Expat Women April 2010 Home Page

Hi Everyone, We have just uploaded our Expat Women April 2010 home page. Please take a look, share it with your friends and tweet about it for us. Thanks!

Success Story
Beverly Mayhew
Orientations
Beverly Dwiggins Mayhew is the founder of Orientations and distinguished as a pioneer of destination services in Asia Pacific. A long-time devotee to the field of international human resources, Bev’s company has offices in nine Asian Pacific countries...
Read more…

Business Idea
Francesca Chocolate
Cornelia Francesca Maeder
Swiss Master Chocolatier Cornelia Francesca Maeder is a talented expat entrepreneur with a big vision: she wants to create products (chocolate, seminars, books, CDs and more) that positively contribute to the health, success and happiness of everyone touched by her brand..
Read more…

FIGT Report
Families in Global Transition Conference 2010
Rebecca Grappo
Imagine a huge convergence of people who represent families who are in, or understand, global transition. One cannot measure the level of energy nor the buzz of excitement that filled the air of the conference center as old friends reunited and new friendships were made...
Read more…

Facebook
New Book: Facebook Fairytales
Modern-Day Miracles To Inspire The Human Spirit
Emily Liebert
We talk to Emily Liebert about Facebook Fairytales, which presents twenty-five true, heart-warming stories from the world’s most popular social networking site. Emily shares her inspiration, her favorite stories and her impressions of CEO Mark Zuckerberg...
Read more…

Expat Confession
Not Welcome
Expat Women Girlfriend
Help! My husband’s job has taken us to a small, remote, island community in the middle of nowhere. The population is just over 1,000 people and the locals resent and bully the foreign community. They even chased an expat off the island who blogged about her time here...
Read more…

Expat Divorce Settlements
UK Case Study:
Agbaje v Agbaje (2010)
Carol Barraclough
The newly-reported case of Agbaje v Agbaje (2010) UKSC 13 has raised the issue of entitlement for spouses who have dual nationality in divorce proceedings. This is the first time that the Justices of the Supreme Court have...
Read more…

Not A Member Yet?
Just a reminder that our blog is separate from our main site, so if you are reading this blog post online or you are only subscribed to our blog, you will not automatically receive our Expat Women monthly newsletters. To receive our newsletter this month (which will come out around the middle of April) and to go in the running to win our monthly prize of a complete set of Explorer Publishing's Mini-Guides, please sign up today to our main site, ExpatWomen.com, and receive your free e-book of our Winning Stories!

Reminder
Have you told your friends? Our Amazon Kindle Competition (where you and a friend can both win a Kindle) closes on April 30. So please do encourage your friends to join Expat Women today!

Thank you very much and have a sensational April! Andrea

Expat Women: Got Stories To Tell?

Hi Everyone, Just a quick shout-out asking you to please keep submitting your expat women stories. So far, we have more than 250 kind readers who have generously made a submission, but we are always needing more quality stories for this very well-read section of our site. So please, submit your story here. You'd be surprised how your story might just help someone else and/or make their day!

Thanks in advance for your support and best wishes for your weekend, Andrea.

PS. Not sure what we are looking for in a story? Please read our Story Guidelines here. Thanks.

Report from ERC Global Mobility Conference in Hong Kong, March 10-11

Hi Everyone, I made a last-minute decision to attend the Worldwide ERC Conference (last week in Hong Kong. To my surprise, it was a very warm and friendly conference, I knew more people than I had expected, and the networking was wonderful. If you work in the global mobility and/or relocations industry, it’s a great, fun conference to be involved in and I encourage you to consider attending the upcoming conferences this year in Frankfurt, Germany (June) and Seattle, Washington (October).

Conference Sessions

To get an idea about what transpired at the conference, here is a list of the main sessions held:

• The New China (Opening Plenary)
• Managing Talent in the New Economy
• The HR Discipline of Measuring ROI
• The Effect of Global Economics on Workforce Mobility and Mobility Benefits
• Survive and Thrive in the ‘New Normal’ – Policy Trends Update and Interactive Workshop
• Global Mobility Benchmarking Workshop for Corporate HR Professionals
• Global Thought Leaders: Senior Strategists Dialogue
• Solutions Workshop: Alignment of Talent, Mobility, and Business Strategies
• Focus on Assignments in Indonesia
• Mobility Compensation Issues and Practices in Asia
• Understanding Localization and ‘Local Plus’
• India: Trends in Workforce Mobility
• Exploring Commuter and Short-Term Assignments
• The War for Talent in China: Benefits, Challenges
• Schooling Solutions for the Assignee’s Family
• Legal Update: Labor and Immigration Hot Issues
• Turn Obstacles into Opportunities Through Hope and Humor (Closing Plenary)

Insights

I am going to write up a conference report for our Expat Women April or May newsletter. But in the meantime, here are some interesting insights that I heard during the sessions:

• Last year, US$560 billion of residential property sold in China – which was an 80% increase from the year before – and clearly demonstrates the heightened activity in China at the moment

• The wealth of most of the richest residents in China is property-related, versus only 7 out of 100 on the US’s rich list being property-related.

• Martin Leese, HR manager for Citigroup (48,000 employees), commented that he is seeing a decrease in the acceptance rate of job offers – including for graduate jobs (which he noted was a general financial services trend in the United States right now).

• HR issue regarding expatriates: offering incentives that are ‘sustainable’. Various HR managers commented on their push to make expat job offers more consistent and their need to stop throwing incentives to expatriate employees that are not sustainable in the long-term.

• There was a general trend that ‘local plus’ packages (that is, local packages with some, but not all, extra/expat benefits).

• Brendan Ryan, MD Operations for Fragomen Global, said that in his twenty years of working in the field of immigration law and visas, he had never seen such a worldwide trend to both tighten and enforce immigration policies.

• Tax equalisation: Talk of more and more companies providing expat packages that are ‘tax neutral’ – that is, you don’t lose if you move to a higher-tax country with your employer, but you don’t win either (on the tax aspect... this discussion talked about 'other' benefits separately), if you move to a lower-tax country.

It goes without saying that not everyone agreed with everything (me included), but it was interesting to hear HR trends and listen to the perspectives of HR managers, who, it should be remembered, are constantly under pressure to reduce resource expenditure yet improve their company’s bottom line.

If you are not already an Expat Women member, please sign up so you don’t miss my full report in one of our upcoming newsletters. Thanks for your support, Andrea.

Tune Into Blog Talk Radio: Views From The Top: Friday 19 March,9am EST (US)

Hi Everyone, If you have never tuned into Adrienne Graham's great 'Views From The Top' on Blog Talk Radio, this Friday 19 March (9am EST/6am PST, US) is a great time to start. The topic on Friday's show will be adjusting to and thriving to life abroad including managing your career, business, cultural etiquette etc.

All going well, I'll be on the line with Adrienne, and I invite you to listen in and call in as well. The show goes for 90 minutes so the more questions, insight and stories you can share, the better.

PS. Congratulations also to Adrienne for her 'Views From The Top' (which has over 5,000 listeners) being selected this week as one of the Top 100 Heavy Hitter Shows for small business - and one of only eight shows selected from Blog Talk Radio's roster to have made the list! Full list here. Congrats Adrienne! Andrea

Internet Providers: Losing The Race

Yet again, I have been without Internet at home for nearly a week (hence the lack of blog posts, sorry). I have been calling my provider twice a day: keeping a calm voice; raising my voice; trying to be nice; trying to show my anger; trying any (honest) tactic I can to get a technician to come and fix the problem.

I have been at the wireless café nearby 3-4 times a day: sometimes 7am in the morning; sometimes 11pm at night; sometimes inside; sometimes camped outside like a squatter, trying to tap into their wireless network at odd hours. (Thankfully, so far, none of their employees have been diligent enough to turn off their Internet connection upon leaving at night.) The café is getting sick of seeing me and I’m getting sick of buying Iced Lemon Teas whilst pretending that I’m going to leave soon and/or buy some food.

Every time this happens, I think “why, why, why?” Why is it that we are blessed with such brilliant technology, but at any given point in time, there are thousands if not millions of us unable to partake in our global conversations because our Internet providers can’t keep up in the race? If we can keep up - and learn all the zillions of applications that we need to as users, why can’t the Internet service providers keep up?

Come on service providers: Step up, get fitter, boost your stamina, and don’t (make us all) lose the race.

Andrea

FIGT Conference

Hi Everyone, By all accounts, the Families in Global Transition (FIGT) conference last week in Houston was yet another great gathering of wonderful people in the relocation/global mobility industry. Congratulations to Kimberly Van Cleave Michaels, the FIGT Board and to everyone who had a hand in making this year's conference the annual success that it is.

Honorees

At the conference this year, the FIGT Board (and audience) honored two of our all-time favorites in this field for being "trailblazers" in the arena of support for globally mobile families. Congratulations Robin Pascoe and Jo Parfitt. You most certainly deserved to be honored and we thank you for all of your efforts over the years in helping expatriate families adjust, re-adjust and re-invent themselves abroad.

FIGT Article

Our friend Rebecca Grappo is kindly putting an FIGT conference article together for us for our April newsletter. If you have a few great photos to contribute to the article, please email them here.

FIGT 2011

Breaking recent tradition, the FIGT conference next year will be in Washington DC, not Houston. Mark your calendars now.

2011 Speakers

If you are interested in speaking at the 2011 conference, the request for proposals should be announced in April, with a deadline of September 2010. So start thinking of some fabulous, innovative topics and get ready to nominate yourself as a speaker for next year.

See you there in 2011! Andrea

Re:locate Magazine Gala Awards Dinner, May 2010, London

Hi Everyone, If you are in the relocation/global mobility industry and you either will be (or would like to be) in London on May 6, here is the link to book tickets for this year's annual Re:locate Magazine Gala Awards Dinner at the Institute of Directors in London's Pall Mall.

Individual tickets £150 + £26.25 VAT = £176.25.
Table for 10 people (5% discount) £1,425 + £249.38 VAT = £1,674.38.

This year's celebrity guest speaker will be award-winning author, journalist and broadcaster Libby Purves.

"Now presenter of Radio 4's live talk programme Midweek and its specialist education strand, The Learning Curve, Libby was previously the youngest-ever and first woman presenter of its flagship Today programme. Her writing credits include a weekly column for the Times, plus articles for Woman and Home, Yachting Monthly and numerous other newspapers and magazines. She was awarded the OBE in 1999 for services to journalism, and was Columnist of the Year in the same year.

Libby is the author of 12 successful novels, two autobiographies and a series of books on childcare and family life. One Summer's Grace, her account of a sailing journey around mainland Britain with her husband, Paul Heiney, and their children (then aged three and five), has become a classic travel memoir.

The daughter of a travelling diplomat, Libby has first-hand experience of life as an expatriate in several very different cultures, having been educated in Israel, Bangkok, France and Johannesburg before returning to the UK.

Libby is an extremely entertaining and experienced after-dinner speaker and host, and we are thrilled that she has agreed to participate in this year's Re:locate Awards."

Expat Women March 2010 Newsletter

Hi Everyone, We sent our Expat Women members' newsletter out successfully last week. If you are a member but did not receive our newsletter, please write to us here. If you are not a member of our main site, ExpatWomen.com, please join today to support us, receive your free e-book "Winning Stories" and to ensure you get our April newsletter delivered directly to your inbox. Thanks!

March Newsletter

In addition to our March Expat Women home page features, our March newsletter includes:

• The name of our Explorer Publishing mini-guide pack winner;
• Our winning story by Expat Women member Amanda (a Brit in Spain), entitled How I Learned Spanish;
• Sleep and Your Child - a new article by Deirdre Budd, a UK expat in The Netherlands; and
• Greenback Tax Services' advert for US expat tax preparation - for those of you looking for a helping hand in filing your US taxes.

Click here to read our March Newsletter online and have a great day/evening, Andrea.

Remember: Want to Win an Amazon Kindle for You and a Friend? This month we launched our 'Tell A Friend' competition. Please tell as many friends as you can to join ExpatWomen.com and at the end of April we will randomly select one new member who was referred by a friend and both they and the person who referred them will win a brand new Amazon Kindle. Thank you!

International Women's Days 2010 & 2011

Hi Everyone, International Women's Day (IWD) was celebrated across the globe today (or yesterday, depending on your time zone and depending on when you read this). Hopefully you, your friends, your associations and workplaces did something to make the day special. :-)

Believe it or not, planning has already started for next year, the centenary year (1911-2011) for IWD - to honour 100 years of International Women's Day. (Whilst the first IWD was declared in 1910, the first IWD event was held in 1911.)

To make 2011 extra-special, the official IWD website is launching its 2011 campaign planning now. They want to hear your ideas, visions, challenges in the lead up to the 2011 IWD Centenary. They are also actively looking for global supporters (corporations, charities, media partners, agencies, etc) to assist with their 2011 vision - calling for global partners to support various initiatives and opportunities.

For example:

* Establishment of International Women's Day Foundation
* IWD Centenary global logo competition for girls
* IWD Centenary '100 women, 100 stories' initiative
* IWD Centenary '100 women, 100 pictures' initiative
* Worldwide gender-related "Charity of Choice" for global donations
* Further IWD Centenary opportunities available

If you, your friends, your association and/or workplace can help, please get in touch with the IWD website here. Thanks.

Want to Win a Kindle for You and Your Friend?

Hi Everyone, In an effort to further raise awareness of Expat Women and the plethora of free resources we have available for women living abroad, please support our 'Tell A Friend' competition and tell as many friends as you can to join ExpatWomen.com and to answer "Friend" in the "How Did You Hear About Us?" box.

On 30 April at 5pm New York time, we will compile a list of every new member who was referred by a "Friend" and then ask someone independent of ExpatWomen.com to randomly select a winning number that will match one of the new member numbers who were referred by a "Friend".

The winning member will be emailed from contactus@expatwomen.com and asked who referred them. If they do not reply within seven calendar days they will be emailed again. If they do not reply within a further seven calendar days they will forfeit their chance to win and a new winner will be randomly selected. This process will continue until we have a winner who responds to the winning notification email with the name of their referring friend, so that we can be sure that we actually have a winner (and their referring friend) to claim these great prizes!

The winning member and their (one only) referrer (who must also be a current member of ExpatWomen.com) will each win an Amazon Kindle Wireless Reading Device (6" display diagonal E Ink® edition, 8" x 5.3" x 0.36") valued on Amazon.com at 1 March 2010 @ US$259. Judges decision will be final.

So please rally some support for us and encourage your friends to join Expat Women today!

Thanks so much in advance for your support, Andrea.

PS. In response to a few questions about this post, I need to add that: If you are already an ExpatWomen.com member and receive our monthly newsletters, you do not have to join again on the sign-up page. Just ask your friends to visit that page and sign up please. Thanks. :-)

Expat Women March 2010 Home Page

Hi Everyone, We have just uploaded our Expat Women March home page and encourage you to take a look, tweet it and share it with your friends...

Success Story
Deanne de Vries
VP Africa Strategic Initiatives, Agility (Kuwait)
Deanne De Vries is a career woman, a traveler and an adventurer. Born and raised in San Jose, California to Dutch parents, she has lived in Belgium, the Netherlands, Kenya, South Africa, the United States, the United Kingdom, Iraq and now Kuwait...
Read more…

Business Idea
Stylemakers
Renée Coppinger
Fashion-lover Renée is a shining example of an expat entrepreneur who is both following her true passion and very successfully reinventing herself, over and over. From electronics, to fashion, to care giving, to study, to art and then back to fashion, she has set up businesses...
Read more…

Travel Tips
10 Travel Tips For The Seasoned Traveler
Susanna Zaraysky
If you consider yourself a master at the travel game, but you are still looking for some new ideas to save money and better navigate everything travel, read on to learn from Susanna Zaraysky who has lived in nine countries, traveled to over fifty, speaks seven languages and is the author of Travel Happy, Budget Low...
Read more…

Culture Shock: It’s A Good Thing
Ines Hofmann
Cathy was a lawyer in the United States, but when she accompanied her husband to Frankfurt she suffered from culture shock and every small step outside of her apartment seemed to be a great effort. Strange, this might seem to some, given that Cathy had just been working as a competent lawyer in the US...
Read more…

Reinventing Yourself
5 Steps To Creating A Better You
Kim Seeling Smith
As expats we are forced to reinvent almost every aspect of our lives when we choose to pick up, pack up and pluck ourselves down in another country. We have to negotiate a new country, a new culture, a new house, start new jobs (or life without a job), enrol our children in new schools...
Read more…

Expat Confession
Death Abroad
Expat Women Girlfriend
My friend’s husband collapsed and died suddenly at work this week from a brain tumour. It was terrible. Like any best friend would do, I have been doing my best to console and offer support in her time of need and help as best as I can with her two young children. But I really feel out of my depth: first with grief counselling and now with helping her...
Read more…

Not A Member Yet?
Just a reminder that our blog is separate from our main site, so if you are reading this blog post online or you are only subscribed to our blog, you will not automatically receive our Expat Women monthly newsletters.

To receive our newsletter this week and to go in the running to win our monthly prize of a complete set of Explorer Publishing's Mini-Guides, please sign up today to our main site, ExpatWomen.com, and receive your free e-book of our Winning Stories!

Thanks
Thank you sincerely for your support and best wishes for March! Andrea

Various Expat Women News Tidbits

Hi once more Everyone, Following on from my earlier post today about how easy it is to put tidbits of information on Twitter, here are some of the tidbits I have posted on Twitter recently that might interest you...

Seeking: American and British Expats in Singapore for a Research Project
"For Third Culture Kids Seeking: American and British Expats currently in Singapore to participate in a research project. Single recording session approx 2 hrs, reading English sentences. Monetary Token of appreciation will be given at the end of the session. Contact Nicole at dataproj.sg@gmail.com if interested."

Which Airport has been Voted Best in the World for the 5th Year in a Row?
You'd be surprised!

Top 100 International Exchange and Experience Blogs 2010
Over 19,000 votes.

13 Mistakes For Americans to Avoid When Filing Taxes This Year
If you are American and needing to lodge a tax return in the United States this year, read on...

American Council on International Personnel's 36th Annual Symposium
June 7-10
Washington DC
Main topic: Immigration

Totally Expat Show for Global Mobility Industry Professionals
London 24 May 2010

Families in Global Transition Conference
March 4-6
Houston, Texas, United States
It's not too late!
I really wish I was going...

7 Reasons Not to Put All Your Eggs in the Twitter Basket
Interesting blog post on Social Examiner by Jay Baer, a social media strategist and coach.

Managing Home Leave
Recent article by Paragon Relocations:
"Is there a connection between Home Leave and employee attrition/retention? Home Leave was intended to help minimise the effects of the culture shock of an international assignment. It allows assignees to maintain family ties and stay current with home business contacts and associates; and keep connected with their community and culture. Still, attrition rates upon completion of assignments remain high. Is there a disconnect between the philosophy of the home leave provision and its actual impact to assignment satisfaction?"

Looking for Expat Experts to Contribute to Our ExpatArrivals Guides
If you are interested, read the short message.

Expat Coach Megan Fitzgerald in Top 10
Congratulations to previous Expat Women Business Idea interviewee and long-time ExpatWomen.com supporter, Megan Fitzgerald, who was recently named by The Undercover Recruiter in their top ten Facebook fan pages for job seekers and career-minded folk.

Authors Needed for Culture Smart Books
If you are interested, please contact Jo Parfitt, who will then link you to Culture Smart. Thanks.


To catch all of these updates as soon as I make them, I invite you to follow me on Twitter.

Thanks, Andrea.

Expat Infidelity Abroad: The Story of Alexandra Shakespeare

Hi Everyone, I read today Alexandra Shakespeare's story From Excess to Exes - How My Dubai Dream Turned into a Nightmare.

With a name like Shakespeare, I am sure Alexandra would have been preferred to have become famous for her works of literary art (yes, she is actually a professional writer and was once the editor of the glossy Harper's Bazaar in Dubai). So it's sad that her marriage confession might actually catapult her into more fame than her high-flying job did before.

Doubly sad is it that Alexandra's story of her ex-husband's infidelity abroad is not unique: unfortunately stories like Alexandra's are common... albeit granted, not everyone was an editor of Harper's Bazaar.

Full marks to Alexandra for sharing her story once she found happiness with her new partner in the UK and sending my best wishes out there to every woman going through right now what Alexandra went through in Dubai.

Andrea

What Have I Learnt About Twitter In Just One Month?

Hi Everyone, For those of you still sitting on the fence about Twitter, I thought I would share a little about what I have learnt so far...

1. It's Super Easy

Once you have your account, and you take a minute to learn how to shorten URLs/website addresses (try TinyURL or bit.ly), it is incredibly easy to type a 140-character message and tell the world your latest discovery.

2. It's Great For Keeping Up

Given that the messages are so short, it is very easy to keep up with what your friends are saying, or what others in your industry or interest groups are saying, just by following those people that might have 'news' for you.

Then every time you scan the 'news' from people who you follow, from their tweets which come to your Twitter account, you can retweet anything newsworthy in just a few seconds. It's brilliant: you can boost your own reputation for being 'in the know' and sharing valuable information just by retweeting. I pinch myself at how easy it is to do that.

3. It's Personal

Much to my surprise, Twitter can actually be quite personal. Instead of seeing just an email address on your blog subscription list, you get to not only see a photo (usually) of the person following you, but you can also click immediately on their profile to read their tweets, send a message to them, see who is following them and even follow them if you choose to (so they can message you directly and/or so you can just keep up with their tweets in the future). Again, you are learning who else is 'out there' and it's only taking you a few minutes.

Expat Michelle Fabio @michellefabio concurs:

"Twitter has deepened my relationships that previously had been conducted only through blog comments. Twitter really gives you an opportunity to nurture relationships built throughout the Internet and also find new ones based on similar interests. Plus it's so much fun!"

4. It's Fun

Twitter is much more fun than I expected. As soon as you learn something, you can share it within a minute or two. Once you are following friends or peers that do the same, there are lots of interesting 'learnings' being shared in 140 characters or less. It's fabulous.

Expat Jennifer @louloufrance wrote to me:

"[Twitter is] an excellent way of exchanging information about the subjects I'm interested in (cooking, cheese, France, wine, travel) as well as keeping up to date on news stories.... I love it!"

"A friend of mine started with Twitter and was about to give up on it [but] asked me for my thoughts on the media and after telling her how I used it to glean information she ended up finding a whole group of people in her field (TESL) and now says that it has renewed her interest in her career and has introduced her to new avenues that she would never discovered without Twitter."

5. It Saves You Time

Sure, you need to put aside time to read and write tweets. But, we are only talking about 140-character tweets. Super small. Super easy to scan, read and write, compared to researching all of those people's blogs/newsletters/websites that you would like to keep up with and then deciding if anything they say is 'newsworthy'.

Again, the more people you follow, the more 'news' that will come direct to your Twitter inbox, rather than you searching for it - saving your precious time and energy.

6. It Can Slow Your Blogging

On the negative side... unfortunately, I am finding that it is just so quick to tweet information out to the world, that that's where I am typing my/our news first. Then, if I don't have time to explain it all via a blog post when I tweet it, the blog post (usually, but not always) follows, but maybe the next day or the next week even. For everyone subscribed to this blog, I apologise and promise to try harder in that respect, so that I am not too far behind on the blog, compared to Twitter (smile).

On the positive side... in the past, if I had not had time to blog I simply would not share anything that I had learned until I did have time to blog. At least now, me and others like me, can share on Twitter straight away. So that has to be a good thing, right?

My Prediction: I predict that because of the ease of Twittering, blog owners who twitter will slow down with less regular blog posts. Whilst blog news might then fall a few days behind, for many of us who subscribe to various blog and newsletter feeds, perhaps a few less (but more consolidated) blog updates might not necessarily be a bad thing, as blog owners might focus their blog posts on truly valuable topics and post anything less newsworthy in just a 140-character Twitter update. Then anyone wanting news when it's super-hot and fresh, can read it on Twitter in the interim.

Maybe it's much like the tortoise and the hare... they'll both get to the finish line in the end, it just depends who wants to get there faster. ;-)

Andrea

Follow me on Twitter @andreaexpat

HSBC International: Free Amazon Kindle or Airport Membership Promotion

Hi Everyone, Just a quick shout-out for our Gold Sponsor, HSBC International.

They are running a promotion whereby if you sign up to a Premier account before 31 March 2010 and deposit at least £60,000 (or currency equivalent) within 90 days of your account opening, you get to choose your free gift of either 12 month's Airport Angel membership or, for the avid readers among us, a free Amazon Kindle™.

"With a busy expat life, you have enough to think about without worrying about your offshore banking. That's why we've designed our products and services to be easy and convenient. Bank offshore with HSBC Premier and enjoy:

• 24/7 phone access to a Relationship Management team;
• Internet Banking that provides access to your HSBC accounts in over 34 countries from a single log on and the ability to make transfers immediately, without charge and with a preferential rate of exchange;
• The ability to manage your money in a large range of emerging market currencies, use our global reach and knowledge of international business and get the best help and guidance; and
• An International Wealth Management service to help you make the most of your money."

Please click here to learn more about their promotion and read their full terms and conditions. Thank you in advance for considering HSBC International if you are looking for an offshore banking solution by a reputable, global provider. Andrea

Expat Women February Newsletter

Hi Everyone, We just completed sending our Expat Women member newsletter for February 2010. In addition to our February Expat Women home page features, our newsletter includes:

• The name of our Explorer Publishing mini-guide pack winner;
• Our winning story by Expat Women member Miriam Mannak in South Africa, entitled Confessions of an Ex-Expat Child;
• Details of how to follow me on Twitter; and
• Sarah Merron's advert for her Fire Dragon Coaching's NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) course in the Maldives in May.

If you are an Expat Women member and you did not receive our newsletter for February 2010, please check your spam box and if it is not there, please email us and we will investigate. Meanwhile, we invite you to view our newsletter online here.

Best wishes for your day/evening! Andrea

PS. If you are reading this blog post only online and you are not an Expat Women member yet, please sign up today to support us. As a thank you, you will then receive details about how to download your free copy of our e-book: Winning Stories - Feb 2007 to Feb 2010!

Expat Women's Happy 3rd Birthday Blog Shout-Out Competition Winner

Hello and big congratulations to Shanie Matthews for winning our Expat Women Happy 3rd Birthday Blog Shout-Out Competition!

Last month, we wrote to the 1,100+ women who have listed their blog on our Expat Women Blog Directory and invited them to give us a shout-out for our 3rd birthday (16 January 2010) to enter our Amazon voucher competition.

Well, this week, the entries were collated and our friend Expat Expert Robin Pascoe randomly chose the winning number. So, congratulations Shanie, you will receive a US$100 Amazon.com voucher... plus we'll give you a big, unexpected shout-out for your blog(s) here:

The Era of Collaboration: A Blog Celebrating A New Era In Global Cooperation

"Shanie Matthews is a United States-born and raised freelance wordsmith, photographer and professional snow skier. After living in multiple countries, she now considers herself a citizen of the world. From a childhood in Bellingham, Washington to adolescence in Bavaria, Germany to over a decade of young adulthood in Lake Tahoe, California, her experiences led her to wanting to explore outside the box.

She relocated to Mendoza, Argentina in 2005 with her husband, Jamie, first owning a wine vineyard. They currently live in awe-inspiring Bariloche, Patagonia where they appreciate the impressive views, soaring condors and undiscovered outdoor paradise. She and Jamie share their daily craziness of living abroad in their blog, LivingInPatagonia.com. She also writes a blog on her personal journey with consciously practicing happiness.

Despite the occasional group exercise in high school and college growing up, the power of collaboration didn’t truly occur to Shanie until her research into creating a ski area cooperative. As hours of research accumulated, she discovered over and over again how communities are moving forward in what experts are calling the “Era of Collaboration”. This blog is to share what she has learned, interview experts and to be a real-time information source about the era of collaboration."

Honorary mention must also go to Tiffany Jansen of Clogs and Tulips: An American in Holland for the most comprehensive shout-out. Thanks Tiffany!

Thanks go to everyone who supported us for this competition and we hope to run the same again next year! Andrea

New BMW Award For Intercultural Commitment: Total prize money €25,000

Hi Everyone, If you have an idea for an intercultural project that will really 'make a difference', BMW have just launched an exciting new competition and I encourage you to apply.

"The BMW Group is looking for innovative projects and dedicated, visionary individuals worldwide – to establish a lasting connection between people of different cultural, religious, and language backgrounds. Read on to find out all you need to know about the goal, submission requirements and the schedule as well as background information on the selection process, the individual awards and the central idea of partnership the award represents."

Total prize money is €25,000 and the whole process and concept sounds like a great thing to be involved in. Spread the word... and good luck if you enter! Andrea

Global Summit Of Women, May 20-22: Beijing, China

Hi Everyone, It's only three months now until the annual Global Summit of Women (conference): May 20-22. Each year they hold the Summit in a different part of the world, with a different theme:

2010: Beijing, China: Women at the Forefront of Change
2009: Santiago, Chile: Setting New Paradigms for Business and Political Leadership
2008: Hanoi, Vietnam: Women and Asia: Driving the Global Economy
2007: Berlin, Germany: The Global Marketplace: Opportunities and Challenges
2006: Cairo, Egypt: Redefining Global Leadership
2005: Mexico City, Mexico: Leading the 21st Century Economy
2004: Seoul, South Korea: Leadership, Technology, Growth
2003: Marrakech, Morocco: Preventing Conflict Through Women's Economic Development
...and the list goes on.

It's a great gathering of women and if you would like to join their 20th anniversary celebration Summit this year, click here for details.

Survey for Expat Trailing Partners

Hi Everyone, expat coach Louise Wiles is looking for participants for her survey asking trailing partners about the challenges and issues they face when moving abroad and the types of support they would find most helpful.

"My aim is to achieve over 100 responses as this will help to make the survey results more representative and therefore valid. The survey builds on a piece of research I conducted in 2002 for a dissertation as part of a Masters in Occupational Psychology. This investigated the expectations trailing partners had regarding organisational support and the impact its provision had on their adaptation to their lives in Portugal (where I was living at the time)."

Click here to email Louise to ask her questions and/or to request a copy of her 2002 results.

Click here to complete her survey.

Thanks on her behalf!

Conferences, Awards, Scholarships, Competitions & More...

Hi Everyone, If you have missed my Twitter shout-outs, here are some upcoming conferences, scholarships/awards/competition deadlines that might interest you:

Clements International Offers US$10,000 In Expat Youth Scholarships
Our Expat Women Silver Sponsor Clements International is again offering Expat Youth Scholarships to expatriate students. US$10,000 will be shared between six winning students, aged 12-18, of any nationality, who have spent the last two consecutive 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 a 500-750 word essay and a creative image answering the question “Where would you go in your flying house?”

The Great Giveaway: The Women's Conference 2010
"For the first time ever, The Women’s Conference® is presenting The Great Giveaway. Each month, from February through September, we’re giving you the opportunity to win two complimentary Special Guest Passes to attend the nation’s premier forum for women, interview one of our top speakers and meet California First Lady Maria Shriver. The Women’s Conference 2010, to be held on October 25 and 26 in Long Beach, California, includes a stellar lineup of leaders, journalists, experts, authors and artists to inform and inspire you to become an Architect of Change."

FIGT Conference Reminder & Early-Bird Discount Deadline
Families in Global Transition Conference
4-6 March 2010, Houston, Texas, United States
Early-bird discount ends midnight February 2.
Use code SPECFRD2010.

Transitions Abroad 2010 Expatriate Travel Writing Contest
Closes 15 February 2010.
1st prize US$500. 2nd prize US$150. 3rd prize US$100.
Seeking original and unpublished essays, up to 1,500 words.

"TransitionsAbroad.com invites you to enter its 2010 Expatriate Travel Writing Contest. Professionals, freelancers and aspiring writers are invited to write articles which describe their experience living abroad. Often your experience abroad may be extended by working or studying in the host country, so living, working, and studying abroad are often inextricable, and we are interested in these aspects as well..."

Awards for Foreign Service Youth
"Every year, the Foreign Service Youth Foundation (FSYF) organizes a series of contests for Foreign Service youth. The contests offer U.S. Foreign Service kids and teens the opportunity to showcase their talents, accomplishments and unique perspectives on the world. Two winners will each receive a US$1,500 U.S. savings bond and recognition at the annual youth awards ceremony at the Department of State in July 2010."

Our Expat Women Silver Sponsor Clements International sponsors the Community Service Award, which honors U.S. Foreign Service youth who have demonstrated outstanding volunteer efforts at home or abroad while facing the challenges of living an internationally mobile lifestyle. Deadline for entries is 15 April 2010.

FAWCO Conference
The FAWCO (Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas) is holding its next conference in Boston, United States, 11-14 March 2010... which is only next month, so hurry, if you/your club is interested in sending representatives.

Re:locate Awards
And finally, entries for the UK's Re:locate Magazine's annual Re:locate awards close 15 February 2010. So if you are in the relocation arena and would like to enter, be sure to get your entry in this week or next.

The Seven Award Categories are:

1. Best Relocation Strategy/Policy;
2. Technological Innovation in Relocation;
3. Inspirational HR Team of the Year;
4. Relocation Service Provider or Team of the Year;
5. Best Property Provider or Solution;
6. Rising Star in Relocations; and/or
7. Relocation Personality of the Year.

Good luck to all who enter! Andrea

Expat Women February 2010 Home Page

Hi Everyone, Please take a look at our new Expat Women February home page, featuring a famous expat TV Star/Producer, a Nairobi bomb survivor and more...

Success Story
Debbie Travis
Television Star, Producer and Entrepreneur Extraordinaire
Once upon a time, Brit Debbie Travis modeled with celebrity supermodel Gail Elliott. Today, long-term expat Debbie Travis is a household name in Canada, famous for producing and hosting three successful lifestyle television series (Debbie Travis' Facelift, Debbie Travis' Painted House and From The Ground Up with Debbie Travis) that now show worldwide. Debbie has also written nine books, she writes a syndicated newspaper column and she executive produces a variety of other television shows on real estate, cooking, renovations and more. She owns two television production companies and a self-named branding studio that produces a line of over 1,500 products sold exclusively at Canadian Tire, the biggest retailer in Canada...
Read more…

Business Idea
The French Paper
Nicola Wade
Five years ago Nicki and her family left London for rural France. A self-confessed magazine addict, Nicki now runs a publishing company in France with a glossy regional lifestyle magazine and a monthly English-language newspaper, with a combined readership of 45,000+...
Read more…

New Memoir
The Unofficial Diplomat
Joanne Grady Huskey
From being inside the US Embassy with her children in Nairobi when it was bombed, to being on the ground in Beijing during the sad events at Tiananmen Square in 1989, to acting in Bollywood, to co-founding a relocation company and an international school in India... Joanne has seemingly done it all...
Read more…

Expat Confession
Homesick New Mother Abroad
Expat Women Girlfriend
I am a trailing spouse and mother of one, who has been living in Japan for seven months. When I first arrived, I loved the thrill of it all. But now I hate Japan. I miss my mum for the emotional support and I wish she could help more with my son...
Read more…

Tweet, Tweet
How Twitter Can Rock Your Business
Stephanie Ward
Marketing Coach Stephanie Ward, an American expat in The Netherlands, shares with us ten reasons (and three testimonials) why you should be using Twitter as a new marketing strategy to boost your business profile and profits, wherever you live in the world...
Read more…

Learning A Language
Top 6 Fun Ways To Learn A Foreign Language: Using Music, Radio, TV and Movies
Susanna Zaraysky
Have you ever heard a song on the radio that you have not heard in years and you surprise yourself by singing all the lyrics? Music and catchy jingles can stick in our minds for years, while verb conjugation charts and memorized data disappear. So if you are trying to learn a new language, put down the verb conjugation charts for now and turn on your radio!
Read more...

Not A Member Yet?
Just a reminder that our blog is separate from our main site, so if you are reading this blog post online or you are only subscribed to our blog, you will not automatically receive our Expat Women monthly newsletters.

To receive our newsletter this week and to go in the running to win our monthly prize of a complete set of Explorer Publishing's Mini-Guides, please sign up today to our main site, ExpatWomen.com, and receive your free e-book of our Winning Stories!

Thanks
Thanks Everyone for your support and enjoy your first day of February! Andrea

Excellent Video Interview For Bloggers

Hi Everyone, Whether you blog for business or pleasure, I highly recommend that you to take ten minutes and watch this excellent (and enjoyable) Social Media Examiner interview with Wendy Piersall.

Wendy is a blogger who has found online fame in the United States. But despite her online success, health issues almost forced her to give up her online blogging activity. She encourages bloggers to think carefully about why they are blogging and the return on their blogging investment.

She also talks about a very interesting Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ruling in the United States regarding bloggers' financial disclosure. Great interview.

Writing, Editing & Start-Up Opportunities

Hi Everyone, In case you are not following me yet on Twitter, here are a couple of opportunities I tweeted about this week that might interest you:

1. She Writes is looking for a Chief Operating Officer

“The Company is seeking a founding business partner and Chief Operating Officer to further develop and refine the business side of She Reads/She Writes. Specific expertise should be in developing and growing revenue streams highly valuable to this target market, including:

• Connecting publishing experts with authors through She Writes Services
• Offering classes through the She Writes Studio
• Classifieds for monetizing business transactions on the site
• Strategic partnerships
• Curation and publishing of original content
• Book club services

The partner will be responsible for She Reads/She Writes financial planning and analysis, day-to-day operations, fundraising and business development. Compensation will include base salary, bonus potential and equity participation and will be sufficient to attract an outstanding candidate.”

2. BellaOnline is looking for Editors

No pay, but perhaps a great opportunity to build your profile and portfolio of experience.

“Our editors have both knowledge and passion about a subject. Our editors are a diverse network of women and men, from all age groups, all lifestyles, all races, colors, and creeds. Our mission is to represent and speak to women from all over the world and from all walks of life.

Most content sites require their writers to be well known professional writers who already have every skill necessary. BellaOnline is a training system. We have the focus of bringing in women who dream about writing and providing the training, the instructors and the support to help them achieve their goals.”

Follow me on Twitter and find out what I find out, when I find it out. Andrea :-)

Passport Career Still Looking For Expats & Repats For Short-Term Research Work

Hi Everyone, For more than one year now, we have been helping Susan Musich to find short-term researchers for the construction of her new site (launched August 2009): Passport Career. Many of you have helped out, and for that, we are sincerely grateful.

Ongoing Expansion

Passport Career now has 70 countries covered (which includes 170+ locations). Susan is currently expanding this to 100 countries and she is looking for interested expatriates and repatriates (female or male) to undertake 25-35 hour (approximate) research assignments for the locations listed below. If you are keen, ready to help and can commit to finishing your assignment (in return for a small honorarium), please email Susan directly, with the following information:

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

Background

"Passport CareerTM is the first-ever, comprehensive, online global job search support system for international professionals [and their spouses] moving to or living in unique and challenging destinations around the world."

"The research includes using the country profile survey (and template) that will be provided to identify appropriate job search information relevant to expatriates who will be moving to your current country. Such information includes: web sites; business cultural information; social and business networks; resume and interview information relevant to the country in question; and other related job search material."

U.S. Locations Needing Researchers

Albuquerque NM, Baltimore MD, Buffalo NY, Charlotte NC, Cincinnati OH, Cleveland OH, Columbus OH, Fairfield/Stamford/Norwalk CT, Hartford CT, Indianapolis IN, Jacksonville FL, Kansas City MO, Little Rock AR, Louisville KY, Memphis TN, Milwaukee WI, Nashville TN, New Orleans LA, Orlando FL, Palo Alto CA, Phoenix AZ, Pittsburgh PA, Portland OR, Richmond VA, Rochester NY, Salt Like City UT, San Antonio TX, San Jose CA, St Louis MO, Tulsa/Oklahoma City OK and Wilmington DE.

Non U.S. Locations Needing Researchers

Bahrain, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia, Botswana, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Finland, Nicaragua, Oman, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, South Africa (Cape Town), Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Uruguay.

Disclaimer

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

Top 30 Young Entrepreneur Blogs

Hi Everyone, Another great article I found on Unstrapp'd this week: Top 30 Young Entrepreneur Blogs of 2009. These women and men are amazing. The question now is... which blogs to follow, to gain regular doses of their inspiration and useful advice... Andrea.

10 Twitter Tips For Your Brand

Hi Everyone, Being newly-interested in Twitter, I found this Unstrapp'd article very worthwhile: 10 Overlooked Twitter Tweaks That Can Mean Big Things For Your Brand. Maybe you might too.

Here's a quick overview of their tips:

1. Name, Please!;
2. Be Cautious With Automatic Tweets;
3. Profile Picture;
4. Get Listed on Twitter Lists;
5. Write a Catchy Bio;
6. It’s In Your Backyard;
7. Don’t Link to Sales Pages;
8. Remove the “www.”;
9. Share Photos;
10. Brand Your Background; and

...Bonus Tip: Don’t Protect Your Tweets!

But the detail (and the whole Unstrapp'd website, actually) is much more interesting.

Amazon 2010 Breakthrough Novel Award

Hi Everyone, Amazon.com have announced that along with the Penguin Group (USA) and CreateSpace, they have launched the third annual Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. This is an international competition seeking the next popular novel.

"For the first time, the competition will award two grand prizes: one for General Fiction and one for Young Adult Fiction. The 2010 competition will also now be open to novels that have previously been self-published. Each winner will receive a publishing contract with Penguin, which includes a $15,000 advance.

Congratulations to last year's Breakthrough Novel Award winner, James King, whose winning novel, Bill Warrington's Last Chance, will be published by Viking in August 2010. Bill Loehfelm's Fresh Kills, the 2008 winner, is now available in paperback.

The Breakthrough Novel Award brings together talented writers, reviewers, and publishing experts to find and develop new voices in fiction. If you're an author with an unpublished or previously self-published novel waiting to be discovered, visit CreateSpace to learn more about the next Breakthrough Novel Award and sign up for regular updates on the contest. Open submissions for manuscripts will begin on January 25, 2010 through February 7, 2010.

See the official contest rules for more information on how to enter."

Tweet, Tweet...

Hi Everyone, Just a quick note to let you know that I have finally been convinced to join Twitter, so that I can try to share links to interesting news/articles/sites as soon as I find them. If you would like to follow me (and I promise not to over-tweet), please follow @andreaexpat.

Warmest thanks and best wishes for your day/evening, Andrea. :-)

Expat Women January Newsletter

Hi Everyone, Our apologies that our Expat Women January newsletter is slightly delayed. First, we were waiting for everyone to return from holidays. Then, we sent 3,000 today, but realised we had made a grammatical error (so sorry to Tess Johnston, our Success Story woman this month!) and are now resending those 3,000, plus sending the additional 3,500. We are hoping this process will be finished by the weekend, but if you would like to see it now, we invite you to view the newsletter online instead. Thanks.

Expat Women: Happy Birthday Blog Shout-Out Competition

Hello Everyone, This Saturday, 16 January 2010, is ExpatWomen's 3rd birthday online. To celebrate, we are randomly giving away a US$100 Amazon.com voucher to one lucky blogger who gives us a positive, happy birthday shout-out on their blog.

To enter is as easy as 1-2-3:
(1) Say good things about our site and wish us a happy birthday for January 16;
(2) Remember to include a link in your shout-out back to ExpatWomen.com; and
(3) Email us your blog URL (in an email entitled something like “Blog Competition”) by 6pm Tuesday 19 January 2010 (New York time).

Blog shout-outs help us a lot, so thank you and good luck! Andrea

Potentially useful text for your shout-out:
ExpatWomen.com is a comprehensive, global website helping women living overseas. The site displays 1,000+ content pages, 1,000+ expat women blogs, 200+ readers' stories, invaluable country resource pages, interviews with successful expat women, loads of motivational articles and an inspirational blog and newsletter.

What Is A Tiny URL?

Hi Everyone, Finally, someone explained to me yesterday why we are increasingly seeing links that look something like this: http://tinyurl.com/ylhjuex - with the "tiny url" text in them.

There is actually a site, Tiny URL, that can convert a long URL/website address into a smaller one for you, all at no charge.

Useful if you are sending messages on Twitter. Useful if you are sending newsletters that often have long links cut off.

It is so simple, that I cannot believe I did not understand what these were about a year or two ago! Andrea

Postscript (20 Jan 2010): Another popular site for this purpose is: bit.ly.

Expat Women in the UAE: New 2010 Dubai Resident Guide Released

Hi Everyone, If you are an expatriate woman in the United Arab Emirates, check out the new 2010 Dubai Explorer, in stores now, or available via the website of our friends at Explorer Publishing. I have a copy on my desk and it is excellent! Check it out now here.

Note: You can save thousands of Dirhams with their Explorer Member Card - free with the brand new Dubai Explorer.

Research: Female Minority Expatriates

Hi Everyone, IOR Global Services is conducting research on the experiences of female minority expatriates to be presented at Families in Global Transition conference in March 2010.

If you consider yourself a minority female, you have been sent on an international assignment and you would like to help with this research, please take the short confidential online survey here.

Please contact Charisse Kosova for any questions or to register your interest for the results. Many thanks.

Background: "Recent studies, and IOR Global Service’s own observations, have revealed that an increasing number of women, and particularly minority women, are accepting expatriate assignments. IOR is conducting research to highlight this demographic shift and to capture the important observations that expatriate minority women have made in both the selection process and during the expatriate experience.

Qualitative data collection will take place in two parts:
(1) completion of this 5-minute survey; and
(2) a 30-minute interview with participants.
The 30 minute interview is not mandatory.
All responses will remain completely anonymous."

Survey Participants Needed: Study Of Emotional Well-Being Of International Mobility Versus Residential Stability

Hi Everyone, Katarina Tova is doing the following research study for her Master's thesis and needs the help of willing participants please:

"If you are between the ages of 22 and 35 and are proficient in English language, then you are invited to participate in a research study that investigates the emotional well being of individuals who were internationally mobile during childhood and/or adolescence.

Please note, the study excludes those whose mobility was primarily determined by their parents' work as missionaries, military personnel or those who have had a legal status as refugees.

The purpose of this study is to deepen our understanding of the impact on emotional well being of international mobility versus residential stability."

Click here to participate. Or if you have questions, please email Katarina directly. Thanks.

"Questions about your rights as a human subject may be directed to Jane Calhoun, Harvard Committee on the Use of Human Subjects, , 617 495 5459 or 617 495 5459. This study has been reviewed and approved by the IRB office at Harvard University."

Expat Women January 2010 Home Page

Hello and Happy New Year Everyone, We hope you enjoyed some down-time over the holiday season and that you have come back with renewed energy for this exciting new decade!

We have some great new January home page features for you, so please take a look (and please Tweet these for us):

Success Story
Tess Johnston
Author, Researcher, Lecturer & Retired Diplomat
More than 45 years ago, Tess Johnston left the security of her life in Virginia, United States, to become an American diplomat abroad. She spent seven years in Germany (both East and West), seven years for USAID in Vietnam during the war, then returned to the Foreign Service, living in India, France and China...
Read more…

Business Idea
Kampung Club
Susie Harvey
Susie Harvey is a Brit who started life as an expat in the beautiful beach area of Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, as a newlywed of four days. Four years and two children later, she moved with her young family to Lombok, Indonesia, where she and a friend started a children’s clothing business...
Read more…

Social Media
Creative Entrepreneurship Through Social Media
Anastasia Ashman and Tara Lutman Agacayak are expat Women entrepreneurs who have used social media to successfully grow their businesses and online profiles. We asked these two progressive business women to share their experiences...
Read more…

International Abduction
International Abduction or 'Kidnapping': Is It Ever Okay?
Candida Purser
What happens if parents who are expatriates separate and if one of them wants to 'go home' with the children? Is it okay for them to do it even if the other parent does not want them to? "Can I just go?"...
Read more…

Expat Confession
Confused About Money
Expat Women Girlfriend
My husband has been offered the possibility of a position overseas. We are seriously considering it but we are a little unclear on the financial aspect. The contract looks healthy, but I am wondering about the 'hidden costs' of living and earning abroad...
Read more…

Happiness Abroad
The Expat Pursuit of Happiness
Piercarla Garusi
Why is it that expats go abroad? From my experience, one of the reasons why many people become expatriates is that they were "restless" at home. They decided to move abroad in search of that ‘something’ that would deliver them greater happiness...
Read more…

Not A Member Yet?
Just a reminder that our blog is separate from our main site, so if you are only subscribed to our blog, you will not automatically receive our Expat Women monthly newsletters. To receive our newsletter next week and to go in the running to win our monthly prize of a complete set of Explorer Publishing's Mini-Guides, please sign up today to our main site, ExpatWomen.com.

Thank You
Thank you so much for your ongoing support and best wishes for a sensational 2010! Andrea

A Thank You, A Holiday Wish, A Laptop-Free Vacation & Adieu Until 2010!

Hi Everyone, I am signing out for a much-needed, laptop-free (yes!) vacation until January and I would like to wholeheartedly thank all of you for your support and readership this year. I hope that whatever you do over this holiday season, you take time out for just you - to reflect on 2009 and to dream big for the year ahead. :-)

Don't think you can 'turn off' these holidays to give yourself time to relax and reflect? Well, that's normally how I think too... but my husband and I have bitten the bullet this year and decided that we will detox (yes, sad that it's come to this) completely and not take even one laptop on vacation with us this year... and if a family (of 2 adults and 2 small children) that usually has 7 (!) laptops in the house can do it... anyone can.

A side-effect of this brave experiment, is that I have proved to myself that achieving bold goals is possible if you commit to them. I never would have thought it would be possible to finish all of my critical, monthly tasks two weeks earlier than normal. But, I've done it - and it feels so fantastic that I'm starting to think about setting some wildly bold goals for next year as well.

Maybe you should join me and set (and commit to) some bold goals for 2010 too? It's going to be a new decade: a new chance to shine and achieve more than you ever did before. Think about it. :-)

Warmest wishes for the holidays.

I look forward to seeing you again in 2010!

Andrea. x

Registrations Now Open For Globe Women Summit in Beijing, China, May 20-22, 2010

Hi Everyone, A quick shout-out for the Globe Women Summit coming up in May 2010.

"The 2010 Summit theme 'Women at the Forefront of Change' illustrates our cause for celebration as the Summit enters the next decade of the leadership role that women are playing in addressing the critical issues that women—and men—face worldwide. The Summit will feature women who have led best practices and policies, which are improving women’s economic status worldwide.

Please note that we are limiting participants to 1,000 at the 2010 Summit and we expect to reach full capacity far in advance of the Summit opening so we encourage you to register early."

The Summit will take place at the Marriott City Wall Hotel in Beijing, China.

Registrations are now open and you can learn more online here.

2010 Families In Global Transition Conference Sessions Announced

Hi Everyone, What a fantastic Families in Global Transition (FIGT) conference the Board has lined up for March 4-6 in Houston next year! The conference sessions have just been announced and we've summarised them for you here:

Plenary Sessions

Encouraging the Courage of Children, Robert Ivany

Whether we serve in the corporate, non profit or military fields, relocating our families remains the largest single challenge for most professionals. With the hindsight of 24 moves in 34 years and the experience of school systems ranging from parochial to international, private to public, the Ivany family has benefitted from diverse communities. In order to reap the advantages on a global environment and a nomadic lifestyle, however, a significant amount of preparation is essential. Dr. Ivany and his lovely wife, Marianne, will share antidotes and insights into the joy and challenge of raising four children in unique surroundings. They believe that a positive attitude, love for each other and an appreciation of the national culture can combine to create mature, young adults ready to face the changes of the modern world.

ATCK: And Then Came Kate, Apple Gidley

Apple Gidley's closing keynote address will discuss the many transitions that have been a part of her life: from multiple school changes and finally boarding school; to segueing from expat brat to expat wife and expat mother; to finding fulfilling roles both in the voluntary and commercial sector. It will discuss how twenty-six relocations throughout twelve countries have intrinsically given her a deep awareness, and understanding, of many cultures. Apple will also talk briefly about the attitudes encountered along the way of expatriates, their sponsoring organizations, and the host countries. Recognition of expat terminology is becoming more widely accepted in the HR world, and with it a greater understanding of what a global upbringing can bring to the workforce. These and other relevant issues will be touched on, with Apple drawing on her many experiences to highlight certain points.

Cross Sector Panel: "Learning Across Sectors"
Three veteran FIGT participants will make up this panel that will share practices learned from their colleagues in different sectors. A lively interaction will take place among panel members as they share examples of adapting practices learned from the experiences of others' sector successes or failures. The audience will be challenged to continue the conversation at their own table and throughout the conference.

Teen/Parent Panel: "Relative Distance"Moderator: Lois J. Bushong
Teens and their parents will discuss in a lively and interactive manner some of the challenges of being internationally mobile. Our format will highlight the ways perceptions can vary between teens and parents and within families who have purportedly witnessed the same events. It will be entertaining to see how the perceptions vary between the teen and their parent, hence the distance - emotional as well as geographical.

Concurrent Sessions

• The Multicultural Self in the Intercultural World, Janet Bennett
• Transitions and Work: Your Relocation, Reinvention, and Resilience as an Accompanying Spouse or Partner, Jennifer Bradley
• Global Nomadic Leaders (ATCKs): Tomorrow's Leaders in a Global World, Katrina Burrus
• Emotional Intelligence: Key to Successful Cultural Adaptation, Laura Celis Black
• The Impact of Expatriation on Children, Simone Torres Costa Eriksson
• Global Mobility Programs & Trends, Sarah De Hayes
• Business Plan: "The Path Forward", Deniz Demirors
• Challenge to Fulfillment: Midlife Transition for Accompanying Spouses and Partners, Diane Endo
• Expat Finances: Considerations for an Overseas Assignment, Andrew Fisher
• Crossing Oceans and Borders: Take Your School With You, Marilyn Mosley Gordanier
• The Expat Experience through the Arts, Alaine Handa
• The Positive & Negative Impact of Technology & Social Networking on Expat Family Life, Anne-Claude Lambelet, Michelle Sandlin and Leslie Sjurseth
• Transition Saturation© Kids Struggling in Deep Waters: Too Many Changes/Too Few Adaptive Skills, Linda Maguire
• Helping People Through: The Gap…Between Two Worlds, Kevin McNulty
• Just Another Expat? Insights and Strategies of Female Minority Expatriates, Kendra Mirasol and Charisse Kosova
• Cross-Cultural Coaching: Tools for Successful Cultural Adjustment, Andrew L. Miser & Oshikan Sjodin-Bunse
• Coaching Expatriates/Repatriates for Improved Transitions, Colleen Mizuki
• Top 5 Uncommon International Job Search Strategies for Spouses/Partners, Susan Musich
• Out of the Boxes, Jo Parfitt
• Writing and Publishing a Book 101, Jo Parfitt
• Choosing a School for an Expat Child: A How-To Guide for Parents and Sending Agencies, Liz Perelstein and Laila Plamondon
• Supporting Spouses /Partners and Families: The Recipe for Success, Yvonne Quahe, Anne Folliet and Catherine Mathieu
• International Schools' Policies and Programs Supporting the International Student - 2009 Survey Results, Mary Rabbitt and Elizabeth Sawyer
• Keeping Our Children Bilingual, Virginie Raguenaud
• Exploring Multiculturalism and Identity in Children's Literature, Laura Sicola
• Re-occurring Cycle or Full Speed Ahead? - Should Families Return "Home" between Assignments?, Julia L. Simens
• Home is Where the Heart Is? Oshikan Sjodin-Bunse
• Purposeful Leadership: Using your Global Experience to Lead from Within, Sandy Thomas
• Teaching Locally, Thinking Globally: Helping School Educators Understand the Third Culture Kid Experience, Ruth Van Reken
• Military Families: Understanding and Bridging the Parent-Child Cultural Divide, Mary Edwards Wertsch

Cracker Barrels

• Outcomes of a Summer Program for Gifted Student, Tatiana Behrmann
• Global Mobility Talent Management - Expat Coaching, Sarah De Hayes
• 10 Things to Know Before Starting Your Own Business, Deniz Demirors
• Ensuring Educational Continuity: Tips for Families Who Experience Multiple International Relocations, Heather Dickmeyer
• Optimizing Repatriation - Positive Experiences of Going Home, Madeleine Dobson
• From Third Culture Kids to Geographical Itinerancy, Deniz Gyger Gaspoz
• 10 Things You Should Know Before Choosing A Distance Learning Program, Marilyn Mosley Gordanier
• A Short Screening of "I am a TCK", Alaine Handa
• Are Missionary Kids (MKs) Less Religious Than the American Public? Nancy Henderson-James
• Awesome Leadership Opportunities for Youth! Tonya Kay King
• How International Schools Can Support Students' Native-Language Needs, Andrew Kittell
• Using your MBTI Score to Help You Plan for a Successful Integration, Anne-Claude Lambelet
• 10 Considerations When Sending Minority Women Abroad, Kendra Mirasol and Charisse Kosova
• Learning, Changing and Growing…Inside The Gap Between Two Worlds, Kevin McNulty
• The Coaches Corner, Andrew L. Miser
• Social Networking Strategies for Spouses on an International Job Search, Susan Musich
• Building Beneficial TCK Communities, Darci Nealeigh and Candy Hart
• Choosing a School for an Expat Child: A How-To Guide for Parents and Sending Agencies, Liz Perelstein and Laila Plamondon
• Top 10 Issues of TCKs Repatriating for University, Tina Quick and Julia L. Simens
• Multicultural Children's Literature, Laura Sicola
• Moving for Love? Be Sure to Pack These Quick Tips, Oshikan Sjodin-Bunse
• Learn the ABC's of Resilience to Master the Hard Days, Oshikan Sjodin-Bunse
• Understanding our Attachment Needs: Tips to Boost Emotional Resilience, Laura Stephens
  Positioning your Corporation as a Leader in Expatriate Community Support, Thomas Speckhardt and Caitlin Morse
• Births Abroad: Practical Tips for Service Providers Working with Growing Global Families, Marian Valia
• Culturally Complicated Childhoods: A Bane or Blessing? Ruth E. Van Reken
• Belonging: Impossible Dream? Mary Edwards Wertsch
• Quiet Space and Reflection, Lois J. Bushong
• Researchers' Forum, Becky Powell and Ann Baker Cottrell
• Cost-Effective Approaches to Supporting the Expatriate FamilyPresented by a group of FIGT Leaders
• TCKs Repatriating for University:Confronting the Challenges and Building Communities, Tina Quick, Darci Nealeigh, and Candy Hart
• "Portable Stability"© for Families in Turbulent TimesLifeboats & Lifelines to Secure Families & Strengthen Organizations, Joyce Blake and Linda Maguire
• Cross-cultural Coaching: Tools for Successful Cultural Adjustment, Andrew Miser and Oshikan Sjodin-Bunse

Click Here to learn more about attending the 2010 Families in Global Transition conference in Houston, Texas. Conference fees range from only US$350 - US$750.

I'm a big supporter of FIGT, having loved the two conferences I have attended. The sessions are great, but it is the people that you meet that truly make the event memorable. If you have never gone, but would like to go... maybe 2010 is your year.... Think about it.

Enjoy your day/evening! Andrea.

Six Reasons Why Americans Living Abroad Need To Keep Their Investments Onshore And In The United States*

Hi Everyone, David Kuenzi, CFP® from Thun Financial Advisors has kindly contributed the following article for our American followers:

Six Reasons Why Americans Living Abroad Need To Keep Their Investments Onshore And In The United States*

If you are American and deciding about financial mattters, you might like to take a read of David's article, in which he talks about fees, commissions, the IRS, children's education, retirement accounts, financial planning, taxes, record-keeping, security and more.

We also have a range of other money articles for expats on our Money Matters section, so American or not, if you are concerned about your expat finances you might like to check out our Money Matters section. Thanks.

* This article was voluntarily contributed by David Kuenzi, CFP® for the interests of our audience. It does not necessarily reflect the views of ExpatWomen.com. Individuals should always seek their own financial counsel (tailored to their individual circumstances) before making decisions about their finances.