British Expats in the Los Angeles area are thrilled by the royal engagement, according to this article on DailyNews.com:

Over games of bingo and lunch of bangers and mash, British expatriates in the San Fernando Valley rejoiced Tuesday at what they anticipate will be the biggest royal wedding since Prince Charles wed Lady Diana three decades ago.

News from overseas that the handsome Prince William and attractive Kate Middleton had announced their engagement elicited repeated cries of “How lovely!” among the many regulars of The Mayflower, a social club in North Hollywood founded in 1965 for those who emigrated from England after World War II.

Then again, perhaps it’s just the ladies who are tickled pink over the big announcement:

Of the few men at the club playing bingo or having lunch, some waved off the whole engagement as a publicity stunt by the royals. It’s the ladies who fell for such stories, some men said, chuckling.

Good British comedy! Wish they had included a retort from some of the British ladies after that comment from the men!

While expats in Penang applaud an end to free plastic bags, according to this article on TheStar.com, locals are not so sure.

Expat View:

WHILE expatriates have lauded the move to ban plastic shopping bags in Penang, locals seemed a bit apprehensive about the ruling which will take effect from Jan 1.

Rebecca South, 44, from England, said the ban would help to reduce pollution as plastics took a long time to disintegrate.

“It’s also a way to make people aware of the recycling habit,” said the postgraduate student who had been staying in Penang for two years.

Local View:

For 32-year-old Mazlifah Osman, the move is laudable but the mother of three wishes for the 20 sen plastic bag charge to be reduced.

“Sometimes, I do my shopping at the spur of the moment and don’t have my recyclable bags with me,” she said, adding there was once she paid RM1.20 just for plastic bags.

“I support the ban but 20 sen is too expensive,” she said.

It’s interesting to see the reaction to green efforts across the globe. Hopefully this is a trend that will continue its momentum both abroad and at home.

Expats can encounter a lot of unexpected complications while living abroad. This becomes even more complex when an individual or couple acquires property as an expatriate.

Should an expat die and have overseas property that will be left as an inheritance to his or her heirs, it can become a very long and drawn out affair. The linked article above provides some insight for Brits abroad:

New research from the Edinburgh-based probate firm Title Research reveals that it can take as long as three years for a deceased individual’s overseas estate to be redistributed among heirs, incurring financial hardship and unnecessary stress. Some of the most popular places for holiday homes, such as France and Spain, have such different legal systems to the UK that experienced solicitors often struggle to have assets returned to the UK quickly.

Regardless if you are British or not, proper research ahead of time is critical. This should help ensure that what is yours not only ends up with your heirs, but in a timely fashion.

Expatriates often have a hard time with the holidays if they are unable to return from abroad, though there are some that find it quite refreshing to be forced to celbrate them in a different way.

Well, it’s hard to believe it, but the holidays are almost upon us. Thanksgiving will be celebrated on November 25th in the U.S., Hannukkah begins on December 2nd, the Winter Solstice in on December 21st, and, as always, Christmas is on December 25th. Boxing Day, again as always, follows on December 26th for the U.K. and Canada.

Over the years, we’ve encourage Expat Exchange members to complete our Christmas and Holidays report on what it’s like to be abroad during the holidays in your destination country.

Here is a sample of one from Kyoto, Japan:

If locals celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah where you are living now, how is it celebrated differently?

Christmas is somewhat celebrated as part of the fascination with all things Western. People eat “Christmas cakes” (usually white cakes with white icing and strawberries) and fried chicken. It’s considered a very romantic time and is a huge date night, similar to Valentine’s Day in North America.

Do you mix your own traditions with those of your expat location? If so, describe.

Yes. I’ve gone out for a fancy dinner on Christmas in order to celebrate the holiday and have sung Christmas carols for my Japanese friends.

What is your favorite thing about celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah in your overseas location?

There is way less stress! Fewer gifts to buy, fewer people to visit, and more opportunities to enjoy quality time with those around me.

And please do fill out your own Christmas and Holidays report!

Expats often find it hard to vote while living abroad. Some, including expatriates from Ohio however, wouldn’t pass up the chance for anything in the world:

That doesn’t matter to Alice Henderson, a Bexley High graduate who hasn’t missed an election in 24 years abroad.

Her voting address is in Reynoldsburg. She lives in the French Alps and teaches linguistics at a university. Henderson gets the skinny on candidates from relatives and goes online to research voting records.

“It’s a lot of work, but if I’m going to vote, I’m going to know who I’m voting for,” she said. “There’s no excuse for not voting, unless you’re dying in hospital. There are so many people in the world who don’t get a voice in their government.”

That is well put, and we know so many expatriates agree from all of the e-mails we receive and messages posted on ExpatExchange.

While most expats can only vote in federal elections, as Dispatch.com notes above, it is still important and expatriates can prepare for future elections by registering from abroad now. Also, seek absentee ballots as early as possible in each election cycle to avoid unanticipated delays and bureaucratic problems, which were rampant in this past election.

Well done to all the expats that voted, and a gentle nudge in that direction to those that missed out this last time around!

Can you stomach expat life in China? Telegraph.co.uk recently looked into this very topic:

Obviously food in China just isn’t the same as food in the U.S. It’s not necessarily better or worse – that’s up to you – but it certainly is different. And different foods come with different bacteria, and those CAN be bad:

Dr Moshe Rubin, one of a number of visiting specialists brought to China by the Institute of Western Surgery, said: “A lot of the problems we see in the West we see in Shanghai including bowel irregularities and heartburn. There is a greater incidence of intestinal parasites though. Above all, food quality seems to be very high if you select where you get it. But there is an increased likelihood of developing intestinal infections. People from the West haven’t grown up with these infections. E. coli and yersinia are both acquired by eating food that hasn’t been handled properly.” He added that there is also a higher incidence of the bacteria giardia. “These can be treated with antibiotics. The symptoms are nausea, bloating, weight loss and diarrhoea.”

So be safe and smart when it comes to food – whether you’re living in Beijing, New York City or London. Having lived in New York City myself, I can promise you there are risks there, too! Eat well – be well!

Expats across the globe took part in Jon Stewart’s recent rally to restore sanity in Washington, D.C.

Here is what Timothy Patrick McCarthy, director of the Human Rights and Social Movements Program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government had to say about the event:

“I have been surprised by the proliferation of rallies worldwide,” says Dr. McCarthy. “But I’m not sure what it means. I don’t know if this is just an outlet for people who share frustrations to come together for some cathartic exercise of political relief. But one of the things I think is interesting is there is a lot of anger and disaffection across the political spectrum.”

And some encouraging words from an Expat in France:

“I feel like this year, more than previous years, people here are talking about how can you download a ballot, how can you vote early,” says Kathryn Brown, a registered voter in Colorado who lives with her family in Paris. “There is much more of a grassroots effort to disseminate info on how to vote.”

During the rally, the media took some bashing from Stewart. Many would call it well deserved, though the media did retort against the claim as merely a shift in blame.

Even when I disagree with Jon Stewart, you often can’t help but laugh at his humor any way:

“The press can hold its magnifying glass up to our problems bringing them into focus, illuminating issues heretofore unseen or they can use that magnifying glass to light ants on fire and then perhaps host a week of shows on the sudden, unexpected dangerous, flaming ant epidemic,” he said, to roars of approval from the crowd.

Regardless of what happened at the rally, it’s great to see U.S. expatriates still engaged in the political process. It would be great if Americans – at home and abroad – paid more attention to more substantive issues than who is likely to win American Idol or the latest social transgressions of vapid pop stars and movie queens.