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."

Expat Women February Home Page

Hi Everyone, February 1 falls over the weekend, so we have uploaded our February Home Page a little early. Please take a look:

Success Story
Susan Au Allen
USPAACC Education Foundation
In 1999, Susan was named one of 25 most influential Asians in America. In 2008, she was named as one of US’s top Diversity Advocates, among notables such as President William Clinton, President Jimmy Carter and Oprah Winfrey...
Read more…

Business Idea
Robina Oliver
Curvas Peligrosas
If you have ever prayed for a gorgeous bathing suit to wear by your hotel pool, then Robina Oliver is a woman who is answering prayers like yours. Robina’s dangerously curvy business in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, has become an instant hit amongst tourists and locals...
Read more…

Perfectionism
Is Perfectionism Condemning You To A Life Of Immaculate Mediocrity?
Margie Warrell
Do not get me wrong, I have no bone to pick with perfectionists; particularly not those who might find themselves operating on my heart, building my home or fixing my car’s brakes but...
Read more…

Freelancing
My-So Called Freelance Life
Michelle Goodman
Join experienced freelancer, Michelle Goodman, as she talks to us about what to do and what not to do in the world of freelancing (including tips for established freelancers)...
Read more…

Expat Teens
Youth Compass
Thomas Speckhardt
If you are looking for new ideas about how to give some positive direction to your global nomad teen, join us as we talk to Thomas Speckhardt, the Executive Director of Youth Compass – a community youth organisation led by volunteers and staff...
Read more…

ExpatWomen Confession
I Think I Am An Alcoholic
ExpatWomen Girlfriend
I live in Athens, Greece, and I think I am an alcoholic. I am spending more and more nights drinking. I find myself choosing unimportant evening social functions (through my job with the foreign service here) over getting home and spending time with my family...
Read more…

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

Thanks and best wishes for your weekend! Andrea.

Calling All Canadians

Hi Everyone, If you are a Canadian, especially if you are an adult TCK or you have children who one day will be adult TCKs (Third Culture Kids), Robin Pascoe has asked us to pass this urgent message on to you:

"Did you know that the new Canadian citizenship rules which go into effect April 17 state that:

"...children born in another country after the new law comes into effect will not be Canadian citizens by birth if they were born outside Canada to a Canadian parent who was also born outside Canada to a Canadian parent.”

To read more, and to take action, please visit my blog post today. Thanks!"

Seen 'The Mom Song'?

Hi Everyone, Someone sent me 'The Mom Song' today. If you're a mom/mum, and you have not seen it before, take a look - it's an opera song and it's fun.

Included below is the one sent to me, posted on You Tube last month.

I found another one on YouTube, posted one year ago, but the picture is not as clear, so I recommend watching the one below (or linked here, if you are reading this via email alert.)

Mothers, enjoy! Andrea

We Need Your Expat Stories

Hello Everyone, Please grab a bit of time this month to submit your stories of expat living.

ExpatWomen.com has received more than 200 story submissions since we launched two years ago, but for some reason, we do not have any stories yet this month. Has everyone been on holidays?

Great! Then you should have plenty of adventures to share. (Smile)

If you are not sure what we are looking for, take a read of some of the great stories we have from expat women like you already, or take a quick read of our story guidelines.

If you have already submitted a story, fabulous, you know how to do it, so please submit again.

We are still planning to use the best stories to turn into a book one day. So please, help us out, share your experiences... and maybe someday, your name and story will be in our book!

Thanks and best wishes, happy writing, Andrea.

Divorce Abroad

Hi Everyone, It is no surprise that expat divorce abroad is a hot topic. We get regular emails about this and we also see regular comments and articles on this topic elsewhere. Sad, but true.

If your relationship has not broken up abroad, chances are, you know someone's whose has. If you/they are looking for some recent information about divorce abroad, try some of these articles:

(1) Expat Confession: Divorce Abroad - this was one of the most-clicked-on features last October when it featured;

(2) Divorce Overseas: 10 Steps To Protect Your Children, by Frank Arndt, which is featured on our home page this month.

Marilyn Stowe has actually added some additional opinion to the bottom of this article since we first posted it, including:

"I also do not see why the employer who requires the move abroad, shouldn’t pay for such an agreement to be put in place, in the same way as the employment contract."

(3) We have also just published Divorce and You on our site, thanks to Divorce Coach Nicola Baume. Nicola's three-step article recovery article helps at home and abroad;

And/or try these articles that we saw on our Google Alert last week:

(4) Expat Divorce 'Simple' Says Leading Law Firm - Woolley & Co.; &

(5) Did Becoming A Shanghai Expat Ruin Your Marriage? - on Shanghaiist.com. If you are in Shanghai and have been through an expat break-up, Karen Mazurkewich is looking for you...

"Expats live in a parallel universe. While they are culturally fish-out-of-water they can also live glamorous lifestyles. And while it can be a great experience for some, there is also a dark side to expat life. I’d like to further explore the issue by asking the simple question: Can marriages survive the expat life?"

If you are going through a break-up abroad, we send our best wishes your way. Wishing you strength, Andrea.

Been To TravBuddy.com?

Hi Everyone, If you are an expat who enjoys looking at world maps and counting the number of places you have been to, or would like to go to, then take a look at TravBuddy.com.

We learned about it today, when approving one of the latest links on our Expat Women Blog Directory.

It's simple, but it's cool. Just sign up, then tick the places you have been to. It will then produce for you a map of the world, shading in the countries/areas that you have visited. It also tells you what percentage of the world you have been to - maybe to give you some incentive to travel more and see more. Smile.

You can also upload your end-results-map (in varying sizes) to your blog, FaceBook, MySpace account etc. Just a little fun...

Here are some official words about TravBuddy:

"TravBuddy is a site for people who love to explore the world around them. You can use TravBuddy to find travel buddies, record travel experiences in travel blogs, or share travel tips with travel reviews. You can register for free or take a tour to learn more about the site."

Good News For Expat Spouses In Malaysia

Hi Everyone, In the Permits Foundation newsletter this week, they announced that new regulations allow spouses to take paid employment in Malaysia:

"The Malaysian Immigration Department has published new regulations that allow spouses on a Dependent Pass to take paid employment after obtaining an endorsement in the passport by the Immigration Department. They no longer need their own Employment Pass or Visit Pass Temporary Employment.

A job offer is required and the employer needs to have approval from the relevant authority / agency (MIDA / MDEC / Central Bank of Malaysia / Securities Commission / Public Service Department of Malaysia).

At the same time, husbands of Employment Pass holders may now apply for a Dependant Pass. Previously, they were only eligible for a Long Term Social Visit Pass.

The application can be made in Malaysia and no fees are made for the endorsement to work, beyond the normal cost of a dependant's pass. The changes, which are effective 20 November 2008, are published at: http://www.imi.gov.my/eng/perkhidmatan/im_PegawaiDagang.asp#new"

Robin Pascoe's SE Asia Tour

Hi Everyone, If you are an expat woman in South East Asia, try and get along to one of Robin Pascoe's talks near you in February/March.

Robin Pascoe of the ExpatExpert.com is a well-known author and expert in expat family issues and has a lot of great knowledge, wisdom and wit to share.

She will be speaking in the following locations:

• Manila, The Philippines
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Singapore
• Kuala Lumpur
• Bangkok, Thailand

Robin is being sponsored by Santa Fe Relocations, so we understand the presentations are fee-free (unless a small amount is charged by the club/association hosting it).

For more detailed information about the tour schedule, please visit Robin's blog here.

Thanks in advance - and best wishes Robin, Andrea.

FIGT Conference Speaker List

Hi Everyone, I have just read through the very impressive list of speakers at this year's upcoming Families in Global Transitions (FIGT) Conference and highly recommend that you take a look - either to convince you to attend, or to find some potentially great contacts for your business, especially if you work in one of the following fields or service one of the following clientele groups:

Relocation, TCKs (Third Culture Kids), Cross-Cultural Training, Coaching, Intercultural Studies, International Schools, Global Nomads, Personal Development, helping Military Families, Foreign Service Personnel, Linguistics, International Living and more.

There are 62 (!) speakers on the list - all of whom look like will add value to this year's conference in Houston, United States, March 5-7.

If you are planning to go to the conference, I'd love to meet you there. Just drop me a line. Thanks and best wishes, Andrea.

Happy Birthday ExpatWomen.com!

Hi Everyone, Yes, today we celebrate Expat Women's second birthday online. Thanks go out to every single one of you for your support thus far and thanks in advance for your ongoing support! Andrea

Expat Women January Newsletter

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

In addition to all of our January home page features, our newsletter showcases January's winning story, shares Rachel Farris' article Relocating Your Pet With The Right Vet and announces our monthly winner of the fabulous Explorer Publishing mini-guide pack.

Thanks and enjoy your day/evening! Andrea

Permits Foundation Global Survey Results

Hi Everyone, Breaking news... The summary report of the Permit Foundation's global survey last October is now available here.

"This survey examined the views of 3300 expatriate spouses and partners of 122 nationalities, currently accompanying international employees working in 117 host countries for over 200 employers in both the private and public sector.

It provides evidence that a lack of spouse or partner employment opportunities adversely affects global mobility of highly skilled international employees.

A few focused and simple improvements on the part of employers and governments can make a triple win for families, employers and the countries in which they work."

Very interesting reading - and definitely something you will need if you are formally presenting on topics in this arena. Happy reading!

Cross-Cultural Blunders

Hello Everyone, We came across a great article today entitled Results of Poor Cross-Cultural Awareness, written (in 2005) by Neil Payne at Kwintessential Cross-Cultural Solutions, which gives more than a dozen amusing examples of cross-cultural blunders.

Take a quick read... you might find something in it to use in one of your presentations one day, or something to laugh about in your general expat conversations, or at the very least, something to make you feel that your own cross-cultural mistakes have not been so bad after all!

International Mothers In Switzerland

Hi Everyone, If you are a mother in Switzerland and you have not yet discovered the non-profit online community Mamizeit, take a look and see if you like it. Mamizeit is a beautiful-looking site, run by Anne and Therese, that is looking for stories or childcare experiences from expat mothers in Switzerland. Help if you can.

If you are a member of an expat club or association, anywhere in the world, and we do not yet have a link to your expat club or association on our Expat Women country pages, please send us the link here and we will happily try to add the link to ExpatWomen.com. Many thanks.

Australian Expats & Repats

Hi Everyone, If you are an Australian living abroad (or recently returned home) and you have not heard of Advance, you might like to take a minute to check out their site.

It was not until Advance invited me (thanks to Sue Ellson of the Newcomers Network) to an event last month that I learnt about Advance - and I am impressed by their 11,000 (!) members, global reach and extensive industry networks.

By the way, I see on the Advance home page that a link to the Australian Woman of the Year in the UK Award, sponsored by Qantas. The inaugural winner of the award in 2008 was Glenda Stone (congratulations Glenda) who we interviewed as an Expat Women Success Story in 2007. I met Glenda at the event last month and she is lovely. If you are an Australian and would like to be in the running for 2009's award, visit the link above and good luck!

Can You Help PassportCareer.com?

Hi Everyone, A big thanks to all of the expats who have been helping Susan Musich with research for the launch of PassportCareer.com. Susan is 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!

New Locations For Which Susan Requires Expat Researchers

• Algeria
• Colombia
• El Salvador
• Egypt
• Macedonia
• Morocco
• Mozambique
• Nicaragua
• Serbia
• Tunisia
• Uruguay
• Zambia

Old Locations For Which Susan Still Requires Expat Researchers

• China (Guangzhou, Nanjing, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Yangshou, Xiamen, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenyang and Xian)
• Equatorial Guinea
• Finland
• Germany (super urgent!)
• India (Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore positions)
• Ireland
• New Zealand
• Poland
• Thailand (Bangkok-based)
• United States (nearly all major US cities, except Seattle, Minneapolis, Austin, Houston, Los Angeles, Boston and San Francisco)

Background

In case you have missed our previous blog posts, PassportCareer is looking for researchers to undertake a 20-25 hour 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."

Winning Story: I'm Dating A Male Supermodel

Hi Everyone, Congratulations go out this month to Robin (an American in Qatar) who has again won our winning story of the month!

Robin's win this time was for her contribution I'm Dating A Male Supermodel.

Her previous win was for her first instalment of Tales of a Single Woman in the Middle East.

To read more of our Expat Women stories - and to help us out by submitting a story of your own - please visit this page. Your contributions really do make a difference.

Many thanks in advance, Andrea.

What's Your Passion?

Hi Everyone, we received an email today from Margie Warrell, an impressive Coach, Speaker and Author who would like to contribute to Expat Women.

Whilst reading Margie's site, we found a truly inspiring YouTube video about a guy named Paul Potts from Cardiff in the UK. If you have not seen it before, take 4 minutes out of your busy day to watch this. Paul is starting to take more risks to follow his passion. Are you...?

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.