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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.
Tags: adventure, Alan Paul, assignment, Big in China, book, career, China, Chinese, country, cultural, cycle, economic, employee, entrepreneur, expat, Food, Foreign, friend, health, Hong Kong, house, international, landscape, Language, lifestyle, luxurious, media, money, multinational, newspaper, pollution, Population, School, society, sport, world
I confess, I’ve never actually been there. But the myriad of people I know who have lived in or visited the city all say the same thing: Vancouver is an absolutely fabulous place.
And it has some official backing.
The latest annual ranking[1] by the Economist Intelligence Unit claims Vancouver is the most liveable city in the world.
The survey scores locations according to five factors: stability, health care, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Vancouver topped the poll with 98 out of a maximum 100, as it has done for the past two years. Toronto came fourth, with Calgary fifth.
Mercer’s annual Quality of Living Survey[2] holds Vancouver in similarly high regard – it placed fourth in the 2010 rankings, behind Vienna, Zurich and Geneva.
Meanwhile, this year’s Mercer survey also compiled a list of cities with the best eco-ranking, basing scores on water availability and potability, waste removal, quality of sewage systems, air pollution and traffic congestion. Calgary came out top, with Ottawa in joint third, behind Honolulu.
Canada scores
Indeed, Canada as a whole usually fares well in the various international surveys and rankings.
I may not have been to Vancouver, but I have visited Canada. OK, so a holiday is hardly the same thing as living there (especially as I never experienced the harshness of a Canadian winter). Still, it wasn’t hard to see why the country consistently ranks so highly: huge space … stunning and varied landscapes … diverse recreational activities … reasonable living costs (at least compared to the UK and parts of the United States) … a vibrant economy.
Expat choice
It seems many expats have come to the same conclusion. Canada is the second most popular destination in terms of total number of expatriates from the United States. Among Brits, it ranks fourth.
Expats in Canada seem pretty happy with their lot as well.
HSBC’s 2010 Expat Experience survey[3] asked expats from around the world how they found:
a) Setting up in their new country of residence.
b) Integrating into local society.
c) Their quality of life compared to where they used to live.
Having topped the league in 2009, Canada slipped to second place in the 2010 report. But as HSBC noted, the country “still ranks high for expat lifestyle.”
Not that it is all great, of course. For one, there are those long, cold winters to get through.
The sheer scale has its downsides too – just getting anywhere can take an awfully long time.
(I remember going for a beer one evening during my trip – there wasn’t much to do in the small town where we were staying, so we were driven 90 minutes across the border to a bar in the States!)
And while Canada boasts a host of attractive cities, they can’t boast the same cultural riches as those in Europe and Asia.
Still, nowhere is perfect.
Tags: Asia, Brit, Calgary, Canada, city, country, culture, eco, Economist, economy, Education, environment, Europe, expat, Geneva, health, HSBC, lifestyle, live, liveable, living, Mercer, Ottawa, quality, survey, Toronto, UK, United States, Vancouver, Vienna, winter, world, Zurich
What are your biggest worries about moving abroad?
Is it finding or settling in to a new job? Making your retirement savings stretch far enough to provide a decent quality of life? Having a healthcare system that is up to scratch? Getting your children into good schools?
According to Expat Experience[1], the latest report in HSBC’s Expat Explorer series, the top concerns keeping expats awake at night prior to relocating are:
- Being able to re-establish a social life (41%)
- Feeling lonely, and missing friends and family (34%)
The survey also found these worries affected female expats significantly more than men.
Meanwhile, missing family and friends is a particularly big concern for expats based in Australia (49%) and Canada (46%) – not surprising, since the majority were from the UK originally, and so the distances involved make regular face-to-face contact difficult.
Overcoming concerns
Such emotive issues have an obvious link – if you are worried about establishing a social life in your new destination then you are more likely to miss the existing network of family and friends you have back home.
On the flip side, if you can form strong friendships and develop a bustling (and satisfying) social life once you move abroad then you are less likely to be lonely and dwell on what you have left behind.
In short, once you land in your new location you have to make a concerted effort to get out, meet people, make friends and take advantage of whatever exciting lifestyle opportunities the country has to offer.
It’s not always easy to do. Sometimes you may have to force yourself to step out of your comfort zones. But the success of your expat venture depends on it.
[1] Expat Experience is the second of three reports from HSBC’s 2010 Expat Explorer research series,
http://www.offshore.hsbc.com/1/2/international/expat/expat-survey/expat-experience-report-2010
Tags: Abroad, Australia, Canada, Children, country, destination, expat, Expat Experience, Expat Explorer, family, female, friend, healthcare, home, HSBC, job, lifestyle, location, lonely, men, move, moving, quality of life, Retirement, School, social, survey, UK, worries
A recent holiday in Spain – the first trip back to our house on the northern Costa Brava since repatriating to the UK last Christmas – reminded me of all the good things about our former life in the sun.
And the drive home from the airport after we landed back in the UK, with the rain greasing the congested motorway, showed the stark contrast with the world we had left behind.
Since our return friends and work colleagues have been asking the same question: do we regret moving back to England?
Of course, we miss some of the lifestyle benefits Spain offers. After all, the UK is by no means perfect. Nevertheless, on balance we are happy we repatriated.
So what are the good things about living back in the UK? For me, the key ones are:
The number one advantage is being back among family and old friends, renewing those old, precious relationships.
There is an ease to living in a place where you understand the societal attitudes, the sense of humour, and how the systems involved in day-to-day life work. Being able to think and speak in your native tongue once again is nice too.
We have now been through all the seasons, and while the UK’s weather may not be wonderful (I’m writing this with the rain lashing outside), each reveals some special aspect of the country’s beauty.
In the months since our return we have also taken the chance to explore more of the country, and see the charm that attracts so many foreign visitors: the wonders of London, the nation’s majestic stately homes, its quaint villages and verdant countryside.
It is not always easy to see how great Great Britain is when you are brought up with it and long to escape. Instead, sometimes you have to leave to come back again.
As Irish novelist George Moore said: “A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.”
That is just how I am feeling … at least for the moment!
Tags: airport, beauty, Britain, Christmas, Costa Brava, country, culture, England, escape, family, Foreign, friend, Irish, life, lifestyle, London, rain, relationship, repatriate, social network, Spain, stately home, sun, UK, visitor, weather, work, world
Finding a way to finance your life overseas is one of the biggest challenges facing prospective expats.
How can you earn the money necessary to give you the lifestyle you crave? Do you plan to transfer within your existing company, or apply for new jobs? Would you like to set up your own business, or offer services as some form of freelance contractor?
For anyone confronting these issues it is well worth seeking the advice of a professional, someone who can help clarify your ideas and guide you in the right career direction.
One such person is CNNMoney.com-featured career coach Megan Fitzgerald, the founder of Career By Choice. An expat herself, with over 15 years experience in career and business development, Megan specialises in helping current and aspiring expatriate professionals and entrepreneurs to build a satisfying career or business that allows them to get the most out of their life abroad.
Megan has just interviewed me on the pros and cons of moving overseas for her website. You can check out the resulting article, Expat Success Tips: Should I Stay or Should I Go? The Choice of Becoming an Expat, at http://bit.ly/cIOjNw.
Hope you find it interesting.
Tags: Abroad, business, career, Career By Choice, CNN, coach, company, entrepreneur, expat, Finance, job, life overseas, lifestyle, Megan Fitzgerald, moving, professional, should I stay or should I go, success, transfer
There was a documentary on British TV last week called Living with Brucie[1].
For anyone who hasn’t heard of him, Bruce Forsyth is a showbiz legend in the UK, a mainstay on Saturday prime time TV for the last 40-odd years.
And for the last 27 of those, Bruce has been married to Wilnelia, a Puerto Rican former Miss World who is 30 years his junior.
For me, what was interesting was the story of two people from different countries and cultures coming together to forge a life, and what it takes to make it a success.
Despite her fame on the Caribbean island, and the family and friends she has there, it is Winnie who has given up her homeland to be with her husband. OK, so she now lives in a mansion on the Wentworth golf estate in Surrey, with all the trappings that come from being married to a multimillionaire entertainer. But still, it must be a sacrifice.
Expat love
And it is a common tale. A survey earlier this year by health insurer Bupa International and expat web resource Expatica found one in five respondents had moved abroad for love[2]. It was a bigger reason for relocating than lifestyle choice (cited by 8% of expats), retirement (4%), weather and culture (1% each).
There is a suggestion it may be a growing trend as well. According to the survey, only 14% of expats who moved abroad 10 years ago did it for love, whereas the figure was 22% for those who relocated in the last five years.
In these situations, one member of the couple will always have to be away from home and all it embodies: family and friends, familiar landscapes, its customs and culture.
Homesickness may strike, but – short of breaking up the family – one person will have to live with the consequences.
So how do you cope?
If anyone has any personal experiences from moving abroad for love, or tips and strategies on how to make it work I’d love to hear them.
[1] Living with Brucie, Channel 4,
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/living-with-brucie
[2] One in five expats moves abroad for love, expatica.com, 11 February 2010, http://www.expatica.com/be/news/community_focus/One-in-five-expats-moves-abroad-for-love.html
Tags: British, Bruce Forsyth, Caribbean, countries, culture, custom, expat, family, Friends, home, homeland, lifestyle, love, Miss World, move abroad, multimillionaire, Puerto Rican, relocate, relocating, Retirement, TV, UK, weather, Wilnelia, Winnie, work
Alan Howard, founder of leading hedge fund Brevan Howard Asset Management, has joined the expat ranks.
Recent reports say Howard, who is swapping London for Geneva, is among a number of financial luminaries to have left the UK. And there are fears many more will follow, driven by concerns about rising tax rates, a less attractive business environment, and quality of life issues.
Certainly Geneva has its attractions. Low tax is an obvious one, especially for those wealthy City types. For example, alternative investment managers (i.e. those at hedge and private equity funds) can obtain a special tax status that enables them to discount chunks of their taxable income. Indeed, Switzerland as a whole offers many tax advantages.
Then there are the lifestyle benefits – the proximity of world-class ski resorts, sailing on the country’s many lakes, the beautiful scenery, its excellent environmental record, high quality health and education systems, etc, etc.
And that is backed up by Mercer’s 2010 Quality of Living survey, which put Geneva third in its global rankings, one place behind Zurich[1].
The flipside is that Geneva also ranks as one of the most expensive cities in the world, coming in fifth in Mercer’s recently released Cost of Living survey[2].
With a reported fortune of £875 million that won’t faze Alan Howard. Still, it might give the rest of us pause for thought.
[1] Mercer 2010 Quality of Living survey,
26 May 2010
http://www.mercer.com/qualityofliving
[2] Mercer Worldwide Cost of Living survey 2010 – City rankings, 29 June 2010, http://www.mercer.com/costoflivingpr#City_rankings
Tags: business, cities, city, cost of living, Education, environment, expat, expensive, financial, fortune, Geneva, global, health, hedge fund, Howard, income, investment, lake, lifestyle, London, Mercer, quality of life, sailing, ski, Switzerland, tax, UK, wealth, world, Zurich
Golf, I’ve discovered, is not like riding a bike. Picking up a club for the first time in five years and expecting to smash ball after ball down the middle of the fairway was always going to be wishful thinking. I mean, if Tiger struggles with his game after months out what hope did I have?
At least the conditions were perfect. It was one of those glorious English summer evenings: the warm sun dipping towards the horizon, soft June light, shadows lengthening across the rolling green fairways, woodpigeons calling from the branches … the thwack of small white golf balls clattering into yet another copse of trees.
And, quality of play aside, it was great to get out last night for a hack round with my brothers, the first time we’d done it since before I moved to Spain seven years ago.
In fact, the last time I played was with my eldest brother, when he came to visit shortly after we moved abroad. On that occasion we tried out the Empordà Golf Resort, one of a string of top-notch courses to be found close to our home on the Costa Brava. Unfortunately, that was as far as my Spanish golf career got. Places like PGA Catalunya, which is ranked number seven in Golf World magazine’s Top 100 European courses, remain an unfulfilled dream.
For despite the fantastic facilities and ideal weather in Spain, time was always a problem.
The expat lifestyle may seem to be one of leisurely days spent drinking wine and soaking up the sun, but that isn’t the reality for most. I still had to work hard all week. And with two young daughters to look after it never seemed fair for me to slope off for five hours on the weekend to play, especially when we had no other family around to ease my wife’s childcare load.
As a result, it’s taken our repatriation to the UK for me to be able to dust off the clubs. That, and the chance to spend valuable time with my brothers, are among the plus points of moving back. If only I could have brought some of those magnificent courses with me.
Tags: Catalunya, childcare, Costa Brava, Emporda, English, expat, family, Golf, leisure, lifestyle, Spain, Spanish, summer, sun, UK, work
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 »
Tags: costs, country, culture, currency, economy, euro, expatriates, Food, Foreign, lifestyle, living, location, Mediterranean, move, Moving Abroad, prices, property, recession, Spain, sunshine, unemployment, wine
We had some friends come to visit last Saturday. They were on holiday in France, a couple of hours up the road, and so took the opportunity to drive across the border into our corner of northern Spain to see us for the day.
Last time they did the same journey they got held up for hours in traffic and shortly after they arrived we were hit by a massive thunderstorm. This time though the journey was quick and the sky cloudless. After they arrived we all went in our pool for an hour. Their three young children thought it was marvellous – a pool in the back garden!
Afterwards we had a long lunch. And then later in the afternoon, when the sun had dipped a little, we strolled along to the beach, where we swam and built sandcastles with the children.
Both sets of kids played nicely together all day and had a wonderful time. As did we adults. At the end of the day the parents turned to us and said, “You have a great life here.”
They were right. We know it. That’s why we moved here in the first place, for the long sunny summers, to have the Mediterranean on our doorstep.
For our friends it was a perfect holiday day: the sun, the warmth, the pool, the beach. By contrast, for us it was a pretty normal Saturday. No doubt we’ll be doing something similar this weekend.
And our choice of location has been reaffirmed all week. Each day has dawned bright and clear. It’s been relentless sunshine and baking temperatures.
Britain, meanwhile, has been enjoying its traditional August weather: rainy, windy and cold.
There is a downside though to this ‘idyllic’ existence, and that shone through the day after our friends were here. At breakfast our three-year old asked: “When can we see them again? I miss them already.”
And, of course, we do too. Whenever we get together with them we have fun. If we were in England they would be among our closest friends. But we’re not. Instead we see them once a year at best, more often once every two years.
And that’s the pattern of our life. It seems we, and our young daughters, are always saying goodbye to the people we love: my wife’s parents, our siblings, nieces and nephews and friends. And our daughters wonder why.
Yes, we do have a great lifestyle here. It’s all the things we wanted. If only our family and friends would move over too! Then it would be complete.
But that’s not going to happen. So instead there is a choice: a great lifestyle in one place, or family and dear friends in another.
Tags: beach, Britain, family, France, lifestyle, Mediterranean, pool, Spain, summer, sun, weather
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