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China: Expat Heaven in the Middle Kingdom?

April 6, 2011 in Expat Locations by Paul Allen | 4 comments

I’ve long been fascinated by China – probably the result of reading James Clavell’s novels as a kid and my father’s tales of two years spent in Hong Kong in the Fifties! My own trip to Hong Kong 20 years ago further inflamed my fascination with the country and its culture, but a bus ride out to the New Territories to take a peek through the border fence was as close as I came to seeing the country proper.

So reading Alan Paul’s new book on expat life in China has been a real eye-opener.

Big in China

In Big in China Alan reveals a world of sequestered expatdom. The multinational ranks he depicts are cloistered together in compounds boasting well-maintained streets lined by large houses, with clubhouses, gyms and swimming pools. The kids go to the international school together and play at each others’ homes. There are family sports days, barbecues, dinners with friends.

For many daily life is made easy by cheap domestic help – cooks, cleaners, drivers and nannies are par for the course, creating a luxurious lifestyle only a few could expect to have back home.

As Alan observes, it is all too easy to become immersed in this expat bubble – a world of privilege, ease and security.

Yet it is also one of sterility. And to his credit, Alan is determined not to become a prisoner behind the expat gates. Instead, he is keen to find the China that exists for its population. He relates his adventures as he cycles off by himself to explore the local villages and countryside, his journeys into the hinterland, his efforts to learn the language, make friends and taste the ‘real’ China, from its food on up.

The picture of China that emerges is just as complex as the one gleaned from inches of newspaper and magazine columns, with all its beauty and ugliness. Yet it is coloured by great insights into the immense joys and frustrations that life in China offers for expatriates.

Pros and cons

As a growing economic (and political) powerhouse, China presents an extraordinary opportunity for expat entrepreneurs and employees on assignment to make their mark, and a lot of money.

But China has much else to offer besides a step up the career ladder. Its beautiful and varied landscapes, and diverse cultural riches dating back thousands of years are incentives enough for many inquisitive foreigners.

As becomes evident from reading Alan’s book, there are inevitable challenges to living in China too.

For one, there is the language barrier. There are important cultural differences in terms of the structure of society and individuals’ interactions with each to navigate as well – many of which it can be nigh on impossible to fully grasp as an outsider.

Issues such as media censorship and political repression may come as a stark counterpoint to the societal norms to which expats are accustomed.

In addition, there is a real risk of physical isolation and introversion creeping in. As Alan relates in his book, for one thing it is notoriously difficult to obtain something as simple as a Chinese driving licence. Yet without it you lack the freedom of movement we take for granted back home.

China’s notorious pollution, with all the health risks it poses, is another problem that the country is only belatedly trying to tackle.

In short, China is hardly the easiest place in the world for an expat to move to. But what it does promise is one big and exciting adventure of life-changing proportions. Just ask Alan.

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Thanksgiving and the Search for Happiness Abroad

November 25, 2010 in Dream Lifestyle, Moving Abroad Tips by Paul Allen | No comments

Do animals get grumpy?

Are there certain days when your cat or dog is more irritable than others? Do creatures in the wild go through mood swings? Or is it just humans?

I ask because I read this week about Cathal Morrow, an author living in Madrid. Back in June he embarked on a quest to live for a year without unhappiness, in an attempt to prove happiness is merely a state of mind.

 

As he writes on his blog, http://imhappyandiknowit.com/:

“What I’m attempting to live is my belief that happiness is entirely independent of the highs and lows of my little life, that it’s far bigger than me. That happiness is a permanent state for us all, if only we allow it to be.”

Being happy. We’re all looking for it, aren’t we?

Yet that appears to be the root of the problem. We’re searching for it, as if happiness is a destination that will be reached once we’ve got X, Y and Z in place.

Thanksgiving

It’s an important issue, brought into focus by this week’s Thanksgiving celebrations in the United States.

While it began as a festival giving thanks for the year’s harvest, Thanksgiving has since developed into a more general expression of gratitude.

And therein lies Mr Morrow’s secret to happiness – a determination to see the everyday brightness in life and be happy for it.

Seeking a better life

Which brings me to moving abroad.

Why is it so many people around the world – including millions of citizens in some of the most prosperous countries on the planet – want to relocate elsewhere?

For most people the interest is spurred by a desire to find a “better life,” whatever their definition may be.

Many are stirred by the potential benefits they hope to find by relocating – better weather, more leisure opportunities, lower living costs, attractive employment openings. Others see moving abroad as an escape from the unfulfilled lives they are living in their current location.

Finding Happiness

However, this desire for movement is not necessarily the path to happiness.

Yes, moving abroad can lead to a healthier, happier, richer life. But switching one country for another won’t by itself be enough. Ultimately it is an internal shift, rather than the external one, that leads to happiness and fulfilment.

Hence the importance of gratitude.

Rather than think about the things that are wrong with our lives, we should devote more attention to the things that are right.

It could be your health, or the health of your partner or children, the love of family, laughter with friends, the joy of a sunrise or waves on the beach, thanks for the food you have to eat.

Which isn’t to say you shouldn’t want to improve your current situation. It is human nature, one of the driving forces of evolution. But by stopping to give conscious thanks for those daily blessings we too often take for granted, the chances are you will be a happier person, wherever in the world you happen to find yourself.

Who could ask for a better life than that?

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What Quality of Life Can You Expect Abroad?

October 8, 2010 in Expat Advantages, Expat Locations, France, Living Abroad Pros and Cons, Living in Britain, Living in Spain by Paul Allen | 4 comments

We’ve long suspected it, and now it appears to be true – the French, those lucky blighters, have the best quality of life in Europe.

Or, at least, so says a new study by consumer comparison service uSwitch.com[1].

Its research examined 16 quality of life factors – such as net income, food and fuel costs, life expectancy and working conditions – across 10 European countries to see how they stacked up.

France emerged with the best overall score, followed by Spain. The UK came ninth, with Ireland propping up the bottom of the table.

The reason for the UK’s poor score, said uSwitch, included its high living costs, below average government spending on health and education, shortage of holiday entitlements, high retirement age and lack of sunshine.

France, by contrast, was found to have the lowest retirement age, the longest life expectancy and the highest healthcare spend.

Meanwhile, Spain benefited from low living costs (especially for alcohol and cigarettes!), the highest number of holidays (at 43 days per year) and most sunshine hours.

The firm went on to note that three in ten people in the UK believe now is a good time to emigrate[2]. Given the low quality of life it seems they can expect to enjoy, is it any wonder?

The Full Picture

Yet before everyone starts packing their bags for France and Spain, it is important to remember that while such surveys make for attention-grabbing headlines, they don’t show the full picture.

For instance, the uSwitch report gives no consideration to the countries’ current or expected economic growth rates. Or what about the 20% unemployment rate afflicting Spain?

It gives no weighting either to the burdensome red tape that is so often cited as a feature of life in France and Italy.

The percentage of GDP spent on health is a blunt tool too by which to measure and compare the efficacy of countries’ systems. The United States, for one, spends a considerably higher percentage of its GDP on health, yet millions of its citizens remain without adequate, or indeed any, health cover.

The uSwitch survey also takes it as given that the greater the hours of sunshine the better. Yet the impressive sunshine quota seen in southern Europe – as well as places such as California and parts of Australia – bring with it high summer temperatures that frequently provoke raging forest fires, water shortages, pest infestations and crop failures.

In addition, the summer heat may force residents, especially the elderly, to spend weeks of the year trapped indoors, and can even lead to spiking death rates (as seen in Europe during the 2003 heatwave).

In short, these types of reports and surveys – a plethora of which are produced around the world each year – can give some helpful indication of the life you can expect to find when moving abroad. But to get a real picture, don’t forget to consider all the elements, the pros and the cons, and what they mean specifically to you.

[1] UK and Ireland Trailing the Rest of Europe for Quality of Life, uSwitch.com, 22 September 2010, http://www.uswitch.com/press-room/press-releases/uk-and-ireland-trailing-the-rest-of-europe-for-quality-of-life-1769.pdf.

[2] uSwitch.com Consumer Opinion Panel, May 2010, amongst a sample of 3,640 adults.

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International Cost of Living Comparisons Blueberry-Style

April 29, 2010 in International Cost of Living by Paul Allen | No comments

I was talking to a guy yesterday about moving abroad, and how I had recently repatriated from Spain to the UK. Like most people, his first question was “Why?”

“I bet you see a big difference in the cost of living,” he went on to add.

“Yes,” I said. “There are so many things that are much cheaper in the UK.”

Of course, it wasn’t what he expected to hear.

This morning was a case in point. Being a health-minded kind of person, on top of my breakfast cereal I sprinkled a handful of blueberries. Despite their ‘superfood’ properties, we rarely ate them in Spain. At approximately €4.00 (£3.50) for a small pack they were too expensive. By contrast, the ones I scoffed this morning came from an Asda supermarket (which is owned by Wal-Mart), where you could buy two packs for just £3.00.

And where were the Asda blueberries grown? You guessed it, Spain.

It’s not just blueberries. Wal-Mart’s purchasing power, and the fiercely competitive supermarket trade in the UK have brought a plethora of great deals onto the store shelves – for food, clothing, electronics, toys, toiletries and a host of other goods.

It’s the same across much of the retail arena. As a result, our weekly expenses are considerably less than they were in Spain.

And for items where Spain remains cheaper, the gap is closing in many cases. Petrol prices are a case in point.

Only housing in the UK, it seems, remains appreciably more expensive.

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Taste of America

April 13, 2010 in Food Abroad by Paul Allen | 2 comments

A friend has just returned from her first trip to the States – a visit to my one-time home of New York City. Inevitably, she was bowled over by the place. And equally inevitably, one of the big attractions was the food.

Working for a US-based publisher, first in London and then in New York, I always used to get teased by my American colleagues about the quality of British cuisine.

Now, to an extent I concede they had a point. There are some wonderful eating establishments around Britain, and in particular in London. But there are some shocking places as well. And a country that boasts fish and chips as its national dish has to be on dodgy territory.

By contrast, the year I lived in the States – and I did a fair amount of travelling around during that stint – I never had one bad meal. So, grudgingly, I had to admit my colleagues had a point. Indeed, the only complaint I ever had was that the portions were too big.

Where I did have a gripe though was with American chocolate. Hershey’s! Urgh.

According to Wikipedia, Hershey’s uses a secret, more economic process in its milk chocolate that, it is speculated, produces a compound that helps stabilize the milk, but also produces a sour, “tangy” taste. Definitely not one that works for me.

America also sets lower cocoa limits: US government rules specify milk chocolate must have a minimum 10% concentration of chocolate liquor (which, says Wikipedia, is pure chocolate in its liquid form, containing approximately equal amounts of cocoa solids and cocoa butter). By contrast, European Union regulations stipulate a minimum of 25% cocoa solids.

Even the chocolate bars we were used to finding in Britain had been adulterated beyond recognition. And I won’t even get into the comparative merits of Swiss and Belgian chocolate.

In short, this is one area where America can learn a thing or two from its friends in Europe. So I only hope Kraft doesn’t ruin Cadbury’s now it has taken charge.

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Global Recession and Its Impact on Your Moving Abroad Plans

January 14, 2009 in Expat Locations by Paul Allen | No comments

For many people Spain epitomizes the moving abroad dream: a country that offers the prospect of year-round sunshine, lower living costs and a more relaxed pace of life.

Not surprising then that year after year Spain has proven to be one of the most popular destinations for expatriates from around the world, with 10% of its 45 million population now made up of foreign nationals.

Yet the beneath the alluring sheen of the Mediterranean sun all is not well.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Starting School In A Foreign Country

May 8, 2008 in Education Abroad by Paul Allen | No comments

My three-year old daughter had her first day at school yesterday. It wasn’t for long – just two hours in the afternoon for the first week or so, to get her used to being in a classroom environment.

 

I guess we went through all the usual trepidations parents feel as their ‘babies’ step through the school gates for the first time. Will she make friends? Will she like the teacher? Will she think we’ve deserted her? Will she be scared? Will she go to the toilet OK? What if she falls over in the playground and hurts herself? Will she behave? Will she like it, and want to go again tomorrow?

 

But there were some added concerns too. For one, the classes are all in Catalan, and she doesn’t speak a word of it, since we speak English at home. She’s also a chatterbox. So how would she be with this sudden entry into a world where she understands nothing her teacher and classmates say, and vice versa? Will she be bored in class? Frustrated? Resentful?

 

We know many kids from other countries have gone through the same process, and that as a result of this total immersion they pick up the language quickly. As the saying goes, kids are sponges. Nevertheless, to see them struggle through the transition phase from blank bewilderment to eventual fluency tugs on the heartstrings.

 

But the main, underlying reason for the worry is that our daughter has severe food allergies. At six months old she had an anaphylactic reaction to a doctor-prescribed, supposedly safe milk formula given to allergenic kids. We had to rush her to hospital as her mouth and tongue became swollen and she started to turn blue. I’ve never forgotten the terror of that car journey.

 

But now we have to let her out into the wide world, to a place where the kids bring breakfast and snacks into the classroom: bread, cheese, chocolate, biscuits and crisps, all the things that could produce another, potentially fatal, anaphylactic shock. To keep her safe we applied, and were eventually given funding, for a classroom assistant whose sole responsibility is to keep an eye on our daughter and see she doesn’t come into contact with these dangers. It is a comfort, the best case scenario we could hope for given the educational set up here in Spain. Still, it’s not easy to let go.

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