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Wet and Wild: Big Weather Around the World

January 28, 2011 in Living Abroad Pros and Cons by Paul Allen | No comments

As everyone knows, the weather in the UK is nothing to write home about it. Grey, damp and cold tend to be the predominant impressions. Not surprising then that the country’s climate regularly tops the polls of reasons why people want to leave.

Still, as I try to remind myself on yet another chilly, overcast January morning, it could be worse.

For one, in Britain we don’t have to contend with crocodiles waddling down the pavements, as reported in some Queensland towns hit by the recent flooding. The flooding has also brought an increase in venomous snake sightings (my wife’s pet fear), and – my phobia – bull sharks seen swimming down the streets.  

But while it may be dangerous creatures that grab the headlines and send shivers down the spine, the real story is the extent of the flooding, and the chaos it has wreaked.

Vast areas of Australia’s north-east have been affected, damaging 30,000 homes and causing more than 30 deaths.

And after years of extreme drought in the country’s south-east, what has been described as an inland sea is now creeping across the state of Victoria.

Across the country, local businesses, the transport infrastructure, agriculture and mining have taken an enormous hit. The government now estimates the reconstruction effort to repair the damage will cost A$5.6bn.

Early forecasts also suggest the flooding could reduce Australia’s economic growth by 1% this year. That is a heavy toll.

Superstorm

Meanwhile, California – long feted for its climate and way of life – may be due its own “superstorm.”

According to a new report from the US Geological Survey, models show the atmospheric rivers that draw warm, moist air from the Pacific Ocean could create an “ARkStorm,” a month-long battering producing 10 feet of rain. The researchers estimated such a storm could cost $725 billion, nearly three times as much as a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hitting Southern California.

And of course there is always that risk of the giant earthquake building in the San Andreas fault, which is apparently overdue.

Maybe the British grey isn’t so bad after all.

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Arizona Shootings and the Expat Cultural Divide

January 14, 2011 in Expat Locations, Integrating Abroad, Moving Abroad Tips by Paul Allen | No comments

Last weekend’s shootings in Arizona have trained the world’s attention once more on America’s attitude to guns, and its charged political atmosphere. 

To many outsiders, me included, America’s fixation with its guns – and the ease with which people can buy them – is incomprehensible.

Gun advocates, meanwhile, argue their case by referencing America’s frontier past, their constitutional rights and the defence of freedom.

Bridging the Cultural Divide

This divergence of opinions on the issue of gun control illustrates the cultural divide expats often have to bridge when trying to make a new country their home.

For those heading to the US, the actual question of gun ownership is one aspect. But it is understanding and living with the underlying beliefs that support such positions which are likely to prove the bigger test.

Personally, I loved living in America. I loved the landscapes, its space, the optimism and can-do attitudes. And I met nothing but warm, generous, friendly people.

Nevertheless, the country’s political environment, its commitment to capitalist economics, and prevailing sentiments around healthcare, education, religion and a host of other factors may prove insurmountable obstacles for some.

Global Challenges

And it is not just America. Such political, economic and cultural considerations should feature in your decision, whatever your intended destination.

For example, Europe offers an abundance of cultural delights, with untold historical riches, beautiful architecture, and a culinary smorgasbord from which to sample. But can you cope with Italy’s red tape, French workers’ proclivity to strike, or the famous British reserve?

It is never easy to know until you are on the ground in a country, facing the life it offers day after day.

But if you ask yourself the testing questions on how suited you are to a life abroad before you go you will be better equipped for the changes ahead.

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Agassi’s Open Secrets to Living Abroad

December 3, 2010 in Moving Abroad Tips by Paul Allen | No comments

I have just started reading Andre Agassi’s autobiography, Open.

The book starts with Agassi playing his last tournament before retiring, the 2006 US Open.

He is in New York with his wife, tennis superstar Steffi Graf, and their two young children. For the duration of the tournament the family stay in a suite at the Four Seasons hotel in Manhattan. A “lovely suite,” he says, yet it remains another of those places that are what he terms “Not Home.”

Rather, home is Las Vegas. For all the evident pain of his childhood, the constant pushing of his father and resulting hatred of his profession, Agassi remains wedded to the city where he was born and raised.

Relocating for love

As a result, it is Germany’s Steffi Graf who has made the move abroad.

Like any relationship where the partners hail from different countries, one or other has to give up their homeland. For some that may be a welcome move. For others, a painful sacrifice. Yet if they are to survive as a unit there is no other option.

I’m no trained relationship counsellor, so I’m not trying to be an Agony Uncle on this. But over the years I have seen a lot of couples wrestle with this location issue, with varying degrees of success. Some have continued happy and strong. Others, unfortunately, have not.

So what lessons can these sporting idols offer?

1)      Knowing the lingo

Graf has perfect English, which is a huge benefit.

Knowing or learning the local language is crucial when moving abroad. But it is even more important when moving to a partner’s country. Seeing as they will be jabbering away with extended family and friends in that tongue, you must be able to join in if you don’t want to get isolated socially.

2)      Partner’s understanding

The home country native also has responsibilities, not least to ensure they include their partner.

That means taking them places, introducing them to friends, giving them the freedom and opportunity to make their own social circle and interact with it, supporting them through any bouts of loneliness and homesickness. Understanding and support will be critical to prevent/repair any divisions.

3)      Affirm the decision

Why did Agassi and Graf settle in Las Vegas, rather than Germany or somewhere else?

 

Both partners need to be clear about why they have picked that particular location, rather than another.

 

You need to decide why, on balance, your choice of town/country offers the best quality of life for all concerned. Why does it have to be that person’s home, rather than the other way round?

If you aren’t both in agreement on this point, resentment and subsequent rupture can easily result.

4)      Love-all

It’s a book, so there is always potential for the writer to put a gloss on things. Nevertheless, what comes through in Agassi’s autobiography is evidence of a couple that adore each other.

Staying together in a long-term relationship is hard enough as it is. Trying to do it as an expat is next to impossible unless there are strong bonds of love, respect and friendship.

Ultimately, it is the love you have for each other that will keep you focused on what matters most, and get you through the inevitable difficulties arise.

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Air Fare Rises Hit Expats

November 1, 2010 in Dream Lifestyle, International Cost of Living by Paul Allen | No comments

Living abroad has become so much more viable as the cost of travel plummeted.

The rise of the budget airlines, and the need for other travel operators to slash prices to compete, means moving overseas is no longer the one-way journey of old.

Instead, expats within a short-haul flight of home have suddenly been able to afford to pop back for regular weekends to catch up with family and friends. And those who relocated to another continent can make their annual pilgrimage home without needing an investment banker’s salary or a second mortgage.

For those expats flying to or from the UK though, the November 1 rise in Air Passenger Duty (APD) may shift the balance.

The new rates mean a family of four flying from the UK to Europe will pay £48 in APD when travelling economy class. For journeys to the US the family will be charged £240, to the Caribbean or South Africa £300, and to fly to Australia it will cost them £340 in tax (a rise of 55%).

Add in the actual cost of the ticket, plus the inevitable wad of spending money, and face-to-face contact with old friends and family looks a lot less appealing.

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Searching for a Better Life Abroad?

June 22, 2010 in Dream Lifestyle by Paul Allen | No comments

For sports fans it’s a month of heaven. The World Cup. The US Open golf tournament, soon to be followed by The (British) Open. And now the start of Wimbledon. The quandary of what to watch? So this is what it must be like year-round for reality TV talent show aficionados.

For me, the World Cup is the big treat. Once every four years I get to feast on a daily banquet of football, and if I’m lucky some of it may even prove sumptuous.

But alongside the games there is a more serious side to this year’s tournament. I don’t know what the coverage is like in other countries, but in Britain the matches have been followed by reports on what impact the World Cup is having on South Africa, and the problems there that still need tackling.

These short insights offer an eye-opening comparison between the footballer haves, and the country’s millions of have-nots. More importantly, it reminds me of what I have and how fortunate I am, and but for a fate of birth how different life could be.

For most of us expats and prospective expats moving abroad is about pursuing the dream of a better life. Nothing wrong with that. Still, at times it’s worth remembering what we have already, and being thankful for it.

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The World’s Best Expat Locations?

August 8, 2008 in Expat Locations by Paul Allen | No comments

If you have your sights set on moving to Australia or Spain – perennial favourites among expatriates – then you might want to think again.

 

According to HSBC Bank International’s new Expat Existence survey, the best place to be an expatriate is in fact Singapore, followed by the United Arab Emirates and the US.

 

The HSBC report sought to investigate the opportunities and challenges that expats face in their new locations. To this end it ranked the countries according to a variety of factors that assessed expats’ ability to earn and save, their quality of accommodation, the level of luxury enjoyed (such as access to private healthcare, pool ownership, and the ability to employ staff), and a country’s popularity in terms of how long expats live there.

 

I wouldn’t disagree with the findings. I haven’t been to Singapore since the early 90s, but at the time I found it a clean and pleasant (if somewhat sterile) city.

 

It’s got an equable – albeit humid – climate, high education standards, low unemployment and good job opportunities, superb restaurants, low tax and living costs, and it serves as a convenient hub for travel in the wider region.

 

I can’t directly comment on the UAE, having never been there. However, as the CIA World Factbook notes, it has a high per capita income, strong economic growth and zero taxes in its Free Trade Zones. The money-earning potential therefore must be a particular lure. On the flip side I would imagine its climate is a significant drawback though.

 

The US has evident advantages too. My wife and I lived in New York for a year and loved it: the bustle and excitement, the opportunity to pursue the ‘American Dream,’ the chance to travel around what is an enormous and extremely varied country. I can therefore well-understand the allure it holds (which will no doubt increase once President Bush finally leaves office!).

 

By contrast, some traditional expat locations fared less well in the HSBC survey.

 

Australia came in 10th, having received high marks for levels of luxury, accommodation, and the ability to earn and save, but with a low score for longevity. Spain, meanwhile, was 12th and France 13th.

 

The UK, which trailed in 14th, proved the most expensive expat location for accommodation. It also ranked as the least luxurious, with decreases reported in nine of the 11 luxury categories. This will come as no surprise to the millions of British citizens who indicate they are planning their own escape from the country.

 

However, before you get carried away with the overall rankings and start changing your plans, it’s worth paying attention to the longevity scores. And here Europe came out triumphant.

 

The report found 82 percent of the expat respondents in the Netherlands have been there three or more years. Germany had the next highest figure, with 77 percent, while Spain was close behind with 76 percent.

 

No doubt there are a whole slew of reasons to account for this. Factors such as a reasonable year-round climate, ease of accessibility for trips back home, decent infrastructure (including transport, telecommunications, healthcare and education), political stability and a rich cultural heritage.

 

So although a hefty pay package and an army of domestic staff may be appealing, the financials of your move should not be the be-all and end-all. Rather, relocating abroad should be about improving your overall quality of life. Ultimately that is what will make it an enjoyable, and successful, experience.

 

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