Expat Women June Home Page

Hi Everyone, We have uploaded our Expat Women Home Page for June a little early. Please take a few minutes to check out our new June features:

Success Story
Barb de Corti
ENJO Australia
In the early 1990's, Barb de Corti, originally from Austria, turned microfiber into the hottest cleaning item to hit the Australian bench top. Her passion to turn Australia green earned her the position of Australia's wealthiest young female entrepreneur at the age of 40...
Read more…

Business Idea
Career By Choice
Megan Fitzgerald
We talk to Megan Fitzgerald, who is an expat career and personal branding coach and the founder of Career By Choice. She helps expats and international development professionals worldwide use their personal brand to build a career or business that 'fits' who they are and their international lifestyle...
Read more…

Living Abroad
Living Your Best Life Abroad
Jeanne Heinzer
Jeanne Heinzer describes herself as an artist - a lifelong student of the art of saying goodbye to one city or country and setting up home in another. Join us as we talk to Jeanne about her new book for accompanying partners and her tips for living your best life abroad...
Read more…

Students/Mothers
TCKs and College/University: From Overseas to Undergrad
Rebecca Grappo, M.Ed
Third Culture Kids (TCKs) who have grown up overseas and many times are going to live in the country of their passport for the first time, or at least the first time in a very long time, face special considerations when searching for the right fit and match in higher education...
Read more…

Expat Women Confession
My Visa Is Expiring: Unplanned Repatriation
Expat Women Girlfriend
I am 53, divorced with grown children. I am a teacher by training and 2 years ago decided that life is too short and picked up and moved to Africa... My problem is that now I am at retirement age, the government will not renew my visa and I am not allowed to stay here..
Read more…

Professionals
Global Dinner Network
Tanja Lindermeier
We talk to Global Dinner Network (GDN) founder, Tanja Lindermeier, about her way for cosmopolitan women to meet over dinner, wherever their travel takes them. Tanja is a German professional - living and working in the United States, who set up GDN in 2005...
Read more…

Not A Member Yet?
If you are not already an Expat Women member, we would love to have you in our community. Click here to sign up to our monthly inspirational newsletters. Thanks.

Got A Story Or A City Experience?

Hi Everyone, Our site has grown to become a fabulous resource for women living overseas because of wonderful women like you who have contributed what you have learned as expats abroad.

If you able to contribute again, or for many of you, contribute for the first time, please do. We would especially love your stories and/or your city experiences.

Please help if you can. Many thanks! Andrea

Expat Susie's Blog Blocked In Saudi

Hi Everyone, I read with interest yesterday a story on Middle East Online entitled US expat's blog on Saudi life censored.

This is a story about Susie who runs the blog Susie's Big Adventure (and Jeddah Daily Photo Journal), about her life in Saudi Arabia, where she moved to in 2007 with her Saudi husband of nearly 30 years.

Susie's blog is one of the most popular blogs listed in our Expat Women Blog Directory, but poor Susie has had her blog blocked for Saudi audiences, even though she can still post to her blog and receive blog comments via email - crossing her fingers that her blog continues to 'look okay' - as she cannot actually see it herself.

If this has happenned to you (wherever you might be located), take heart, you are not alone.

If you are in Saudi, you might like to drop Susie a line here (as you might not be able to access her blog).

Best wishes, Andrea.

Call Me Okaasan: Prize Winner

Hi Everyone, Congratulations go to Suzanne Kamata, whose interview is featured this month on our Expat Women home page, for her recently-released global anthology: Call Me Okaasan: Adventures in Multicultural Mothering.

Suzanne's anthology can be seen here as the third prize in the Grand Prize (Non-Fiction) category of the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Well done Suzanne!

Expatriate Talent Survey

Hi Everyone, Sibson Consulting is running a survey on expatriate talent market trends. If you or anyone you know would like to help by completing the survey, please click here. Many thanks.

"You are invited to participate in the Expatriate Talent Market Trends Survey assessing the pervasiveness and strength of emerging trends regarding expatriate treatment, as well as providing a glimpse into what the future may hold. The survey focuses on expatriate cost, deployment, compensation and job opportunities.

This confidential survey of multinational companies headquartered in the U.S. is being conducted by Sibson Consulting, A Division of Segal, a strategic human resources consulting firm.

It takes less than 10 minutes to complete. Respondents will receive a report summarizing the survey results. Individual responses will be kept confidential and survey data will only be reported in the aggregate.

If you have questions about the survey or would like information about Sibson Consulting, please contact Mike Norman, Senior Vice President and National Co-practice Leader of Sibson’s Organization and Talent Management Practice at mnorman@sibson.com or 310.231.1754 in Sibson’s Los Angeles office."

Global Summit Of Women 2009 & 2010

Hi Everyone, The Global Summit Of Women get-together recently wrapped up in Santiago, Chile. To see media interviews about this year's event, I invite you to visit the Summit's media page here. To read some of this year's presentations, just visit their 2009 conference page here.

The 2010 conference will be their 20th anniversary conference and it will be in Beijing, China (assumably in May).

Stevie Awards For Women In Business

Hello Everyone, Entries are now being accepted for the 2009 (6th annual) Stevie Awards for Women in Business.

There are 54 categories this year: spread between both company categories and individual categories, for executives, employees and entrepreneurs.

The early-bird entry deadline (for discounted entries at US$95) is July 31. The final entry deadline is August 31, but late entries will be accepted through September 30 with payment of a late fee.

Good luck to any expat women interested in the awards!

Expat Show Beijing: Starts This Friday

Hi Everyone, If you are living in or moving to Beijing, you might like to check out the annual Expat Show Beijing which starts this Friday, 22 May, and runs until Sunday, 24 May.

The event will be held at the China World Trade Center and they are running free shuttle buses from Tianjin and Shunyi.

"The Expat Show is the first annual event geared towards establishing face-to-face contact between companies and expatriates and providing them with various kinds of services which relate to their daily lives.

Exhibitors will cover finance, pensions, fashion, local and international real estate, automobiles, education, health, travel, service providers (maids, cleaners, interpreters, etc.) interior designers, international removals, restaurants, sports clubs, local associations, charities, immigration and legal services.

Last year the Expat Show Beijing was a great success. The second such event this year is expecting 150 exhibitors and around 10,000 visitors.

During the Expat Show Beijing 2009's three day exhibition, various interesting activities have also been organised to coincide with the show; such as a Chinese Culture Centre, Bazaar, Kindergarten, Soccer Tournament, Kid's Land and Relaxation Area."

Looking For A Relocations Industry Job?

Hi Everyone, If you are working in, or would like to work in the relocations/global mobility industry, take a look at Worldwide ERC's Career Center.

It is currently displaying 8 jobs, all in the United States. One of them in particular that might interest some of you is the Relocation/ Mobility Specialist position for The World Bank Group.

Best wishes, Andrea.

FIGT Call For Proposals

Hi Everyone, If you are interested in speaking at the Families in Global Transition (FIGT) conference in Houston, Texas, March 4-6, 2010, FIGT are now inviting your proposal.

"Proposals for presentations are invited for any topic of interest to the FIGT community. Preferred proposals will move beyond entry-level awareness-building to development of strategies, systemic interventions, and practical ‘how-to’ guidelines. Submission should be for a presentation that has not been offered at FIGT before.

Preference will be given to sessions focusing on one of the following topics or other new, innovative, timely, and fresh ideas:

1. Global Citizens
2. Cultural Issues that Influence How We Enter New Cultures
3. Technology’s Role in the New Expatriate Family’s Life
4. Moving for Love or Other Personal Reasons
5. Under-studied Groups
6. International Schools and International Students
7. Sponsoring Organizations’ Perspective
8. Difficult Locations, Difficult Times
9. Mental Health and Coaching Issues
10. Unplanned Repatriations and Early Returns
11. Again and Again, For Better and For Worse: Multiple International Relocations
12. Taking Care of (Personal) Business
13. Moving Beyond Words: The Expat Experience through the Senses
14. Building Your Own Business"

Click here to find out more about the 2010 FIGT conference and/or submitting a proposal. Thanks.

The World's Biggest Expat Club?

Hi Everyone, I talked yesterday to Mr Niels Colov, the President of the Pattaya Expats Club in Thailand.

Mr Colov is a Dane who has been living in Pattaya for nearly 30 years and who started Pattaya People - the first English-speaking newspaper in Pattaya - over 17 years ago.

Mr Colov (interviewed here in a local tv broadcast) confirmed that the Pattaya Expats Club currently has 3,800 members!

Has anyone heard of an expat club based on one specific location that has a larger membership?

If so, please let me know as I would love to know about it, as this is the largest, local expat group that I can recall finding to date.

By the way, Mr Colov said the weekly club breakfasts are in need of some more expat women... so if you are an expat woman in Pattaya, please get in touch with the club and get involved. They would love to have you. Thanks.

Interview With FAWCO President

Hi Everyone, Speaking of Clements International, I saw in their newsletter today that they included a brief interview with FAWCO President, Kathleen Simon.

FAWCO, the Federation of American's Women's Clubs Overseas, is:
"...the largest international network of independent associations representing private American citizens overseas. Founded in 1931, FAWCO is a non-partisan, not-for-profit U.S. corporation that has more than 70 member clubs in 35 countries worldwide representing nearly 18,000 members. FAWCO is a recognized Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with consultative status to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations."

If your expat club is a FAWCO member, you might like to take a minute (the interview is only brief, so it should only take you a minute) to find out more about your President. :-)

Best wishes, Andrea.

Hurry! Clements International's Scholarships Deadline is May 15: US$10,000 To Be Shared

Hi Everyone, Just a reminder that the entry deadline for the expat youth scholarships is May 15. So if you know anyone aged 12-18 that benefit from a share in the US$10,000 scholarship giveaway, encourage them to get their entries in pronto.

Here's some text from our recent member mail-out that further explains this great new program:

Clements International (our Expat Women Silver Sponsor) is excited this year to be offering a new scholarship program for expatriate students.

US$10,000 will be shared between six winning students, aged 12-18, of any nationality, who have spent at least two years living outside of their home country.

The scholarship contest offers expat students a chance to share their experiences of living in a foreign country through an essay (500 words or more) and creative media (photographs, illustrations, paintings or video).

“As a company devoted to protecting the futures of expatriates and their families, this scholarship demonstrates our commitment to supporting growth and learning among this unique segment of the population,” said Vice President of Marketing, Lloyd Yavener.

Click Here for more information and good luck!

Repatriate Knowledge Sharing Survey

Hi Everyone, If you are a repatriate or you work with repatriates, Stacey M. Peterson would like to invite you to participate in a research study entitled Repatriate Knowledge Sharing Environment: Measure Development, which is associated with the Florida Institute of Technology.

"In this survey, approximately two hundred people will be asked to complete a survey that asks questions about the knowledge sharing practices of their organization. It will take approximately twenty minutes to complete the questionnaire... Your individual responses are anonymous and will not be shared with anyone at your organization..."

"To be eligible for this study, you must:

(a) Work at an organization which employs repatriate employees (you do not need to be a repatriate) or conducts international business; and

(b) Be employed at your current organization for a minimum of four months."

If you are able to help Stacey, please complete the survey here. For questions, please contact Stacey Peterson by email or phone (+1-321-674 -8104). Many thanks.

Care2 - Community For Worthy Causes

Hi Everyone, It always surprises me how many online communities are out there that I have never heard of and that boast massive membership numbers. One such example was sent to us this week by regular contributor to Expat Women, Rebecca Grappo:

Care2 is "the largest online community of people passionate about making a difference". The site grew out of Randy Paynter's apartment in 1998 "to help make the world a better place".

Today, Care2 has 10,743,043 members and more than 50 employees!

The site has a list of petitions, organisations seeking donations, volunteer opportunities and more. So if you are feeling generous with your time and/or wallet, or you just want to see what they are up to, I invite you to check it out. Thanks.

Matador Abroad For Travel Writers

Hi Everyone, Thanks to a comment left on a previous blog post by Niamh Griffin, we learnt today of an online network dedicated to travel writers and enthusiasts:

"Matador Abroad has taken the best of professional journalism and online community and blended the two to create something much more compelling than either by itself. We publish professionally written content based around travel and the healthy lifestyle of our community members. Published in an interactive blog format, this content is linked directly into our growing social network to make every article a conversation."

The Matador Network at a glance:
Matador Travel - Our vibrant and growing social network with over 10,000 active users
Brave New Traveler - Spiritual travel in the 21st Century
The Traveler’s Notebook - Travel writing, photography and expert travel tips
Matador Study - Study abroad, languages and cultural immersion
Matador Volunteer - Voluntourism, sustainability and global development
Matador Trips - Adventure travel off the beaten track
Matador Nights - Nightlife, events and the arts
Matador Goods - Travel gear, clothing, gadgets
Matador Pulse - Travel news from around the world

Payment:
They only pay US$25 per article published, but their system seems to be working because they have published 856 articles by willing contributors this year alone and their network receives 600,000 unique visitors per month - which is huge!

So, if you are an expat woman who enjoys reading and/or writing about travel, take a look, get involved and maybe make a name for yourself as a travel expert online.

Warmest wishes, Andrea.

PS. Travel Magazines That Publish Your Writing
One good article that we found that targets travel writers or wannabees specifically was: 50+ Travel Magazines That Want To Publish Your Writing. It was dated 2007 but it was on their home page, so it is probably popular and useful enough that the age of the article does not really matter.

CultureGPS: New iPhone/iPod Application

Hi Everyone, I read with great interest last week one of Megan Fitzgerald's blog posts about this new iPhone/iPod application...

From the CultureGPS web site:

"CultureGPS is a tool for the iPhone and iPod Touch that enables you to analyze behavior differences in intercultural encounters and to predict to a certain degree, which interactions evolve when people from different nationalities meet and work together.

CultureGPS will help you analyze, understand and handle cultural differences in a business context. Our approach is based on extensive research into national values and practice worldwide, at the core of which lies the work of Professor Geert Hofstede. He has developed a validated 5-dimension model which explains cultural differences in a unique and powerful manner."

In the same blog post, Megan interviews Professor Hofstede, who, according to the Wall Street Journal ranking in 2008, is one of the top 20 most influential business thinkers.

If you are interested, take a read of Megan's post here.

Mission Mexico Fundraiser in Sydney

Hi Everyone, If you are living in Sydney or know someone who is, please try to support Mision Mexico's Trivia Night With A Difference by spreading the word and/or attending this very deserving fundraising event:

Friday 12 June 2009
220-232 Paddington Rd, Oxford St, Sydney
For details, please email here or phone 0404-409-290.

Note: Unfortunately we do not have enough resources to promote every worthy event that is emailed to us. The reason we are helping this one is because the co-director of Mision Mexico kindly gave her time to us last year when we interviewed her as an Expat Women Success Story.
Thank you!

Update 19 May 2009: We just received this YouTube link about Mision Mexico, for anyone interested to learn more about Pamela and Alan Skuse's great work near Tapachula, Mexico.

Mother Of The Year Video

Hi Everyone, My good friend Mary Lynn in Mexico sent me a super-cool Mother Of The Year video over the weekend.

If you have not received one, visit the Moms Rising site and click on "Mom's A Star" then on "See the video and customize it for all the moms in your life". It should take you to the video, where you can put in your name and watch your own Mother Of The Year video almost immediately.

It is truly a lot of fun and should give you a smile for the day. Enjoy! Andrea

Re:locate Magazine Winners

Hi Everyone, Re:locate Magazine held their big awards night last week in the UK and congratulations go to the following winners:

Best Relocation Strategy/Policy
Winner: Jones Lang LaSalle

Technological Innovation in Relocation
Winner: PricewaterhouseCoopers

Inspirational HR Team of the Year
Winner: Ernst & Young

Relocation Service Provider or Team of the Year
Winner (specialist supplier): PetRelocation.com
Winner (supplier): Pricoa Relocation

Best Property Provider or Solution
Winner: SACO Apartments

Rising Star in Relocation
Winner: Sharon Hewitt, Chiltern Relocation

Relocation Personality of the Year
Winner: Martin Humphrys, Humphrys’ Education

Photo Of The Winners: Alibang Ladies International Group, The Philippines

Thank you very much to the Alibang Ladies International Group in Manila, The Philippines, for providing us with this beautiful happy snap of them accepting our Expat Women certificate congratulating them as winners of our US$1000 competition.

Expat Women May Newsletter

Hi Everyone, We have just finished sending out our Expat Women Members' Newsletter for May 2009. If you are signed up and you did not receive the newsletter, please let us know here.

In addition to all of our May home page features, our newsletter showcases Amy Montemarano's well-written feature Explore. Dream. Discover. Working Abroad In The Legal Profession, shares May's winning story China, Here I Come! and announces our monthly winner of the fabulous Explorer Publishing mini-guide pack.

Thanks and enjoy your day/evening! Andrea

The Winning Expat Club Is...

Hi Everyone, We are very pleased to announce that the winner of our Win US$1000 For Your Expat Club/Association Or International School competition is...

The Alabang Ladies International Group in Manila, The Philippines!

"Formed over a decade ago by a group of expatriate women who wanted to make the most of their time in Alabang and connect to their hosts both socially and through volunteering and fund raising, ALIG now has a membership of around 120 members. Today we come from all across the world, have connections to global organizations, volunteer together in education and development projects and raise funds for our local charities."

Congratulations Ladies! We will be getting in touch with you by phone and email today.

Thank you very much to every club, association and school who supported our competition and we wish you a wonderful day/evening, Andrea.

Name Change For GMAC Global Relocation Services

Hi Everyone, If you work in the global mobility industry, you might be interested to learn that GMAC Global Relocation Services (who put out the highly-quoted, annual Global Relocation Trends Survey) has now been re-branded as: Brookfield Global Relocation Services.

The new entity is describing itself as the second largest provider of global relocation services in the world!

Montessori Opportunities In Saudi Arabia

Hi Everyone, If you are living in (or know someone living in) Saudi Arabia and interested in Montessori opportunities there, please read the job announcement below from Mawhibah Talent and/or forward to anyone else that might be interested. Thanks.

"Montessori Teaching Opportunities:

Enjoy A Fulfilling Job That Enables You To Impact The Lives And Future Of Children In Saudi Arabia

Do you want to learn first hand about the people and society of Saudi Arabia?

Are you interested in working with a team of caring and passionate educators?

Do you want the chance to make a positive contribution during your time in this amazing country?

Our client already owns one of the most reputable schools in Riyadh and is recognized for its high education standards and excellent academic results.

As a result of this success, they are currently undergoing significant growth and have a number of opportunities for AMS/AMI qualified Montessori teachers.

This is a unique opportunity to assist in the development and improvement of standards of education in this region.

For further information, please contact Juliette Tew urgently on +971 50 440 3897 or Juliette.tew@mawhibah.com. Thanks."

Expat Women May Home Page

Hi Everyone, We are pleased to announce that we have uploaded our Expat Women home page for May. Please take a few minutes to check out our new expat features and interviews:

Success Story
Stephanie White
Become
For 25 years, Stephanie White had been a top international marketing and branding executive, working in Australia, London, Paris, New York and Los Angeles. Now Stephanie runs her own million-dollar business...
Read more…

Business Idea
Somnio Hostels
Lauren & Lee Gonzalez
Join us as we talk to Lauren and Lee Gonzalez, who are creating an upscale hostel chain in Barcelona, Spain. Learn from their experience as they share their five tips for budding entrepreneurs starting their businesses abroad...
Read more…

Mothers
Call Me Okaasan: Adventures in Multicultural Mothering
A Global Anthology
Suzanne Kamata
Raising children is never easy, but raising them abroad presents a whole realm of new opportunities and challenges. We talk to Suzanne Kamata about her new book featuring stories from women around the world...
Read more…

Expat Confession
Empty Nest
Expat Women Girlfriend
I started the expat circuit a little later in life at 52. We have four children who have been my pride, joy and focus for the past 30 years. When we decided to move to Portugal we organised for the kids to board at their university and they seem quite happy about it - it is me that is struggling...
Read more…

Offshore Savings Plans
Top 5 Questions to Ask Before Buying an Offshore Savings Plan
Anthony Noto, CFA
Living abroad, you might have been approached about special investments available only to expatriates. Before you get persuaded by the allure of exotic locations and tax savings, here are five questions to ask...
Read more…

Family Support
Low Cost, High Impact Strategies for Supporting Internationally Mobile Families
Tina Quick
More and more organizations acknowledge that they need to support their internationally mobile families better, but imagine that doing so requires a much larger budget than what they have available. This is not always true...
Read more…

Not An Expat Women Member Yet?
Please sign up today, to make sure that you receive our May Members' newsletter next week. We would love to welcome you to our online community. Plus your support via membership, helps us raise revenue to keep Expat Women running.

Thanks and best wishes, Andrea.

Expats & Repatriates: More Creative?

Hi Everyone, Here is an article on Fast Company that might interest you, regarding whether expatriates and repatriates are more creative: Looking To Hire The Most Creative Employees? Find The Candidates Who Lived Abroad.

The Fast Company article quotes a new study whose findings were in the May issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association (APA).

The article was "Cultural Borders and Mental Barriers: The Relationship Between Living Abroad and Creativity," William W. Maddux, PhD, INSEAD; Adam D. Galinsky, PhD, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University; Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 96, No. 5.

Here was the APA's Press Release on the article: Living outside the box: New evidence shows going abroad linked to creativity.

Here are some key quotes:

"This shows us that there is some sort of psychological transformation that needs to occur when people are living in a foreign country in order to enhance creativity. This may happen when people work to adapt themselves to a new culture," said Galinsky.

"This research may have something to say about the increasing impact of globalization on the world, a fact that has been hammered home by the recent financial crisis," said Maddux. "Knowing that experiences abroad are critical for creative output makes study abroad programs and job assignments in other countries that much more important, especially for people and companies that put a premium on creativity and innovation to stay competitive."

Maybe print a copy of this article and take it along to your next recruitment interview. ;-)

US$1000 Competition - Ends Tonight - Last-Minute Amendment

Hi Everyone, Our Win US$1000 for your Expat Club/Association or International School closes tonight (midnight, US Pacific time (PST), Thursday 30 April 2009), so if you have not entered, but have a club/association/school newsletter that went out with a promo of ExpatWomen.com in it, please send it to us urgently.

Last-Minute Amendment:

We would like to officially advise that we are amending this paragraph in our competition's terms and conditions:

3. All expat clubs/associations (or international schools) that enter the competition, and are judged to be suitable, will be listed on a spreadsheet, starting at number one, in the order in which the entries are received. The winning number, which will correspond to the winning entrant, will be chosen at random by Expat Expert, Robin Pascoe, who is independent of ExpatWomen.com and who will not have access to the list.

The amendment will read as follows:

3. All expat clubs/associations (or international schools) that enter the competition, and are judged to be suitable, will be listed on a spreadsheet, starting at number one, in the order in which the entries are received. Once all entries are received, an ExpatWomen representative will re-order the spreadsheet in a random order, to remove any potential bias when the winning number is selected (in terms of choosing a number based on the order in which it was received) . The winning number on the new, randomly-ordered spreadsheet, which will correspond to the winning entrant, will be chosen at random by Expat Expert, Robin Pascoe, who is independent of ExpatWomen.com and who will not have access to the list.

The winner will be announced on Tuesday 5 May 2009, US Pacific time (PST).

Thanks and good luck Everyone!

Measuring Expat ROI - New Report From Yvonne McNulty

Hi Everyone, Our friend Yvonne McNulty in Singapore released last week her new industry report: Measuring Expatriate Return On Investment In Global Firms, which is a great read for anyone working or interested in the field of expatriate management, talent recruitment and/or human resources.

To gather data for the report, Yvonne surveyed 51 expatriates from five global firms. The combined total employee population represented by those firms was 653,000.

Two key findings in the report:

• 36% of expatriates seek external job opportunities during their assignments - which infers that HR needs to focus not just on retention at the end of international assignments, but throughout employee assignments abroad; and

• Expat ROI is not formally measured. Companies rely instead on the employee performance appraisal process - however, how effective is this process of measurement, when the expats surveyed believed the performance appraisal process measured the wrong things?

Yvonne, perhaps best known for her Trailing Spouse Survey four years ago, is a PhD candidate in the Department of Management, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University, Australia. She is a sought-after speaker on the topic of expat return on investment (ROI) and can be contacted here.

Well done, Yvonne, and happy reading everyone!

Does Yes Really Mean Yes? Trying To Interpret Cultural Behaviour

Hi Everyone, Simone Costa Eriksson of InterculturalPlus sent us a link to her new article on Brazil's Gringoes.com that might interest you: The Brazilian way of saying ‘No‘.

"As a Brazilian working for the international community, I am very often asked ‘why can Brazilians not be trusted?‘. In general, when attempting to interpret any cultural behavior, the first and most advisable approach would be to avoid generalization, but what if it happens too often, especially, through the eyes of foreigners? In that case, the safest explanation must be based on well-known intercultural theories: the concepts of contextualization and communication style as well as the cultural meaning of trust..."

A good article if you are an interculturalist always needing new material.

A good, quick read for expats who struggle with the collectivist-culture-influenced response "yes... which really means no".

Thanks Simone.

Work Permits For Expatriate Partners

Hi Everyone, Items of note in today's Permits Foundation newsletter:

(1) Ireland: Employment Permit Regulations for Spouse and Dependants Tightened

"The Irish Department of Enterprise,Trade and Employment has announced new tighter measures for green card and work permit workers. They have also announced that with effect from 1st June, spouses of intra-company transferees and work permit holders will no longer be eligible for the special arrangements that previously allowed them to apply for a work permit for all occupations without a labour market test and application fee. The spouses of Green Card holders are not affected by the change. This means that it is worth using the Green Card scheme where possible (employee salary over euro 60,000 or shortage occupations with salary euro 30,000-59,999). Full details of the changes are published here. Details of the revised spouse and dependant regulations are given here. We are disappointed to report this change particularly in the light of the current review in the UK."

(2) Ireland: De Facto Partners Recognised

"On a positive note, the DETE recently announced that recognised facto partners may apply for an Employment Permit. Details here and here."

(3) Japan: Permits Foundation Steering Group Makes Initial Proposals to Cabinet Committee on “promoting highly skilled foreign nationals in Japan.’’

"We are pleased to report that our Japanese steering group has met with a high level committee of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet, which is conducting an investigation into “promoting highly skilled foreign nationals into Japan.”

This was an excellent first step to advocate a relaxation of spouse work permit regulations in Japan and was followed up by a brief written submission to the committee, which will conclude its investigations in June.

http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/index-e.html (Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office in English)
http://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/singi/jinzai/jitsumu/dai4/sankou.pdf (Permits Foundation submission in Japanese.)"

**

On a side note, the following is a great resource on the Permits Foundation site: Work Permits for Expatriate Partners - Country Summary (last updated January 2009) if you would like to know the current stance on this issue by each of the following entities:

• Argentina
• Australia
• Belgium
• Canada
• Denmark
• European Union
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Hong Kong
• Ireland
• Japan
• Malaysia
• The Netherlands
• Sweden
• United Kingdom
• United States

Thanks go to the Permits Foundation for all of their ongoing lobbying for expatriate partners!

Settling-In Abroad With Children... Mistakes Made, Lessons Learned

Hi Everyone, You might be interested in this new article on The Telegraph UK site: In Africa 'settling in' can be very traumatic: An expat tells of the unexpected effects that moving to the continent had on her children.

This well-written, anonymously-published article touches again on the issues of grief and reconciliation - which I talked about here as themes that emerged from the recent Families in Global Transition conference in Houston.

An interesting read and, I am sure, not an unfamiliar scenario to many globally-mobile families out there. Best wishes, Andrea.

Living in Dubai? Can You Sing?

Hi Everyone, Forget American Idol... start your singing career in Dubai. :-)

This (European) Summer, Mindset-Impresario are producing a show that would require 14 singers who would be performing various musical and pop songs at key locations in Dubai. If you would like to get involved, read on...

"Inviting both professional and amateur singers of all nationalities for a chance to be a part of an extravagant summer production held in Dubai. Performances will be held between 14th of June and 14th of August, only on weekends. Auditions are currently on. To be a part of this production kindly call Bryan Furtado on 04-294-5988 (+9714-294-5988) or send him an email with your details today. Thanks!"

InterNations Re-launched

Hi Everyone, Congratulations go out today to the guys (Philipp von Plato, Christian Leifeld and Malte Zeeck) over at InterNations, who have both:

• grown their expat/global minds social networking site from zero to over 100,000 members in just over 18 months; and
• recently graduated from a beta site to a new and improved second version of their site.

Philipp got in touch today and shared the following:

"Our members represent 180 different nationalities and cultural backgrounds. The average InterNations member is in his or her thirties, well-educated, career-oriented, dynamic and internationally-mobile. Their status as expats, trailing spouses, former expatriates or global minds with a huge interest in foreign affairs and transnational business also distinguishes them from the more sedentary executives and employees in other professional networks."

"InterNations Events are also run in more than 100 cities worldwide, by our InterNations Ambassadors – i.e. committed volunteers with a fondness of networking. The biggest of these get-togethers at chic venues attract 150-300 people per month. There may also be additional special interest events from a guided city tour in Bogotá over a beach party in Muscat to a skiing vacation in the Swiss Alps or an exclusive dive cruise in the Bahamas. "

InterNations is an invitation-only network, but if you would like an invitation, just click here and join in!

WIN Conference Registration Opened Today - Special Prices Until 10 May

Hi Everyone, If you are looking for a great women's networking event, consider attending this year's WIN (Women's International Networking) conference in Prague, Czech Republic, 8-10 October.

I attended the 1997 WIN conference in Oslo, Norway, and thoroughly enjoyed it. At that conference, I also met many women who had attended previous WIN conferences and I only ever heard good reports - which is a great sign of a consistently valuable conference.

If you are interested, registration opened today and special pricing applies until 10 May, so be quick!

Best wishes, Andrea.

New Lifestyle Magazine In The UAE

Hi Everyone, Our friends at Explorer Publishing have just launched a new UAE lifestyle magazine Live Work Explore, to complement their invaluable UAE living and exploring guides.

"An informative read with up-to-the-minute insider information on making the most out of life in the UAE, as well as exploring exciting destinations around the world. The bi-monthly magazine is available free in more than 200 outlets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with the debut April-May issue out now."

If you live in the United Arab Emirates, check it out.

Visiting Hong Kong?

Hi Everyone, My apologies for the quiet blog as late... I confess... I took a vacation... and loved it. We went as a family to Hong Kong and had a sensational time. If you get the chance to go - take it - there is just so much to see and do in that vibrant city.

If you do plan to visit Hong Kong, I can highly recommend the Salisbury YMCA Hotel. Our suite was great and the hotel boasts amazing views overlooking the harbour. A wonderful experience.

Warmest wishes, Andrea.

Can You Help With A Story?

Hi Everyone, We are always looking for stories from your expat experiences, for our Your Stories section. Can you help?

To get an idea of what we are seeking, please read some of the 200+ stories on our site and/or take a look at our Story Guidelines.

We are especially looking for stories that would make a reader think:

• “I’m so glad that terrible experience did not happen to me”;
• “I cannot believe they do that in that country”;
• “They were so lucky to survive that”;
• “I wish I could do that”; and/or
• “She has inspired me!”

So come on, share a few of your stories... we bet you have plenty.

Many thanks!

Time Is Running Out...

Hi Everyone, Time is running out to enter our Win US$1000 for Your Expat Club/Association or International School competition.

If your group has not entered yet, please encourage them to do so, in order to both help us spread the word about Expat Women, and more importantly, to go in the running to win US$1000.

A special thanks go out to those of you who have already supported us by getting us promoted in your group's newsletter. We really appreciate your support and wish your group all the best. Thanks!

WebAwards Now Open

Hi Everyone, Loyal Expat Women followers might recall that we received a WebAward from the Web Marketing Association (US) in our first year (2007), in the Online Community category.

Well, those same awards are now open for 2009 and whilst they do not seem to have the Online Community category any more, they do have a "Blog" category (which might appeal to some of you, whose fabulous blogs appear in our Expat Women Blog Directory) and 96 other industry categories for you to consider entering... plus, the good news is that they give out multiple awards for each category (meaning that depending on your industry and web site quality, you might have a very good chance of winning something)!

Entry costs US$195 (or US$99 for non-profits). If you manage to score an award, the feedback they give can be highly-detailed and valuable. To learn more, just click here.

Entries close May 29, 2009. Good luck. :-)

Know Any Expat Groups In Montenegro?

Hi Everyone, We have had an enquiry that we are struggling to answer, which is in regard to expat groups in Montenegro.

If you know of any, please drop us a line and we will put anything valuable that you send us on our country page for Montenegro, so any future audience members can also find useful resource(s) for Montenegro.

Many thanks!

Moscow Charity Ball - April 25

Hi Everyone, We do not usually promote the gala events of local clubs (only because there are so many across the globe), but we are making an exception today for the International Women's Club of Moscow (IWC) because:

• Their attendee list really does like a who's who of celebrity Moscow;
• All proceeds from the Ball will go directly to help amputee kids and victims of severe burns;
• They supported us by entering our Win US$1000 For Your Club competition; and
• They voluntarily put one of our Expat Women banners on their club's site (thanks IWC Moscow!).

If you live in Moscow and are interested in attending the Charity Ball, please click here for further details. Thanks.

Living around Portofino or Amalfi? Italy

Hi Everyone, One of our Expat Women advertisers, Janice Briggs of La Dolce Vita Retreats, is looking for women in the Health and Wellness profession, such as nutritionists, alternative medicine practitioners, life coaches and so on, who live in or around Portofino or Amalfi.

Janice would like to talk about collaborating on some workshops for two women's retreats - one of which will take place in Portofino, the other in Ravello. If you are interested, please email Janice or call her on in the US on (949) 752-0652. Thanks.

Expat Women April Home Page

Hi Everyone, We have just uploaded our Expat Women home page for April. Please take a few minutes to check out our new features and interviews, as follows:

Success Story
Anne Beitel
Executives Online
Since 2002, American Anne Beitel has been working for Executives Online in the UK - first as Marketing Director, and since January 2008, as Managing Director. In December 2008, she teamed with fellow directors to complete a management buy-out of Executives Online from its founder and majority shareholder...
Read more…

Expat Women Entrepreneur
Fiona Thomson
Thomson Brandtman
Single motherhood and aggressive, inflammatory breast cancer have not deterred this amazing entrepreneur in Bangkok, Thailand. Join us as we talk to Fiona about how she started her business in Thailand nearly twenty years ago and why she won't run home when times get tough...
Read more…

Mothers
Motherhood and Me
Lindy Bruce
Join us as we talk to Lindy, whose journey of rediscovery can help us all learn how to embrace what is wonderful about motherhood and gracefully survive the rest. Lindy shares her five-step plan for releasing built-up anger, resentment and negativity...
Read more…

FIGT Conference
Families In Global Transition Conference 2009
Andrea Martins
This year´s FIGT conference was again a reunion of like minds. It sounds cliché, but it is true: most FIGT regulars go back time and time again because they enjoy the camaraderie...
Read more…

Expat Confession
Show Me The Money
EW Girlfriend
Six months ago, I was in a great job back home in London... I agreed to leave my job because everything about my husband’s new posting to Malaysia sounded incredibly exciting and it was never really an option in my mind to commute or to separate… However, I am not coping well with financial dependence...
Read more…

Learning Languages
The Truth About Language
Learning: Myths, Facts and
Strategies for Success
Laura Sicola
For a large number of us, life abroad often requires learning a new language. Yet many believe they are too old to start a new language, fear that the task is too big, or simply are convinced that they are simply not good language learners. To all three, I say: untrue!
Read more…

Not An Expat Women Member Yet?
Please sign up today, to make sure that you receive our April Members' Newsletter tomorrow. We would love to welcome you to our online community. Plus your support via membership, helps us raise revenue to keep Expat Women running.

Thanks and best wishes, Andrea.

Globe Women Summit & Female World Leaders

Hi Everyone, Just a reminder that the Globe Women Summit is fast approaching. If you are interested in going to Santiago, Chile, for May 14-16, then the Globe Women Summit might be for you.

Background: Every year, they change the region in which this annual conference is held. Last year, it was in Asia (Vietnam). Before that, I believe it was in Europe and in Africa.

Whilst on the other Globe Women site, I read an interesting page about our world's current female leaders. According to Globe Women, there are 9 female Presidents and 6 female Prime Ministers in power today. Hats off to these women... and here's hoping that one day, instead of 15 leaders, women hold 2, 3, 4 or 5+ times this number of country leadership positions.

Moving to Australia?

Hi Everyone, If you are moving to Australia, check out my friend Vicky Gray's brand new book:

Didgeridoos and Didgeridon'ts:
A Brit's Guide to Moving Your Life Down Under.

"Didgeridoos and Didgeridon'ts is a collection of short, personal experiences Vicky Gray and her family encountered during the first year of their new life Down Under.

In addition to the entertaining diary entries, inspirational stories from other expats, top tips and vital resources, the book is crammed full of well-researched information on everything you need to know to survive and thrive during your first year in Australia."

Here's the direct link on Amazon.com (Paperback), on Amazon.co.uk (Paperback) and on Bookshaker (PDF/E-Book).

Thanks Everyone!

PS. If you are a budding author or editor and would like to have your name in print like Vicky, take a read of our previous blogpost about Bookshaker's search for authors and editors.

PS2. Congrats on your first book, Vicky!

Authors Needed For The Caribbean

Hi Everyone, If you are interested in writing a 28,000-30,000 word book about what it is like to live and/or work in one of the following four Caribbean destinations (based on your hands-on knowledge and experience):

• Puerto Rico
• The US Virgin Islands
• Dominican Republic
• Jamaica

...please contact Jo Parfitt, who will put you in touch with her publisher who is seeking the authors. (PS. No, the publisher is not Bookshaker, it's another one of Jo's publishers.)

The books are written to a formula and pay a one-time payment of £1,000 (no royalties apply). This might not be enough to entice a seasoned writer, but if you are someone wanting to get your name in print and/or earn some extra cash while your day job is slow, think about getting in touch with Jo. Thanks.

Anita Roddick & Jack Canfield Videos

Hi Everyone, I watched an interesting, six-minute video with Anita Roddick (aka Mrs Body Shop), thanks to a link in the Women Unlimited e-newsletter last week. Anita talks about what it really meant to her to be a female entrepreneur. If you were an Anita Roddick fan and/or a budding expat women entrepreneur, grab your coffee and take a look.

On the same page, you might like to also watch the one-minute, Jack Canfield (of Chicken Soup For The Soul fame) video about Planning Your Day. I watched it and it surprisingly hit home to me - as I am someone who writes a to-do list but who really does need to 'plan' my day for better effectiveness. If you are like me, maybe take a minute to watch this video too.

PS. Fifteen years on, did you know the Chicken Soup For The Soul empire are still looking for submissions to their books? I took a quick read just now of their current guidelines, and whilst they only pay US$200 if your submission is published in one of their books (plus give you 10 free copies of the book), having your name in a series like this could only be a good thing, especially if you are a writer or someone wanting to build your profile/credibility, yes?

Enjoy your week, Everyone! Andrea.

OLX - Free Classifieds Worldwide

Hi Everyone, Have you heard of OLX? They describe themselves in the press release they sent us as: "The largest free classifieds site no one’s ever heard of!"

But unlike the inference, it appears that the folks at OLX know exactly what they are doing:

• Launched in June 2006;
• Over 50 million unique visitors per month;
• 400 million page views per month;
• Almost 2 million new ads are posted monthly;
• OLX has raised $28.5 million in funding since March 2006;
• OLX has offices spread over the globe with 125 employees working out of New York, Buenos Aires, Beijing, and Moscow; and
• OLX is now present in 84 countries and 36 languages, but Americans are not likely to have heard of OLX because its popularity lies mainly outside of the United States in places like Spain, India, Portugal, Mexico, South America, China, and the Philippines.

One of the co-founders of OLX, Fabrice Grinda, was previously:

"...the founder and CEO of Zingy Inc., which he built into one of the largest wireless media companies in the Americas, while successfully closing deals with some of the top wireless providers in the world. Within four years, Fabrice successfully grew the business to $200 million in content sales before selling the business in 2004 for $80 million." Smart guy.

If you need a free, worldwide classifieds site, OLX might be for you.

Best wishes, Andrea.

Teen Expats

Hi Everyone, We stumbled across TeenxPats the other day, which might be of interest to you if you have teenagers in your home...

"TeenxPats is a free online community dedicated to, well, teenage expats. As many of us leave our original countries to live life in different places all over the world we suddenly realise it's not quite what we expected. It's not as easy as it says on the tv! But never fear... You're not alone! TeenxPats is not only a website dedicated to what we think is interesting, it's a community of teenagers who've done something remarkable with their lives (willingly or not), they've moved to another country, experienced another culture and have learnt (or are learning) a new language. So browse the site, read what interests you, talk in our forums and connect with people who are going through the same as you!"

We got in touch with the site creator, Ruairidh Wynne-McHardy, who said that the site:

• was created in 2004;
• attracts 5,000-8,000 unique users per month; and
• has 327 members.

TeenxPats, we wish you all the best.