When I went to the Miami Bal Harbour Mall for a business lunch-meeting a week ago, I knew I entered another world.  And not because of the high couture brands that I saw there — but because of the amount of “plastic” that surrounded me.  Not “plastic” as in credit cards, but “plastic” as in “plastic” people, both women and men.

Those of us without any plastic surgery were in minority in that restaurant.  And since I’ve just recently moved to Miami from Russia — another place on the planet where having plastic surgery often means “you’ve made it” — it got me thinking.  What defines our understanding of success?  What part of our definition of it comes from us as individuals and what part comes from the culture that surrounds us?

When I coach my clients we always look at the set of values that each client holds dear to him/her.  And success as a value comes strongly in almost all of them.  Yet the definitions of it vary widely from client to client.  For some success might be a few billions in the bank, for others — a happy family, for yet others — fame, for … we can go on and on.

So what determines our definitions of success?

I think it’s a combination — a combination that came about as a result of blending our family culture, the culture of the place where we grew up, the culture of the place where we live, the culture of the place where we work, and the culture of people who surround us.  As we go through our lives, some of these influences change, some go away, and others come in.  And our definition of success changes with them.

What do you think?

People who enjoyed this post also read:

Trailing and not failing: How our relationships can sustain us i expatriation?

Three reasons to become an expatriate

A different take on expatriate motivation

Copyright © 2009 by Global Coach Center.
If you’d like to reprint this, please do so but make sure you credit us!

It was a shock seeing such statistics in a Muslim country since the whole subject of suicide is taboo. But then again, times are changing. In a recent article in Kippreport( http://tinyurl.com/ycq9hyx) the article states a 10% increase over last year to 295 suicides and more Saudis than expatriates committing the act. The reason is why? That is something the article does not go into. But could it be the high rate of unemployment? Could it be the void created in such a relatively closed environment.? It would  be great to know the exact reasons not only for Saudis but for expatriates too. The toil, the distance from family. There must be a hundred reasons, but still what is being done about it?

A young, single and free-spirited American cuts loose Paris in the 1950s

The Dud Avocado. By Elaine Dundy. Introduction by Terry Teachout. New York Review Books Classics, 260 pp., $14.95, paperback.

By Janice Harayda

In 1958 Elaine Dundy won rapturous praise for The Dud Avocado, a sparkling novel about the cultural and romantic adventures of a young American in France. More than a half century later, her book has become a modern classic, driven by the unique voice of an endearingly impulsive heroine.

Sally Jay Gorce has traveled to Paris search of gaiety, laughter and “shoes in the air” – apparently, something not unlike a Fred Astaire movie. Bankrolled by an allowance from a rich uncle, she finds all of those as she takes small acting roles and moves from cafés and nightclubs in Montparnasse to a villa near Biarritz. She also has a moral awakening that occurs not when she loses her virginity to an Italian diplomat – which is part of her backstory — but when she discovers that Old World glamour can mask social ruthlessness.

Groucho Marx wrote to Dundy to praise The Dud Avocado: “It made me laugh, scream, and guffaw (which, incidentally, is a great name for a law firm).” And the book is certainly one of the most entertaining novels of the 20th century about an innocent abroad. Sally may be as green as an avocado, but she knows what’s wrong with a hotel for Anglophiles that’s “full of dusty red plush” furniture: “It’s probably the only perfect replica of a Victorian mausoleum still standing in Paris.” And she has a sensibility that is surprisingly modern. She declines to live with a boyfriend not because it’s immoral – they’re sleeping together — but because it would curb her freedom. She is also charmingly open about her faults, such as her quick temper and flightiness: “I always expect people to behave much better than I do. When they actually behave worse, I am frankly incredulous.”

Like its heroine, The Dud Avocado has small flaws: a loosely stitched plot, an ending that isn’t fully earned. These detract little from a book that invests Paris in 1950s with the allure others have given to the Paris in the 1920s. No matter how many scrapes Sally gets into, you never doubt her intelligence or enthusiasm for life. She writes of friends: “A rowdy bunch on the whole, they were most of them so violently individualistic as to be practically interchangeable.” The same applies many recent books: they’re “so violently individualistic as to be practically interchangeable.” The allure of The Dud Avocado – like that of its heroine – is that it is interchangeable with nothing.

Best line: “I mean, the question actors most often get asked is how they can bear saying the same things over and over again night after night, but God knows the answer to  that is, don’t we all anyway; might as well get paid for it.”

Worst line: “I saw us for what we really were: beggars and toadies and false pretenders.” Pretenders are always false.

Reading group guide: Posted on the publisher’s site.

Published: 1958 (first edition). June 2007 (NYRB reissue). In addition to The Dud Avocado,  Dundy wrote the novels The Old Man and Me and The Injured Party and a memoir.

Furthermore: More about Dundy appears in her New York Times obituary. The Dud Avocado has an excellent introduction by Terry Teachout, the author and drama critic for the Wall Street Journal.

You can also follow Janice Harayda (@janiceharayda)  on Twitter www.twitter.com/janiceharayda.

© 2009 Janice Harayda. All rights reserved.

Author:
George Bashaw – Atlas Global Benefits

There are only a few ways to negotiate with an insurance carrier on fully insured plans.  For most carriers, claims history is the most important factor in determining pricing.  Therefore, you better know your claims if you wish to negotiate with its leverage.   Over the next few months, I am going to share five simple ideas to help you save money on your benefits.  Out of the five, I hope you find at least one of them useful.

Here’s the first one:  Know Your Claims!

Fully Insured and Self Insured
Insurance plans are fully insured or self insured. Most large companies have both. Typically, large multinational companies have self insured medical plans and fully insured non-medical plans.  Medium and smaller companies tend to have a majority of fully insured plans.  Therefore, it is likely that your company has at least a few fully insured plans.  Only fully insured plans will be discussed in this blog.

What’s Inside a Premium?
Premium can be broken down in two parts, claims and retention.  When an insurance company prices a new premium, they estimate future claims by looking at your claims history.  Estimated Claims + Retention = Premium.  Retention is approximately 20%-25% of the premium cost and consists of the following:  premium tax, overhead/administration, margin/profit, and commission/fees.

A Happy Insurance Carrier
Insurance carriers want claims to be around 75%-80% of premium.  If claims are over 80%, the carrier starts to lose money; if they are below 75%, they start raking in the profits. 

Claims Analysis:

Do a thorough analysis of your claims.  If your claims history is running less than 75%-80%, demand a decrease in premium.  If you do not get it, there is some reason why the carrier does not want to insure your risk.  For example, a carrier may not want to cover offshore drillers, so they jack up the price to reduce that demographic in their pool.

If you claims are over 80% you are getting a good deal. However, there are some carriers that may want your group and will offer you a better deal, even if you are running over 90% claims.

Please tell me your thoughts and share your experiences.  Know your claims!

More about George:

• George Bashaw
• Email George
• George on LinkedIn
• International Benefits and Compensation Group

“Not in the malls is a fabulous on-line marketplace featuring creative independent individuals and small companies, who design, create, source and sell unique, gorgeous  products. ” Quote Krista and Michelle, the founders. They cater to customers who visits hotel fairs, online portals and exhibitions to hunt for gems and bargain buys that are not available in the malls. The vendors are a pool of passionate artistes and designers who started out on their own and hope to grow them into something big eventually. Since they do not have physical shops, once you missed them at the fairs, its hard to locate them and so, now you can find them in “NOT IN THE MALLS“.

There is no better time than now to log on to their website and check out some Christmas gifts. Something unique, fun, useful or just for Christmas…go check it out now. KOOSHI will be listed as one of their merchants and some of our products are also not available in our shops. Look out for KOOSHI DEALS!

Author:
Bruce Alan Johnson and R. William Ayres – Bruce Alan Johnson Associates (Pty) Ltd

Bruce Alan Johnson

Bill Ayres

[Editor's Note:  We are happy to welcome Bruce Alan Johnson and Bill Ayres as Guest Authors.  Bruce and Bill have extensive experience working with companies to help understand how business is conducted in different cultures.  They are the co-authors of the book Carry a Chicken in Your Lap: Or Whatever It Takes to Globalize Your Business]

A large American corporation sent a senior executive to reside in an African country known for its wide religious tolerance, as the general manager of the company’s regional operations.  Managerially speaking, the man was qualified. But he brought with him a zealous sense of religious superiority that manifested itself as rigid intolerance.

In his first week on the job, he screamed at Muslims who were in a corner observing one of the five prayer times of the day, and then at Sikhs whose heads were traditionally wrapped.  By the next week, more than a hundred employees had walked off the job.  Some of them brought in government authorities to the site.  In the meeting that followed, the executive said that he would accept crosses as jewelry and pins, but no other expression of religious identity!  Even though the officials tried to explain the supreme importance of religious diversity in their country, the response was an arrogant assertion of “rights” that the executive claimed he had.

Of course he had no such rights, and a week later the government informed the American corporate headquarters that this executive would have to be removed at once, or all government contracts with that company would be canceled and official hearings would be held for the aggrieved workers.  He was recalled, another casualty of the mistakes companies make in sending the wrong people overseas.

Cultural Fit is Important in Expat Selection
Every time we talk to an audience about sending people overseas, we start with one fundamental point: not everybody can do this. Not everybody will be successful in Copenhagen just because he or she did well in Cleveland or Calgary. Furthermore, no magic, single thing guarantees success. The world is a complex place. It would be surprising if we didn’t need complex abilities to deal with it.

But what if you’re coming the other direction—sending people to the United States?  Over the years it has become quite plain that the most costly mistake made by companies sending people to the US has been the blind belief that there are dollar signs instead of “S’s” in the name United $tate$.  The second error lies in believing that a country as stunningly diverse as America is in fact an homogenous market.  America is not just 50 states—it spans 11 time zones, from the westernmost tip of Alaska to eastern tip of Maine.  And its people are so diverse in culture and outlook that domestic companies usually take great care to make sure that the right Americans are matched to the appropriate areas of the country for sales and marketing.  A person who sells successfully in Mississippi will almost certainly be rejected by the more harried residents of New York.

Recently a Middle Eastern company of considerable wealth sent a two-member team to New York City to head their American office.  Not only had neither member of the team ever been to America—both made vehement anti-Semitic remarks almost every day.  Needles to say, they were strongly resented by most New Yorkers, and failed completely.  They were recalled at considerable expense, the company’s reputation in the States tattered.

HR Should Take the Lead!
When it comes to finding the right people—and avoiding the wrong ones—human resources needs to play a critical role.  The reason is simple. Understanding the keys to choosing the people most qualified for overseas assignments is something that most line managers aren’t well equipped to do. Managers’ primary purpose is to get the job done.  Often, this does involve deciding who’s going to do what.  But in the international arena, those decisions are not based on how well you know the technical field or the business goals. They’re based on what you know about your people.

This is where HR can and should play a key role. Arnold Kanarick, who headed HR at The Limited and Bear Stearns, pointed out, “HR isn’t about being a do-gooder. It’s about how do you get the best and brightest people and raise the value of the firm.” Good HR offices are staffed with trained professionals who know how to evaluate aspects of a company’s people to assist tremendously in choosing the right people to send overseas.

To do that requires recognizing a fundamental reality: the world is a very complex place that does not lend itself to packaged solutions.  The primary challenge is finding people who can deal with differences—but what kinds of differences vary widely, depending on where your organization wants to go and what it wants to do.  There are no simple tests or easy systems for scanning personnel files.

So what should you be looking for?  Here’s a profile of what a potentially successful overseas assignee should look like.  Key characteristics include:

• Matching demographic characteristics (gender, race, religion) to the place they’re being sent.  Different cultures react differently to different sorts of people.
• Open-mindedness toward difference.  Can the people you’re sending work well with others who are different?
• Language facility.  People who have no facility whatsoever for learning foreign languages—or, worse still, who actively resist even a modest attempt—should not be sent overseas.
• Language assumptions.  Anyone who thinks the world speaks English (or their native language), or that the world ought to speak English, should stay at home.
• Acceptance of the world as you find it.  Anyone infected with the desire to change other parts of the world to be more like their home will definitely do a poor job of representing your business.
• Tolerance of different ways of doing business.  Just because you didn’t think of it doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
• Time-change tolerance.  The more difficult it is for people to adjust to jet lag, the effects of travel, and time-zone differences, the less they probably ought to do it.
• Cultural-time Flexibility.  People who understand that different cultures think differently about time, and who can adapt themselves to those cultural differences, will do much better overseas than those who don’t.

So how do you find employees who fit this profile?  There are two keys here: know what you’re sending them into, and know your people.  Choosing people to send overseas can’t be done with a one-size-fits-all checklist.  But a good HR department that does know the firm’s employees, and that does its homework, can make a tremendous contribution in helping companies get the right people in the right places overseas.

More About the Authors

Bruce Alan Johnson Associates

Carry a Chicken in Your Lap: Or Whatever It Takes to Globalize Your Business

Bruce on LinkedIn

Bill on LinkedIn

I just saw a concerning article about expatriates and infidelity.  It makes an excellent point that if you are married and considering a move to a new country, you need to carefully consider all the changes the move will bring to your family.  The article also points out that marriages that are shaky before a move tend to fall apart after a move overseas.

Click here for the full article.  What are your thoughts on this?

Vietnamese expatriates have great knowledge and intellectual skills to offer the country but the Vietnamese Government has yet to adopt polices to effectively exploit them, delegates said November 22 at the ongoing Overseas Vietnamese Conference in Hanoi.

President Nguyen Minh Triet (middle) poses with Viet kieu at the first Overseas Vietnamese Conference being held in Hanoi from November 21 to 23

They called for setting up a mechanism to attract the economic and mental resources the expatriates have to offer and an organization to provide information and support to overseas Vietnamese coming to the country to work.
 
Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Le Dinh Tien admitted that existing policies are not attractive enough.
 
His ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have recently submitted to the Prime Minister a plan to attract and encourage overseas Vietnamese experts and intellectuals, he said.
 
The plan spells out measures and policies to attract experts and encourage overseas Vietnamese to invest in activities involving transfer and application of technologies and teach Vietnamese language and culture to young Vietnamese expatriates, he said.
 
A database on Vietnamese expatriates living around the world would also be set up, Mr. Tien said.
 
Two programs with a focus on preferential treatments, salaries, and employment terms for Viet kieu (overseas Vietnamese) would be piloted and an annual forum would be held with overseas Vietnamese intellectuals to advise the Government on policies, he added.
 
Nguyen Canh Son, vice chairman of the Overseas Vietnamese Business Association, said the cumulative income of overseas Vietnamese is US$50-60 billion, and they have invested $2 billion in the country.
 
The association would help local and overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs meet, exchange business information, and collaborate, he added.
 
Pham Van Thanh, chairman of the Association of Overseas Vietnamese Entrepreneurs in Canada, said there may not be many overseas Vietnamese millionaires but there are many with assets worth $500,00 to $1 million who want to buy houses or run small businesses in Vietnam.
 
Many Viet kieu want to return home to live but hesitate because the Government does not have concrete policies to encourage them to return, he said.
 
Besides, the country’s investment environment remains risky and complex due to the myriad administrative procedures, he said.
 
To encourage them to invest in the country, he said, the Government should ensure they can repatriate their money if they do not want to stay any longer, he added.
 
Some delegates said the Government should ensure policies that are announced — like creating favourable conditions for Viet kieu to buy houses, scrapping superfluous procedures, and implementing a “single door” policy — are scrupulously implemented.

Related article:
First overseas Vietnamese conference to unite whole nation

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You know the confession game; the sort of thing you might get on radio. Phone us now with one thing you have never done that mostly all adults would have been expected to have done. Never driven a car!? Never been to a pub!? Never watched X Factor!? 

I cannot claim any of the above, but there is one confession I have. And it is this. Until yesterday, I had never attended an ESRA event. Ever. There. I feel cleansed. I have come out as being ESRA-phobic. But now I am ESRA-phile. Possibly. 

ESRA, the English Speaking Residents Association, held its “mediaeval fayre” in the cloister of Pollensa’s Sant Domingo yesterday. A place more reverentially associated with the sophistication of the classics of the Pollensa Music Festival and less obviously and most absurdly Tony Hadley. From outside the cloister, there was a dreadful sense of foreboding: a Middle Ages and middle-aged Frank Sinatra giving it large with a full “My Way” treatment. From the old courtyard that this past summer staged Joanna MacGregor, the London Gospel Choir and cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic, there came the sheer horror that is “Agadoo”. Push pineapple. Except there weren’t any pineapples to push. There was, though, a pig on a gas spit, someone with a tea towel on his head and some very mediaeval stands devoted to security systems and currency transfer. It needed some inquisition, a touch of “auto de fe”, but the only “tormento” was a set of stocks and a bloke being assaulted by small children with wet sponges; oh, and Black Lace, who were frequently to be found at the court of Edward III, even if Edward – it has been revealed in historical documents – did have a preference for Russ Abbot and his fabulous mediaeval madrigal, “(Oh What An) Atmosphere”.

This was a peculiarly English weekend. On Saturday, there was the car boot sale without any car boots at Puerto Alcúdia’s Jolly Roger. Not that this is an exclusively English/British occasion, just that it is something of a weekly rendezvous and gossip-exchanging point for old Britannia. The two events, the Roger’s and the fayre, were worlds apart, and not just in terms of location. One cast one’s eyes around the cloister of Sant Domingo. How many were there from Alcúdia? Hard to say, but only a very few who were recognisably so. One cast one’s eyes around the Roger’s terraces. How many were there from Pollensa? None, or none who were recognisably so. 

Two towns divided by a common language and by a few kilometres. Rarely do the twain meet. It is not only the British. Many a Mallorcan rarely ventures in either direction, but at least the Mallorcans will, usually, be aware of what exists outside of their own domains. How many of the British do? How many in Alcúdia know of Cala San Vicente? Or how many in Pollensa might know of Mal Pas? 

Two towns divided by a perceptual gulf, one of supposed superiority beaten back along the coast road by suggestions of supposed snobbery. Alcúdia is Corrie, karaoke and the Roger’s boot sale; Pollensa is Howards Way, harmonics and ESRA. Two communities in non-alignment, except. Except there is always Black Lace. Could have been Alcúdia – allegedly.

John Hirst – revealed

Well, I had chosen not to use the comments, but now … Perhaps I should. “The Sunday Times” has come clean where others might have preferred not to. It says: “Hirst was sentenced to five years in prison in 1992 for ‘obtaining deception’ while working for Allied Dunbar”. And this, pretty much, is what those comments all said.

Salaries are still rising, especially in Wellington, in a survey by Mercer but the next year could be a different story.

Salaries in New Zealand have so far had a soft landing, but the lag effect of the global financial crisis combined with rising unemployment and a decreasing demand for labour indicates a slowdown in salaries growth is inevitable in 2010, Mercer said.

National salaries for those who remained in the same job in the 12 months to July rose 5.2 per cent, down slightly from a rise of 5.4 per cent the year prior.

Public sector salaries rose by 5.3 per cent, compared to 3.8 per cent in the private sector.

Wellington experienced the highest rate of salary growth, with same incumbent pay rising by 5.2 per cent in the 12 months to July 2009, compared with 5.9 per cent in 2008.

Auckland employees have seen less generous pay increases, rising by 3.8 per cent from 4.8 per cent in 2008.

Executives received an increase of 5 per cent this year, down from the 5.9 per cent last year and professionals saw the lowest pay movements at 3.4 per cent, down from a 5.8 per cent pay rise in 2008.

David Little, a senior associate at Mercer, said salaries typically lagged behind economic and labour market conditions because of the timetable for budgets.

“Competition for jobs is going to become fierce with limited new jobs being created, involuntary turnover increasing and unemployment on the rise,” Mr Little said.

- NZPA

Easing the Way

Without even reading reports about the John Hirst case, one can guess at the language. “Shockwaves through the expatriate community”, and so on and so on. Of the reporting there has been, some has been over the top. Technically, comparisons with Bernard Madoff may not be inaccurate, but the scale is completely different. 

There are many people who stand to lose their savings as a consequence of Hirst’s activities. They should have sympathy, but one does have to ask, did they seriously believe an investment opportunity that yielded 20% regardless of market conditions? It would appear that some did. Many of you will probably be thinking that they were gullible and naïve. Maybe they were, but they are still deserving of sympathy, and now is not the time to be haranguing them for a lack of wisdom.

It should be stressed that this is as yet an alleged fraud, and that it is under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office, but the circumstances of Hirst’s sudden flight from Mallorca, having trousered some 20 million quid, were bound to raise suspicions. And these, unfortunately, seem to have been confirmed. There are voices from the south which, disbelieving of what has transpired, think that all might yet be ok. Perhaps all will be, and investors will get their money back. Perhaps it’s all been a mistake. Time will tell, but if you look at the footnote to this piece, you might draw a conclusion – or more than one.

More than any criminality, what does this story tell us about the expat community, as it is largely this community that has been apparently taken in? The news reporting is quite revealing and, inevitably, falls back on the default lexicon that gets hauled out at such times. The community is “tight-knit”, we are told. Is it really? Or is it isolated, a social phenomenon of convenience? 

The picture that is painted is of an artificial sub-society centred on the social world of the cricket club and dinners. Of the Rotary and the English Speaking Residents Association. With the exception of the latter, it could be a leafy Surrey town where the community is that un-tight-knit that home mobility is a means to a better school and that parking the car at the local cricket club is an exercise in one-upmanship. John Hirst, we are told, was not a “flash git”. Five-bedroom villa, a Merc, a “state-of-the-art snooker room” and a wedding that went on all weekend. There is flash, and there is flash. It does all rather depend on your point of your view. But the chances are that, by comparison in that pretend tight-knit community, he was not. 

Last year there was a short-lived “storm” caused by an article in “The Daily Mail” . This was, in part, a condemnation of the vacuity of expat living, as experienced by some in the more expensive parts of Calvia. The Mail was accused of playing fast and loose, and the article may indeed have been an exaggeration, but the press love this sort of expat exposé stuff as it satisfies a prejudiced and jaundiced impression of the expat which does, nevertheless, have some basis in fact. With the Hirst case, you are getting it all, including some crookedness (allegedly). Jeremy Clarkson will doubtless be feeling vindicated. 

Within these thrown-together sub-societies, there emerge the John Hirsts of this world. “A man about town,” we learn. Playing the network, playing the scene, and all for his own ends – once again, allegedly. There is one sense in which the community can be said to be tight-knit, and that is its propensity to “do business” with its own. And so you get people willing to hand over their life savings to one of their own. 

I sincerely hope that everything does prove to be ok. That it has all been a mistake. But whether it ends up in tears or in joy, the story is far more than one of an alleged wrongdoing. In terms of social commentary, it is one of the more important stories you will come across.

Footnote – John Hirst and Allied Dunbar?

The note about this case yesterday made the visits to the two versions of the blog go ballistic. There have been several comments, which I have held back, related to a Mr. Hirst and a fraud involving Allied Dunbar (as was) in the early ’90s. I am grateful to all these commentators, but please do understand why I might hold back what you say.

Edward Woodward

On a quite different matter. Two days ago, I mentioned Edward Woodward. It was perhaps rather unfortunate, as he has of course died. Total coincidence, and a sad one as The Wicker Man stands the test as one of the great films and Woodward was, well, Woodward. Shame.

This will doubtless be a story for some days to come. If you’re not up to speed with it, here goes.

John Hirst was an investor who lived in Santa Ponsa, well-known on the Calvia scene and in particular at the Mallorca Cricket Club in Magaluf. On Friday, the Serious Fraud Office in the UK announced that it had launched an investigation into Hirst’s firm, Gilher Inc. The suspicion is that he has defrauded mainly British expats of some 20 million pounds as investors in a scheme he said would yield 20% returns, irrespective of market fluctuations. 

Hirst left Mallorca in August, and those who had invested in the scheme began to have their concerns, which led to the SFO’s involvement. Hirst is said to be in the UK and to be suffering from leukaemia. 

Expect more on this. 

Original story from “The Sunday Times”:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_and_finance/article6917139.ece

I coach expatriates and conduct cross-cultural trainings in a parallel fashion in my career. And what I’ve been noticing on more than one occasion is that many of my coaching clients — those who have gone through a cross-cultural training at one time or another — carry much stronger judgments than those who didn’t. That got me thinking — what’s the connection between the judgments and the cross-cultural training?

We’ve all heard the common clichés that populate people’s thinking about each other. “Russians drink too much”, “Americans are clueless about other cultures”, “French don’t want to speak any other language but French”, the list can go on and on. And while these clichés might be partially true — they do contain some truth in them — they are certainly NOT true when extended to the entire population. All Russians do not drink too much, all Americans are not clueless, and all French are not monolingual.

What I think happens during cross-cultural trainings is that these clichés — already rampant in the world — get confirmed when we, cross-cultural trainers talk about the problems that have created them. And in the mind of the unsuspecting client, a cliché and a problem, mentioned by a trainer, get “married” to produce a very strong judgment. Cliché by itself is one thing. Cliché confirmed by training is another.

I don’t need to go into details about why judgments are not beneficial for anyone entering another culture and preparing to live/work in it. Judgments bear misunderstandings, miscommunication, hurt feelings, and many other unpleasant things. A person with judgments is a person whose mind is no longer open. And we all know that an open mind is one of the major keys to success in another country/culture.

What are your thoughts on the subject?

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Moving again? Need packing “know-how”?

Copyright © 2009 by Global Coach Center.
If you’d like to reprint this, please do so but make sure you credit us!

Jeremy’s at it again. At times, I do wonder if he tries a bit too hard at being contrary and offensive. Rather like Littlejohn, I’m not totally convinced that he believes half of what he says. But in Clarkson-land, the expat life is one, as he puts it, in which an expat has “a nose like a burst beetroot” and who wonders if “it’s okay to have a small sharpener at 10 in the morning”. There is a bit of familiarity about this. Did not A.A. Gill, in the same newspaper (“The Sunday Times”), make a similar observation about the early-morning drinking habits of expats on the Costas when he undertook his character assassination of Keith Floyd? And when, what must be about three years ago now, Alexei Sayle (in “The Independent”) demolished Leapy Lee, there was reference, to “some minor expat singer with a criminal record and views tailor-made for his audience of drink-sozzled, golf-playing Costa Brits”. 

For Jezza, any expat in Spain is, basically, a criminal. Weighing up the options as to countries to which the British might wish to emigrate in order to escape Peter Mandelson, he rules out Spain for his reader on the grounds that “you’re not called Del and you weren’t involved in the Walthamstow blag”. In fact, he rules out everywhere, but for different reasons. 

This crim and booze image might be all a tad tiresome if it weren’t for the fact that it is quite funny and not without some element of truth. I can think of at least one Del. When his bar had to be evacuated and some of the contents dispensed with, there was some slight apprehension as to the exact source of some of the items on offer. Del is an appropriate enough name, given the ubiquity of “Fools And Horses” and of DVDs bearing the title, not all of which bring with them a payment to BBC Worldwide. All these Dels selling dodgy Del DVDs to some bloke called Del. But whereas one who had committed the Walthamstow blag might be residing in Benalmádena, he would be most unlikely to be in Alcúdia or Puerto Pollensa as only people from Leicester or Hull live in Alcúdia or, for some bizarre reason, from Kilmarnock in the case of Puerto Pollensa.

Now that the season has finished, and the Dels have either had to make swift their escape from Spanish territory and its coastal waters, or handed back the keys, or sold off the Sky system, or all of these, there is the opportunity for those who remain to take to the only bars staying open and indulge in a little 10am sharpening, which can go on to, well, 10pm. Normally, such intake would be curbed by a couple of hours in season, but now they can join the retired Dels and Mrs Dels (Raquels presumably) who make no concession to hours by a bar; summer or winter, they are the same. Actually, I exaggerate. There may be a few soaks and the occasional burst beetroot but other than the odd beer or glass of wine, it is not that common to see your expat imbibing much more than a coffee in the mornings or indeed in the afternoons. The Jezza (and Gill) image is overstated, as is the crim angle. Yep, there are one or two of them, but sadly, though it’s a funny line, I’m afraid I have to tell Jeremy that it’s not strictly accurate. And just as an aside … Someone who met Jezza on the day of the rally in Mallorca said that he, Jezza, admitted to having a colossal hangover. I’m sure that’s not true and that he misheard.

Those of a criminal bent may have discovered that they can no longer use their mobile phones. As of yesterday, any unregistered mobile was cut off. This means that all those pay-as-you-go mobiles, which had not been registered (all phones under contract were and are registered), are now useless except for 112 emergency calls. The thinking behind this was that the unregistered mobile was the communication device of choice for the crim or terrorist, neither of whom would be likely to be making 112 calls unless they are issuing a warning as to a bomb going off. Some 25% of pay-as-you-go phones, representing some four million users, remain unregistered, so the Spanish government has extended by six months the period in which registration can be effected, allowing the user to keep his or her number.

These are the kind of people I live with.

As I write this and ponder whether or not to be actually productive today and clean the house instead of playing Halo, my neighbor’s new dog is barking loudly at other dogs, passing cars, or pretty much anything that gets its goat. I’ve been hoping it wasn’t his dog, that maybe he was taking care of a friend’s while they’re out of town, perhaps even someone in the building (haven’t seen the greyhound that lives down the hall or the guy who owns it in a while), but considering it’s been here for about a week now, the situation is looking grim. It’s almost as if the guy, a 40-something divorcee, father and party-planner, wants to annoy me more than he already does. And if that’s the case, he’s doing a fantastic job.

Ever since I moved into the West Village over a year ago, I have been fascinated by the bizarre social dynamics that occur here. In the past, the West Village was known as a bohemian enclave and sanctuary for gays, full of art, culture, and maze-like streets. But ever since Giuliani cracked down on minorities crime and convinced Europeans that they should spend their hard-earned Euros on overpriced food, lodging and clothes, the face of the Village has changed dramatically. While it’s still home to homosexuals and artists alike, it’s now overflowing with illogically beautiful models, celebrities, expatriates, and trust-fund hipsters. The original bohemian caste has been pushed aside and now makes up a bizarre minority.

These are the kind of people I live with in my overpriced tenement building, people who are so obsessed with the idea of the West Village, that they’re willing to pay several G’s to live in what was designed for large immigrant families in the mid-19th Century. These are the kind of people who are steamrolling into their 50s and yet still think, deep down, that they’re 21 years old. These are the kind of people who think Kings of Leon are the hip new Indie band. These are the kind of people who think it’s okay to own a dog, even when their living space is barely large enough to fit themselves in, and is on the fifth floor, thus dooming their poor animal to a life of cabin fever and hip replacements. These are the kind of people who New York City pushes over the brink into madness.

Now I know what many of you are saying: Alex, you yourself are a bit of a trust-fund hipster, you’re living off your parents and occupy an apartment in one of the best neighborhoods in the city. What do you have to complain about? I’m not complaining. I love the Village. What’s causing this angst is a combination of anthropological fascination, and pure hatred for my noisy neighbor. I think it’s crazy that these old bastards are still willing to sacrifice living space and convenience just so they can tell their friends at their dead-end job that they live in the Village, when they could afford an apartment that’s two to three times bigger in Brooklyn. But mostly I just find the melting pot nature of the neighborhood to be engaging from an intellectual standpoint. It still retains the luster of its bygone days, but like everywhere else in the city, it too has become a victim of gentrification. Back in the day, the Village was one of the city’s centers for counterculture. Now it’s where tourists go because they think it’s a counterculture. It’s a Disney-fied theme park like the East Village and Williamsburg that caters more to tourists than to its own inhabitants.

But that’s not what’s really bothering me. What’s bothering me is this fucking dog. I want to sneak in through my neighbor’s window (he always leaves it open) and poison the pure creature, so I can finally have a train of thought that’s not interrupted by ROFF ROFF ROFF ROFF!!! I want the son of a bitch to get some fucking carpets and take his goddamn shoes off, so it doesn’t sound like a fucking Nazi brigade is marching across my apartment all the time. I want him to stop playing loud music, TV and videogames after hours like he promised to, or stop being overly dramatic and making moaning sounds akin to Chewbacca whenever he has an orgasm. I want him to talk in a speaking voice when he’s indoors instead of yelling like he’s at a Journey concert. I want him to be a normal person. I want someone to open his eyes and say: “See!! This isn’t the New York you grew up in!! That New York is dead!! Get over it and grow the fuck up!!”

WORST NEIGHBOR EVER.

Author:
Warren Heaps – Birches Group LLC

Today I had the pleasure to deliver a presentation to the Thames Valley Chapter of the Forum for Expatriate Management.  If you are not familiar with this organization, I urge you to visit their website – there is a wealth of great resources to be found regarding all aspects of international assignment management.

My presentation focused on the unique challenges of expatriate assignments in developing countries.  There is information about:

• the challenges of designing expatriate compensation packages;
• the emerging trends in the sources of talent for these assignments;
• some comparative information on hardship pay (a key element of packages to some developing countries); and
• a couple of ideas about alternative approaches to consider.

If you would like to look at the presentation in its entirety, you can view the video here.

If you have some thoughts or questions about this topic, use the comments feature to share them!

More About Warren

Warren Heaps

Warren on LinkedIn

Developing Markets Compensation and Benefits Group in LinkedIn

Email Warren

Birches Group

SUMMARY:

• Annual wage growth in the adjusted Labour Cost Index was 2.1% in the September 2009 quarter, the lowest growth rate since 2002.
• The adjusted Labour Cost Index showed annual wage growth was the strongest in the education industry (up 3.7%) and health & community services (up 3.4%).
• Labour demand continued to weaken according to the Quarterly Employment Survey with filled jobs (seasonally adjusted by the Department of Labour) falling by 0.3% in the September 2009 quarter.
• The Quarterly Employment Survey results suggest that the official measure of employment, as measured by the HLFS, is likely to fall slightly.
• Wage growth is expected to continue to slow over 2009 and 2010 as the labour market continues to soften.

Easing the Way

FULL REPORT:

Wage Growth Report — September 2009 Quarter
Released Wednesday, 4 November 2009

This note examines the wage growth measures for the September 2009 quarter from the Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) and the Labour Cost Index (LCI) which were released by Statistics New Zealand on 3 November 2009.

Wage growth eases further as labour market continues to soften

Annual wage growth in the adjusted LCI (which measures changes in pay rates for a fixed set of jobs and excludes performance-related pay increases) was 2.1% in the September 2009 quarter, the smallest growth rate since 2002. With the labour market softening, wage growth is continuing to decrease. Annual wage growth in September 2009 was down from 2.8% in the year to June 2009 and 4.0% a year ago. The adjusted LCI rose by 0.5% in the September 2009 quarter.

Slowing wage growth is being seen in both the public and private sectors. Private sector wages increased by 2.0% in the year to September 2009, down from 2.7% in the June 2009 year. This is the lowest annual increase for private sector wages since December 2002. Annual public sector wage growth was 2.9% in September 2009, down from 3.6% in June 2009.

The adjusted LCI showed annual wage growth was the strongest in the education industry (up 3.7%) driven by strong growth in this sector over the September 2009 quarter. Primary and secondary teachers, and principals received increases in pay rates of around 4% effective from 1 July 2009, and this contributed to the increase for the education industry in the September 2009 quarter. Annual wage growth was also strong in health & community services, rising by 3.4% over the past year. This was largely as a result of collective employment agreements coming into effect.

Although the adjusted LCI is a more robust wage growth measure, the unadjusted LCI can be useful as it includes performance-related pay increases. The unadjusted LCI shows annual wage growth of 3.8% in the September 2009 quarter, down from 4.6% at June 2009 and 5.6% a year ago. The 3.8% annual rise in the unadjusted LCI is the smallest annual increase since 2002.

Annual wage growth in the QES, which also includes performance related pay increases, was 4.9% for the year to September 2009. This is up from 4.5% in the year to June 2009. It may seem counterintuitive that wage growth has risen given the weakness in the labour market. However, it should be noted that the QES is affected by compositional changes. Therefore the rise in average wages is likely to have been boosted by a fall in filled jobs for lower-paid workers such as those in manufacturing, retail trade, construction and hospitality. Due to the compositional effects present in the QES wage data, the LCI is generally the preferred measure of wage growth.

Labour demand continues to weaken

QES filled jobs (seasonally adjusted by the Department of Labour) fell by 0.3% in the September 2009 quarter while seasonally adjusted paid hours rose by 0.2%.

On an annual basis, filled jobs fell by 2.6% and full-time equivalent employment fell by 3.5%. This is the fourth consecutive fall for these two series and has led to the largest declines seen since the early 1990s. Compared to the September 2008 quarter, 9 out of the 15 industries surveyed recorded a fall in filled jobs. There was particular weakness in manufacturing (down 12%), hospitality and wholesale trade (both down 8%), retail trade (down 6%) and construction (down 5%). These were partially offset by growth in the professional, scientific, technical, administrative, & support services industry which grew by 10% as well as increases in healthcare & social assistance (up 2%) and education & training (up 1%).

The Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS) for the September 2009 quarter is released on November 5 and the QES leads us to expect weak results from the HLFS. While the two series do not always match closely from quarter to quarter, the QES results suggest that the official measure of employment is likely to fall slightly. The median expectation is for employment to fall by 0.3% in the quarter. Similar to the QES, the HLFS is expected to show that employment in manufacturing has been hit hard as has hospitality, and retail & wholesale trade. The Department expects the HLFS will show that the unemployment rate has risen from 6.0% to 6.5% over the September 2009 quarter.

Wage growth expected to ease further

Wage growth is expected to continue to slow over 2009 and 2010 as the labour market continues to soften. Wages typically lag changes in economic and labour market conditions by 1-2 years due to the infrequent nature of wage negotiations. With the unemployment rate expected to continue rising towards 7% in mid-2010 there will be increased competition for jobs which should cause wage growth to continue to slow. The recent fall in annual consumer price inflation to a five year low will also contribute to weaker wage growth over the short-term.

Easing the Way

Author:
Heather Markel – Culture Transition Coaching

Editor’s Note: We are especially pleased to welcome a new Guest Author, Heather Markel, who has shared with us her ten tips for a successful expatriate cultural transition.

A few weeks ago, I shared five tips for helping expats transition to a new culture. This post is a continuation of the previous one, rounding out the ten areas to focus on when transitioning to a new culture for an expatriate assignment.

#6 – Starting All Over
One of the toughest transitions for an expat is adjusting to a new office environment from “square one”. The expat may have held a senior level job in their previous location, and the new job can feel like a demotion. For the accompanying spouse, starting all over can be literal – if they’ve left behind a job or fruitful career, they may have to start a new career, or, in some cases, due to legal restrictions, not be allowed to work at all.

In both cases, it’s imperative that some attention be given to setting expectations. For the expat, this is about an initial period where they observe the office environment, rather than try to exert their own style or behavior on everyone else.  For the spouse, expectations should be set around what types of work are permitted. There should also be some support to help spouses with the job or career-search, or on finding something to replace the job they previously held.

#7 – Access to Activities
Transitioning to a new culture isn’t just about the office. Whether single, or with a family, expats need to find fulfilling activities to help them adjust to a new culture. If the expat has moved with their family, then group activities will be important to the success of their overall experience.

Of course, available transportation may impact which activities are accessible, so providing assistance with ideas, or resources, is ideal.

#8 – Changes in the Family
For expats who have traveled with a spouse, it is more than likely the spouse has given up a job or career to follow along. If the non-working spouse isn’t happy, it can have a very negative impact on the overall experience. If the non-working spouse used to be a provider, and is now tasked with looking after the home, or the children, the role change will inevitably impact the family as well. It’s important to have an awareness of the changes, set expectations, and have a set of tools with which to navigate the resentments and challenges that are likely to develop.

#9 – Clothes:  What Not to Wear
In many cases, this may be more impactful on women, than on men, but it’s important that a migrating employee understand if there are any cultural dress patterns. First, it’s less likely they will feel like they “stick out like a sore thumb” if they adapt to some of the typical dress codes. Second, there may be instances where the lack of this knowledge could land them in trouble – for example, in cities where women are expected to cover themselves from head-to-toe.

On a more subtle level, Americans tend toward either matching suits, or more casual garments in the office. When going out in the evening, it may be inappropriate to wear jeans. In France, women in the workplace sometimes wear what I’ll call “mismatched suits” – they look impeccably-dressed, even though their skirt does not have a matching jacket. Oddly, it’s not quite business casual; it’s simply a style difference. Going out in the evening, jeans are often acceptable if paired with a nice top.

Another thing I often find humorous is that in France, people always stare at shoes. So, while you might get away with wearing an old, worn-out pair of shoes or sneakers in some countries, you’ll become quickly insecure if you try the same in Paris.

Again, these are very subtle examples, but these small gaps can make all the difference when someone is trying to feel like they fit in to a new culture.

#10 – Eye Contact and Tone of Voice
Two behavioral areas between cultures that deserve attention are eye contact, and tone of voice.

One huge area where eye contact comes into play is on public transportation. For example, in Paris, it seems mandatory to stare at fellow passengers and it can be very uncomfortable the first few times you look up to find someone staring at you, meet their gaze, and find they do not look away. In Tokyo, it’s exactly the opposite experience. Passengers typically avoid all eye contact by pretending to sleep – it’s another jarring experience to see an entire car full of people with their eyes closed.

Finally, the tone of voice with which you speak can often reveal that you are a foreigner. As an American, I know we tend to speak fairly loudly in social situations, especially when dining or drinking. However, other countries lean towards quieter conversations. So keep this in mind and adapt your conversations accordingly.

In Summary
I hope you find these tips, and the ones from my previous article, to be helpful in understanding the challenges that expatriates and their families often face upon arrival in a new country. If you are an HR professional responsible for assisting expatriates with their transitions, be sure to keep these tips in mind.

I am always interested in hearing more tips or experiences. Please share yours as a comment to this post, or contact me directly by email.

More about Heather

• Culture Transition Website
• Products and Services
• Contact Heather
• Heather on LinkedIn

NZ ‘needs more than high-skill migrants’

A focus on attracting highly skilled immigrants will not significantly benefit the New Zealand economy, which needs immigrants with varying skill levels to grow, Department of Labour research has found.

The study, Economic Impacts of Immigration, issued yesterday, says its modelling experiments “do not support arguments in favour of an entirely high-skill focused or targeted immigration inflow”.

Under the skilled migrant policy, would-be migrants are given additional points if they have skills to work in industries facing shortages.

“Such targeting does not appear to significantly increase the overall benefits to increased immigration flows. When an economy grows, labour is required at all levels,” the report said.

In a scenario where the composition of additional labour was specified in favour of particular higher-skilled categories through policy change or external impetus, the study found that it resulted in GDP being just 0.1 per cent higher than when no specifications were made.

It also found that the benefit to the export sector was 8.3 per cent above baseline, and not as large as the 8.5 per cent recorded where the inflow was “demand determined” rather than policy specified.

“This illustrates how the export sector requires semi-skilled, as well as skilled, labour resources in order to expand its activities.”

The study, which also looked at the impact of additional influences that immigrants have on productivity and trade, found that increased immigration reduces production costs, improves the competitiveness of New Zealand goods and services benefiting exporters and benefits domestic investment and consumer spending.

More immigrants could be good for the Government’s coffers, because it would result in higher Government revenues, improving its balance and outweighing the impact on spending.

“The results combine to improve both real gross domestic product [GDP] and real GDP per capita.”

If the annual net inflow of 20,000 migrants was sustained, New Zealand would have a population of 4.5 million and annual GDP of $248 billion in 2021.

It would also yield an extra $28 billion in annual GDP over the period because the inflow of migrants at this level was estimated to be worth around $1.9 billion per year to GDP and $1000 per capita GDP in 2021.

Doubling the net inflow to 40,000 would add 6.1 per cent to the population to 4.8 million in 2021 and result in a 7.6 per cent rise in GDP.

But zero immigration could have a disastrous effect on the economy. “This scenario gives a New Zealand resident population of 4.1 million in 2021, 9.6 per cent below the 2021 baseline population … the labour available is 10.9 per cent below the baseline figure.”

Stopping immigration would also bring GDP in 2021 at 11.3 per cent below that of baseline, with GDP per capita at 1.8 per cent or $1000 below the baseline.

The report said if policies were to target particular skills, they should focus on skills with significant potential to improve overall productivity.

2021 FORECASTS
Immigration’s impact on the economy.

At current level of 20,000 annual net inflow:
* Worth $1.9 billion per year to GDP and $1000 per capita GDP.
* NZ population will increase by 437,000 to 4.5 million and annual GDP to $248 billion.
* Will yield an extra $28 billion in annual GDP by 2021.

Doubling immigration level to 40,000 annual net inflow:
* Real GDP will be 7.6 per cent higher, and GDP per capita up 1.5 per cent.
* Export volumes will rise 8.5 per cent.
* Available labour will be increased by 7.4 per cent.

Zero immigration:
* NZ population will fall 9.6 per cent below baseline figure of 4.5 million.
* GDP will fall 11.3 per cent, and GDP per capita to drop 1.8 per cent or $1000.
* Available labour will fall 10.9 per cent.
* Export sector will be most affected, with export volumes dropping 12.9 per cent.

(Baseline level interpreted as scenario with no major policy changes)
Source – Department of Labour

Easing the Way

As many expatriate spouses do, I gave up my job when we decided to start traveling the world with Foreign Service.   I had a great job — the one that paid well and the one that was interesting — but then my husband got an opportunity that was too good to pass on.  And so we decided that I can perhaps find something as we move from place to place.

The first country we went to ended up going through the recession less than a year after we got there, so getting a job in my profession in the local economy was not an option.  And that’s when I decided that I needed to re-invent myself.  Instead of looking for professional opportunities every place I landed, I decided to carry a professional “opportunity” with me.  That’s how I came across what I do now and I became an expatriate entrepreneur.

As it is with every type of entrepreneurship, succeeding financially takes a lot of time and a lot of effort.  It also takes working on the computer at night, having odd tasks at odd hours — especially if your clients live in different time zones — and taking some time from the family.  It is not a “9-to-5” kind if job and that’s where spouses and their attitudes come in.

How so?

In various ways.  But here I am going to focus on two: understanding and encouragement.

(1) Understanding. When you forgo a full-time job and choose working out of your home, you pretty much stay at home.  And, for some people, staying at home means that you are responsible for all the home tasks out there — cleaning, cooking, ironing, etc.  If you are working on a business, you probably have just as little (if not less!) time for all the home tasks than you fully-employed spouse does.  Yet you are expected to do them.   This expectation may create guilt on your part and criticism on your spouse’s part.  The same feelings surface when you work at night.  In the end neither your business nor your relationship benefit from them.

(2) Encouragement. We all know making money on an idea takes time.  Time and a lot of work.  So when you spend your mornings and your afternoons and your evenings growing your business, the last thing you want to hear from your spouse is the reference to how your business isn’t really a business but rather a hobby since you have not really made a dime.  Doesn’t do a lot in terms of encouragement, does it?  In fact, those comments often shut you down, even if they are meant as a joke.

What are your thoughts on this?

People who read this post, also read:

Culture Shock Revisited or Is It Really Just About Going Through the Stages

How to Leave without Regrets

7 Behavior Choices of a Happy Expat

Copyright © 2009 by Global Coach Center.

If you’d like to reprint this, please do so but make sure you credit us!

I am a human being, one among 6 billion…My story and how I have come to create this blog is all that distinguishes me from my fellows…indeed I feel it is the one thing that we all share as individuals and that which sets us apart- the personal journey through life.

I would normally refrain from using the terms, “I”, “Me”, “My”, etc. I find them egotistical to read when checking the typo’s…and avoid their use in conversation as a rule but in this case it is unavoidable and I would ask the reader not to lend too much credence to my apparent sense of ‘self worth’ as that is not a picture I wish to portray. Writing this blog and summarising a lifetime has given me pause for thought at what I have experienced, both by design and by chance, and a slight sense of wonder I’ve managed to come this far.

My early years were spent in the United States where I was blessed to be able to attend both primary and secondary schools. The opportunities and freedoms enjoyed by students within the educational system there and its numerous open libraries helped shape the man that I am today.

As a boy in the foothills of New England, I was witness to such events as the  Berlin Crisis of 1961, the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, the sinking of the USS Thresher on 10 April 1963, the assassinations of  both JFK and of Martin Luther King, as well as Neil Armstrong’s first steps on  the Moon in 1969. I do remember watching those events unravel on black and white television and the feelings of curiosity, fear, concern, sadness and wonder they created at the time.

A student of political science, it was my pleasure to dwell on problems stemming from the incomprehensible rivalry between the Western World and the Soviet Union. The Vietnam War helped me consider diplomacy as a career. I felt that I could help change the status quo by being close to the decision-making process and so it was a seemingly natural path to chose…it ‘felt right’

In 1977, full of good intentions and hopeful as only unencumbered youth can be, I left the small New England towns that I was accustomed to for the rolling hills of Virginia. In Washington, many of my classmates were government employees who no longer had any illusions about changing their work environment.  Many of them, desiring to advance in their professional lives, had decided to undertake a long course of study. At the crusty age of 23, I would have a taste of the human element occupying bureaucracies.

The experience of living in the Middle Atlantic States opened my eyes to the diversity of the USA and the seemingly endless continuation of ‘war’ between north and south. In 1975, there were still distinct north and south lifestyles. Those cultural points of difference were staring me in the face and that was within the so called ‘United States’!

International studies finished, the Lone Star state beckoned: at the time, jobs were plentiful there…opportunity was not overlooked.

Shipped off to the Middle East by a Houston firm, I gained insight into the Persian Gulf area and a better understanding of its diverse and multi-cultured societies. Saudi and Bahraini friends were very concerned with Iran’s growing strength and importance at that time. I witnessed the clash of civilizations (which reminded me of history book colonialism), the ugly head raised of capitalistic companies and their counterparts in government, the double talk utilised for the sole benefit of continued contracts. I saw what the lack of geopolitical and language references did to expatriates, particularly Americans, UK, and French employees. I saw how the people living in that part of the world used skills acquired through generations and how they applied them to the modern age…

I was exposed to the people who really did the hard work, the expatriate nationals, who were subsisting in conditions defying any logic. I saw the rivalry between Indians, Pakistani, Sri Lanka and Philippine nationals, men who left their homes for years at a time in order to give themselves and their families at home a better way of life. The apparent black and white picture often portrayed by the medias was not so black nor white and the truth was often several shades of grey best left undisturbed.

Time spent in the Soviet Union under Brezhnev and that in the Persian Gulf was to add immeasurable, practical experience and help sharpen my analysis of cross-cultural differences. Travelling to North Africa and to Central West Africa would further increase this.

Eventually finding myself on the shores of Lake of Geneva, I was able to observe the quaintly named ‘United Nations’ at work, the many and various international organizations, common interest groups and charities, made up of every known type of  personality, each pushing their own agenda in a large wheelbarrow and trying by all means known to fill that wheelbarrow with the proceeds of the financial ‘wheel of fortune’ on offer. After many years ‘by the lake’, I moved to Spain and was introduced to the Hispanic world. This sad, personal experience did have its positive side in that it would help me obtain an inside view that includes the Spanish-American axis and its relationship with the mother country.

It was only in 2003 that I arrived in France as a foreigner; I spoke the lingo yet had little else culturally to get by with. Until then I had known France by travelling, conversations with the few family members that remain and with French expatriates that I encountered elsewhere. Most of the French ‘visits’ as such, were from people living in Paris. They brought a certain colouration concerning the image of the supposed “real France”. This image is one that is practically unknown by many people living in the France outside of the capital or indeed, metropolitan Paris itself- the France consisting of people who have never left the country, broadening their outlook. I was to discover a ‘France’ that would compare closely to other nations worldwide, in ways I had not considered prior to moving there (close comparisons that we will find with many Americans who live in the United States in the same conditions as but one example)

I am a spectator of life around me. I ask questions concerning the whys and wherefor’s of what is happening in the World today, very concerned with the way the World is treating its Planet, very concerned at the pettiness of politics, very concerned with the lack of humanity in so much of what takes place.

I write this blog in an attempt to once more gain insight…open the floor to discussion on a range of topics…to perhaps contribute to better understanding for myself and my 6 billion fellows…to make a difference much like that unencumbered youth hoped for in days passed!

In addition to this blog, I am endeavouring to complete a book entitled “Diplomacy and Human relationships” that could come out in 2010- subject to much hard work, a slice of luck and time management skills I have yet to master!

I look forward to your participation and welcome your input.

Harmony, peace and best wishes to you all.

“At the start of the Cultural Revolution in 1966, the Chinese press reported that Chairman Mao Zedong (then age 73) swam across the Yangtze River at Wuhan. The story was intended to quash rumors that Mao was either gravely ill or dead.”        WuhanTravel Guide

When did the Birdman swim across the Sepik? 

“Now the Birdman, it was when Trueman was building the club toilets etc.   I can’t recall the year, but I distinctly remember that it was between smokes!”

Peter Johnson (Former Secretary of the Angoram Club)

I would say from memory that Adrian Birb swam the Sepik River in 1969.

The Chairman’s swim, in a sense, ushered in the Cultural Revolution and the Birdman’s swim coincided with revolutionary changes in the social and political life in Angoram.

Adrian Bird, the Birdman, was a master builder who was initially employed by Geoff King, the Manager of the Angoram Hotel, to carry out hotel renovations. When these were finished, Kevin Trueman, entrepreneur and builder, decided to retain the Birdman to start and complete a contract he had with the Angoram Club.

The swim was a perilous achievement as the current of the mighty river almost carried him away. On reaching the bank he was heard to say: “I need a smoke.”

I think the dangers that Adrian faced were greater than those faced by the Chairman. Whether, of course, the enormous political implications were as great for the Birdman as for Mao is a matter for debate.

Both were significant revolutionary figures.

I would like to finally announce that my family and I are moving abroad! Where to, you ask?

View Larger Map
*Caracas, Venezuela*

After a few years of debating whether or not this would be the best move for the family, I gave my husband the green light and he obtained a transfer – as well as a promotion. Go hubby !

In the meantime, I have been thinking about what this means for this blog as I discuss raising my children in yet another culture. Well, I am hoping to expand our conversations to also include my transition into daily life in Caracas.

So there you have it. I know this may seem like it’s coming out of left field, but it’s actually something that we’ve given A LOT of thought and we feel very comfortable with our decision. I hope you will continue on this next leg of my journey with me and I look forward to hearing your stories, questions and comments.

Hasta pronto

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CountryRep_2009_Complimentary_Report

Switzerland tops list of 2009 country reputation report conducted by the Reputation Institute.  Russia is at the bottom of  the list. Open the report to learn the factors that went into the rankings, and all the scores. This could be helpful for you if you’re trying to decide between several locations for an expat opportunity.