Expat Interviews

From London to Turkey: Turkey with Stuff In

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:44:44 +0100

Hello to you wherever you are I’m Kym and I live in Turkey where the word Kim means ‘who’…. that’s been fun! I am married to a native, Murat, and my surname is now Ciftci which means ‘Farmer’ – I’m also a Turkish citizen now and with that I took a Turkish name so you can also call me Sevda if you wish. When it comes to names I am not at all precious – My husband calls me things like ‘Woody’ (when I had red hair and looked like Woody Woodpecker apparently). Sometimes ‘Dinosh’ after Dino in the Flintstones and his new favorite is Balina (whale). The last one being the least flattering, but I have to say he only started that one after I named him Hippo Murat, a name I have also taught the village kids to say

I have a son from a previous life and he calls me ‘Moosh’ – So you see, I really don’t mind what you call me, as long as it’s not rude.

1. Why did you move abroad?
I was your typical suburban resident with a nice house, a decent car and a great job, albeit a stressful one with a lot of responsibility. Whether it was down to stress or not I don’t know but I became ill and eventually had an operation. The operation was not a complete success; the surgeon nicked one of my organs and I ended up bleeding internally. This meant I needed a second operation and that also did not go as well as it should have and when I woke up covered in drips and drains and feeling a hundred years old, I decided life was too short. That was the turning point.

2. How do you make a living?
My initial intention was to write a book (how many people have said that eh?). I did end up doing that and it sat on my hard drive for 6 years. It is now about to get an airing as I have been approached by a publisher….. Back up 8 years though and I had taken a TEFL course before I left the UK, just in case. I fully intended to use this but a chance conversation on a dolmus (bus) resulted in a job in a Real Estate office. That experience I put to good use when I met Murat and we eventually opened our own Estate Agency.

3. How often do you communicate with home and how?
I consider Turkey as home now and I’m surrounded by my new family. I don’t come from a close family so it wasn’t really a wrench to leave those UK shores. My son lives there now, although for the past 8 years he has worked on various Greek Islands and in Cyprus. Both have been easy to get to from here so I was able to visit. Now he is back in the UK though we talk every day, mainly through the internet.

4. What's your favorite thing about being an expat in Turkey?
The weather! I really dislike being cold. As a child I lived with my Grandfather and he was very ‘economical’ – If I complained of the cold he would say ‘put your coat on and sit in bed’ bless him. I remember vowing then that when I was an adult I’d never be cold again. I also prefer to be outside in the countryside and here we are spoilt with the most beautiful landscapes which I can enjoy for most of the year in good weather.

5. What’s the worst thing about being an expat in Turkey?
Whenever anything beyond your control happens and you need to communicate, especially when you need to make yourself understood to get the help you need, e.g. illness, accidents, emergencies or anything of a bureaucratic nature

6. What do you miss most?
As a Londoner I am used to the buzz of a big city and all that it brings. I really miss things like the theater, the museums and always having something to do no matter the weather. I still salivate at the thought of places like Covent Garden! I do however have a great love for Istanbul as I feel at home in big cities; I understand them and know the rules.

7. What did you do to meet people and integrate in your new home?
In 2005, when I moved here, I Initially socialized in the beach bars during the summer season but, when winter came, this packed tourist resort turned into a ghost town. It was a bit of a shock. I eventually started a women’s group by putting an ad in the local paper and 60 women turned up for the first meeting - I did wonder where they had all come from? Of course when I met my husband, I married into a large family and we spend a lot of time with them. I kind of live my life somewhere between the two cultures; a foot in each camp as it were.

8. What custom/ habits do you find most strange about your adopted culture?
I am very independent having lived on my own since the age of 15. I raised my son as a single parent and I’ve always made my way in this world with no help so, to watch the women in the family being dependent on the men and subservient to boot was a bit much for me to stomach. Initially I would sit with them on ‘girl’s nights in’ and I would be on my soap box about women’s rights and opportunities, telling them about the UK and how life could be. They looked at me quizzically and basically said ‘’why would we want to do that? We have everything we need here’’ - Indeed they do. They are happy with their lives so who am I to question that? A lesson learned for me definitely.

9. What is a myth about your adopted country?
That everyone rips you off and everyone lives on kebabs!

1) Turkey is a country built on a bartering system and that is what is expected of you. If a Turk says to you ‘’that costs 100tl’’ and you pay it, but the next customer barters the price down to 80tl, it’s unfair to say you have been ripped off. I hear people say ‘why can’t they label everything with the price’ – I always respond with ‘why should a whole country change its historic customs to suit you?’ Learn a bit about the culture and the customs if you plan on visiting or living here, after all, you are the guest in this country. It seems the British Empire mentality lives on!

2) There are indeed a plethora of Kebabs on offer here with every region having their own specialty but, that’s not what the natives eat at home. If you have ever had Chinese or Indian friends you will know the food they eat at home is nothing like the food you get in the takeaways.

10. Is the cost of living higher or lower than the last country you lived in and how has that made a difference in your life?
It’s definitely lower although cars are very expensive along with petrol. A lot of people never get out of holiday mode and spend their time in the bars. If you live like that then you will go through money like you do vodka! For me, I am delighted to be able to fill my fridge with organic fruit and vegetables for next to nothing.

11. What advice would you give other expats?
The best bit of advice I can give anyone is to learn the language as it will make a big difference to your life here. Also, learning about the customs and culture will help you integrate……Walking into the bank or municipal buildings in your bikini top is really not the thing to do!

12. When and why did you start your blog?
I wrote a newspaper column here from 2006 to 2008 and I had a lot of very nice comments and responses to it. That gave me the incentive to start my blog which I finally got around to in 2010. It is a labor of love and I would do it even if nobody read it. I am compelled to write, it’s just what I do…. have always done. I write therefore I am

Kym's blog, Turkey with Stuff In

Find out more about being an expat in Turkey with EasyExpat's

Guide to Istanbul

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From Austria to Shenzhen: China Elevator Stories

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:07:35 +0100

Hi, I’m R from China Elevator Stories. I’m an Austrian currently living in Shenzhen, one of China’s largest cities right across the border from Hong Kong.

1. Why did you move abroad?
I have been studying Chinese and have been interested in China for the last few years. Moving here felt like the natural thing to do. Also, I wanted to further my career. There are great job opportunities for me in China and I feel like my creativity is really being appreciated here.

2. How do you make a living?
I work as an art director/illustrator in a Chinese advertising company. I’m the only foreigner working at my company and luckily my fears that I’d only find a job with really bad working conditions if I wanted to work at a Chinese and not a foreign-owned company have turned out to be ungrounded. If I don’t have to work overtime, I actually only have to work 7 hours a day. Why? Because we get 2 hours off at noon. 1 for lunch and 1 for taking a nap. On my first day at work I told my co-worker (who is now my fiancé ) that I’m not used to sleeping at noon, but I tried it on the second day and got used to it quickly, so now I can’t do without. But of course, napping is not everything we do. In the morning we can have breakfast at the company and because all the napping makes you hungry we can have “afternoon tea” in the afternoon. “Afternoon tea”, which is also known as “Dim Sum”, originated in the Guangdong area, the province where Shenzhen is located. But seriously, sleeping and eating is not all we’re doing. I work in a small team doing interactive design and I’m also working as an illustrator. I think that this makes for quite a nice combination, one thing balancing out the other.

3. How often do you communicate with home and how?
Since I’m planning to get married in Austria in 3 weeks time and we had to organize the whole wedding from abroad, I have spoken with my mother (who has been really helpful) at least once or twice every week for the last few weeks. With my brothers and sisters it really depends, sometimes we write lots of messages and then we don’t write that much at all, especially when we’re all busy. My father is very busy himself, so it is sometimes hard to find time to have a chat. I use my phone, skype, facebook and email to communicate with them. My grandmother is always really happy when we skype and can’t believe that it’s possible to see me via video and talk to me when I’m half a world away from her.

4. What's your favorite thing about being an expat in China?
I can be myself. People might stare at me, they might talk about me, but I can still be myself. They think that I’m different because I come from a different country, but they don’t know how Austrians should behave, so if I’m different from the “norm”, they won’t know.

5. What’s the worst thing about being an expat in China?
The staring can be quite challenging at times. The pollution and the quality of food (not the dishes per se, but food standards) can be pretty bad too. Bureaucracy, well, don’t let me even get started. Having to prepare all the documents for our wedding was a real challenge (and there I thought getting all the documents ready for a work visa was already challenging enough). I feel like in the last 8 months at least 5 of them have been spent handling red tape.

6. What do you miss most?
Clean air, clean water, organic food at affordable prices.

7. What did you do to meet people and integrate in your new home?
Actually I don’t feel like I have integrated myself very well yet. I’ve been here for a bit more than half a year and since during the week I am at work there isn’t a lot of time left to get to know people. I have the feeling that it usually takes me about half a year until I get accustomed to a place and start to make real friends. Generally, I think that in China public places are a good place to meet people. I’ve met people at exhibitions, at restaurants, at massage places, at the creative market that takes place at the beginning of every month and where young creatives sell their work and of course at work and through being introduced to them via other friends. When I was studying abroad for one year in Kunming, Yunnan province, I thought that the campus and the library were great for meeting people. Once you know enough people, it’s easy to get to know more people via your friends.

Working at a Chinese company here definitely helps to integrate faster. I was only applying for Chinese companies, because I thought that this way I would get to know life in China on much a deeper level than if I worked in a foreign company here. Since I have studied Chinese for 4 years, luckily language isn’t really that much of a problem. Also, I like talking to locals. People here like to small talk with strangers and I really like that – this is also what my blog is about: Conversations with locals in China. There are so many interesting things strangers will share with you if only you care to listen.

8. What custom/ habits do you find most strange about your adopted culture?
I have to get used to all the pushing yet. I find it quite irritating that people want to get on the subway before people have gotten off the subway first. There are many things I’ve heard that people who come from a different cultural background find strange about China, but I try to just accept things as they are and learn on the way. For example, Chinese medicine and Chinese dietary principles are something that I don’t understand, no matter how much I try to get to know about it. I don’t understand it, but I think that these things have their reason and although it might sound strange if a doctor tells you to only drink hot water and not eat any raw vegetables if you have a cultural background like I do, I have learned to value this kind of knowledge.

9. What is a myth about your adopted country?
That Chinese people only eat rice as side dishes. There are many areas where noodles and breads are staple foods.

10. Is the cost of living higher or lower than the last country you lived in and how has that made a difference in your life?
Although Shenzhen is one of China’s most expensive cities, it’s still much cheaper to live here than to live in Austria. It’s good not to have to worry about money too much (this is definitely not something most locals can say, their salary is often quite low and making ends meet can be pretty tough for them). You can choose to spend a lot of money in Shenzhen, but you can also choose to spend very little. I do spend a lot on food – when I cook myself I like to buy organic vegetables, which are often just as expensive as they would be in Austria. One thing that is definitely more affordable here than in Austria is getting a massage. I don’t have time to go to a massage place very often, but I do like the fact that whenever my back feels sore it won’t be hard to find a massage place and that in comparison to Austria it will also be much cheaper.

11. What advice would you give other expats?
Try to indulge yourself into the culture of your host country as much as possible. Try to make friends with locals. Stay optimistic and don’t blame your host country if things don’t always work the way you’re used to. Don’t try to judge things just because they are different. And of course, don’t forget to have fun.

12. When and why did you start your blog?
I started blogging last November. I had a blog a few years ago, but after a few entries I stopped writing. This blog is different from my old one in that it mostly features conversations with locals, letting the locals speak so to say and that it is meant to be for a wider audience. It’s not so much about my life as it is about the life of locals. I have recently also started using illustrations with my blog posts. I had the idea for the blog after I had a conversation with a taxi driver and a few conversations in elevators. I had always wanted to blog again, but I was missing an idea how to make my blog interesting for a wider audience. I feel that I always need to balance things out, when I’m designing the whole day, writing definitely is a good balance. I also like to read what people think about certain topics and appreciate comments.

R's blog, China elevator stories

To find out more about living in China,

Guide to Shanghai

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From Pennsylvania to Stockholm: Lana in Sweden

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 15:25:24 +0100

My name is Lana. I’m from State College, Pennsylvania. I live in Stockholm, Sweden.

1. Why did you move abroad?
My husband is a diplomat with the US Embassy, so we move for his job every couple of years. Sweden was on the list of places we could go and since neither of us had ever been to Scandinavia, we thought it would be a fun adventure.

2. How do you make a living?
Sometimes I feel like I’ve missed out on a “career” because we move so often. Every couple of years I’m packing and unpacking, settling our family into a new country and getting our four kids (ages 4-17) adjusted to new schools, sports teams, music lessons, etc… There’s a lot of work to creating stability in the home, but I wouldn’t trade the opportunities we’ve had for a career (in the traditional sense). I love raising a family in different cultural environments. My kids are my career, and so are my writing and my artwork.

3. How often do you communicate with home and how?
We make the effort to fly home each summer to see our family. It’s not cheap and there are always other things we could be doing, but we make it a priority to spend time with grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins. We also stay connected through Facebook and email. Recently we bought Vonage so now we can call and talk for as long as we want for a low monthly fee of $30.

4. What's your favorite thing about being an expat in Sweden?
I get to meet so many interesting people. The expat community is fantastic and the Swedes I’ve gotten to know are very nice. Most everyone speaks English so it’s easy to communicate and travel.

5. What’s the worst thing about being an expat in Sweden?
The long dark days of winter. Christmas time is lovely and I don’t mind the snow, but when February rolls around and its still just as dark and even colder, you begin to long for an island vacation.

6. What do you miss most?
Convenience. Life isn’t geared toward multi-tasking in Sweden. There aren’t a lot of take-out restaurants, convenience stores or ways to conveniently get things done. For example, getting a simple car wash can take an hour, just to drive to a place (there aren’t many) and then to wait in line for the one available stall. Swedes are very patient; no one seems to mind.

7. What did you do to meet people and integrate in your new home?
I started talking to anyone who spoke English. People on the bike path, folks in line at the grocery store, women at coffee shops. Once I met someone in the library searching the section of Swedish language books. Now we’re great friends and meet once a week at a coffee shop with other expat women.

8. What custom/ habits do you find most strange about your adopted culture?
Swedes have many customs but I wouldn't call any of them strange, maybe unusual. Each third Friday of June they celebrate Mid-summer's Day - the longest day of the year - dancing around may poles, wearing traditional Swedish costumes. The women wear crowns of fresh flowers and everyone joins hands while singing songs.

9. What is a myth about your adopted country?
This might sound strange, but I thought that Swedish women would be lying around naked when the sun came out or I presumed there would be billboards with lurid graphic depictions of women. But I’ve found just the opposite, Swedish women are quite sensible and modest. Mostly they wear workout attire.

10. Is the cost of living higher or lower than the last country you lived in and how has that made a difference in your life?
The cost of living is much higher. We definitely don’t eat out as much, like we did in California. But to compensate for this, I’ve subscribed to a weekly delivery service for organic produce and I’m cooking more. It’s been fun experimenting with new dishes. We’re probably eating healthier too.

11. What advice would you give other expats?
Be open to your new environment. If you can’t order a grilled cheese, don’t get your knickers in a knot. View it as an opportunity to try another way of living. There’s no one-way of doing things. You’ll adjust faster to your new home if you don’t think of yourself as superior.

12. When and why did you start your blog?
I started my blog after having lived in four different countries and realizing that people don’t get this opportunity everyday. I wanted to share my experiences and hopefully give people another perspective on the world. It’s somehow comforting to see we all struggle with the same things in life, that even though we’re different, at the human core, we’re basically the same.

Lana in Sweden

Find out more about being an expat in Sweden with Easy Expat's

Guide to Stockholm

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From the UK to Manhattan: New Girl in New York

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 09:16:49 +0100

My blog name is New Girl in New York and I am from the UK, but now I live in Manhattan, New York.

1. Why did you move abroad?
My husband was relocated here by his company.

2. How do you make a living?
I am not working at the moment, but I volunteer at an after-school program two days a week and volunteer with New York Cares on a regular basis. I have also just started writing for an online newspaper, the New York Daily Sun and am a 'local expert' on the 'Romio' website.

3. How often do you communicate with home and how?
I communicate with my family almost every day via email, texts and 'Whatsapp'. We Skype at least once a week if not more. I keep in touch with friends via email, texts and 'Whatsapp' on a regular basis.

4. What's your favorite thing about being an expat in New York City?
Enjoying everything this city has to offer! Since moving here I have had so many amazing opportunities and experiences, I never quite know what the day will bring and that is something I love. I have also enjoyed the proximity to other parts of the US, I get to see much more of the country than I would from the UK.

5. What’s the worst thing about being an expat in New York City?
It's so crowded and dirty. Living with so many other people can be difficult sometimes and the city is always busy. I also live in much small accommodation and hate having such a tiny bathroom. I know it's a small thing, but I miss having a washing machine more than I ever imagined!

6. What do you miss most?
Family, friends, space, fresh air, British TV, Waitrose (it's a supermarket) and chips!

7. What did you do to meet people and integrate in your new home?
I made many of my friends through volunteering, I found many people in a similar situation to me and we can relate to each other's situations. Immersing yourself in local community is a great way to meet people and learn the lay of the land. I have also made some great friends through my gym and husband's workplace. I also go to as many social events as I can, you never know who you might meet.

8. What custom/ habits do you find most strange about your adopted culture?
From my experience, the Americans are very interactive when watching shows and movies. They are very vocal and often cheer and whoop when watching something at a theatre. I sometimes find it off-putting, but am getting used to it!

9. What is a myth about your adopted country?
That everything is better here. Although the US is a fantastic place to live, it isn't always better than the UK.

10. Is the cost of living higher or lower than the last country you lived in and how has that made a difference in your life?
It is about the same. Certain things are much cheaper than in the UK but insurance is a killer, it costs us a small fortune making sure we are covered. Rent in New York is ridiculous and I was surprised that it is actually cheaper in London. However, public transport, clothes and food are much cheaper, so it's about even.

11. What advice would you give other expats?
Give it time. It can be so overwhelming when your first arrive in a new country as everything and everyone you know is far away. However, after a few months you will have made friends, know your local area and begin to get a grip go how things work in your new neighbourhood.

12. When and why did you start your blog?
I started my blog a few months after I arrived as I was learning how the city worked and discovering all sorts of things that helped me settle into New York life. I wanted to share these tips and experiences with other expats. Basically, it is all the things I wish someone had told me when I first arrived in NYC.

Blog, New Girl in New York

Find out more about being an expat in the USA with Easy Expat's

NYC Guide

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From Australia to Ghana: Six Degrees North

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:16:37 +0100

My name is Chrissie, and I’m the wife to Bill and mum to three great children; Cecily (11), Lillian (9) and Jock (6). We moved from Newcastle, Australia to Ghana. While Bill has been in Ghana for over 2 years, the children and I moved here January 2012. For the first year here, we lived on a mine site in a town about an hour and a half drive from Kumasi; the second city of Ghana. Since January this year, the children and I live in Kumasi during the week for school, and see Bill on the weekends.

1. Why did you move abroad?
My husband and I are both geologists and we had lived and worked in Canada before our children were born; and we had always been interested in living in Africa but the opportunity never arose. Fast forward several years later; with 3 children including a daughter fast approaching high school; we knew it was a now or never moment. Bill left his job working for the government and went back to industry. The job was a fly-in/fly-out job; first in Zimbabwe and then Ghana. It was a bit of a risk, as we were basically hoping his employer would agree to an expat position. Luckily they did. Fifteen months after Bill arrived in Ghana, we moved. Why Africa in particular, I’m not actually sure. I guess it gave us a feeling of great opportunity, to see a very different culture and standard of living; both of which we thought invaluable for our children to experience too. I think a lot of people feel an intangible attraction to Africa, it carries some pretty idealized notions. And Ghana we knew was a very stable, English speaking country. But nothing really can prepare you for living here.

2. How do you make a living?
Bill is the Geology Manager at a mine in the gold-rich Ashanti Region of Ghana. As part of our residence visas I am not allowed to be in paid employment; and now find myself as the dreaded ‘trailing spouse’. But it’s actually fine; with three children and facing the day to day challenges of living in a developing country I think it would be difficult if both parents were in paid employment, after all it can be challenging enough in the developed world! While I am trained as a geologist, I haven’t worked as a field geologist since the children were born. Before we left Australia I was working part-time in the Publications section of a government geological organization. That job really got me thinking about writing; and so my blog has been a great way to keep the brain cells from atrophying.

3. How often do you communicate with home and how?
In the first year we communicated a lot; mostly through Skype; FaceTime and emails. The children enjoy the Skype and FaceTime calls as they find typing emails tedious and its always fun to see the person you are speaking to. But communication inevitably breaks down here. For example, I haven’t been able to use Skype beyond the occasional message for months now; so we’ve tried almost everything. Viber calls, our daughters love texting their friends in Australia on kik ,and I SMS (which is surprisingly affordable). But the most appreciated communication is a letter, even if it does take weeks to arrive. As we enter our second year and are developing a sense of Ghana as our home, for however long; I do find our need to communicate so regularly is diminished. My mother-in-law has also taught me the power of a short one line email to touch base is always better than a long winded email which invariably takes weeks (or months!) to write, if ever!

4. What's your favorite thing about being an expat in Ghana?
It is really different to Australia, on almost every level. Despite both countries being English speaking, language is even often a barrier. And while we were quite isolated during the first year living on the mine site, I do feel we have really seen more ‘normal’ Ghanaian life than if we just lived in the city; so it has been an amazing experience for all of us. I really enjoy the ingenuity of people to get things done with very limited resources; even if it can take a few turns (and a fair amount of frustration). I love that our children have not only seen different attitudes and lives of Ghanaians, but of other people from around the world. We’ve all had some big lessons to learn and Ghana is a very safe and stable place to learn them.

And as all expats will say, it’s the people you meet from all around the world that really makes life fun and interesting. Everyone has a story to tell.

5. What’s the worst thing about being an expat in Ghana?
It’s doing the basic stuff that gets frustrating. Like grocery shopping, which is quite limited outside of Accra; getting the car or the plumbing fixed and not introducing more problems; dealing with chaotic traffic. I worry about health care and malaria; but thankfully we haven’t had any major issues there.

6. What do you miss most?
The ocean! This is the first time I have ever lived inland, and I am amazed at how much I just want to stare at the sea. I miss the easiness of life in Australia and the lack of chaos and the sense that things can go right the first time. I miss good cheese. And of course I miss friends and family, but that goes without saying. Starting a new life with new friends can be emotionally draining, so I sometimes miss the shared history and ease of old friendships.

7. What did you do to meet people and integrate in your new home?
Kumasi doesn’t have a lot of short term expatriates and it also doesn’t have a lot of places to go! So between the golf club and the one decent hotel where you can swim and play tennis, it is inevitable you meet people who introduce you to other people and so it goes on. I always shuddered at the thought of ‘coffee mornings’, but the advice to accept every invitation is a good one because you never know who you will meet. And with no family or close friends close by, these people (and their advice!) becomes invaluable.

8. What custom/ habits do you find most strange about your adopted culture?
I’ve found plenty of things surprising since moving to Ghana! After living in the multicultural society of Australia I was naively surprised at how differently we are treated because we are foreign. Sometimes it’s positive and sometimes negative. I was surprised at how children are treated. I’m surprised at how huge funerals are in Ghana (and I mean HUGE). And people often work great distances from their families seeing them rarely, which is often an economic necessity, but as with lots of compromises here, it is accepted and not moaned about or even attempted to change.

9. What is a myth about your adopted country?
People have really clichéd ideas about Africa, which is crazy because there are 54 countries in Africa; each with several individual cultures within them. I’ve not seen an angry gun-carrying mob ever (thankfully!!); but I also didn’t see a tree silhouetted against a sunset for the first 9 months we were here; because it’s cloudy most of the year here at the Equator.

10. Is the cost of living higher or lower than the last country you lived in and how has that made a difference in your life?
Local produce is cheaper; but imported goods are often more expensive, as is ‘western’ style rental accommodation. The biggest difference is the price of labour, it is affordable to have house help which is such a luxury.

11. What advice would you give other expats?
Try not to have too many expectations and take each day as it comes. Be prepared for things to take a lot longer to get done. Life may be a lot quieter than you are used to, especially initially; and take time out just to chill. Your home really does become a haven from all the heat and busyness of the outside world. It can be exhausting setting up a new life in a new environment when there are times when everything seems different. Be resilient, be resourceful, be patient.

12. When and why did you start your blog?
I started my blog as soon as we left Australia; before we had even arrived in Ghana. It was at the urging of friends that I started it; as it seemed an easier way for people to follow our journey than the mass email (which I felt pretty uncomfortable with). This way if friends want to tune in, they can. Another big bonus is that we’ve met lots of great people through the blog. Particularly here in Kumasi, where there are not a lot of expats, it’s been a great way of meeting people. I heard that a local mine site suggested the blog to read for families considering moving here; I was so flattered!

Chrissie's blog, Six Degrees North

To find out more about living in Africa

Ghana Resources

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From Ontario to Sacremento: Melanie a la maison

Thu, 30 May 2013 08:52:33 +0100

Hello! My name is Melanie. I’m a French Canadian born and raised in Quebec City, Canada. I left my hometown for Milton, Ontario in 2010 and I’m now living in the Sacramento area since 2012. I started a French only blog in 2010 called “De visu” to document our journey and started my bilingual blog “Melanie a la maison” in 2011.

1. Why did you move abroad?
My husband and I traveled quite a bit together and at one point, we knew we would love to experience a professional life abroad. Both our professions are ‘international’; my husband is an engineer and me an industrial designer. That being said, we were not bohemian enough to sell our stuff and just leave. My husband moved up the corporate ladder and built his experience having in mind a company transfer. But things didn’t go as planned and so in 2010 he got a job in the Greater Toronto Area. At that point, our second son was only 4 week-old and my older son only spoke French.

2. How do you make a living?
Our first move to Ontario, Canada, was relatively easy professionally speaking. I was at first on a paid maternity leave—we have up to an entire year in Canada and the maternity leave followed me even if I wasn’t living in Quebec. Then I free-lanced and designed an entire line of handmade products based on my photography that I sold online. This project was meant to follow me wherever we would be moving next. When we moved to California, unfortunately, we learned that the type of business I had couldn’t fit in any working US visa category. My husband is on his own work visa, which doesn’t allow me to have any earnings here. I have worked my entire adult life as an entrepreneur and independent woman. I admit losing all of this made me struggle a lot. We based our family expenses on my husband’s salary only and we manage on a tight budget but we have a wonderful quality of life. The stay-at-home-mom status doesn’t suit me well, but I know a lot of women would love to switch with me, so I enjoy it while it lasts because I know it’s temporary. Either my husband’s status will eventually change, or either I will find an employer here to hire me—I’m allowed to ask for my own work visa status.

3. How often do you communicate with home and how?
Grand-parents find it hard to not see their grandchildren—so there is a lot of Facetime/Skype/Facebook/emails over here! I think at one point it was daily with my mom. And it was still not enough for them probably Now it depends on our busier family schedule and the 3 hours difference that sometimes come into play. I’m not a good phone person though…it will happen but once in a while. Emails are going strong to keep in touch with my network of friends, and I use Facetime/Skype to chat with my closest friends.

4. What's your favorite thing about being an expat in California?
The lifestyle here is awesome, we find it so easy. We love the weather like we couldn’t stress it enough! And there are so many places around to visit and discover. We are located in NorCal; Tahoe at our fingertips, San Francisco and the ocean 2 hours from here, Napa, Sonoma and all the other wine regions so close! Not to mention SoCal. It was our first winter here and I loved it so much. I would go ski and come back home to a 15C/59F…indeed, no more shoveling for us Also, the wonderful parks and playgrounds for the boys, the good and tasteful food. The house that we bought that is backing my son’s elementary school. The affordable drop-in daycare that is 3 minutes from home that you don’t have to book in advance. The baby-sitters that live in front and 2 houses down. The ease of shopping and ordering online. We enjoy a lot of things here!

5. What’s the worst thing about being an expat in California?
I would say the immigration law regarding the spouses that are following their partner for professional reasons. It should be up to date to 2013 realities. Otherwise, there are no big hassles really, but small things you have to deal with, like wherever you’d be moving abroad. Here in California I would say: having to pass your driver’s license all over again—the written and behind-the-wheel one too. I have to say; it baffles us every time to witness spectacular accidents during perfect driving conditions, by what we suspect, Californians. Maybe they should learn to drive during winter in Quebec, ha!

6. What do you miss most?
Without a doubt, my friends and my career.

7. What did you do to meet people and integrate in your new home?
I discover meetup.com when we moved in California. Because I’m a SAHM I’ve naturally joined mom’s groups. Then I met new people through a photography group, then friends of friend’s connections, through volunteering in a project at my son’s school and then neighbors.

8. What custom/ habits do you find most strange about your adopted culture?
The American love of guns. My husband and I can’t wrap our head around this one, really. My son is still shocked to read on the back of the newspaper pictures of guns for sale. The heavy presence of religion does feel out-of-place at times. On a lighter note; 90% of the people from our neighborhood own at least one dog. We’ve been told it was sometimes to feel safer—this “fear factor” also feels strange to us. And there is this habit of asking “Hey, how are you” as a polite way to just say “Hi”. In my French Canadian culture, if you ask someone how is he/she, you’re likely to have an honest answer

9. What is a myth about your adopted country?
That most American eats poorly and don’t exercise. We are fortunate to be living in a wealthy place, but from what I know, here on the West coast, people are very healthy and in very good shape! My local grocery stores offer so many local, organic, gluten-free options; you would have to work hard to eat junk.

10. Is the cost of living higher or lower than the last country you lived in and how has that made a difference in your life?
The cost of living here is lower. We benefited from a slow real estate market and bought a house in 2012 that is way more comfortable than what we owned back home. And all of this on a lower family income. Overall, our quality of life almost doubled.

11. What advice would you give other expats?
To put things in perspective; we are an expat family, which is a different context than if I were to be 20 something and moved to experience pure adventure. The adventure we’re experiencing involves the children emotions as well, which could be hard at times. Focus on all the positives and take this opportunity to bond as a family. In the meanwhile, be open to discover what’s around and meet local people even if the language could be a barrier at first. Persistence and patience,—yeah I’m still working on this one—enjoy the process not the result, and have a long-term vision while being in the now. Your life WILL be different and you most probably will face bureaucracy tribulations; try to laugh at it as much as you can! Humor has done well for me.

12. When and why did you start your blog?
I started a French only blog in 2010 called “De visu” to document our journey in Ontario and frankly, this blog revealed to be therapeutic. Lots of laughing at myself!

Then I started my bilingual blog “Melanie a la maison” in 2011 when I got back at work and launched my online boutique. The blog was to support my business. The name Melanie a la maison is the French term for “Melanie at home”. I picked this name because me+being at home = pretty laughable. My family and friends thought I would go crazy—I almost did haha! I think I’m out of the woods on this one, but the struggle is not over When we moved to California, I started using my blog as a way to share, in pictures mostly—I’m an image lover—what I discover. I offer free wallpaper for desktops, iPads and iPhones every Friday, come grab yours!

Melanie's blog, Melanie a la maison

Find out more about being an expat in California with Easy Expat's

Los Angeles Guide

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From Nigeria to the USA to Stockholm: Geotraveler's Niche

Mon, 27 May 2013 10:30:03 +0100

I go by “Lola” which is the short form of “Aralola” because my full name “Onoaralolaoluwa” is 15 letters long and takes up a lot of space on official forms. I was born in Nigeria where I lived for 15 years before moving to the US to start college. Since then, I’ve hopped, skipped, and explored many parts of the world, and I’m now living in Stockholm which I call home because both my loves are here – husband and daughter.

1. Why did you move abroad?
My first move abroad was as a teenager to the US to continue my studies. I come from a family of travelers and before then, we traveled often. Starting college at 15 was a scary intimidating experience but at the same time, it made me grow up really fast. I was out, done, and working as a professional programmer by 19.

My next major relocation was to Stockholm, Sweden because of love. I met my now husband in 2006 and for about 3 years we traveled back and forth, racking up frequent flier miles to keep our budding relationship alive. At the time, because I worked as a programmer, my job was very mobile so my company allowed me to work remotely a few months here and there from Stockholm.

I finally relocated in 2009.

2. How do you make a living?
Right now, I work as a professional writer and photographer for many publications and clients – http://www.akinmade.com. I recently signed on to be represented by National Geographic. Considering they represent about 300 photographers (only about 150 of us are active), it’s an exclusive opportunity I’m grateful for.

I also consult with a few tourism boards and agencies here in Sweden and write for publications like Nat Geo Traveler, BBC, and many more.

While working as a freelancer can be challenging because you’re living from project to project, you really can make it work for you by focusing on the right type of clients.

I’ve been making it work for me so far.

3. How often do you communicate with home and how?
I absolutely love WhatsApp because I’ve got three crazy sisters and we keep the conversation flowing all day long through its chat window. I try to call my parents at least once and Skype with my niece and nephew at least once as well. But I don’t think two days pass without me being on the phone with at least one of my sisters even if it’s just for five minutes.

4. What's your favorite thing about being an expat in Stockholm?
What I love about being an expat here is the chance to live in one of a few countries that actually “gets it” when it comes to flexibility and family time. Sweden offers up generous parental leave (1.5 years) per child as well as a small subsidy to help with supplies for your child. Businesses offer up 4-6 weeks paid vacation time to their employees.

And the irony is that our tax rate is roughly 30-32% percent. We get so much for what we pay and a lot of people think our taxes are way out there like 60% or more.

I also love that being an expat helps me hone my observational skills. I believe expats tend to be more observational than locals, and they appreciate even the most mundane of things a lot more.

5. What’s the worst thing about being an expat in Stockholm?
Living in that intermediate/middle space where you don't quite feel like you fully fit in yet you've integrated far enough into the culture to not be able to make excuses anymore. It can be a lonely and depressing space to be in. I actually wrote about the “awkward intermediary space” expats occupy so I’ll share it verbatim below here:

There comes a point in many expats' lives when they feel like their host country is out to get them paperwork-wise, and about two years ago, I'd been banging my head against some minor bureaucratic madness that does exist here in Sweden despite its candy sweet demeanor.

Why can't I keep my company name? Why is it taking 6 months to renew a permit? Why didn't you send me a notice if you needed extra documents?

However, one thing I've quickly realized is that comparing "what is" to "what used to be" never really works. Comparing US protocols to Swedish rules just doesn't jive. Come December, I'd have officially lived in Sweden for four years. Enough to know the language to function pretty well

Enough to know that you need to get your weekday shopping done before 5pm, and that many government employees take 6-8 week vacations too. Also enough to understand a lot of the nuances and intricacies of Swedish culture and just how closed it can feel if one isn't truly linked in somehow - i.e. married to or dating a local.

6. What do you miss most?
It’s been challenging finding affordable clothing designs and the styles and fashions I’m used to which I can easily find in the US so I do a lot of my shopping on trips back to the states. I love ethnic food especially Southeast Asian cuisine and Chinese and while there are some good restaurants in Stockholm, I tend to get my fix when I’m in London or traveling in larger cities instead. But overall, I do miss the proximity to my family because they’re spread out - from the US to Nigeria.

7. What did you do to meet people and integrate in your new home?
To be honest, Sweden can be a difficult place to make friends mostly because Swedes are reserved and really don’t “truly” let people into their lives even though it’s an open society. I’ve gained a lot of friends by de facto because I’m married to a Swede but I’ve also made a few friends mostly through my work as a freelancer and through my travels.

There are varying degrees of expat integration here and the deeper I learn about the culture, the more it's exposed. Looking over the last few years at some incredible offbeat places and amazing people like the Sámi I've gained access to here, it's been nothing short of a blessing in many ways.

I think fellow expats, immigrants, residents, and refugees here in Sweden who have no direct cultural links, who have to completely carve their own way from day one, who aren't inheriting friends, contacts, and family from a loved one are the ones who truly inspire me when a minor bout of expat paranoia hits.

I speak Swedish now so it was important for me in the beginning to sign up for free Swedish classes through the government’s subsidized “Swedish for Immigrants” (SFI) program. I’ve also taken an advanced class but I had to stop once I had my daughter so I’m planning on returning for more advanced studies this fall.

8. What custom/ habits do you find most strange about your adopted culture?
The strangest? People walking right by you without even acknowledging you with a “Hello!” or your presence. This is one of the basic human interactions I miss in the US – whether it’s done superficially or not. You have to acknowledge your fellow human beings. I think it is also what leaves a bad taste in the mouth of many immigrants and expats. Why would they want to willfully contribute to a society whose citizens won’t even acknowledge them with a simple “hello” on a daily basis?

It really is a deep-seated cultural habit that needs to be broken.

9. What is a myth about your adopted country?
Because of this really bad habit (I call it) of not saying hello to passing strangers, Swedes (and Scandinavians) tend to come off as cold and aloof which really isn’t true. They’re truly warm people and once you get to know them, you’ve got loyal friends for life.

Oh, and that Sweden is only filled with tall, leggy blue-eyed Blondes. Sure, there are some of those but it’s a lot more diverse than people expect and they’re usually surprised when they arrive.

10. Is the cost of living higher or lower than the last country you lived in and how has that made a difference in your life?
After finally wrapping my head around the fact that I will be paying $10 for a small sandwich for the rest of my time in Stockholm, I’ve been making lots of adjustments in how I spend money and what I spend it on. Stockholm’s cost of living is way higher than the US and a lot of those costs go to food, housing, and transportation.

I love good food so once in a while I do indulge but I don’t flit around Michelin-starred establishments just for fun.
Things I don’t really need to buy in Sweden like clothes and other personal style items, I buy those for myself when I go to the states a couple times every year.

11. What advice would you give other expats?
Finding local expat communities to hang out and commiserate with can be refreshing, avoid living in that bubble of comfort. Push yourself. Learn the language. Pursue knowledge of local culture. Interact with locals. Use expat life as an opportunity to add another rich layer of diversity to yourself.

12. When and why did you start your blog?
I’ve had a website in some form since 1997 but my Wordpress blog was started in 2007 mostly as a way of documenting my travels but now I’ve used it more as a professional space for sharing snippets of my work, samples of my photography, random life thoughts, and such. It’s been a blessing because I’ve been able to get a lot of work through people finding my work and blog including this amazing opportunity with National Geographic Channel - http://lolaakinmade.com/2012/09/24/latest-news-heading-to-south-africa-with-national-geographic-channel/.

Lola's blog, Geotraveler's Niche

Find out more about being an expat in Sweden with Easy Expat's

Stockholm Guide

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De la Tunisie au Japon: Un Gaijin au Japon

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:03:54 +0100

Je m’appelle Aala et je suis un français d’origine tunisienne.

1. Pourquoi êtes-vous partis à l'étranger ?
Au départ, je suis partis pour apprendre l’anglais, et puis j’ai pris goût au voyage donc j’ai décidé de continuer et de ne plus jamais m’arrêter.

2. Comment vivez-vous ?
Je suis en visa étudiant au Japon. J’y exerce la profession de tuteur de français et je tire quelques revenus de mon blog. Cela fait maintenant près de 2 ans que je suis tuteur de français ici. Il y à beaucoup de japonais qui veulent apprendre cette langue et progresser, je suis donc là pour essayer de les aider.

3. Est-ce que vous appelez souvent votre pays d'origine, et comment ?
Oui assez régulièrement, essentiellement en utilisant des logiciels comme Skype qui sont gratuit et facile à utiliser, même avec les téléphones portables.

4. Quelle est la chose que vous préférez en tant qu'expat au Japon ?
La commodité des choses ici. Tout est fait pour rendre la vie des gens plus facile et agréable. Tout est très bien organisé et le pays est très sûr.

5. Quelle est la pire des choses pour un expat au Japon ?
La langue japonaise je dirai. Elle n’est pas si difficile que cela à apprendre, en parlé, mais difficile pour ce qui est de l’écrit avec les kanji, les hiragana et katakana. Il y aussi le mode de vie qui est totalement différent et toutes les règles à respecter que l’on ne connait pas.

6. Qu'est ce qui vous manque le plus ?
Pas grand-chose, je suis satisfait de tout ce que j’ai ici. Je suis quelqu’un qui s’adapte et qui fait avec ce qu’il a.

7. Qu'avez vous fait pour rencontrer du monde et vous intégrer dans votre nouvelle vie ?
Je suis sorti dans des endroits où les japonais vont pour rencontrer des étrangers. C’est la meilleure façon au Japon. J’ai même organisé des évènements afin de permettre aux étrangers et aux japonais de se rencontrer.

8. Quelle est l'habitude que vous trouvez la plus étrange dans votre culture d'adoption ?
Aucune, parce que dire que quelque chose est étrange revient à dire que nous sommes normaux et les autres, qui n’agissent pas de la même manière que nous, sont bizarre.

9. Qu'est-ce qui est un mythe sur votre pays d'adoption ?
Il y en a beaucoup, trop peut-être même. Beaucoup de gens ont grandit avec cette vision du Japon version
manga. Le Japon ce n’est pas ça, c’est beaucoup plus riche et beaucoup plus complexe.

10. Quel avis donneriez-vous aux autres expatriés ?
Aller au Japon, faites ce que vous voulez faire mais respectez les locaux. Ce serait là mon seul avis. Le Japon en vaut la peine et il y à beaucoup à apprendre là-bas.

11. Quand et pourquoi avez vous débuté votre blog ?
Je l’ai commencé le 22 février 2012 mon blog de voyage au Japon. Le but était de partager mes expériences personnelles au Japon, donner des conseils et partager quelques réflexions. Un autre but est de promouvoir mon tour du Japon à pieds, d’une année minimum, que je commencerais le 1er janvier 2015.

J’essaye aussi de partager beaucoup de conseils sur ce qu’il n’est pas toujours facile de trouver sur le net mais qui est essentiel pour un voyage Par exemple :

- comment bien acheter son billet d’avion
- un guide gratuit des transports à Tokyo et au Japon
- les démarches à faire pour obtenir un WHV Japon
- des informations sur le coût de la vie à au Japon et à Tokyo
- comment gérer son budget de voyage au Japon

Et plein d’autres encore. Mon blog se veut un blog de partage d’expériences et de connaissances.

12. Quels bénéfices avez vous trouvé au travers de votre blog ?
J’en ai trouvé plein. J’ai pu rencontrer beaucoup de personnes, apprendre beaucoup de choses, partager et échanger avec les autres. Mon blog c’est une extension de mon voyage sur le net.

Un Gaijin au Japon

Pour en savoir plus, consultez

le guide de l'expatriation et la
Japon

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From the USA to Nicaragua: Rewired and Retired in Nicaragua

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:01:46 +0100

Hola. My nickname is Gypsytoes, but you can call me Debbie. My husband, Ron, and I live on a tropical island in Nicaragua. We are originally from the Pittsburgh, PA area. However, most of our adult life we have been transplanted Southerners.

1. Why did you move abroad?
We moved frequently while living in the states. Our last major move in the states was from an isolated hollow in the Ozark Mountains to the storytelling capital of the world...mainly so we could have pizza delivered. During one of the storytelling festivals in Jonesborough, TN, we became fascinated and a little obsessed with moving abroad and gathering new stories for our lives. One cold winter day, I received an email from a friend in Nicaragua. He offered us a job managing a small youth hostel on Ometepe Island. We sold our cars, quit our secure teaching jobs, gave away all our winter clothes, and left our house and our aging dog with our son and JUMPED!

2. How do you make a living?
We are blissfully retired. Fortunately, we had little teaching pensions and discovered that we can live comfortably and simply. But, the real truth is that we work harder than we ever did when we were employed. We built two houses, rake mangoes, paint and decorate, write, volunteer, and I started a mobile lending library for the island kids.

3. How often do you communicate with home and how?
We communicate everyday with family and friends back in the states. We use Skype, Facebook, and Email.

I have Skype on my iPhone. All I have to do is stand outside under the mango tree, when it's not too windy, to get good reception. We bought a dongle modem for our laptops, but the darn active volcano in our backyard blocked the tower for a strong signal. So, I made a woktenna for 10 cents to house the dongle, and now we get a much stronger signal.

4. What's your favorite thing about being an expat in Nicaragua?
We live on a Biosphere Reserve. The best thing about living on Ometepe Island is that the world comes to us and we can welcome them with open, loving arms.

5. What’s the worst thing about being an expat in Nicaragua?
Well, right now it is 98 degrees and we haven't seen a drop of rain for months. Everything is dry, dusty, and hot, hot. But, it's looking up! The rainy season is going to start soon! Honestly, we've learned to live in the moment, without expectations. That way, there are no disappointments. Life is unpredictable here..we just learn to go with the flow.

6. What do you miss most?
I used to say I missed an oven, a washing machine, and a lawn mower...embarrassed to say, sometimes more than my family. But, I have the oven and a washing machine now, and our neighbor machetes our yard cheap!

I do miss the ease of conducting business and reliable infrastructure. A simple transaction at the bank or the grocery store can take forever. We never know when we will have water or electricity...but, we're working on that. We just built a tall gravity fed water tower. Next, to work on the electricity issue..maybe solar panels.

7. What did you do to meet people and integrate in your new home?
We are the only 'gringos' in our little community. One of the best ways to meet the local people was to teach ESL classes. We didn't charge for the lessons and as a result we were invited to many family gatherings. We've integrated well into our community and have become a part of a large extended family.

8. What custom/ habits do you find most strange about your adopted culture?
We call some of the strange customs here “Latin Logic”. For example, my ATM card expired at the local bank. I went to the main desk, but they had installed a new number system. I was the only person in the bank, and she made me get a number and sit in a row of chairs. Then, she called my number and I could go back to her desk. When she told me I had to go see the bank teller, I had to get another number. I was still the only person in the bank. I had to get 3 numbers that day. I think they were just proud of their new number system. I couldn't help but laugh.

9. What is a myth about your adopted country?
When friends ask us about Nicaragua, the first question is: “Isn't there a war going on there?” The second question is: “ How do you live with those poor pitiful people?” There are many myths of poverty that I'm trying my best to dispel.

10. Is the cost of living higher or lower than the last country you lived in and how has that made a difference in your life?
We call ourselves Boomer Economic Refugees. We opted for early retirement in the states and we could never afford to live there on a fixed income. I estimate that the cost of living here is ¼ of that in the states. We can live comfortably on $500 a month, excluding travel. We'll never have to shovel snow again. It's changed our lives totally. We are more creative, more appreciative, more compassionate, and above all curious about how everything works or...doesn't work in Nicaragua.

11. What advice would you give other expats?
Above all...JUMP! We could have spent years investigating our place in the world, but then, we probably would have lost the nerve to jump into a new life. Try it for six months to a year. We explored 'pretirement' for a year on Ometepe Island, then returned to the states with more knowledge and understanding of everything we needed to know to make our dream of officially retiring abroad a reality.

12. When and why did you start your blog?
I started my blog, Rewired and Retired in Nicaragua, in July of 2011. I wanted to share the joys and pitfalls of living totally immersed in a small community of local islanders. Along with the good, there is the bad, and, of course, a few ugly experiences. I'm spreading the sweaty naked truth about living on a small island, in the middle of a huge lake, in the middle of Nicaragua, in the middle of Central America.

Debbie's blog, Rewired and Retired in Nicaragua

Find out more about being an expat in South America with Easy Expat's

Nicaragua Guide

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From Alaska to Kharkov: 8 Months in Ukraine

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:31:37 +0100

Hi! I'm Katherine, a West Coast American who spent most of the last decade living in Alaska before moving to Kharkov, the second largest city in Ukraine.

1. Why did you move abroad?
For several years I dreamed of moving to Russia. I even convinced my boyfriend D that it was a halfway decent idea! At that point, I'd been studying the Russian language for several years and thought that living in Russia would provide that final boost to fluency. Russia, however, is not that welcoming to international job-seekers. We spent a year doing conference call interviews, getting laughed out of said interviews (“great, you're hired! Oh.... a visa? Hahaha!), and sulking. Finally we set our sights on Ukraine instead. At that point Ukraine was “close enough” for me. Over the past 2 years though, I've really come to love the place for what it is.

The other reason we moved abroad? Age. People get busier and busier as they age, and D and I wanted to follow our hearts before we got buried in a mortgage, careers, and unavoidable responsibilities. If we hadn't moved when we did, what are the odds that we would have moved at all?

2. How do you make a living?
Since moving to Ukraine, all of my income has come from teaching English and proofreading the occasional document. I've taught at various English schools as well as privately. It's very easy to find teaching work here; there's always someone looking for a good English teacher.

D, meanwhile, is a programmer / project manager. Ukraine has a massive IT industry and he's gotten the chance to work in a field he enjoys.

3. How often do you communicate with home and how?
Unfortunately, not very often. But when I do, Skype is indispensible.

4. What's your favorite thing about being an expat in Ukraine?
Ooooh, just one? That's tough. I have a lot of favorite things, like the DELICIOUS Ukrainian food, the kindness of people, and the cool leftover Soviet Union emblems scattered around the city. I also adore the public transit system here!!! In Alaska, we hardly had one at all. Those going from their meth lab to Walmart would wait 2 hours in the cold for the city bus to come. Everyone else took out a loan/saved their PFD and bought a big pick-up truck. Here in Kharkov you don't need a car at all. There are three metro lines (always fast, cheap, and super clean) and bajillions of buses/marshrutkas/taxis hanging around.

But as for being an expat here, my favorite thing is learning something new about Ukraine every single day. There are things you just can't learn from language textbooks and courses, like what Swan Lake on every channel means (shown during the breakup of the USSR), or who Verka Serduchka is (cross-dressing pop star).

5. What’s the worst thing about being an expat in Ukraine?
Watching an entire nation spit on the sidewalk.

6. What do you miss most?
I miss sidewalks not covered in spit. And public libraries (although a Kindle is a pretty decent substitute).

Also, in America there's a lot of respect for and trust of the authorities: police, government, military. In Ukraine, it's the opposite. Police, government, and soliders are the last people you expect to help. In fact, they'll probably do the opposite. I miss thanking a police officer or letting a soldier cut in line. Such behavior would be unthinkable here.

7. What did you do to meet people and integrate in your new home?
In my experience, teachers are rarely lonely people. Students are always offering exciting excursions and especially when I first arrived I'd take them up on it. I try to never say no to an invitation. The best thing I did, though, was finding a penpal through interpals.net before arriving. The man I met has become a really good friend and helped with a lot of beaucratic tangles like getting internet set up, etc.

8. What custom/ habits do you find most strange about your adopted culture?
Why do guys wear pointy-toed shoes? What's so great about a mullet? Do friends really fall ill from eating cold watermelon and sitting under air-conditioners? Why do men always shake hands but women never do? Why do people think walking between two telephone poles will cause a headache? Are the ends of cucumbers actually bad for health? And how is it considered sanitary to sample unwashed grapes or a slice of salo (pig fat) in the open-air market? What exactly is the job description of a vakhta (person who sits in a building all day long)? And what does the expression "da nyet" (yes no) mean- is the answer “yes” or is it “no”?

9. What is a myth about your adopted country?
The stereotype that all Ukrainian men are scruffy worthless drunks and all Ukrainian women are gorgeous love kittens who yearn to escape their sad plight by marrying foreign men. This is a pretty easily-dispelled myth and anyone who visits Ukraine will realize it. Just like any other place, Ukraine has all types of people. I find most men here to be romantic (buy you flowers, etc), courteous (always carry your bag, pull out chairs), and handsome. Women here are- in my opinion- extremely well-educated, not afraid to speak their mind to men, and not all looking for a ticket out of the country. They do, however, have a magical ability to wear 5-inch heels 24/7 without complaint, that one's not a myth.

Also, the idea that Ukraine is Russia, or rather “Little Russia”. It's not true. Some here may speak Russian but if you call them Russian, prepare yourself for a fistfight!

10. Is the cost of living higher or lower than the last country you lived in and how has that made a difference in your life?
The cost of living is lower in Ukraine than it is in America.... especially since we lived in Alaska! It's a great pleasure to be able to buy foods like buckwheat on the cheap instead of having to hunt down an eastern european import store and pay through the nose. It was also a nice surprise to discover that high-speed internet in our apartment would only cost a fraction of what we paid in the states and ditto for a cell phone.

In terms of income, I'd have trouble getting by if I lived by myself. Just like anywhere else, it's easier to get by on two incomes.

11. What advice would you give other expats?
Whichever country you're in - keep an open heart and an open mind with you at all times. Look for the best in situations and people.

12. When and why did you start your blog?
8 Months in Ukraine was started in July 2011 just for kicks. The name was inspired by my original 8 month teaching contract... although now a more honest title would be 21 Months in Ukraine, haha. Over time it's grown from a simple way to keep in touch with friends & family to a resource for others interested in the country. It can be difficult to find up-to-date English info on daily life in Ukraine, and that's what I try to provide with my blog. Hope to see you there!

Katherine's blog, 8 Months in Ukraine

To find out more about living in the Ukraine,

Ukraine Resources

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