Moving To, Or Leaving, The UAE?

Hi Everyone, If you are moving to the UAE, check out the brand new book published by our friends at Explorer Publishing: Dubai Red-Tape.

"Like no other book in Dubai, the Red-Tape Explorer will help you navigate the inevitable administrative maze that comes hand-in-hand with living in the UAE. With this trusty guide by your side you will quickly cut through Dubai’s bureaucratic red-tape, meaning you can get on with living life to the full in this exciting city."

If you are leaving the UAE for another expat destination, grab a copy of an Explorer Residents' Guide for your next location at 50% off here. (Summer promotion)

All the best, Andrea.

Returning A Child To The UK's School System: Obstacles To Repatriation

Hi Everyone, Here is another good article by an expat woman, published in The Telegraph UK last week: Returning A Child To The UK's School System, by Kate McCann.

An excerpt:

"The problem that the Carters had run into was that although they were returning to their own home, the admissions system treated them as "out of area applicants". This meant they were given a lower priority than other residents, simply because the system had to take account of the "current address" listed on the application as well as the future home address given. This meant their four-year-old daughter was refused a place at a school a mere five- minute walk from home. She was allocated position number 30 on a waiting list of 30."

Then further down the article:

"There is yet another area of concern for returning families – one which Ms Fieldman calls the 'chicken and egg situation' – and it affects those looking to buy homes on their return to the UK. She says: "This is what worries most people… you have to have an address in the catchment area of the school to apply to the school and you don't want to get an address until you know you've got the school. We find an awful lot of expats almost concede defeat before leaving the shores of where they are and say, right, we are going to go into the private system.""

To read the full article, please click here. Thanks.

Women's International Networking (WIN) Conference Reminder

Hi Everyone, Just a friendly reminder that the Women's International Networking (WIN) conference is coming up soon...

Location: Prague, Czech Republic

Date: 8-10 (11) October 2009

Theme: Wisdom in Action: Transforming people, organizations and society

Discount: Early bird savings on registration fees until July 17

Extra Discount: An additional 100 Euro discount for mentioning ExpatWomen.com!

I attended in 2007 (in Norway) and really loved the workshops, speakers and sense of community amongst all of the attendees. I highly recommend it. Andrea.

Military Child Education Conference: Philadelphia, July 15-17, 2009

Hi Everyone, If you work with or belong to an American military family, you might like to check out the details for the upcoming Military Child Education Conference, being held next month in Philadelphia, United States.

After (finally) watching the brilliant documentary Brats: Our Journey Home and interviewing the woman behind the film, Donna Musil (for our upcoming July home page and newsletter), I have become more aware of the need to pay particular attention to the needs and experiences of children in highly-mobile, military families - many of whom are Third Culture Kids (TCKs). This conference looks like a great opportunity to do that, if you are interested and able to go.

Best wishes, Andrea.

Got Friends Leaving? Coping With The Expat Departure Season

Hi Everyone, Laura J Stephens' article Coping With The Departure Season, published by The Telegraph UK last week, might resonate with those of you currently doing the round of farewell parties and wondering which friends will actually be returning after the holiday season. Have a read, if you are interested.

Want To Write For The Telegraph UK?

By the way, The Telegraph UK is a great avenue to get started as a published writer. They invite expats to send their submissions about life as an expat (up to 1,000 words) here.

...and no, there's nothing in it for us by recommending their site... other than the hope that more of you write great expat pieces that we can then talk about on this blog. :-)

Expat Explorer 2009 Survey Results: Part One - Expat Economics

Hi Everyone, If you haven't seen the flurry of site and blog posts on this topic in the past few days, yes, HSBC International have now released the results of their first 2009 Explorer Survey.
This year's survey was completed by 3,146 people in 30 different industries and 50 countries. According to their Expat Explorer Blog:

"There are lots of interesting results regarding the credit crunch and how expats are managing in the current economy, such as:

• US, Thailand and South Africa are the most affected expat locations;


• Almost half of expats in UK considering returning home;


• Emerging markets rank above established centres for expat finances;


• UK is the worst for saving behind Spain and France; and


• Despite economic crisis, expats are wealthier and save more than in country of origin."

Interestingly, the countries offering the best, overall "[economic] quality of life" for expats were: the Russian Federation; Qatar; then Saudi Arabia.

The highest proportion of expats earning more than US$250k are in Russia (30%), then Hong Kong (27%), then Switzerland (26%) and India (both 25%).

If you are interested in more than just headlines, there is an 8 minute video about the results here and/or you can read the full survey results here.

Best wishes, Andrea.

Welcome To Our New Silver Sponsor: K12 International Academy

Hi Everyone, It's a huge week for us as we introduce you to another new Expat Women Sponsor, K12 International Academy.

"The K¹² International Academy is an accredited, private online school that offers the world–renowned curriculum from K¹², a market leader in online curriculum programs for grades K–12.

Their patented, award–winning system for virtual schooling combines dynamic, online lessons with a rich array of offline materials, books and resources to make learning come alive.

Extensive, individualized support is focused on unlocking each student's unique potential.

Students connect in and out of the online school, building their 21st – century skills while safely interacting, chatting and participating in clubs with other students from around the world."

So, if you are looking for portable, quality education for your children abroad, please visit the K¹² International Academy. They are a very credible company with excellent credentials and 40,000 already in their community.

Thanks Everyone! And thanks K12 for your support!


The Dabbs Family Testimonial
Portability For The Military Lifestyle
Watch The Video (below or here)

Note: If you are viewing the video online on our blog, the width is not perfect. You may prefer to view it instead on our main site here.

900 Expat Women Blogs

Hi Everyone, Thanks to our wonderful Expat Women community, we now have more than 900 blogs in our Expat Women Blog Directory!

These blogs are a fantastic source of insight into expat locations all around the globe and if you are looking for country-specific stories, news and networks, we encourage you to tap into these great online sources of wisdom abroad.

Click here to see the latest blogs approved.

Click here to submit your own blog.

Best wishes, Andrea.

Welcome To Our New Bronze Sponsor: Exchange4free

Hi Everyone, We are very excited to introduce you to ExpatWomen.com's new Bronze Sponsor: Exchange4free.

"Exchange4free offer the cheapest way to send money worldwide by offering the very best exchange rates and lowest costs available in the market".

Headquartered in the United Kingdom, but with offices also in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Spain, Australia and New Zealand, Exchange4free serve most destinations worldwide, so next time you need to send money home/abroad, please visit Exchange4free and consider supporting a company that supports expatriate women.

Thanks and best wishes, Andrea.


Benefits Of Exchange4free:

• "Great exchange rates (we will beat any genuine quote!);
• Free money transfers with no fees charged*;
• Book a live exchange rate online or call our dealers for a quote 24 hours a day;
• Easy as making an online internet transfer;
• A secure online way of transferring your funds to and from most destinations around the world; and
• Our online system offers clients the ability to book live FX prices 24 hours a day using a system that is simple and easy to use."

Expat Entrepreneur: Career By Choice's Megan Fitzgerald on CNN Money

Hi Everyone, This month's featured Business Idea interviewee, Megan Fitzgerald, wrote to let us know that her Fortune Small Business magazine interview now also appears online on CNN Money. Congratulations Megan!

The CNN Money version also includes a two minute video which gives us a great insight into Megan's expat coaching and personal branding business, Career By Choice.

Returning Home For The Summer: Is It For Your Children... Or For You?

Hi Everyone, Long-time Expat Women friend and supporter Apple Gidley has written an excellent article, Returning Home For The Summer, that has just been published by The Telegraph UK.

It starts like this:

"It's that time of year again... Swarms of expatriate wives and children from all over the globe descend on clogged airports intent on "going home" for the summer. Plans are made for Dad to join the fray, for a couple of weeks, in the middle of this madness of visiting grandparents and living out of suitcases.

The initial pleasure of seeing family begins to pall when the laundry piles up and the rain lashes down; the realisation that the girls you grew up with are now women with children, just like you, but unlike you they are intent on getting away, heading to some guaranteed sunshine; and that you actually have remarkably little in common anymore.

And why do we put ourselves through this supposed pleasure year after year? We tell ourselves it is so our children get "a sense of home, a sense of place, a sense of where they are from". But is it for them or us?

For most children home is where their parents are – no matter what their nationality or where they might be living."

It ends like this:

"So take heart, all you first generation expats, your children will not turn into rootless individuals with no sense of "home". They will be well adjusted and adaptable young men and women with a sense of adventure, a sense of belonging wherever they happen to find themselves and a remarkable empathy for all peoples. They will also know their way around airports! I know because I was one of those children. I know because I have two of those children."

And in between:

Apple raises a lot of good points about how we define ourselves, self-esteem, relocation, Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and more.

Happy reading... and well done, Apple!

Chicks Who Click: Social Media & Women

Hi Everyone, We recently heard about Chicks Who Click, which might interest you if you live in the US/Canada and have an interest in connecting with other women in the social media arena.

"Chicks Who Click is a community of women that are growing and flourishing through Social Media... Our vision was to create a conference, a think tank, if you will, for women to come together to listen, teach, experiment and connect with like-minded women face to face, stay connected through Twitter, Blogging, Facebook or Flickr, and to empower each other in achieving great heights in our careers and journeys; and lastly, to collaborate our efforts as women in the male-dominated field of technology."

They are running social media conferences in Kansas City, Vancouver, San Jose, Dallas and Raleigh this year, at very reasonable prices. Click here for conference details.

New TV Show In Dubai Needs An Audience

Hi Everyone, If you are living in Dubai and would like to be an audience member for a new TV show in return for (approximately) US$50, read on...

"My name is Lindsey Pawson, Production Manager for the Ranya Talk Show on Dubai One TV. With our host Ranya, this exciting new show will have open discussions on debatable and important issues that could range from lifestyle to social topics.

We will be filming our first four shows in the first few weeks in August and after Ramadan two shows will be filmed every other week. We are looking for enthusiastic people to appear as audience members in the studio. All audience members will receive 200 AED per studio shoot in cash.

If you would like to be involved, please send me an email with your full name, mobile and email address. Thanks."

The Netherlands: XM Magazine Looking For Freelance Writers & An Art Director

Hi Everyone, XM Magazine - "the magazine for internationally-minded individuals with a vested interest in the Netherlands" - is looking for Freelance Writers and an Art Director to join their team.

If you are interested and you meet their criteria (see links above), please send an email (quoting the reference above in the subject line) with your resume, recent sample of your work and a short introduction asap. Thanks.

Globetrotting Our Children Abroad

Hi Everyone, I keep meaning to share with you this well-written article of Catriona Ling's that was published in The Telegraph UK last month: Our Ceaseless Globetrotting Is Hard For The Children.

Catriona, a veteran of six international moves abroad over 18 years, shares her own family's experiences, her sense of guilt for moving her children several times, but also her positivity:

"If I had known, standing at the altar in Edinburgh, that we were destined to become the family with six crossed out entries in friends' address books, I might have quailed, but in fact it has been the most wonderful experience. I hope that my children will see these years of global wandering as I do, as a gift that that we've been so lucky and privileged to have been given."

If you have children, have a read of the article. Good job, Catriona.

New Locations For Passport Career Research

Hi Everyone, Following on from our blog posts about Susan Musich's need for short-term researchers for PassportCareer, Susan is now also looking for researchers for new locations.

A 'new' location is any country (or major city) that is not on Susan's existing list (below). A 'red' location is one from Susan's existing list, that still requires researchers.

Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China (various locations), China - Hong Kong, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kindgom, United States (various locations), Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam and Zambia.

If you are interested in becoming a researcher for one of the red locations above, or for a location not listed above, please read our previous blog post (important), then express your interest via email to Susan directly. Many thanks.

Expat Women Working In Singapore: Opportunities And Challenges

Hi Everyone, If you are an expat woman working in (or interested in working in) Singapore, you might be interested in watching this short video from the Singapore International Foundation (SIF). The video was filmed at their recent inaugural dialogue meeting for expatriate women.

Great to see local foundations which actively support expatriates. Congrats SIF!

Expat Women In Zurich, Switzerland: Feel Like A Makeover?

Hi Everyone, Thanks to Expatica, Mary Kay and Cutting Edge, Expat Women Members in Zurich are being offered a free, “total” make over, on Tuesday 23 June 2009, between 10am and 7pm.

For more information and to sign up, please contact Ken Reist at Expatica via email or on +41 44 586 11 78. Thanks and enjoy!

Win A Trip To Copenhagen

Hi Everyone, Want to win a trip to the Copenhagen Jazz Festival? To enter, just write a blog post about what's cool about Denmark for your chance to win a trip to the Copenhagen Jazz Festival (running July 3rd-12th)- no matter where you live in the world.

"Out of all submissions, the Denmark.net jury will select the most interesting, funny, creative or weird blog post, about what's cool in Denmark.

Fifty bloggers will receive Denmark t-shirts, mugs, or mouse-pads. One lucky winner is going to Copenhagen on July 10th, enjoying the weekend in a five star hotel."

Entries close June 22nd. Winner announced June 25th.

To find out more, click here... and good luck! :-)

Global Relocation Trends Survey Released

Hi Everyone, The annual Global Relocation Trends Survey Report, published by Brookfield Global Relocation Services, has just been released. Here are some key headlines from their official press release:

"Severity of Global Recession and Shrinking Corporate Earnings Cause Sharp Cutbacks in Overseas Assignments...

Annual Global Relocation Trends Survey Uncovers Pessimism Not Seen Since 2001 as 67 Percent of Companies Expect to Either Decrease or Maintain Number of Employees They Relocate...

...What's more, when companies do relocate employees for both short and long-term overseas assignments these days, they are opting to dispatch older and more experienced employees because they present the least risk of assignment failure. In fact, just 9 percent of expatriates were 20 to 29 years old - the lowest in the survey's 14 year history. It appears that developmental assignments are declining in the current economic climate as companies opt to send more experienced employees."

For information on how to receive the full GRTS report, click here.

Expat Women June Newsletter

Hi Everyone, We have just finished sending out our Expat Women Members' Newsletter for June 2009.

In addition to our June home page features, our newsletter includes:

• Pregnancy: What to Expect in Your Three Trimesters, a new article by Tim Blevins of Aetna Global Benefits;
• June's winning story Gyms and Yarrow Nudens, by Michele Gorman, an American in Hong Kong; and
• the name of our Explorer Publishing mini-guide pack winner.

If you are an Expat Women member but did not receive the newsletter, please let us know here. Many thanks.

Susie's Saudi Blog Unblocked

Hi Everyone, Just a quick note to update you that Susie's Saudi Blog that we blogged about last week has now been unblocked by the powers that be in Saudi. Susie thanks everyone for their support. Best wishes, Andrea.

Still Seeking Researchers...

Hi Everyone, PassportCareer is still seeking researchers who can commit to finishing their research, for each of the following locations:

• Algeria
• Bosnia
• Bulgaria (Sofia)
• Chile
• China (Nanjing, Tianjin, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Yangshou, Xiamen, Chongqing, Xian, Hankou, Wuchang and Hanyang)
• Colombia (Bogota)
• Costa Rica (San Jose)
• El Salvador
• Greece (Athens)
• India (New Delhi)
• Macedonia
• Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)
• Morocco
• Nicaragua
• Poland (Warsaw)
• Taiwan (Taipei)
• Tunisia
• United Kingdom (London) --- URGENT ---
• United States (Seattle , Cincinnati , Columbus, Phoenix , New Orleans, Orlando, St Louis, Philadelphia, Baltimore and various other cities as well)
• Zambia

Background:

In case you have missed our previous blog posts, Susan Musich of PassportCareer is looking for researchers to undertake a 20-25 hour (approximate) research assignment for each of the above locations, in return for a small honorarium per assignment. (Note: If multiple major cities are involved, the hours and honorarium 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. (Note: American repatriates who can "think like expats" are also invited to apply for the US locations.)

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."

If you would like to apply, please contact Susan directly with the following information:

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

Disclaimer:

Susan has agreed to make a small donation to Expat Women for each researcher who completes an assignment via an Expat Women lead. So if you are not interested, but know someone who is, please pass the word around. Every little bit helps!

Thanks Everyone. :-)