Festivals around the world this July

29 June, 2009 16:39

Summer’s begun and so have the parties. Check out some of the most popular festivals and events from around the world this July.

Manchester International Festival, UK

2nd – 19th July, 2009

Manchester International Festival is the world’s first festival of original, new work and special events. Expect a wide range of events including music, visual arts, theatre, dance, food and family events, all presented by world-class artists. While most events require tickets, there are also a host of free events. Some require advance booking so make sure you get your tickets today.

Find more information about expat life in UK on Easy Expat.

Oil Wrestling Festival, Edirne, Turkey

29th June– 5th July, 2009

Oil wrestling is one of Turkey’s most popular sports. As the name suggests, wrestlers soaked in oil fight each other. Tournaments take place across the country, but the most famous one is held in Edirne. The events are accompanied by much fanfare and entertainment including belly dancing, traditional music and an endless supply of roast lamb.

Find more information about expat life in Turkey on Easy Expat.

Beer Festivals, around the world

Throughout July

Beer lovers rejoice! June is beer month with festivals dedicated to that special ale cropping up all over the world. From Montreal to Jacksonville, Leipzig to Tokyo, head for the one that’s closest to you. Click here for the beer festival calendar for July 2009.

Mozart Festival, Warsaw, Poland

26th June – 25th July, 2009

The Mozart Festival draws audiences from across the world. Mozart's complete stage output is performed for each edition of the festival, together with a selection of his chamber, symphonic, and vocal-instrumental works. His best-loved operas, including 'Don Giovanni', 'Le Nozze di Figaro' and 'Cosi Fan Tutte' are the subject of multiple performances in this festival. The Warsaw Chamber Opera is the only company in the world to have Mozart's entire operatic output in its permanent repertoire and this is the world's largest event of its kind. A must see for Mozart fans!

Find more information about expat life in Warsaw on Easy Expat.

Fuji Rock Fest, Japan

24th – 26th July, 2009

This is an outdoor music festival which takes place in the Naeba Ski resort. Set in the mountains in the most picturesque surroundings for a music festival in Japan, it is also often hyped as the cleanest rock festival. You can enjoy the view from the longest gondola (The Dragondola) lift in the world. The festival is quite popular and draws crowds of more then 100,000 for its 200 music acts.

Find more information about expat life in Japan on Easy Expat.

Independence Day Celebrations, across USA

4th July, 2009

A national holiday across the United States, Independence Day is celebrated with much gusto and patriotism. This is the day America got its freedom from Britain in 1774. Barbecues, picnics, and family gatherings are the order of the day. Parades are organized in most cities and there’s much flag swaying and partying.

Find more information about expat life in the US on Easy Expat with the cities of New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Miami.

Hungry Ghost Festival, China

July – August

This is the Chinese version of Halloween. It is believed that during this month, the gates of hell are opened to free the hungry ghosts who then wander to seek food on Earth. The dead are thought to visit their living relatives throughout the 7th month, and prayers and incense are offered to placate them. The dead also are gifted with fake paper money and other presents, like cars and houses, also made of paper and burned in bonfires. The festival is shrouded in superstitions and night time rituals and one to join if you’d like to catch up on some spooky traditions.

Find more information about expat life in China on Easy Expat.

Darwin-Beer-Can Regatta, Australia

19th July, 2009

This is one crazy festival and an excellent use of all those empty beer cans. Mindil Beach in Darwin is the scene of the yearly Beer Can Regatta, where participants make boats in all shapes and sizes from beer cans and then proceed to hold mock battles in the shallow sea there. The homemade fleet includes all kinds of canoes, speedboats, and giant Viking warships with fire hoses and top secret weaponry.

Find more information about expat life in Australia on Easy Expat.

Sidd Lobo

Freelance writer based out of Munich

The Top 4 Reasons to Travel During a Recession

easyexpat

16 June, 2009 15:34

The recession has brought about a lot of chaos in the financial and economic world, but travel is one of the few sectors that can increase revenue worldwide. So many countries have been hit hard by recession and inflation rates that they are on a huge budget, dropping prices everywhere; Iceland has decent hotels running from $60 a night. This is extremely low considering previous rates for similar hotels in Europe. Rates all over the world have dropped, making this an ideal time to travel the world; additionally, many of us have been laid off recently, so why not make a dent in the economy and travel while you’re at it.

Exchange Rate

The exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and many countries that have been hit hard in the economic downturn has become much different than it once was. Now many Americans can afford to stay in luxury hotels and travel to countries they could not previously afford to vacation in. While the exchange rate is not wonderful in all countries, it is still substantially lower in popular destinations, such as England and Australia (relatively speaking).

Cheap Flights

Competition between rival airlines has caused it to become a customer’s market, with fares dropping daily in order to compete effectively in the market for tickets. The price of oil is finally beginning to get back on track, but it is still relatively low when compared to previous rates; this results in lower fares all across the spectrum. Because of these low rates, airlines are also inclined to offer discounted packages, even teaming with hotels to ensure they attract customers. Additionally, the offers that many credit card companies offer with regards to flight miles are still usable, although you need to use them soon to ensure you will get the amount you were promised; many credit card companies are changing these policies as an effect of their dwindling corporations.

Money in the Economy

The only way to get the economy back to normal is to get it running again; consumerism is the only possible way to help the economy out. By travelling around the world, we will assist the global economy back onto its feet, which will only further result in good financial news for the United States. Economists around the world have maintained that this is the only way to ease ourselves out of a recession; rather than sit at home and conserve our money, we need to put money back into the economy to see improved results.

Everyone Wants your Business

The recession has caused many hotels and services to compete for your business, resulting in better service for you as the customer overall. Additionally, with the job market being the way it is, employees will furthermore be in danger of losing their jobs if they do not treat you with the best service possible; even if they do offer you poor service, they are easily replaceable with the amount of people looking for jobs.

This post was contributed by Ashley Brooks, who writes about the degrees online. She welcomes your feedback at AshleyBrooks234 at gmail.com

Protect your family finances

easyexpat

11 June, 2009 11:22

Article sponsored by William Russell

By Nigel Harris, Chief Executive Asia Pacific, William Russell Limited

No one likes to think about accidents and emergencies, but when you are living overseas with your family it is absolutely essential to have secure insurance arrangements in place to protect yourself, your partner and children if something untoward happens. Nigel Harris, Chief Executive Asia Pacific at international expatriate insurance specialist, William Russell, looks at the products and services that are available to protect your family when the unexpected strikes.

Malaysia is an exciting place to live, offering expatriates an excellent lifestyle, vibrant culture and welcoming home away from home. Like any country however its social services are geared to the needs of the local population and as a result the welfare safety-net may provide expat families with a different level of protection against life’s emergencies than they would expect in their home country.

It may be that you are living in the centre of KL, or in more remote parts of the country; perhaps your children are at school in Malaysia while your work takes you further afield. Whatever your personal circumstances, it’s essential to make sure that you have the right insurance products in place to provide you with the level of protection you need to match your lifestyle. These fall into three main areas, international private medical insurance to give you and your family fast access to the highest levels of medical treatment wherever you are in the region, income protection to replace your salary if you find yourself unable to work for whatever reason and life insurance to protect your family’s finances if the unthinkable happens and you’re no longer there to provide for them.

There’s little doubt that Malaysia's medical services are among the best in the region, however if you need medical treatment you’ll need to visit one of the many private hospitals or clinics and pay for your treatment. Private medical insurance (PMI) is designed to cover these costs – but take care as PMI comes in many guises and as an expat you need to make sure that the policy you buy is geared to the international lifestyle. International PMI, from specialist providers like William Russell is designed to provide access to emergency medical treatment around the world. We offer the advantage that as a family-owned business we understand the particular needs of expatriate families with children overseas and as our Asia Pacific office is based in Kuala Lumpur you know we’ll be there when you need us.

Make sure when you are buying your International PMI policy that it covers all the countries you are likely to visit on work. Yes KL is a long way from New York – but if you are likely to be visiting the States for example make sure that your policy provides full cover. On the other hand if you are never going to visit an expensive healthcare location such as the USA, buy a policy without this cover as it will save you a great deal on premiums.

Also make sure you will benefit from full emergency medical evacuation cover, local 24/7 emergency assistance and a high level of financial protection. Our Global Health Elite Platinum plan for example provides the widest possible cover with high value benefit for maternity care, routine and complex dental treatment, regular preventative health screening and an exceptionally high amount of cover for the treatment of chronic conditions. Also take care to ensure that your whole family is covered, you’ll need cover for your children if there is an accident on the sports field at school and your partner at home, just as much as you will for yourself. Our policies are geared to families with discounts of up to 50 per cent when you insure more than one child. What’s more, our Global Health plans allow you to add low cost travel insurance and accident cover to provide complete protection.

Medical emergencies are not the only risks faced by expats. If you suffer an illness or accident that leaves you unable to work, you’ll need an income while you recuperate. Income protection policies are insurance plans designed to provide you with a replacement income while you are unable to work. Again it is prudent to buy a plan designed specifically for expats as you are likely to find restrictions in domestic policies which make them unsuitable for the international lifestyle. At William Russell our Global Income Protection plan is designed to replace up to 75 per cent of your salary and payments will be paid continuously until you are either fit to return to work – or right up to retirement age if necessary.

Finally, don’t overlook life insurance. It’s an unpleasant thought, but your family will need protection to provide a reliable income to replace your earnings if you die before you reach retirement age. Fortunately life insurance is generally low cost and you can easily buy cover providing up to 20 times your annual salary for a low monthly premium. Remember however that as an expat many domestic life insurance plans will be unsuitable for your lifestyle. Instead look for an international plan designed with the expat in mind. At William Russell our Global Life plan provides cover for expatriates of all nationalities throughout the world – providing complete peace of mind.

Living and working in Malaysia offers the expat an enviable way of life and excellent standards of living. By making sure that you have the right insurance plans in place to protect your family’s finances you can make sure that you can enjoy the lifestyle to the full.

Nigel Harris,
Chief Executive Asia Pacific, William Russell
telephone: +852 3690 2143
email: nigel.harris@william-russell.com

Shopping for Divorces

easyexpat

08 June, 2009 11:11

An expatriate often has a choice of where to divorce. You need to make the right choice early, because often it is irreversible – and the jurisdiction that governs your divorce can have significant impacts on your fortunes.

Divorce is not as simple as just ending the marriage. There are generally two main areas of contention in divorces, one relating to sorting out financial arrangements between the couple, the other relating to arrangements for any children of the marriage. In fact many countries require that you also sort out arrangements for children before the divorce is granted.

Below are some examples which show the kind of considerations that you need to take into account when weighing up which jurisdiction is best for your circumstances, and which illustrate why shopping around for the most favourable jurisdiction is so important.

Approach to Divorce Proceedings: key differences across the jurisdictions

Norway – compulsory pre-mediation if children.
Italy – slow.
England – relatively fast, and no consent needed from the other party usually.
Malta – no divorce possible (what most people do not realise is that the EU cannot force its members states to legislate on family law issues, which some commentators say makes a mockery of the Brussels II initiative aimed at harmonising the laws of member states).
Croatia – children issues must be resolved before divorce can be granted.
Nevada, USA – fast, but decree may not be recognised outside the USA.

Usually you can take divorce proceedings in a country if you are resident there. However, for example, if you live in a country such as one of the Gulf states, where Sharia law applies to family and matrimonial matters, unless you are a Muslim you will not have access to the Sharia courts.

You may be able to take divorce proceedings in another country if you are a national of that country, or you have some connection with it.

Finances

In terms of finances there can be very different outcomes.

For example :

France – limited spouse maintenance.
Australia and many US states - binding prenuptial agreements.
Sharia law – each party retains their own property.
England – discretion on a case by case basis.
Scotland – inheritances protected.
Denmark – maintenance generally limited to duration of marriage.

Examples

1. Mr and Mrs X married in Australia. The prenuptial agreement said that whatever property each of them had at the time of marriage, they would keep absolutely, and equally share in the accrued property. Mr X owned a valuable house which he still has. They subsequently moved to England where Mr X started a business. However it went very badly. Mrs X was successful in her own business but by the time of separation they had virtually no joint assets because her earnings had all gone to stave off her husband’s bankruptcy. Her husband had now recently started a new business which was proving highly successful, providing advice and services to business people struggling with recession. Mrs X however had become pregnant and had sold her business.

If the couple divorce in Australia, the prenuptial agreement will apply and Mr X will retain the only asset of the marriage, the house there.

If the couple divorce in England, the court will consider whether it is fair for Mr X to keep the entire property, and possibly ignore the prenuptial agreement.

Another example

2. Mr and Mrs Y built a second home in Croatia prior to Mr Y’s retirement. When he retired they sold the house in England and moved to Croatia. They live on Mr Y’s pension. Mrs Y commences divorce proceedings in Croatia. On that basis she will receive one-half of the property there, and minimal maintenance.

If she had commenced divorce proceedings in England she would have received half the property in Croatia and half of Mr Y’s ongoing pension.

Summary

Generally speaking, for EU domiciled couples, jurisdiction is decided according to who is first to file; for non-EU-domiciled couples the old fashioned rules of forum apply, which take all sorts of additional aspects into account, not just the ‘first in time’ rule.

It is critical to obtain expert advice before any taking any steps, particularly as the decision about the jurisdiction that is to govern your case is irreversible once made and yet has such big impacts on your fortunes on divorce.

By Henry Brookman, Partner and Founder of Brookman Solicitors

Brookman is a highly specialist boutique firm of international family lawyers. The firm conducts the full range of family law services, but has a particular reputation in the field of complex, cross-border issues involving divorce, ancillary relief and children-related matters. For further information visit the website www.brookman.co.uk or call +44 (0)20 7430 8470.