Expat Evacuation
Erin
07 March, 2011 12:26
Whether a disaster is natural or man made, situations may arise when you are no longer safe in your expat environment. Tunisia's revolt ending in a successful eviction of dictator Zine El Abedine Ben Ali on January 14, 2010 has led to a domino effect in the Middle East of countries revolting against their oppressive government regimes. Egypt's successful revolt in late January to February is still trying to find it's new legs. The latest revolt in Libya has Dictator Muammar Qaddafi attacking his own people with helicopters, warplanes, and ships. Many companies (Shell, Suncor) have already removed their expat employees and families. On the other side of disaster, the earthquake in New Zealand is just the latest efforts of Mother Earth to shake all of us little people around.
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The Art and Science of Repatriation
Erin
24 January, 2011 11:25
Repatriation (from the Latin term repatriare) is the "forgotten" phase of expatriation. With excitement, future expats plan for the big move and prepare for culture shock. What most expats don't expect is the culture shock of returning home. No longer living the exotic and glamorous life of an expat, every day is not only NOT an adventure, it is composed of tedious details like bills, commutes, and routine.
Most companies already have a detailed plan in place for employees going "home", but it is well-known that repatriation continues to be a difficult adjustment period. And if you absconded of your own free will, there are few resources and very little sympathy to be had from friends and family. The truth is, repatriation hits every individual in a different way and even members of the same family can have a vastly different reaction to the change. The key is to understand the phenomenon and prepare for it. (More)
Brits say 'au revoir' to their expat life
EasyExpat
07 December, 2010 14:45
Lauren Booth, sister-in-law of Tony Blair, wrote recently in the Mail On Sunday about her mariage breaking down after a family move to Dordogne. "The sad truth is that life in the European countryside can be as basic, boring and as downright exhausting as it was centuries ago" she says. "The man gets drunk and resentful about his role as an odd-job man once he was happy executive or, in our case, a lad-about-town".
Another British expat in Charentes, France, whose husband left her to cope on her own when he wnet back to England in 2008, started an organisationcalled WAIF (Women Alone In France) designed for women/men alone in France who need practical help and
advice to survive alone. There are a team of French medical, legal and financial experts offering advice about how to navigate the French wealthfare system and knowing your rights in France. (More)
France, I love you, I'm leaving
EasyExpat
04 May, 2010 17:05
Journalist (France Inter) based in London, Christian Roudeau has just published "France, je t’aime, je te quitte" (France, I love you, I'm leaving - Fayard edition), which deals with opinion of expatriates on France: a "virtual country" made of 2.5 million people and still growing.
There are 2 parts in the book: who are the French expatriates and what do they say about France. Profiles have evolved a lot and we are no longer talking (only) about the rich business man voting conservative. All categories are represented and while, before 2007, the vast majority of French expats voted for the candidate of the French conservative party, the last election showed the same trend as the global result. (More)
