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Expat Living By the Book

Paul Allen — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:02:34 +0000

It’s been a while since I’ve done any blogging for Expat Living 101. In truth, like so many other expatriates I’ve been hit hard by the financial crisis over the last year – a double whammy of soaring interest payments on our mortgage, and plummeting currency rates when converting my foreign earnings into euros. As a result I’ve had to work twice as hard just to standstill. Not what you want at the best of times, but especially when the sun is beckoning outside!

But now I’m starting up again with a new zeal … for I have just signed a contract with Lean Marketing Press to publish a print version of my book on the pros and cons of living overseas: “Should I Stay Or Should I Go? The Truth About Moving Abroad And Whether It’s Right For You.”

The publishing contract may not come with a $1 million advance and movie tie-in rights as per my J.K. Rowling aspirations, but it’s an exciting prospect nonetheless – one that, hopefully, will help a lot more people get a better handle on the real benefits and costs of moving to a foreign country, and give them a much clearer view on the right path to take. And if it can help readers towards living the lives they truly desire then I will be well satisfied.

This blog then will record the book’s journey to fruition and beyond, as well as being an opportunity to record some of my thoughts and observations on the expatriate life as they crop up.

I hope it proves interesting – and if you have any comments or questions on the way please feel free to add them.

And don’t forget to check out my website, www.expatliving101.com, where you can sign up for my free weekly newsletter. I’ll also be updating and retooling the site with the help of the nice people at Lean Marketing Press for when the book comes out. So please keep checking in.

Hasta luego …

Carnival

Paul Allen — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:58:21 +0000

It’s Mardi Gras next Tuesday, and around the world people are gearing up for Carnival.

Being from England this is a somewhat alien and exotic event, conjuring up Rio, New Orleans and Venice, with their colourful processions, music, dancing, and reputation for louche behaviour.

But living in Spain I’m now getting to experience Carnival first hand. And while it has elements of all of the above – an event that has an anything-goes licence – it is more than that too.

There is certainly a lot of drunkenness that goes with the parades and the parties – and no doubt a lot more besides …

But it’s a festival for kids too. They dress up in costumes, make masks, sing and dance and throw confetti, and generally have a blast.

My bemused daughter has been caught up in Carnival activities at school all week long – wearing one of my ties to school one day, an apron the next, having her face painted the day after. And while she (and we) may not yet understand the local significance of it all, she and her schoolmates are clearly delighted by it all.

I’m discovering that Carnival, at heart, is pure celebration of life itself. And I’m sure we could all use a bit more of that.

Giving Thanks

Paul Allen — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:38:52 +0000

As if you needed any reminding, it’s Thanksgiving in the States today.

It’s a celebration that I always viewed with a degree of envy as a boy growing up in England, something else to look forward to in those interminable months between the end of summer and the fever of Christmas. And what a great tradition – lots of hearty food shared with the family, and then licence to spend the rest of the day lazing in front of the television.

So although it felt almost like a betrayal to my nationality to be doing so, when I moved to New York at the turn of the millennium I determined to take part in the festivities. We braved the freezing temperatures with the thousands of other people to watch the inflatables bob down Central Park West, and then returned to our apartment to cook up a passing resemblance to the traditional feast that would be laid on millions of tables across the States.

Unfortunately my wife had come down with flu the night before, so it wasn’t the liveliest occasion. But just being off work and sampling the experience in the flesh was good enough.

So I can see why for the millions of expat Americans around the world this is a day when homesickness is at its keenest. It is, after all, a peculiarly American holiday that is meant to be shared with your nearest and dearest.

Still, while it’s a day to miss home, it’s also a day for gratitude for all the things you do have, right here and right now, wherever that happens to be.

And so in some small way I too have been trying to appropriate this tradition by remembering those things for which I can truly be grateful: my wife and daughters, my health and theirs, the love of family and friends, having a roof over my head and food to eat, having the opportunity to live in Spain and experience first hand and in detail a different culture, with all its joys and frustrations.

Plenty to give thanks for I feel.

Barca vs Man U – Split Loyalties?

Paul Allen — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:09:24 +0000

So, this is my first post of a new blog that will offer up some (hopefully) useful thoughts and tips on the ups and downs of living abroad. And what a day to start with the invasion of the Red Devils to my Spanish neck of the woods!

Promises to be a cracking tie between two of the most entertaining teams in the world, and with arguably two of the world’s best attacking players in Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Barca haven’t been firing on all cylinders this season, and have had a poor run of form lately, but remain dangerous opponents. As for the Man Utd, they have been sublime at times this season (much as it pains me to say it as a Hammers fan!).

But who to support? Man U for a guaranteed English winner of this season’s Champions’ League? Or the local heroes?

Having been a resident of Catalunya for the last five years I know how much FC Barcelona means to the Catalans – this isn’t just a football team, it’s a symbol of their way of life. And now they’re out of the domestic race, thwarted once again by their arch-enemies Real Madrid, the Barca faithful will be desperate to win tonight and set up that dream final place. Yep, got to deny the English patriotism and root for my adopted home team. Come on the Barca!