ExpatExchange Blog

Early voting is well underway in the United States. Are you wondering about some of the battleground states?

What are your thoughts going into election week? This historic race has been going on for what seems like years (oh, wait, it has been years), and it will all be over soon.

Have you ever wanted to take the kids on an adventure travel excursion? Check out Alan Paul’s entry in his Wall Street Journal blog, The Expat Life, which tackles the issue with another wonderful entry. Follow Alan’s blog while he is still living abroad!

If you have thoughts you want to share about the election or Alan Paul’s column, let us know by responding to our blog or posting it on our forums (please CLICK HERE to join our free online community for expatriates).

Today we continue to keep our focus on the impact that the financial crisis will have on expats.

This article in U.S. News & World Report provides the opinion of the financial crisis from the point of view of an American expat that used to work on Wall Street.

What are your thoughts about the text? What do you see abroad that supports or detracts from what Ms. Debeljak has written?

If you see or hear anything in your day-to-day life that you think is indicative of what expats will face - or the change they will create - please let us know by responding to our blog or posting it on our forums (please CLICK HERE to join our free online community for expatriates).

Over the course of the foreseeable future, there will be considerable financial consequences all over the world for expatriates. As they are impacted, what changes will they impart to other populations? Here’s one story that reports that Aussie expats that have lived in places such as London and Singapore are returning to Australia and are buying up property all across the nation.

If you see or hear anything in your day-to-day life that you think is indicative of what expats will face - or the change they will create - please let us know by responding to our blog or posting it on our forums (please CLICK HERE to join our free online community for expatriates).

Well, the last debate between McCain and Obama was last night. Most news outlets seems to indicate that the perception is that Obama won the night despite McCain’s best performance to date. What is it about Obama that appeals to expats? The number of expats that support Obama generally seems to outweigh the number of American expats that will pull the lever for McCain. Sound off on ExpatExchange.com! It would be interesting to see what would happen if there were one more debate following the feisty nature of last night’s tassle.

Americans in Doha, Qatar descended on the American embassy to cast their votes from abroad.

Here is one take on the best places to live abroad. Do you agree or disagree? What about where you live? Even if you are living in your native country, is it ideal for people from other cultures?

Alan Paul in his most recent addition to his excellent WSJ column, The Expat Life, describes the ability of music to break down barriers. He and his bandmates have been playing around China recently, and this has led Paul to think about music and cross-cultural communication in general:

Paul writes:

“The real potential for cross-cultural communication and understanding lies in many small moments of interaction rather than in anything large, state run or commercial.”

The full-text can be found on Here on the WSJ’s website.

(For those of you who have been following Paul’s column, it’s sad to note that his expat journey is almost over).

Despite the fact that the $700 billion U.S. bailout package passed on Friday, stock markets around the world plummeted today. What started as an economic crisis in the U.S. a few short weeks ago is now a global crisis and governments, banks and individuals around the world are nervously wondering what will happen next.

Germany announced Sunday a new federal guarantee for all savings deposits. In addition, after putting together a $69 billion bailout package for Hypo Real Estate, German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck announced that Germany was considering putting together a shield that would protect their entire financial sector rather than bailing out individual companies.

Here are a few interesting articles related to the economic crisis:
BreakingViews.com: The EU’s struggle to act in harmony - IHT
London stocks slump 8.65% to hit four-year low - Yahoo!
European, Asian markets plunge on crisis fears - Yahoo!

We don’t want to feed the panic!! Rather, we invite you to share your views of the economic situation in your part of the world. We wonder how the global economic situation is affecting you and your family? Your neighbors abroad? Your employer? Your country’s government? Your local bank? Local businesses? How are you feeling? How are you reacting?

To post your thoughts, CLICK HERE.

It might not be solely related to expats, but the financial crisis in the U.S. has the potential to impact economies the world over, so we think it’s worth covering. The world of finance is keeping a close eye on what the U.S. House of Representatives is able to do to find a solution to a problem that seems as if it can only get worse - if nothing is done. Here’s a nice WSJ Summary of where it all stands.

Americans living in the UK have until Saturday to register to vote in the November U.S. Presidential election. As might be expected, Democrats and Republicans are in feverish last-minute efforts to get their names on ballots. Click here for the Full Article on BBC.co.uk

Remember to check in with the Overseas Vote Foundation if you are not yet ready registered to vote.