A British expat who fought in World War II lost the most recent chapter in his battle to win the right to vote in UK elections for long-term expats, as noted on the BBC’s website. Harry Shindler lives in Italy, and has for quite some time, and he continues fight a UK law that limits suffrage to those who have lived in the UK within the last 15 years:

One can argue about the merits of the law itself, but doesn’t something seem amiss when a CITIZEN who fought for the UK in the most horrific war in history can’t even vote? Can’t the PM or the Queen or someone else with political mojo step in and get this guy a ballot?

Here’s an excerpt from a great Culture Shock Report. Actually, it’s written by an expat in Bolivia that isn’t experiencing much culture shock at all:

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia

Did you receive any cross-cultural training for your move abroad? If yes, was it before or after the move?

No, but as a Graduate Teacher of Spanish, French, and English as a Foreign Language , I first lived abroad (Spain) in 1976, and am currently a resident in Spain again after returning from Bolivia in 2010. I have been teaching for some 33 years now, half that time in Spain, so for me adjusting wasn’t a problem.

If they speak another language in your new country, do you speak the language?

Yes, Spanish, which I had studied at University and have been teaching for over 30 years.

Were you worried or concerned about culture shock before you moved abroad?

Not at all! For me I get “reverse culture shock” on the few occasions I have returned to live temporarily back in the UK!

How significant was the culture shock you experienced when you moved abroad?

Insignificant, having been residing in Spain for more than 20 years, my move to Bolivia was much easier than for most. Some uneasiness about South America but I had spent 4 months in Colombia earlier in the same year I went out to Bolivia (2009) so I had a good idea of what to expect and was much more confident.

Expats often talk about going through the “stages of culture shock.” Do you feel like you went through these or any other stages as you settled into the new culture?

Having been divorced from my British ex-wife for more than 20 years, and used to being alone, I didn’t experience any of these stages. Of course it helps that I am totally immersed in the Spanish way of life, food, customs, and speak the language fluently!

Do you have any advice or thoughts about culture shock you would like to share?

Learn the language!! Immerse yourself into the lifestyle of the locals. Keep a low profile, especially at the beginning of your stay, and if you don’t speak the language. Keep on your guard, as a “Gringo” you are going to stand out like a sore thumb, so some people will inevitably try and take advantage of that, either by attempting to trick you out of your money, or other items, to robbery or worse.

So, this continues our theme this week of blog posts that highlight the importance of cross-cultural training. Have you shared your experiences with Culture Shock?

Expats in Boston are offering some of their thoughts about what it has been like for them over the course of the last week. Here are some snippets about one expat in Boston during the week of the Boston bombing as detailed on Telegraph.co.uk:

I was living and working in New York City on 9/11 and its aftermath, and I felt the same sentiments offered by Will in the above article. These people that perpetrate such horrendous acts think that they can intimidate our society, but it has the exact opposite effect. Nothing brings together Americans and the British, as individual countries and as allies, than an attack against one, the other or both.

Media reports continue to circulate about the weakening pound and the impact it has on British expats (FTadviser.com), particularly on pensioners:

That is a huge loss of purchasing power. We also posted about the weakening pound and its impact on expats at the end of February. Expat finance is something that anyone living abroad must continually monitor and take appropriate steps.

Actor Warwick Davis, of Star Wars and Harry Potter series fame, recently described what it is like working on An Idiot Abroad:

For those unfamiliar with the series, An Idiot Abroad is a documentary-style comedy in which a Brit (Karl Pilkington) is sent abroad, and outside his comfort zone, by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant to experience different cultures.

Merchant hopes Karl will have a great experience, while Gervais is more set on seeing Karl in absolute misery as he wades through cultural experience after cultural experience. Either way, expats all over the globe will find plenty to relate to through Karl’s life abroad.

An agreement has been reached that has clarified just how much money Cypriots and expats living in Cyprus are going to lose to what is described as a “one-off levy.” Sure it is. So now they’ve gone from “we’d never do that” to “we’re only going to do this once?” Good luck:

So is this some kind of magic bullet that is actually going to save the Cypriot economy? I Would love to read the evidence that demonstrates what exactly is going to be done to produce different results.

British expats in Cyprus? Not happy these days. Not happy at all. The recent move to syphon off funds from depositors in Cyprus has ensnared British expats along with native Cypriots:

The article includes a quote from U.K.’s Finance Minister that indicates government related personel will receive compensation, but all other Brits are out of luck. You can guess the reactions of expats and the media, which are also noted.

Expat Finance is critical when anyone moves abroad, and this latest event only highlights how those that think they have planned wisely can still be caught off guard.

Drunken Expats in Shanghai are causing problems. China’s “most international city” is experiencing tensions between it’s foreigners and the local population that would like more peace and quiet at night:

These kinds of stories are gentle reminders to expats everywhere that they are not living at home. The behavioral expectations for New York or London aren’t relevant to what happens abroad, even in a city widely regarded as the most friendly to westerners in China.

Similarly, two expats in the UAE recently had their death sentences overturned for trafficking in small amounts of hashish. Wake up out there!

British expats abroad, especially pensioners, need to consider their currency options as the decline in the value of the pound has potential to significantly impact their income level even further than it has already. Here are a few quotes below from a BBC.co.uk article about the impact of the pound on British expats:

The full-text contains a bit more insight that should be helpful for expats considering their options should the value of the pound continue to fall. This is the kind of research expats should always do ahead of time to prepare for all possible scenarios!

Here’s an excerpt from a great article written by a British man who fell in love with a woman from Paris and decided to move there:

There is a lot of fun and useful information in this article. People will go through quite a bit once they meet the right person, and that is all the more difficult – and fun – when it involves moving to another country and culture!