Expat Women October Home Page

Hi Everyone, We have just uploaded our Expat Women October home page and we invite you to take a look at our new features:

Success Story
Eve Yen
Diamond Wipes International
Eve Yen left Taiwan for the United States for her daughters' education. The next year, she started her company in a small 1,700 square foot office space. Today, Diamond Wipes produces more than one million wipes a day...
Read more…

Business Idea
Interiors By Sandra Espinet
Sandra Espinet
Sandra is an accomplished interior designer who lives in the US and Mexico. She has successfully set up several design businesses abroad and has been interviewed by Martha Stewart's Living Today...
Read more…

Expat Websites
Making Expat Websites Work For Your Business
Andrea Martins
Expatriates love the internet. It makes sense therefore that if you are in the business of servicing internationally-mobile employees and families, you need to be expat-website-savvy...
Read more…

Your Career
10 Tips For Your Career Change
Rebecca Wells
Do you feel unhappy at work but feel paralysed with fear to do anything about it? Do you wish you could find a career that truly excites and energises you from the moment you wake up in the morning...
Read more…

Expat Women Confession
Picking Up The Pieces
Expat Women Girlfriend
My husband of 22 years came home last night and told me he wants a divorce because he is in love with somebody else. I have been financially dependent on my husband for all of our expatriate years and I have no idea...
Read more…

Volunteer Travel
The Voluntary Traveler:Adventures From The Road Best Traveled
Nola Lee Kelsey
This is a book for the volunteer traveler - the traveler who either bypasses the five-star resort... or who tags it onto the end of their vacation, once they have done the hard yards at an animal shelter, conservation project, school or orphanage...
Read more…

Not A Member Yet?
If you are not an ExpatWomen.com member yet, please support us by signing up today. Our next members' newsletter should then come to your inbox next week. Plus, you could also win a complete set of Explorer Publishing's Mini-Guides.

Thank you very much and have a fabulous October! Andrea

Where Have We Been...?

Hi Everyone, My apologies for the lack of updates since moving to our 'real' apartment here in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, two weeks ago. In addition to the 231 boxes to unpack and the constant stream of workmen through each day... it has taken two weeks to connect the internet at home... which for me (running a website) - is almost like being without oxygen.

Sure, in between supervising workmen in the apartment, errands and school hour limitations, I was able to go to a wireless café, but it's just not the same. Especially when I had to keep ordering drinks and pretending to drink them... just so I could use their wireless. ;-)

I now appreciate just how many questions we generate each day (such as, What's tomorrow's cinema schedule? What plane seats are left for the holidays? What should we do for my son's school project?) and then answer via Google each night. Without the internet, I found myself open-mouthed, powerless and answering... "aaahhh... I don't know" far too many times lately.

Luckily, our internet got connected tonight just before I felt the earthquake (that rocked Sumatra) here in Kuala Lumpur. It felt empowering again to be able to jump online to check that I was not going crazy and that yes, the chandelier and vase (here on our 31st floor) really were moving!

My learning for the month: Information truly does equal power. May you all have unlimited access to information, technology and power. Andrea :-)

Expat Women Bloggers: Want To Be on Mamapedia... or Listed on Technorati?

Hi Everyone, I recently read in a Technorati newsletter that Mamapedia is looking for bloggers who write on topics that are of interest to mothers, to feature on Mamapedia Voices. They launched earlier this year and are reaching an audience of almost 1 million mothers!

You can get more information by signing up here: http://bit.ly/agucO. (They ask everyone to mention that you found out about this opportunity from Technorati. If you do, please mention ExpatWomen.com too - thanks.)

By the way, I see that Technorati have a blog directory that might interest some of you to list on as well - especially the "Travel" section. You never know who might find you unless you list, right?

Thanks, best wishes and good luck! Andrea.

Expat Women Blog Directory: www.expatwomen.com/expatblog/

Repatriate Knowledge Study: Phase Two

Hi Everyone, Stacey M. Peterson at the Florida Institute of Technology is looking for respondents for the second phase of her research study...

"This study investigates how the social dynamics of an organization’s culture may affect the utilization of repatriate international knowledge.

To be eligible for this study, you must:

1. Work at an organization with repatriates (you do not need to be a repatriate)
2. Be employed at your current organization (does NOT need to be an American company) for a minimum of four months.

Participation in this study consists of answering a number of questions in an anonymous survey and will take approximately 20 minutes. Your personal information will not be recorded and, therefore, will not be connected to any of your responses. Your responses are greatly appreciated.

If you meet all the criteria and wish to participate, please complete the survey online here. If you have any questions, the researcher can be reached at sfehir@fit.edu or visit our repatriate group on LinkedIn at Repatriate Professionals for further discussions. Thanks. "

Looking For An Expat Family Who Moved To Belgium For The Woman's Job

Hi Everyone, Can anyone help a Belgian journalist looking to interview and feature in Good Gevoel ("Feeling Good") magazine, an expat husband/partner who has followed his wife (with children) to Belgium for her job.

Ideally, she would like to speak to a man who is between 35-50 years old, comes from a continent other than Europe (preferably South America, Africa or Asia) and is a "happy houseman - taking care of the household and children - not looking for a new job".

Tough criteria? Maybe. If you match her requirements or know someone who does, please contact Grete Flies as soon as possible. Thanks.

Expat Jobs: Some Industries Hiring, Some Industries Firing

Hi Everyone, Brookfield Global Relocation Services released today a supplementary report to their widely-recognised 2009 Global Relocation Trends Survey. Here are some extracts from their press release:

"Woodridge, Ill. (Sept. 14, 2009) - The ongoing economic downturn has forced many companies to dramatically scale back the number of employees they are relocating for international assignments, but has left other industries virtually unscathed, a new report exploring international mobility trends from Brookfield Global Relocation Services has found.

In fact, certain industries - among them telecommunications, oil and gas - are experiencing an uptick in their employee relocation activities due to mergers, emerging global markets and other factors, according to a recently released report, International Mobility: The Impact of the Current Economic Climate.

The report queried senior international mobility professionals responsible for international assignment strategy at a number of the world's leading companies. Combined, the mobility managers interviewed from a select group of corporations representing a worldwide employee population of more than 2.2 million employees."

**

"The report's findings pointed to four key trends currently facing multinational companies:

1. A reduction in the volume of assignments due to the recession. This is occurring in industries that have been hit especially hard by the economic downturn, including: automobile manufacturing, information technology service and the financial services sectors.
2. Changes in the volume of assignments. However, these changes are not directly caused by the recession. This trend is impacting the high technology, engineering, retail, financial and information services industries.
3. No impact so far, but companies expect a general tightening soon. These industries include pharmaceutical, food and consumer products manufacturing, and logistics sectors.
4. An increase in the number of employee relocations. This trend is primarily occurring in the telecommunications, oil and gas sectors, and with some professional services firms.

"...companies and industries that are experiencing increased relocation activity are typically involved in:

1. Moving into new international partnership arrangements;
2. A merger or acquisition Developing emerging markets;
3. Creating global tools, processes and programs;
4. Creating a cohesive culture or employer brand; and/or
5. Closing long-term global capability and skills gaps."
   

**

"Brookfield will host a complimentary webinar presentation exploring the findings of this study on Thursday, Sept. 17 (US). Participation in the webinar is free and limited to the first 100 registrants. To register, go to: http://www.brookfieldgrs.com/insights_ideas/grts/2009_GRTS_Economic_Climate_Webinar.asp"

Expatica Survey - Expat Health Concerns Abroad - Win a 100 Euro Amazon Voucher

Hi Everyone, Expatica are running a survey on their site where you could win an Amazon voucher to the value of 100 Euros.

It is primarily about expat health concerns abroad, presumably to feed results back to a health insurance company, but it is not too personal and if you are someone who likes to enter competitions, you might like to spend the 10 minutes or so completing it. I did.

Expat Women September Newsletter

Hi Everyone, If you are an Expat Women member and you did not receive our Newsletter for September 2009 in the last 24 hours, please let us know here. If you have not signed up yet, please do so.

What's in the newsletter this month?

Well, in addition to our September home page features, our newsletter includes:

• The name of our Explorer Publishing mini-guide pack winner;
• Our winning story Forming Cultural Foundation in the Formative Years; and
• As well as Lisa Velazquez's new article, Cultural Iceberg: A Metaphor For Transitioning Into A New Culture.

If you would like to contribute an article to our newsletters, feel free to send us your new, original, 1000-word, quality article for us to review, anytime.

Many thanks and enjoy your day/evening! Andrea

Have You Been Repatriated With Your Current Employer In The Last Two Years?

Hi Everyone, If you are a professional female who has been repatriated with your current employer in the last two years, please consider helping Marcia Viera, a Master of Psychology student at the University of Western Australia, who is conducting a survey which needs more female responses.

"I am currently conducting some research into the repatriation process due to the high level of adjustment problems and turnover associated with repatriation after an international assignment...

I am hoping you may help me by distributing a link to a 20 minute online survey to your subscribers, requesting their confidential participation. I am particularly contacting you due to the high number of male responses and I am hoping to improve my research by getting a greater balance of gender amongst my participants. Thank you very much."

Researcher:
Marcia Vieira
Master of Psychology Student
vieirm01@student.uwa.edu.au
Ph: +61 407 507 373

Supervisor:
Professor John Cordery
Business School
john.cordery@uwa.edu.au
Ph: +61 8 6488 2006

12th Annual Talent Management Summit, Chicago, US, October 26-28, 2009

Hi Everyone, If your job is HR/talent management/recruitment, you might like to mark your calender that the annual (US) Talent Management Summit is coming up next month in Chicago.

From October 26-28, you can join in the action at the Wyndham Lisle-Chicago Hotel, Chicago, IL. Here are some official words from the organizers:

"The largest industry gathering of talent management professionals returns to exciting Chicago! Guaranteed to invigorate and improve your talent management strategy, The 12th Annual Talent Management Summit will bring together Fortune 500 leaders to share their recession-proof talent strategies.

The war for talent has completely changed. It's more important than ever to retain and develop your current employees. The 12th Annual Talent Management Summit provides strategies to:

• Assess which leadership skills matter most;
• Develop different types of people;
• Upgrade your talent pools;
• Sharpen your talent;
• Be smarter about how to approach talent issues; and
• Prepare for the turnaround.

View the final agenda here."

Other links of interest:

Confirmed conference speakers

Pricing and discounts

Workshops

Horrible Crime In An Expat Gated Community in Spain

Hi Everyone, I just read a very disturbing story in the Telegraph UK entitled Expat Journey To The Heart Of Darkness.

The sub-title read: "The rape and murder of a child by another child in an expat gated community in Spain forced questions on neighbours that they never wanted to ask themselves."

It is about a horrible crime committed in 2004 - and the recent release of the perpetrator. The author gives her take on the effect of that crime both on her and on her community.

It is a very sad story which reiterates how 'the good life' does not always mean 'the safer life'.

This Month's Issue of Mobility Magazine

Hi Everyone, It's been a while since we've given a shout-out to Worldwide ERC's Mobility Magazine, but we see that the cover article was co-written by our September Success Story feature woman, Liz Perelstein (together with Lucy Mellors). So, here is Liz's article link, Searching for Schools in a New Country: Meeting Children’s Special Needs and here are the other features this month:

The River Is Wide… but the Revenue Stream Is Narrow
By Maggie Kiesow, CRP, GMS, and Joan Harpootlian Thomas, SCRP

Balancing Talent Management and Costs in a New Economy—New Concepts in U.S. Domestic Relocation
By Lina Paskevicius, CRP, and Crystal Abbey

Family Issues: Developing Policy Flexibility to Meet Family Needs
By Elizabeth D. Nunan, CRP, GMS, and Susan Vittorio, CRP

Tracing the Roots of Success: Evaluating the Life-long Benefits of an International Education
By Alex Bailey

Going the Distance with Online Education
By Charlie Strater, GMS

Pre-qualification of Potential Employees Based on Home Marketability Assessments
By Marian Weilert Sauvey, Esq.

Focusing in on Relocation Training—a Clear Picture for Future Success
By Michelle Sandlin, CRP

If you are interested in contributing to this well-known industry magazine which reaches 30,000 readers, here are Mobility Magazine's Author's Guidelines. If you get something included, drop us a line and we'll give you a shout-out on our blog.

Best wishes, Andrea.

Interested In Writing For Fearless Woman Magazine?

Hi Everyone, For some time now, I have been following Adrienne Graham's Empowered Career Women Blog and have mentioned her here a couple of times. Adrienne is an experienced diversity recruiter, who recently published Go Ahead, Talk To Strangers: The Modern Girl's Guide To Fearless Networking.

One of the things I like about Adrienne is her constant encouragement of women to defy stereotypes and to make their mark on the world. In true Adrienne style, she is launching a quarterly magazine in January 2010 entitled Fearless Woman Magazine... and she is looking for writers.

"We are... announcing an open call for writers. We are currently looking for new and experienced writers with the ability to resonate with our core audience. If interested please contact us... or indicate that you're interested in the message box when you sign up at the website. You may download the Writer's Guidelines at this link. For a media kit, editorial calendar or advertising information, please contact us via email." Click here to learn more.

Good luck Adrienne - and good luck to any interested writers amongst us! Andrea

Need A Smile? Check Out The JK Wedding Entrance Dance

Hi Everyone, Occasionally, we'll include a video on our blog if it grabs our attention or gives us a 'feel good' feeling. This one does...

If you are not one of the 23+ million people who have already viewed the JK Wedding Entrance Dance, take a few minutes and give yourself a smile...

Full marks to Jill and Kevin for turning their unexpected fame into a positive outcome - setting up a website and asking people to donate to an institute that helps prevent domestic violence.

Thanks to my friend Dr Angela Huntsman, an expat American in Australia, for sending it through.

Enjoy! Andrea.

Interested In Short-Term Research Work? More New Locations Added For Passport Career

Hi Everyone, Following on from our blog posts about Susan Musich's need for short-term researchers for PassportCareer, Susan has added more new locations to her list.

The current list (including new locations plus those still needing researchers) reads as follows:

Afghanistan, Albania, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia, Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Comoros Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, French Guiana, Georgia, Guyana, Honduras, India (New Delhi), Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Montenegro, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovenia, South Africa (Cape Town), Sri Lanka, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, United States (Orlando, St Louis, Cincinnati, Columbus, Phoenix, Seattle, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, San Diego, Washington DC), Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe.

If you are interested in completing a short-term research project for one of the locations above, please read this previous blog post (important), then express your interest via email to Susan directly.

Many thanks... and good luck! Andrea

Note: If you live in a city in the United States which is not listed above but which has offices of Fortune 500 companies, Susan is interested to hear from you too. (Except if you live in one of the cities that she already has a researcher: Austin; Houston; Raleigh; Los Angeles; Boston; San Francisco; Dallas; New York; Miami; Chicago; Minneapolis; Washington DC; Detroit; Denver; Atlanta; Baltimore; and Columbus.) Thanks.

Working Visas For Expat Spouses In India

Hi Everyone, Kathleen Van Der Wilk of the Permits Foundation thought you might be interested in this front-page article last month from the Economic Times in India, entitled: Visa norms crush Indian job dream for expat spouses.

It echoes the cries of many expat spouses all around the world. Good luck to the Permits Foundation in trying to lobby countries like India for more user-friendly rules on expat spouse work visas!

American Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center - New Name

Hi Everyone, One of our home page feature articles this month is the Expat Confession: Domestic Violence Abroad. In that feature, we named The American Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center as a suggested resource.

Just confirming that yes, this is the new name for the American Domestic Violence Crisis Line, founded by one of our previous Success Story interviewees, Paula Lucas. Thanks.

PS. They are looking for volunteers who can attend training in Portland, Oregon, September 12-13. For more details, click here.

Expat Women Reach 5,000 Members

Hi Everyone, We are very excited to announce that we now have more than 5,000 expatriate women worldwide who are active on our membership database. (Well, this includes some men too, but mostly women.) These members come from 140 nationalities and are based in 178 countries.

THANK YOU to all of you who have helped us grow this fabulous resource since we launched in January 2007. Please keep helping us grow by sharing Expat Women with your friends, networks and local expat groups, as well as contributing Stories, Blogs, Articles & more.

THANKS so very much! Andrea.

Expat Women September Home Page

Hi Everyone, We have just uploaded our Expat Women September home page and we invite you to take a look at September's features and interviews:

Success Story
Elizabeth Perelstein
School Choice International
Liz Perelstein founded School Choice International, which now has 90 consultants in 50 locations worldwide. Liz also co–founded the British International School of New York, is a member of the WPO and was a semi–finalist in the 2009 International Women of Influence Awards...
Read more…

Business Idea
Firefly Coaching
Stephanie Ward
Stephanie is an American living in the Netherlands. Her passion for helping people inspired her to start Firefly Coaching, which aims to help small business owners grow their businesses into long–term sustainable enterprises... and have a great life at the same time...
Read more…

Visa Issues?
Top Tips For Getting Your Visa
Mark Johnstone
Ever fancied a life overseas? Well, chances are that you will need a visa. Moving to a new country can be a complex as well as daunting prospect and if there is one thing that can shatter your dream move, it is failing to obtain that all-important visa...
Read more…

Travel Writers
Learn From Lonely Planet Regular...
Celeste Brash
Celeste's travel articles have appeared in Islands Magazine, Voyageur Magazine and she is a regular contributor to the column Travels with Lonely Planet. She has also co-authored over a dozen Lonely Planet books. She lives in Tahiti, French Polynesia...
Read more…

Career Plan B
How Prepared Are You if You Lost Your Job Tomorrow?
Kelly Magowan
When it comes to 21st century employment and security, there is no doubt a healthy mix of pessimism is required. No matter how great you are at what you do, external factors can make us all vulnerable...
Read more…

Expat Confession
Domestic Violence Abroad
Expat Women Girlfriend
Hi. My friend is being beaten by her husband. She belongs to my book group and the other day she burst into tears. Her husband is very stressed at work and apparently drinks a lot and then comes home and gets angry very easily...
Read more…

Not A Member Yet?
If you are not an ExpatWomen.com member yet, please support us by signing up today. Our next members' newsletter should then come to your inbox next week.

Thank you very much and enjoy your September! Andrea

Are You An Innovative Expat Women Entrepreneur?

Hi Everyone, If you are an innovative, expat women entrepreneur who might like to gain some recognition and business exposure by being featured on our site, please pitch yourself (or your friends) to us here and tell us why you/they are fabulous!

3 Things To Remember Please:

(1) Make sure that your/their business idea has not already been covered by one of our previous Business Ideas interviews;

(2) Make sure your/their business has been running for at least six months; and

(3) Do not forget to tell us your/their nationality, current location and contact details.

Many thanks, Everyone! Andrea

Americans Abroad Sought For Radio Roundtable On Healthcare Comparions

Hi Everyone, Chelsea Merz, Producer of The Takeaway, is looking for Americans abroad for a roundtable to discuss how healthcare in the United States compares to other places.

"The Takeaway is the new national morning news program that delivers the news and analysis you need to catch up, start your day, and prepare for what's ahead. Host John Hockenberry, along with the BBC World Service, The New York Times and WGBH Boston, invites listeners every morning to learn more and be part of the American conversation on-air and online..."

If you are interested, please urgently email Chelsea directly. The roundtable is for Friday 28 August 2009. Thanks.

Expat Women: Tell Us Your Stories

Hi Everyone, Now that the Summer holidays are winding down for many of you, we're sure you have plenty of stories to tell. So please help us out by submitting a story to our Stories section. This is a well-read section of our site but we always need more contributions.

If you are not sure what to submit, please jump onto our Story Guidelines page for some direction. Many, many thanks!

Expat Eco Expo Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: October 17-18

Hi Everyone, If you are living in, or thinking of living in Malaysia, mark your calendars to attend the upcoming Expat Eco Expo '09.

The big event will take place on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th October 2009, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

The Expo is being run by Tri-Concepts Sdn Bhd - the group that publishes The Expat Magazine (Malaysia's leading monthly magazine for expats, that offers free subscriptions here) and numerous other publications, as well as maintains a host of websites (including ExpatKL.com, MM2H.com, and DineMalaysia.com) and memberships that cater to the needs of resident expats and promote Malaysia internationally.

I am excited to be part of the exhibition this year! If you go to the Expo, please call in and say hi at the Expat Women stand. Thanks. :-)

Leman Expat Fair - Switzerland

Hi Everyone, The Léman Expat Fair is coming up on September 27. If you are in Switzerland in the Geneva/Montreux area, you may like to take part. Here are some official words for Expat Women members from Mrs Jos van Megchelen:

"Don’t miss the 3rd edition of the Léman Expat Fair in Morges. 100 exhibitors – businesses, services, schools, organizations, clubs, etc. - will be available to help you integrate fast and easy in the Geneva-Montreux area. Also a lot of information is present for the English speakers already here for a longer period of time.

Free admission, Free parking and Fun for the kids. Enhance your expat experience and visit the Léman Expat Fair on Sunday September 27 from 10am until 5pm. Thank you!"

Congratulations Kim Edwards: Success Story Woman Wins Top Local Honour

Hi Everyone, Congratulations go out today to Kim Edwards, featured as our Expat Women August Success Story, who last week won one of the most prestigious business awards in her local region. Kim took out the Sunshine Coast Business Woman Of The Year award (Australia) - a much-coveted award which is highly competitive.

The judges commented in the press that:

"Ms Hamer said the judging panel had also been impressed by Ms Edwards' community-minded approach to teaching English around the world.
"The thing that struck me about her was that she considered English was not a privilege, it was a necessity for everyone to have," Ms Hamer said.

"When she went into one country, the English-speaking schools were charging thousands of dollars for people to do their program.

"She said 'we didn't need to charge that, we charged what we charged'. It was about everyone having the opportunity to learn."

Ms Hamer said Ms Edwards would be a wonderful ambassador for the Sunshine Coast Business Women's Network because she was a "personable person"."

Congratulations Kim and congratulations Sea English Academy!

Interested In Economic And Currency Updates?

Hi Everyone, Our Bronze Sponsor Exchange4Free offers free market reports (for economic and/or currency updates) and would like to invite anyone interested to check out their sample reports and/or sign up to their free newsletter here.

"Exchange4free provide both private clients and corporate businesses with a simple online foreign exchange solution to transferring money around the world. We offer great exchange rates, very low transfer costs and an easy to use online system. Clients can simply register online, login, select your destination and book an FX rate on our live 24 hour dealing facility.

Alternatively, clients can call our FX dealers for an unbeatable quote on your foreign exchange transaction. Exchange4free is an authorized money service business in the United Kingdom and has been operating for over 5 years.

Please view our Exchange4free website and feel free to contact us should you have questions relating to foreign exchange and doing international money transfers."

Update On Work Opportunity For Expats & Repatriates In The United States

Hi Everyone, If you are currently an expatriate or repatriate in the United States, and you might be interested in the opportunity to work as a Destination Services Consultant for Coppergate International, here is an update on last month's blog post...

Kerrie Wiseman, Managing Director of Coppergate International, is still looking for either expatriates living in the United States who could draw on their personal experience of relocating to help others move into their current location or for American Citizens who have relocated overseas and returned to the US.

With flexible hours, the role is perfect for spouses accompanying their partners on assignment or anyone without full-time work commitments.

Employees for all locations within the US will be considered, as Coppergate International’s business is growing rapidly.

However, the most urgent locations are currently:
FL: Orlando, Tampa and Sarasota
CA: Santa Clara Valley
GA: Atlanta, Savannah and Marietta
TX: Midland, Burleson, and Irving
MA: Attleboro, Boston and Lexington
PA: Pittsburgh
NC: Wendell and Greensboro
SC: Newberry
UT: Salt Lake City

If you are interested, please urgently:
(1) Visit Coppergate International's site to learn more about Coppergate International’s business; then
(2) Introduce yourself to Kerrie directly; and
(3) Kindly give Kerrie an overview of your expatriate experience, together with your reasons for being interested in this exciting role.

If you are not interested, please feel free to forward this to anyone you know who might be interested.

Many thanks, best wishes and good luck! Andrea

Disclaimer: Kerrie has generously agreed to make a small donation to Expat Women for each Destination Service Consultant appointed. Thanks for your support, Kerrie!

Moving To The United States?

Hi Everyone, If you are going to the United States as an expatriate, you might like to take a quick read of Coppergate International's article (written for their client base of employers and published in their latest newsletter) about medical issues when moving to the United States.

"Entering the US and navigating the medical system is one of the most frightening aspects of a transferee's transition into life here. If they are arriving from a country that has a centralized medical system, (such as the National Health Service in the United Kingdom) it is an incredibly difficult adjustment to have to reach for your wallet each time you step into a doctor’s office. To ensure your transferees start off the right way for their medical requirements, our tips would be..."

Want To Write For Expat Info Desk?

Hi Everyone, I have been corresponding with Maelle at Expat Info Desk and she would like to reach out to the experienced expats in our audience...

"Are you currently living away from home country? Are you willing to share your knowledge of the city you are currently living in as an expatriate? Do you have a strong writing experience? Then you may be the next Expat Info Desk writer we are looking for.

We're currently searching for expatriates with the following skills:

• Specialised knowledge and living experience of a city listed below;
• Professional writing experience, in particular in travel;
• Proven ability for excellent research (in the field as much as in front of your computer!);
• Ability to work independently and manage tight deadlines;
• Experienced expatriate (the more relocations you have gone through, the better!) ;
• Basic computer skills (Word, Internet); and
• English as mother tongue.

All our authors are freelancers, hired on a contract by-contract basis. We do not employ staff writers.

Destinations

• Abu Dhabi;
• Amsterdam;
• Auckland;
• Bangalore;
• Budapest;
• Buenos Aires;
• Cape Town;
• Chicago;
• Copenhagen;
• Houston;
• Jakarta;
• Johannesburg;
• Kuala Lumpur;
• Madrid;
• Mexico City;
• Mumbai;
• Prague;
• Rome;
• Seoul;
• Toronto;
• Seoul;
• Saigon/Ho Chi Minh;
• Vancouver;
• Vienna; and
• Zurich.

If you think you have the right profile, send us a cover letter, your CV and examples of your writing work to the following address: writers@expatinfodesk.com."

To see this information on the Expat Info Desk site, just click here.

Good luck if you go for it! Andrea

Want To Speak At The FIGT Conference, Houston, March 2010?

Hi Everyone, If you are interested in speaking at the upcoming Families In Global Transition (FIGT) Conference, here is a final reminder that the proposal deadline is September 1.

The 2010 FIGT conference will be held in Houston, Texas, March 4-6. It is honestly a great conference to go to if you are involved in the industry supporting families/expats abroad. The people that attend are like 'old friends' and you should genuinely get something out of it... especially if you get a chance to speak there as well.

I Am Not A Tourist Fair - October 25 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Hi Everyone, If you are living in (or considering living in) The Netherlands, the now-famous I Am Not A Tourist Fair is the place for you to be on October 25. I am actually going to be at the Fair this year, so mark your calendars and come and say 'hi' to me at our Expat Women stand. Andrea :-)

"Don’t miss the “i am not a tourist” Fair on Sunday, 25 October. It’s all an expat needs to make the most of life in the Netherlands.

Whether you have lived here for 10 days or 10 years, make sure you keep Sunday the 25 October free on your calendars for this once-a-year opportunity.

“i am not a tourist” 2009 will be an interactive extravaganza of experts and companies specialising in expatriate life, workshops, networking, and entertainment.

We’ve invited 90 exhibitors to offer you a helping hand. Have a chat with a recruitment agent, get a word of advice on house hunting, compare universities for your master’s degree, join a group or club and mix with thousands of other internationals.

Get invaluable information about surviving abroad, attend seminars on meditation, landing that perfect job or pubic speaking, and enjoy superb entertainment and networking opportunities. The programme includes workshops on whiskey tasting, salsa, improv comedy, and chocolate and sushi making as well as on-stage performances by standup comedians and salsa dancers. Bring the family along, as we have a dedicated kids corner!

Tickets are FREE when ordered online at: www.expatica.com/iamnotatourist."

Expat Show Shanghai - September 18-20

Hi Everyone, With new expat arrivals in lots of cities worldwide, the expat exhibition season is getting into full swing. If you are living in Shanghai, drop in to their Expat Show next month at the Shanghai Exhibition Center.

This exhibition is in it's third year and it is expecting to attract around 200 exhibitors this year. The Expat Show is also putting on a range of activities (like their Associations Village, Kindergarten, Soccer Tournament and Art Gallery). Plus they are promoting that there will be special deals that will be on offer from travel agencies, clothing and jewellery shops, art galleries, food and beverage providers, and more.

So, if you are in Shanghai... mark your calendar and register now.

Expat Women August Newsletter

Hi Everyone, If you are an Expat Women member and you did not receive our Newsletter for August 2009 in the last 24 hours, please let us know here.

In addition to our August home page features, our newsletter includes: the name of our Explorer Publishing mini-guide pack winner; our winning story Lost in Translation; as well as the following article from Stacie Nevadomski Berdan, who has been a Success Story interviewee on our site in the past:

Financial Peace of Mind Abroad
Planning a move to another country is filled with excitement, yet also the daunting realization that you must deal with many administrative details as you enter the global workforce. You need to stay organized...

Welcome to all of our new members and welcome home to anyone who has just repatriated!

Have a wonderful day/evening! Andrea.

Settling-In To Life In Malaysia

Hi Everyone, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is treating me really well! Everyone is really friendly and the food, shopping and leisure-time activities are fantastic. It is very hard to find an expat that does not love living here.

Slowly-but-surely, I am coming up for air in the relocation process... so hopefully this blog's momentum should pick up again soon. Thanks for your patience - and a special thank you for the emailed messages of support and good wishes, Andrea.

Moving to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!

Hi Everyone, It has been a little quiet on this blog of late because my family and I are moving next week to international assignment number three: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

From Australia, to Indonesia, to Mexico, to Australia... and now to Malaysia... I suppose I will be what you call an expat-repat-expat... or something like that. For those of you living in KL, please reach out and help me out a little. :-)

For those of you overwhelmed with your own intenational move right now, hang in there - there is usually light at the end of the tunnel!

Thanks and best wishes always, Andrea.

Expat Women August Home Page

Hi Everyone, We uploaded today our Expat Women August home page (a little early) and we invite you take a look at this month's features and interviews:

Success Story
Kim Edwards
Sea English Academy
Since 1979, Kim Edwards has worked and travelled across 59 nations, including disaster relief work in Iraq, Lebanon, the West Bank and Jordan. Now, she runs Sea English Academy International, which delivers training in more than 20 locations across 15 countries worldwide…
Read more…

Business Idea
Ark International
Kate Lorenz
Kate Lorenz is the Managing Director and a Co-Founder of Ark International – a housing and orientation company based in Shanghai, China with a subsidiary office in Moscow, Russia. Kate is a Brit who grew up in Africa and the Middle East. She moved to China seven years ago...
Read more…

Motivational
Living Courageously In An Economic Crisis
Robin Fay McNair
How much fear is too much? In the past eight years there has been an epidemic of fear in just about every walk of life. But should we just stay home and quit doing anything altogether?
Read more…

A Broad Abroad
The Expat Wife's Guide To Successful Living Abroad
Robin Pascoe
We talk to the Expat Expert, Robin Pascoe about the relaunch of her original ‘Culture Shock: A Wife’s Guide’ and what she has learned about support for expat spouses over 20 years...
Read more…

Salary Negotiation
Tips For Women
Kelly Magowan
Studies show that women are highly uncomfortable with salary negotiation and as a result we avoid it. Even when we do enter into salary negotiation we do not actively seek out the best deal for ourselves, but rather look to...
Read more…

Expat Confession
Raising Bilingual Children
EW Girlfriend
We are a British family about to move to Brazil. One of my major concerns about our move is that none of us speak Portuguese. Other people have told me that children are fast learners when it comes to language and it will all work out once I get there, but will it?
Read more…

Not A Member Yet?
If you are not an ExpatWomen.com member yet, please support us by signing up today. Our next members' newsletter should then come to your inbox next week.

Thanks and enjoy your weekend!

Andrea

Happy Planet Index

Hi Everyone, Some of you might be interested in the Happy Planet Index (HPI) that we learnt about it this week when we were approving Rosangela Silva's This Australian Life blog for our Expat Women Blog Directory.

It is not an index of the happiest people or places, but it is an index which aims to measure "what truly matters to us - our well-being in terms of long, happy and meaningful lives - and what matters to the planet - our rate of resource consumption".

Here are the Top 10 countries on the Happy Planet Index:

1. Costa Rica;
2. Dominican Republic;
3. Jamaica;
4. Guatemala;
5. Vietnam;
6. Colombia;
7. Cuba;
8. El Salvador;
9. Brazil; and
10. Honduras.

The positions of other countries of interest include:

53. Sweden;

74. United Kingdom;

75. Japan;

89. Canada;

102. Australia;

103. New Zealand;

114. United States; and

123. United Arab Emirates.

143. (Last position) Zimbabwe

"Download the new report The Happy Planet Index 2.0: Why good lives don’t have to cost the Earth, first published in July 2009. The report presents the results of the second global compilation of the Happy Planet Index, based on improved data for 143 countries around the world – representing 99 per cent of the world’s population. The results show that globally we are still far from achieving good lives within the Earth’s finite resource limits. But although the evidence shows that we are heading in the wrong direction, the achievements of some countries around the world provide reasons to believe that we can achieve true sustainable well-being."

Have a great day/evening! Andrea

Culture Smart Looking For Writer For India

Hi Everyone, The Culture Smart series needs a writer for India...

Quoting Jo Parfitt's blog:

"The ideal author is an English-speaking expatriate who has lived in the country for some time and is thoroughly well versed in the local culture."

"Kuperard’s Culture Smart guides are short introductory books that alert first-time visitors to the values and attitudes of different countries. They do not duplicate the hard information given in conventional guidebooks but rather focus on the human dimension, on a country’s culture, so as to enable foreign visitors both to be understanding guests and to get the most out of their visit..."

"Kuperard plans to publish a completely new volume on India next year. The book will follow an established series format, and the text will be between 28,000 and 30,000 words long. The fee is £1,000, payable half on receipt and acceptance of the manuscript, and half thirty days afterwards."

If you are interested in this project, please email Jo Parfitt in the first instance. Thanks.

Expat Women: Got A Story For Us?

Hi Everyone, If you have a little time over this holiday season, please consider helping us out by submitting a story to our Stories section.

This is a well-read section of our site but we always need more contributions. If you are not sure what to submit, please jump onto our Story Guidelines page for some direction.

Many, many thanks! Andrea

Amsterdam Uitburo (AUB) Needs English-Speaking Web Editor For Amsterdam

Hi Everyone, If you are a native English speaker who also has an intermediate level of the Dutch language, you might be interested in the 24-hour week web editor position (to start 1 September 2009) at Amsterdam's Uitburo.

"The Amsterdam Uitburo (AUB) is the collective marketing organisation for the cultural sector in Amsterdam. The mission of the AUB is to encourage people to make use of the city’s extensive range of cultural activities including; exhibitions, dance, music, theatre, opera and festivals."

Sounds like a fun position... but be fast, applications close 17 July.

More details on iamsterdam.com here. Good luck to you if you apply!

Expat Survey: Italy & The Netherlands

Hi Everyone, Chiara Giordano is looking for expats in Italy and The Netherlands to complete a survey for her thesis research...

"My name is Chiara, an Italian 24 year-old girl living near Milan. I'm currently enrolled in the master of social and political communication at the "Università degli di Studi di Milano".

At this moment I'm involved in my degree thesis concerning the expatriates coming in Italy and in the Netherlands: the process that the expatriate and in particular their family goes through while adapting and adjusting to the host country.

I have prepared a short survey about the move of the expatriate to Italy and the Netherlands... and... I really need your help because it is difficult for me to reach expatriates. Thank you in advance for your cooperation!"

Here are the links with the survey:
Expats in the Netherlands
Expats in Italy

If you can help Chiara, please do. Thanks.

Work Opportunity For Expatriates Or Repatriates In The United States

Hi Everyone, If you are currently an expatriate or repatriate in the United States, are you interested in the opportunity to work as a Destination Services Consultant for Coppergate International?

Kerrie Wiseman, Managing Director of Coppergate International, is currently looking for either expatriates living in the United States who could draw on their personal experience of relocating to help others move into their current location or for American Citizens who have relocated overseas and returned to the US.

With flexible hours, the role is perfect for spouses accompanying their partners on assignment or anyone without full-time work commitments.

Employees for all locations within the US will be considered, as Coppergate International’s business is growing rapidly.

However, the most urgent locations are:
IL: Chicago
FL: Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, Tampa and Sarasota
CA: Santa Clara Valley
GA: Atlanta, Savannah and Marietta
TX: Midland, Burleson
DC: Washington DC
MA: Attleboro, Boston and Lexington
NY: New York City
PA: Pittsburgh

If you are interested, please urgently:
(1) Visit Coppergate International's site to learn more about Coppergate International’s business; then
(2) Introduce yourself to Kerrie directly; and
(3) Kindly give Kerrie an overview of your expatriate experience, together with your reasons for being interested in this exciting role.

If you are not interested, please feel free to forward this to anyone you know who might be interested.

Many thanks, best wishes and good luck! Andrea

Disclaimer: Kerrie has generously agreed to make a small donation to Expat Women for each Destination Service Consultant appointed. Thanks for your support, Kerrie!

Want To Win A Laptop? Denmark.Net

Hi Everyone, Remember Denmark.net (the company that recently gave away a trip to the famous Copenhagen Jazz Festival)?

Well, this time they are giving away an Asus laptop, or "netbook" as they call it. Entries are welcome from all over the world and yes, they will "ship the prize free of charge" (we checked with them) to wherever you are located.

To enter, visit Denmark.net today. Entries close 1 September 2009.

We wish you all the best of luck! Andrea

Best Top 50 Companies For Women (UK)

Hi Everyone, Entries close next month for Aurora's 2009 Where Women Want To Work TOP 50 with The Times. Companies with 1,000+ staff in the UK are eligible to apply.

To register your organisation's interest in entering and to receive further information, please click here. Organisations will then receive the full entry details. Good luck!

Globe Women Newsletter: Croatia's New Female Prime Minister & More...

Hi Everyone, Two interesting segments in Globe Women's newsletter yesterday that might interest you:

Croatia's New Female Prime Minister

There is a new addition to the elite group of women who lead nations. The Honorable Jadranka Kosor became Croatia’s first female Prime Minister on July 6, 2009, after the mid-term resignation of former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader who had served for six years. Her ascension increases the number of women serving as Presidents or Prime Ministers to 18 or 9.2% of the total number of leaders holding these titles – a sharp increase from 5.4% in 2004 when the Global Summit of Women first started tracking these numbers.

A former Minister of Family, Veterans and Inter-generational Solidarity, Ms. Kosor also served as Croatia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Vice President of the Croatian Democratic Union. She is credited with doubling the number of female candidates in her party during the 2000 elections. In her recent speech to her parliamentary colleagues to secure their support, she made a direct appeal to the women MPs: “"Women should be given a chance where there is real power and money. This is a right opportunity for that," she said and added further: “I will lead both the government and the (HDZ) party with a strong female hand.”

A lawyer by training who built an exemplary career as a journalist prior to entering politics, Prime Minister Kosor faces an economic crisis as well as the challenge of reviving Croatia’s stalled efforts to become a member of the European Union. (Source: Yahoo.com, 7/6/09).


Xerox's Newest CEO: Ursula Burns

At Xerox’s May shareholder’s meeting, Ursula Burns was named as the successor to current CEO Anne Mulcahy, who was stepping down in a well-planned transition. Burns will be the first African American female CEO, making Xerox the first Fortune 500 company to be headed back to back by two women. Mulcahy is credited for turning Xerox around and saving it from near bankruptcy. She has also successfully executed a smooth succession in the leadership of the company, providing continuity of the turnaround she spearheaded. The number of women CEOs of U.S. Fortune 500 companies remains, however, at 15, or 3%.

Burns has played a pivotal role at Xerox in recent years: overseeing corporate strategy, global accounts, IT and human resources. She worked alongside Mulcahy during her efforts to revitalize Xerox. Burns successfully negotiated with the company's unions to cut thousands of jobs. While Xerox's share price is still low, the company is profitable again and has expanded its market. At a speech at Oregon State University in September, Burns commented on Xerox’s turnaround: "We are poised for greatness and for success. We have pulled ourselves back from the brink of bankruptcy and taught ourselves that we can do just about anything we aspire to do, if we work hard and put our head down." (Source: NPR News, 5/22/09)

Expat Schooling Abroad

Hi Everyone, School Choice International are asking "What makes a successful or unsuccessful expat schooling experience?"

If you would like to contribute your experiences on their blog, they are currently rewarding contributors with a free, one-week subscription to their Global Education Explorer - "the only web tool that enables families to compare and understand education across the globe".

So, if you have an experience to share and/or you would like to look inside their new Global Education Explorer product, you might like to visit their blog while the offer stands.

Best wishes, Andrea.

ExpatFinder.com Relaunched: Now Offers Product Comparisons & Quotations

Hi Everyone, Our friends at ExpatFinder.com have just revamped and relaunched their site. They now offer product comparison and quotation request features to help expatriates find cost effective solutions. Here's some info from their press release:

"More expats are now facing greater challenges abroad as a result of cut backs caused by the economic recession. ExpatFinder.com are addressing these needs in five key products channels which are Housing & Real Estate, Finance, Insurance, Relocation services and Education. The services are introduced in a new product comparison and quotation request offering as part a major design overhaul of ExpatFinder.com.

...The new website comes with an extensive offering of detailed tips and advice articles as well as more than 40 free downloadable city guides to help the international employees and their families in every step of their move and life abroad."

Francois and Sébastien, we wish your new-look site all the best. :-)

PS. Their expat web search tool still exists on the site, even if it is a little harder to find. You need to click on Web Search at the top of their pages (or for now, just click here).

Expat Advisory Site Now Global

Hi Everyone, Expat Advisory Services have announced this month that they have turned global - now listing over 200 countries - and they have added more functionality for users to promote their businesses, events and/or general awareness via listings and articles, such as reviews or interviews.

"After 6 years of having to update and post on behalf of others we thought that it was time to hand control over to you. Users will the ability to: add a business listing -with full details including web links; participate on the forums; and create events - with links to your business listing; directly submit content (articles) - for approval; list their blog; and add a discount coupon for your business."

If you have a business to promote, anywhere in the world and/or you are interested in submitting content for publication on expat sites, EAS's new changes might be of particular interest to you.

Cartier Women's Initiative Awards: Finalists

Hello Everyone, We saw today that the finalists have been announced in the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards for 2009.

The winners will only be announced on October 19, but in the meantime, if you are interested in who is in the running to receive an award and/or you would like to learn more about the competition for yourself, just visit the Cartier awards site here... and best of luck if you enter next year!

Reminder: Stevie Awards For Women In Business - Early-Bird Deadline 31 July

Hello Everyone, Just a reminder that 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!