The idea of writing a guide to bookstores all around Europe was conceived while we were on a vacation in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Having a passion for reading and traveling, we have encountered various bookstores throughout Europe and thus have decided to make this blog and write about our findings. If you happen to find yourself in, let's say Amsterdam or Berlin or any other city, we hope that this Bookstore Guide will help you find the books you are looking for so make sure you stop and browse for some of your favorite books in these bookstores."

Bits and Pieces

Hi Everyone, I hope you enjoyed your weekend. Here are some interesting bits and pieces that have crossed my desk lately:

(1) Blog sub-title that I loved on Grace's An American Mom In London: "Temporarily or indefinitely? Depends on the kind of day I've had". Can any expats relate to this? ;-)

(3) An interesting article, Centered Leadership: How Talented Women Thrive, in the McKinsey Quarterly, sent to me by Lindsey Jones at ACDI/VOCA.

(4) A range of HR (Human Resources) Summits coming up in 08/09 in the Australia-Asia region, listed on the Key Media site.

(5) EuRA Relocation conference for anyone involved in the relocation industry: Vienna, 22 - 24 April 2009.

(6) Expat and Relocation Conference, Oman, Al Buston Palace, 17-18 January, 2009. More details will come later on Jo Parfitt's blog.

(6) Film: 600 - by James Z. Feng. The film is based on the loneliness of longer-term expats living in China, and that sense of "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" (aka U2's song). The film was shot in Shanghai in 2007 and has recently been accepted into some major US and international film festivals, after some awards at a successful China festival 2007 showing. Synopsis:

"After coming to Shanghai on a college-graduation trip with two college buddies, Terrence decides to stay. All the partying, beautiful girls, and good food convinced Terrence this was the place to be. Supporting himself through odd jobs and teaching English, Terrence is having the time of his life.

We fast-forward seven years and Terrence is still an English teacher in Shanghai without much of a career. At the crossroads of his life, Terrence is having a midlife crisis and debating future options about returning home or staying in Shanghai. He questions the purpose of life and starts soul searching with the help of alcohol and delusional fantasies while wandering around town looking for the answer to his dilemma."

You can watch the trailer here. (Warning: If you are offended by language such as f***, this trailer is not for you.)

(7) Finally, an unusual but interesting news story, in terms of what is possible with technology these days: Google Mail Goggles Prevent Drunken Emails. It's targeted at those who send emails that they shouldn't and later regret it.

Thanks and have a wonderful week, Andrea.

Research on Intercultural Couples

Hi Everyone, If you have been part of, and perhaps still are part of, an intercultural marriage or partnership, perhaps you might like to help Mary Westhoff.

Mary has been researching for her thesis "Counseling Cross-Cultural Couples" (M.A. in Counseling) at the Fernuniversitaet in Hagen, Germany. She wants to research more about the special issues faced by cross-cultural couples and what is most helpful in supporting them.

An American from Houston, Texas, Mary has lived in Germany for 39 years, married for 37 years to a German husband.

A friend of Mary's contacted Robin Pascoe (ExpatExpert.com) asking for help, and Robin contacted us. If you can't help but know someone who can, please forward this request to them too. Thank you.

Living in Paris? Sorbonne Confidential Book Launch 14 October

Hi Everyone, For anyone living in Paris who is interested in attending the official launch of the English version of Laurel Zuckerman's Sorbonne Confidential ("...or one American's attempt to become an English teacher in France"):

Venue: WH Smith
Date: Tuesday 14 October
Time: 7:30pm - 8:30pm
Reservations: Please RSVP to WH Smith here.

Who is invited? "Open to all and especially recommended for teachers and learners of English, Francophiles, and readers who enjoy humor."

The English version is not on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk yet, but you can see the French version (2007) on Amazon.fr here. Enjoy.

Expat Women October Newsletter

Hello Everyone, We have just finished sending out our Expat Women Members' Newsletter for October. If you have not signed up yet, you can read the newsletter online here.

If you are signed up and you did not receive the newsletter, please let us know here. Thanks and I wish you a wonderful day/evening, Andrea.

UK Top 50: Where Women Want To Work

Hi Everyone, The Times magazine (UK) hits news stands today announcing the Top 50 employers where women want to work, as named by WhereToWork.com (a large employer-direct company comparison jobsite, run by Aurora).

Dr Glenda Stone (previously interviewed as an Expat Women Success Story here), CEO of Aurora (who manage the annual TOP 50 initiative for The Times) said:

"Organisations in the TOP 50 are much better at figuring out innovative and diverse ways to recruit female talent and they leave no stone unturned. This however is only half the challenge because retaining good women is also essential. Thankfully organisations are getting much better at educating women about what is on offer if they do choose to work for them, how they will support their aspirations, and how this differentiates them from their competitors."

If you are interested in seeing who ranks this year, just click here.

Documentary On Expat Infidelity

Hello Everyone, If you have experienced infidelity whilst living as an expatriate and would be willing to talk about it to a journalist/ producer doing research on the subject for a Canadian documentary film, please contact Karen Mazurkewich, who wrote to us yesterday and would love to hear from you.

Karen is especially interested in: "What drives people to cheat? How do families cope?" and "What are the consequences for families, children and companies?" Thanks.

Got A Story For (A)WAY Magazine?

Hi Everyone, If you are an expat woman living outside of Belgium and you are interested in sharing your expat experience in Belgium's (A)WAY Magazine, please contact Elena Bucciero via this online contact form (please mark it for Elena's attention).

Elena says: "The idea behind this 'interview-type' piece is to tell other expats what it is like living in various countries worldwide - to give them a 'flavour' of the lifestyle, people, food, culture, etc. as well as information about all the other things which are really important to expat families - education, healthcare, accommodation, cost of living, etc."

Want to see some examples?

Just check out the Double Vision in Mexico article that Jill and I had published in (A)WAY's January/February 2008 (hard-copy) edition.

Or Ginnie Bedggood's Whoever Told You Mañana Means Tomorrow? in their May/June 2008 edition (which ExpatWomen.com member Ginnie submitted after mentioning Elena's request previously on this blog), about living in the Dominican Republic.

Thank you very much, Andrea.

Expat Women October Home Page

Hi Everyone, We hope that you are all really well! Please check out our new Expat Women October Home Page, featuring:

Success Story:
Margaret Adamson
Ambassador to Cambodia
Margaret is a senior career officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Prior to becoming Australia’s Ambassador to Cambodia, she also served abroad in Warsaw, Berlin, Bonn, Hanoi and Vienna, as well as in various senior positions in Australia...
(See note at bottom)

Business Idea:
Rainforest Realty
Rev. Macarena Rose
Rev. Macarena Rose moved from the US to Belize, as the Director of her Church. Two years later, she runs Rainforest Realty, hosts a weekly TV show, has coached the Semi Pro Men’s soccer team and is the voice on the cell phone system in Belize...

Expat Confession:
Divorce Abroad
Expat Women Girlfriend
My 20-year marriage has been slowly disintegrating over the last four years, as my husband and I have tended to argue more and increasingly live our own separate lives. I thought that accepting his first expat assignment…

New Mothers:
Having A Baby: Far From Home
Beverly D. Roman
Moving to another country can and should be an exciting prospect. However, suppose your family has just learned the joyous news that a baby is on the horizon. Now, being far from home takes on a whole new meaning…

Your Life:
Leading An Extraordinary Life
Debra Fentress
In our lives we all make choices on a moment to moment basis. Most of the time, we go through life doing the same routine in the same way. What would happen if you decided to do something in an extraordinary way?

Expat Assignments:
Expat Assignments: Are You Addicted?
Andrea Martins
If you love living abroad, you see your passport more than your home country, you enjoy a much-envied lifestyle and you hate the thought of repatriating, there is a good chance that you, like many expats before you, have been seduced by the addictive nature of international assignments…

(Apologies if you have already read this one, which has been mentioned briefly before. It has received such a good response from the brief mentions, that we decided to feature it on the home page.)

Not An Expat Women Member Yet?
Please sign up today, to make sure that you receive our October Member's newsletter next week. We would love to have you in our online community.

Thank you very much and best wishes for October!


Note About Our Success Story: For those of you who might be curious as to why Margaret Adamson is the third Australian Ambassador to be featured as a Success Story on our site this year, here is the answer: Last year, we wrote to a number of Ambassadors of other nationalities. No one responded. So this year, we wrote to four Australian Ambassadors, in the hope that one would respond. Three responded immediately - each of them with something different to offer in terms of their stories and experiences, and each of them deserving of our recognition. So how could we say no? :-)

Official Launch of 2BalanceU.com

Dear Friends, The women's social search portal, 2BalanceU.com, has now officially launched.

Congratulations Heidi Öste (an American expat living in Sweden) and her team for making this dream a reality. I have met Heidi a couple of times and am always inspired by her passion to help women around the world share knowledge and wisdom. Hence, 2BalanceU's motto: "Women Sharing Wisdom, Resources and Inspiration".

The best way to understand Heidi's vision, is to watch the video currently on the 2BalanceU home page. Or read the About 2BalanceU page here.

Please note that 2BalanceU is an invitation-only site. If you are interested in joining, just use this code: advocate. Thanks.

Venus Adventures - Women-Only Travel

Hi Everyone, In officially welcoming a new advertiser to ExpatWomen.com: Venus Adventures - Global Tours For Women Who Love To Travel, I talked to the founder, Julie Paterson (a New Zealander living in Switzerland):

Andrea: Julie, Why do you believe women-only group travel is becoming a popular option for female holiday-makers?

Julie: Getting away with the girls, whether it be for an evening, a weekend or a holiday is great fun and more and more women seem to be realizing how important 'girl-space is'. Women lead busier lives than ever before and taking a break from all responsibilities for a while is an enticing option – but sometimes something we can only dream of! However the travel industry has responded to this demand, and in recent years there has been a boom in women-only tours: there are many different companies now out there offering everything from weekend getaways, to shopping trips, to adventure holidays, as women of all ages realize 'girls just wanna have fun!'

Andrea: What do you think are the benefits of women-only travel?

Julie: There are a thousand reasons for going on a women-only trip, and everyone will have their own one . . . but the main reason has to be the opportunity to be yourself, and live it up a little. Without men around, women let their hair down, don’t worry so much about how they look or how good they are at something, and there are no roles as wives or mothers to be fulfilled. And let’s face it - women just like to do different things than men, talk about different subjects, shop and have fun. Travelling with a group of your peers, is, on a deeper level, also good for the soul - women are able to share information about their lives in safe surroundings and they also learn a lot from one another in conversation, especially about life experiences that women typically go through. It's a non-threatening environment in which to talk about whatever you want, from child birth to capitalism, it's all a part of life... and you only live once!

Andrea: Thanks Julie. I would love to join you one day!

Anyone interested in contacting Julie directly, just email here. Thanks, Andrea.

Need Your Expat Stories

Hi Everyone, Just a shout-out, especially to the new members who have joined recently, that we are always looking for your expat women stories and experiences.

To read any of the (nearly 200) stories submitted, Click Here.

To submit a story (and we would certainly love you to), Click Here.

Thank you very much!

Kid-Friendly Travel Destinations

Hi Everyone, We received an email this week from a nice guy named Edward Serrano, the founder of NineBlue.com, introducing us to his business of e-travel-guides for families looking for kid-friendly destinations. They cover 120+ destinations worldwide, plus I see that they are looking for writers for new destinations. :-)

About NineBlue:

"Our mission is to assist parents in planning family travel by providing frank, relevant, and current content designed to help save time and create great experiences."

About Edward Serrano:

"A life long nomad, Edward spent most of his childhood moving from country to country due to his father's hotel business career..."I got the idea for NineBlue when traveling abroad with my daughter. As a single father I cherish summers with her and each year we vacation to a couple of countries. I had difficulty finding destination-specific information for traveling kids, especially reliable information so I decided to begin compiling my own travel guides.... Even when my daughter's back at school I stay on the road. How else can I discover cool things to do? For example: the amazing and unique firefly canoe tour in outside of Kuala Lumpur is an example of what makes travel priceless. Or even knowing not to travel to England during Guy Fawkes, night if you cherish your sleep that is. It's a holiday that's officially celebrated on the 5th of November but people light fireworks on the street for two weeks straight!" Edward is a former board member for Big Brother Big Sisters of America and former president of Entrepreneurs' Organization."

Have a wonderful weekend! Andrea

Been To An 'International Living' Conference?

Hi Everyone, I am just doing some due diligence research into the conferences run by InternationalLiving.com, such as the upcoming Live & Invest Overseas conference that they are hosting in California, United States, 3-5 October.

If you have been to one, I would love your feedback. Please contact me directly. Many thanks, Andrea.

David C. Pollock Scholarship - FIGT 2009

Hi Everyone, Just a shout-out today to anyone interested in applying for the David C. Pollock Scholarship to the FIGT (Families in Global Transition) Conference in Houston, Texas, US (March 5-7, 2009).

"Thanks to the funds raised during the 2008 Silent Auction and the FIGT Associate Program, FIGT will be able to award a limited number of scholarships to students and self-sponsorsing participants of the 2009 conference.

Scholarships are awarded to help defray registration fees, and to enrich the lives of participants who are or plan to be involved in the transition work of families. Scholarship decisions will be based on application responses and demonstrated financial need to those who would not otherwise be able to afford attending the conference."

Applications are downloadable here. The deadline for submissions is December 15, 2008. Good luck!

Women Entrepreneurs in the UK - Meet Five Amazing Women - Sept 30

Hello Everyone, You may recall that recently we let you know about a new website for women entrepreneurs in the United Kingdom: Women UnLimited.

Well, Julie Hall of Women UnLimited has asked us to let you know of their first key event, on Tuesday 30 September, at the Business Design Centre in Islington. The afternoon will feature:

"Penny Power (ecademy); Gita Patel (Stargate Capital); Gina Lazenby (best-selling author); Jacqueline Rogers (The Athena Network); and Pauline Crawford (Is That All There Is Ltd). These five women have all built successful businesses and want to share with you how they did it and give you their tips and advice for your business. During the seminar you will have a chance to personally ask five amazing women questions about your own business and challenges. It is an incredible opportunity to engage with some of the most enterprising women in the UK."

Tickets are £65 and available here. Have a great week!