Expatriates in Egypt obviously are in a precarious position given the political unrest that has wracked the Middle Eastern country over the last several days. Here is an excerpt from a recent New York Times article that relates what expatriates at the airport in Cairo are experiencing:

The American Embassy announced that, starting Monday, it was organizing chartered flights to evacuate its citizens “to safe-haven locations” in Europe. It urged Americans in Egypt to “consider leaving as soon as they can safely do so.”

An estimated 90,000 Americans live and work in Egypt, most in cities now roiled by antigovernment protests, looting and a military presence that includes tanks and helicopters. By some estimates, 100 people have been killed during the six days of demonstrations.

Hundreds of expatriates and tourists were stranded in their homes, hotels or at the airport. Mirianna Gaitani, 30, a photographer from Crete who is vacationing in Egypt, said her hotel, the Atel Concorde, had earlier prohibited her and her three friends from leaving because of the tumult on the streets.

This is another one of those situations, and there have been many since ExpatExchange.com launched in 1997, that can best described as an expat’s worst nightmare. Whether or not an expat has made appropriate preparations and received relevant training now comes into play. It’s another reminder for all of us involved with the expatriate experience that being proactive matters.

Here is another article from WSJ.com that updates the steps being taken by the U.S. State Department for Americans in Egypt.

If you’re an Expat in Tokyo that can afford opulent extras, look no further than the Tokyo American Club. Interesting that even an establishment such as this needs to make adjustments in a down economy, although any concern is due in part to a recent expansion:

The new TAC building opened its doors Tuesday at its original location in Roppongi. It hasn’t come cheaply: The three-year redevelopment project, conducted jointly with big Japanese developers Mitsubishi Estate and Takenaka Corp., came with a $150 million price tag.

In a light-filled 20,000-square-meter building, members can now choose from seven restaurants and bars, ranging from a posh dining space with private cellar storage for members, to a family-friendly café that serves indispensable American childhood fare, like mac and cheese and chicken fingers.

On the roof is the 25-meter, six-lane “Sky Pool,” open year-round offering views of not just the Tokyo Tower, but also venerable Mount Fuji. The fitness center boasts numerous cardio machines and a stable of personal trainers, while the spa offers six luxurious treatment rooms, including one for couples. For family entertainment, there are basketball courts, a bowling alley and a teen lounge where the kids can enjoy karaoke and video games.

The entrance fee is $36,000 and there is a monthly charge of $420 for a family membership. Read the comments in the Wall Street Journal blog entry for some added input from people that seem to be familiar with the club.

A British expat, 58-year-old Graham Bayley, was murdered in Cabanatuan City on New Year’s Eve, which is the province of Nueva Ecija. Nueva Ecija is in the Central Luzon region of the country. His body will be flown home at some point this week.

According to the local police, Mr Bayley was last seen drinking inside a bar on nearby Aurora Road. He left the bar at around 3.30 am, and was found dead by the joggers less than an hour later.

Mr Bayley, a former teacher, relocated to the Philippines after he decided to take early retirement. He had met his ex-wife Cherie while on holiday in the country in 1997, though the pair had split up by the time he retired.

This is a horrifying reminder to all expats that safety must be taken seriously at all times. As one of our expatriates posted on another country network about letting one’s guard down: “A thousand times it doesn’t matter then one time it does.”

Very well put, and something all expats should take a moment to think about.

That being said, nobody yet knows what happened in this situation, and who knows, perhaps Mr. Bayley did everything right and found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Still, this tragedy can still serve as a reminder to take your safety seriously.

Expats frustrated with not being able to lease a car because they do not have any credit history in the U.S. may be in luck. A group of Scandinavian expats have set up a new car-leasing service to help other expats do just that:

Jesper Lovendahl, the company’s managing director, said that idea for the company stemmed from their own experiences as expats. “We had great problems leasing cars when we moved to the US and we heard many stories from people in the expat community who were having difficulties too. Without the credit score – the American financial risk management tool – very few dealers even want to talk to expats.

“These foreign professionals are mostly very well-educated, have a great job, are legally here to work and make a respectable income, yet they are nothing in the eye of the financial system here. Even if you can prove that you make $850,000 a year, you cannot expect to be approved for credit.”

Expats have posted about this topic over the course of Expat Exchange’s 13-year existence. It’s great to see someone take advantage of this market opportunity while also providing a valuable service to expatriates.

How is the world economy – for better or worse – affecting expats throughout the world?

Well, it seems the impact it is having on expats from Australia is to make them want to go home.

What kinds of changes could spur a nation’s expats to abandon the expatriate experience and head for home, and what might that do for Australia:

The strong dollar, solid economy and quality of life here are behind the influx, experts say.

Brian Haratsis, chief executive of strategic consulting group MacroPlan, said the brain drain was over. “There are around one million Australians currently overseas and with economic conditions as they are, we could see half of them heading back home,” he said. An even bigger spike in talent would result from temporary workers settling here.

What do expats say – or do – about conditions that inspire them to go home? Clearly some expatriates enter into the international workplace because it will benefit them financially. What happens when that changes mid assignment? Does the “experience” of being an expat win out? Or not?

Do expats from the West have a tougher time in China, or do expats from China have a harder time in the West?

According to an article called A Tale of Two Expats, “life is easier for Western expatriates in China than it is for Chinese expatriates in the West”.

Here is what the article sets out to do:

Their situation is in many ways like that of a Western expatriate, but there are glaring differences. Western expats in China have typically moved from a liberal democracy with a sluggish economy to an authoritarian state with a fast-growing one. Chinese expats in the West have done the opposite. Each journey presents its own challenges. This article seeks to illustrate them, unscientifically, by contrasting the life of a Western expat in China with that of a Chinese expat in Europe.

There are some surprising findings and we’d love to hear some thoughts from expats! We’ll probably revisit this article to explore it a bit more once we’ve evaluated some of the feedback!

Expats with kids know how difficult moving overseas can be. There are so many factors involved, and each country is unique in terms of the challenges that will be presented. Conversely, there are also opportunities not available in one’s home country.

Here is the reaction of one professors child that attended a private school in England:

“I could not unaderstand that – it was so foreign that you’d go to school on Saturday,” [she] said. “It was one of those things that I just had to do.. getting up at 6 a.m. on Saturday thinking ‘this is not right, this is not okay.’”

And here’s an excerpt from the article about a professor that relocated to Switzerland:

Robert Cousins, a physics professor who works with the Large Hadron Collider, a particle accelerator in Switzerland, was surprised at how quickly his 7-year-old daughter picked up French while enrolled in a school on the border of France and Switzerland around 14 years ago.

It took only six months in a French school for her to become fluent. Along with living in a different country, learning a new language is a skill Cousins said contributes to a more diverse background.

These two excerpts on the experience abroad for kids highlights both the benefits and challenges.

Wouldn’t it be so much easier if we could predict the impact the international experience might have on our families? There are likely so many families with children that have turned down the experience that may have flourished abroad, and still others that shouldn’t have moved overseas and endured tremendous hardship at a great cost.

Expats in Europe – or elsewhere – planning to go to Switzerland this year for some of its world famous skiing are in for an eye-widening experience when it’s time to take out their wallets.

The Swiss Franc has strengthened so much that the exchange rates are a big problem for tourists and expats alike:

In December 2009, Switzerland registered 555,800 arrivals from foreigners, who stayed for 2.5 days on average, according to the Swiss Federal Statistics Office. Including Swiss residents, hotel bookings that month topped 1 million, a roughly 2% rise over December 2008.

That feat is unlikely to be repeated for 2010, after the franc has risen more than 10% against major currencies over the past 12 months.

In a country that is already one of, if not THE, most expensive country in Europe to visit, there is going to be a major impact on what people can afford and will want to purchase. Many of those that normally can afford this type of vaction are going to feel the pain. And here is a quote from someone that was there recently:

“Ski passes, ski hiring and food have been extremely expensive,” Mr. Butler said. “We paid some £150 [$234] for two people for a regular dinner in a normal restaurant. This would have bought me an exquisite dinner at a great London restaurant.”

In response to the sky-high franc, tourists from Italy, France and the U.K., who in the past accounted for around half of foreign overnight stays in Switzerland, are choosing to stay at home, to ski elsewhere or to cut the length of their stay in the country.

It’s too bad when situations like this happen, because it means many expats that ordinarily are able to make the journey and enhance their expat life in Europe won’t be able to do so this year. Here’s hoping the currency situation improves.

A recent article on the Lexington Clipper-Herald’s website all the way back in Nebraska, USA has some good tips for students studying abroad.

While these tips are great for students, they also apply well to expats, whether you are preparing to move or already have made the transistion abroad.

For those that might be struggling abroad, be honest with yourself as to whether or not you have actively employed some – or any – of these strategies. Here are few excerpts to consider.

Expect things to be different in a different country. When you feel stressed or uncomfortable about your new environment, try not to blow things out of proportion. Put things into perspective and try to understand why it is different.

Make friends through favorite activities. Get involved in school activities and join clubs of interest.

If class work is proving too difficult, seek help from a school administrator. The stress of adapting to a new culture in addition to taking classes can become overwhelming. Seek study abroad programs that offer special support to help students in their studies.

The first tip – expecting things to be different – seems intuitive but you have to prepare yourself for how different FEELS when you arrive overseas. Visit this Expat Exchange section on Cross-Cultural Training to learn a bit more.

I can hear you already, expat, saying “what does school have to do with me?” Well, just reinterpret the next two tips from the excerpt to the expatriate experience from the studying-abroad experience.

No, you’re not going to get involved in school activities – unless you enroll in a school or continuing educaton program abroad – but you can get involved in all kinds of expat or local clubs to ease the settling in process.

And asking for help is a no brainer. Don’t struggle silently – as an individual or a family – without getting help from those around you or trained professionals. Cross-cultural experts, expat counselors and experienced expats can all help you get settled. Take advantage of these important resources!