1 in 9 Living In Britain Is Foreign

Hi again Everyone, An interesting article appeared this week in The Telegraph UK saying that one in nine people now resident in Britain was born abroad.

"Official figures show 6.5 million people born overseas were resident in the UK in the year to June 2008, an increase of 290,000 on the year to June 2007.

The Annual Population Survey [by the Home Office] showed 4.1 million foreign nationals resident in the UK in the year to June 2008, compared with 3.8 million in the year to June 2007. "

To read more, or find out which groups fell in number, please jump directly the article here.

Best wishes for your weekend and your new week! Andrea

Top 10 Tips For Living In...

Hi Everyone, Expat Exchange (a very well-established and well-respected expat site) has recently been gathering and sharing tips for various countries that have come straight from their members.

For example:
Top 10 Tips For Living in the UAE (United Arab Emirates)
Top 10 Tips For Living in Denmark
Top 10 Tips For Living in Morocco
10 Tips For Living in Portugal

Here are a few more (but written by individuals, not collated from members' tips):
15 Top Tips About Moving To The UK
10 Tips For Moving To France
Top 10 Tips For Living Abroad

We haven't talked about Expat Exchange before, but they deserve a bit of a promo, as they have invested countless hours over several years into compiling a lot of great content for expats worldwide.

Take a look if you have not already - we hope you find the site useful.

PS. Here is an another interesting one on their site: It was written in 2004 by Tom Johnson (who was an expat in Cairo at the time)... it's just one to read for fun: 10 Types Of Expats.

Expat Show Beijing, China: May 22-24

Hi Everyone, If you are living in or near Beijing, China, or you would like to, the big expat event not to miss this year is the Expat Show Beijing.

Being held at the China World Trade Center, May 22 - 24, the event is being described as the "second edition of Beijing's biggest expatriate community gathering" and is sure to have lots of great exhibitors and information sessions that might prove useful to you (or your newcomer friends).

If you would like to pre-register, you apparently go in the draw to win some mystery prizes, plus potentially save yourself time in entering on the day. Enjoy.

Win US$1000 Entries

Hi Everyone, Thank you very, very much to those of you who have started submitting entries for our Win US$1000 For Your Club/Association Or International School competition.

If you have not entered already, you still have time. Entries close at midnight, US Pacific time (PST) on Thursday 30 April 2009 - which still gives you March and/or April to get our promo in your club/association/school newsletter.

Thank you sincerely for your support!

Great Site For Bloggers & Website Owners

Hi Everyone, I want to recommend a great site for website owners, that has some excellent interviews with 'real' website owners and bloggers - who talk about how they started their online businesses, what lessons they have learned, tips, traps and so on.

The site is called Is It Possible To Make Money Online? and it is run by an Australian guy, Brenden Wood. Understandably, most of the interviews are with Australians, but given that we are talking about web businesses, the principles are universal - and you can easily listen to the audio interviews while you are working on your emails, blogging or doing other things.

Confession: It has taken me 24 hours to pluck up the courage to share this great site, as my interview is now on the site and I am a little nervous (eg. Do I sound silly? Do I sound too young -even though I'm not? Did I talk too much?). But I am swallowing my pride, because I want to support Brenden and I want to share with you these fun and useful interviews.

Here's one of my favourite interviews on Brenden's site: Karen Cheng - Australia's most popular blogger (which was the interview that convinced me to say 'yes' to Brenden's interview request).

Here are some more of his interviews (you can find them all on his site if you click on "older entries" at the bottom of his pages, or you can click on the links below):

Famous Blogger Talks Business
The Aussie Story Behind Twitter’s Famous ‘Fail Whale’
How To Incorporate Reader Generated Content Into A Site
Advertisers Love High Volume Newsletter Send Outs
Sydney Mum Made Millions Selling Website To Media Company
Top 3 Content Criteria For Websites & Blogs
Beach Girl Explains Her Online Success
Reverse Search Engines & Facebook Advertising
Online Divas Now Connecting Online Business Women
My Blog Is My Best Branding Tool
Singapore and Malaysian Blogging Trends
A Blogger That Breaks News - Tim Burrowes
100 000 Hits Makes Liv An Australian You Tube Star
Mad About Affiliate Marketing

I hope you enjoy the site!

Best wishes, Andrea. :-)

Want To Find Some Free E-Books About Living Abroad?

Hi Everyone, Thanks to an email from HowTo.co.uk, we have just learnt about their free e-books on the following topics:

• living abroad;
• business;
• career;
• family;
• learning
• money;
• poker;
• property;
• well-being; and
• writing.

In the Abroad section, they currently have 29 books that you can read online for free - on topics that range from finding a job abroad, starting a business abroad, retiring abroad, living in specific countries abroad and so on.

In terms of usability, reading online (and needing to click every time you want to go to the next chapter) is not as user-friendly as reading a downloadable PDF document, but, at the beginning you can click straight from the contents page to the chapter that you are most interested in... and, given that the information is useful and free, what's the inconvenience of a few clicks...?

Check the e-books out if you are interested. Best wishes, Andrea.

Don't Forget To List Your Event For International Women's Day

Hi Everyone, Following on from our blog post of 3 February, don't forget to list your IWD event on this site, as it is now only two and half weeks until the big day: March 8.

When we blogged about the site earlier this month, they had 162 events listed. They now have 354 events listed - mainly in the US, UK, Australia and Canada.

From memory, last year they listed more than 600 events - so this is definitely a central place to promote your event, so go for it! :-)

Oman Conference Cancelled

Hi Everyone, The organizers of the International Mobility and Relocation Conference (IMRC 2009) in Oman (originally scheduled for January 2009, then moved to April 2009) have been "asked" by some local government powers-that-be to cancel the conference.

They regret and apologise for any inconvenience this may cause to potential participants and wish to thank all those who demonstrated their enthusiasm and support for the concept.

Television Documentary Seeking Expat Entrepreneurs With Interesting Businesses Abroad

Hi Everyone, If you are an interesting expat with an interesting business abroad, Christiane Mannini is looking for you...

"Hi Expat Women, My name is Christiane Mannini and I am looking for interesting people all around the world with interesting, innovative businesses (such as the Italian expat we will be featuring who went to a small island near the West African Coast, where he is producing one of the best chocolates in the world from the cultivation of cocoa beans to the bar of chocolate). The focus is not so much on managerial professions or success in an industrial job but rather on originality and an inventive business with high quality products.

The search is for people to feature in a television series that I am working on, which will be shown on Arte, which is a French-German cultural channel. It is a public tv channel and is aired simultaneously in both countries in the respective languages. Arte is considered, maybe alongside with the BBC, to be the tv station with the highest quality program in Europe.

I have done several documentaries for German public tv and of course for Arte. The last ones were about childcare in different countries and the different positions nannies have (ie. in the US, in Britain, France and Germany).

Another one was about a silk weaving facility in Florence, which produces wonderful, dream-like fabric. They still use the same kind of looms used during the Renaissance.

Another one was about the last woman on earth who still works with byssus. You have probably never heard about byssus, I didn't either before I made the film - but this is a thread which derives from a shell that is growing in the Mediterranean Sea. The lady is from Sardinia- an Italian island. In a very elaborate process a part of this animal can be made into threads which are then woven. The fabric has a golden shine and has been used centuries and thousands of years back to produce garments for priests and kings. King Solomon's gown is believed to have been made of byssus. An incredible story.

Thank you very much in advance for helping me find interesting people to feature!"

Job Announcement: Expatriate Pricing Agents (Tokyo, Taipei and Phnom Penh)

Hi Everyone, If you are living in Tokyo, Taipei or Phnom Penh and you are interested in a freelance research position for ORC Worldwide, please read the ORC announcement below. Please feel free to forward this to anyone else you think might be suitable. Many thanks, Andrea.

**

Dear Expat Women,

ORC Worldwide has freelance positions immediately available for Expatriate Pricing Agents to conduct cost of living surveys in Tokyo, Taipei and Phnom Penh, twice a year, or as needed.

ORC is looking for candidates who fit the following profile:

• Expatriates of any nationality who have been living in the respective countries for at least three months;
• English-speaking capabilities and good communications skills; and
• It is preferable that the candidates be in one of the three abovementioned locations for the next two to three years.

The survey is normally conducted every six months. It involves gathering prices of common goods and services. Depending on the location, ORC might also require the person to collect information and complete a survey on expatriate housing.

Payment in major currencies – US Dollar, Euro or British pound – is available. If you are interested in these positions or know of anyone who is interested in the position, please contact me, Siew Lung Tan, urgently via email at siewlung.tan@orcww.com.

“ORC Worldwide is the market leader in designing and implementing expatriate compensation strategies, and provides comparative cost of living data to approximately 2000 multinational corporations worldwide. We have a network of Pricing Agents spanning 300 cities worldwide. For more information, please see our website at www.orcworldwide.com.”

Thank you very much, I hope you can help,

Siew Lung Tan
Regional Research Coordinator – Asia Pacific
ORC Worldwide
63 Market Street #20-02
Singapore 048942
Email: siewlung.tan@orcww.com
Telephone: +65 6438 0004
Fax: +65 6438 4711

Global Post - A New Voice For Global News

Hi Everyone, If you take a keen interest in world news, you may like to take a look at the recently-launched news site Global Post - watch their video and read their mission. They make some big promises, so I hope they can live up to their goals.

Interestingly, to fund the site, their business model revolves around three streams of income: advertising; syndication; and, the interesting one, designed for the real news junkies - their Passport program. The user-pays Passport program offers readers a voice in news coverage, interaction with on-the-ground journalists, global briefs from the editor and more.

Expat Youth Scholarships - Clements International

Hi Everyone, Our Silver Sponsor, Clements International (specialists in global insurance solutions) recently launched their Expat Youth Scholarship Fund and we hope that you will participate.

For every person that visits the scholarship fund page here, Clements will donate US$1 to their "Life in a Flying House" fund, from which they will be awarding scholarships to six expatriate students. The more people visiting, the more money they will donate. So take a quick look and help raise money for the scholarships today.

Many thanks! Andrea

Reminders - FIGT & Re:locate Awards

Hi Everyone, Just two quick reminders:

(1) The Families in Global Transition (FIGT) conference in Houston, US, March 5-7, is now less than one month away - so if you are thinking of going, register quickly before time runs out; and

(2) Entries for the Re:locate Awards 2008/9 (UK) close Monday 16 February. The organisers sent a note out today saying:

"Whatever your contribution to relocation, managing international assignments and global mobility, there is a category for you, or your team, to enter."

So, go for it and good luck!

American Repatriates: Can You Help PassportCareer.com?

Hi Everyone, Following on from our most recent update about PassportCareer.com's research assignments, Susan Musich is now seeking American repatriates "who can think like expats would in their current US location", for the short-term research assignments still available for major US cities like:

• Seattle, WA
• Atlanta, GA
• Cincinnati, OH
• Columbus, OH
• Detroit, MI
• New Orleans, LA
• Minneapolis, MN
• San Diego, CA
• Orlando, FL
• Washington, DC
• Pittsburgh, PA
• Philadelphia, PA
• Phoenix, AZ
• Denver, CO
• St Louis, MO
• Plus other US cities (except: Miami; Boston; Austin; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Dallas; Chicago; New York City; Raleigh; and Houston)

So if you are an American repatriate living in a US city of interest to Susan and you would like to help, please read our last update (which has important background information) and then contact Susan directly with the following information:

1. Your full name, address and contact details;
2. The date you started living in your current US location;
3. An overview of your expatriate/repatriate experience;
4. A brief description of your qualifications and interests; and
5. Why you are interested in undertaking this research.

Many, many thanks for your help! Andrea

Expat Women February Newsletter

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

In addition to all of our February home page features, our newsletter showcases February's winning story California Dreamin', shares the Permits Foundation's recent Expatriate Spouse and Partner Survey Results and announces our monthly winner of the fabulous Explorer Publishing mini-guide pack.

Thanks and enjoy your day/evening! Andrea

International Women's Day: 8 March 2009

Hi Everyone, International Women's Day 2009 is fast approaching. If you are looking for events to go to, or you would like to list your organisation's event, or you would just like to read more about the history of IWD or what everyone else is planning, take a look at the International Women's Day site.

"There are currently 162 events planned from over 18 different countries. International Women's Day (IWD) is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. The first International Women's Day was run in 1911 so in just a few years time 2011 sees the IWD Global Centenary. In some countries like China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, International Women's Day is a national holiday..."

Update from PassportCareer.com: Researchers Still Needed

Hi Everyone, Another big thanks to all of the expats who have been helping Susan Musich with research for the launch of PassportCareer.com. Susan is still looking for more researchers, so if you or anyone you know can help, please contact Susan directly for more information. Thanks.

Disclaimer: PassportCareer.com has agreed to provide a small donation to ExpatWomen.com for every researcher found through us, who completes an assignment for Susan. Every little bit helps. Thanks Everyone!

New Locations For Which Susan Requires Expat Researchers:

• Bolivia
• Bulgaria
• China (Wuhan/Hubei Province)
• India (New Delhi)
• Italy (Rome and/or Milan)
• Kazakhstan (Almaty)
• Turkey (Istanbul and/or Ankara)
• Uganda

Old Locations For Which Susan Still Requires Expat Researchers:

• Algeria
• China (Nanjing, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Yangshou, Xiamen, Chongqing, Shenyang and Xian)
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea
• Finland
• Germany (Dusseldorf, Munich and/or Berlin)
• India (Chennai and/or Bangalore)
• Macedonia
• Morocco
• Nicaragua
• Poland
• South Africa (Cape Town and/or Durban)
• Tunisia
• United States (nearly all major US cities, except Austin, Houston, Raleigh NC, Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, New York, Miami and Chicago)
• Uruguay
• Zambia

Background:

In case you have missed our previous blog posts, PassportCareer is looking for researchers to undertake a 20-25 hour (approximate) research assignment, focussed on their current expat location, in return for a small honorarium per assignment. (Note: If multiple major cities are involved, the hours and honorium usually increase accordingly.)

Susan is looking for expatriates (male or female) in any of the locations listed above, who have been there for six months or more, and can commit to finishing the assignment if offered. Susan has been working in this arena for 18 years and is starting PassportCareer as on 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."

Win US$1000 For Your Expat Club/Association (or International School)

Hi Everyone, We are very excited to launch this month our Win US$1000 For Your Club Promotion. Please support us and try to win some money for your expat club/association or international school!

To enter the competition, it’s as easy as 1-2-3. Here's what to do:

1. Ask your expat club/association (or international school) to promote ExpatWomen.com in one of its upcoming members’ newsletters.

2. Send us a copy of (or website link to) the newsletter in which ExpatWomen.com has been promoted, plus the contact details of your expat club/association (or international school), in case it wins, to mailto:contactus@expatwomen.com?subject=Win, and

3. Make sure we receive your newsletter (which features ExpatWomen.com) by midnight, US Pacific time (PST) on Thursday 30 April 2009.

To read the terms and conditions of the competition, click here.

Thank you very much in advance for your support and good luck!

Best wishes, Andrea.

Living In, Or Moving To, Dubai?

Hi Everyone, Our friends at Explorer Publishing, who kindly donate a complete set of Explorer Mini-Guides each month to one lucky ExpatWomen.com member, have just released the latest edition of their Dubai Explorer (Live Work Explore - Residents' Guide). Check it out, if you are living in, or moving to Dubai, or know someone who is. Many thanks.

"Written by residents, for residents, Explorer's complete Residents' Guides are captivating guides to life, bridging the gap between practical living and working guides and inspirational destination-specific travel guides."