What would you do if somone in your family announced that they planned to move abroad to find love? It’s a complicated question. In this instance on the ExpatExchange.com Global Forum, a sister wants to know if foreign women better for her lonely brother:

Since some of you seem to have experience living overseas, can you tell me if this is a wise choice for him, to find love and friendship overseas? Are foreign women somehow better or more accepting? Or will they just use him to try to get a green card and for his money? I’m kind of worried about him and don’t wanna see him disappointed or hurt again.

Everyone has heard horror stories about people that have tried to find love abroad only to find heartache, financial disaster or worse.

On the other hand, for someone that has never found luck in love and desperately finds the need to do so, it’s easy to understand the longing to try just about anything to make it happen.

As a psychotherapist, one thing that leaps to mind is that sometimes when we have work to do, it’s often easier to “find” solutions far away rather than tackle the tough problems that confront us where we live today. That being said, it is entirely possible that he could find what he’s looking for from a woman from another culture.

Can it be any worse than being stuck in Tripoli, Libya? Hundreds of Americans still find themselves in exactly that situation:

Hundreds of Americans seeking to flee the widening chaos in Libya remained stuck in the capital, Tripoli, on Thursday as high seas prevented an evacuation ferry from departing for Malta, an American official said. Because of the rough weather, the ferry probably would not begin the six-hour voyage until Friday.
Related

The United States sent the seagoing ferry — a tourist vessel with flat-screen televisions and a small casino — on Wednesday to transport about 600 people, mostly Americans, after being turned down for permission to land a chartered plane in Tripoli.

With all of the uncertainty swirling around the country, our thoughts are with all of these American expats in this precarious position. Once again, we’re reminded that it’s critical that anyone moving overseas needs to take all precautions, including security training and purchasing necessary evacuation coverages.

And here’s an interesting post on the ExpatExchange.com Global Forum about What Expat’s Miss Most when they move abroad.

Expats in Tokyo can thank the yen for their high rents, which are higher than any other city in world:

In Tokyo, the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom “expat apartment” as defined by ECA – roughly 80 square meters, a palatial for most regular Tokyoites — came to $4,352 in 2010, according to the report. The figure for Moscow was $3,500, followed by Hong Kong’s $2,830, London’s $2,824 and Singapore’s $2,810.

The yen’s sharp rise in 2010 clearly made Tokyo accommodations extra pricey. Tokyo expat apartment rents quoted in yen actually dropped 7% in 2010. But when converted into dollar terms, the prices were 2% higher than 2009. The dollar averaged at 87.75 yen in 2010, compared with 93.61 yen in 2009.

Several reports such as this are released all over the world across the calendar year, and the metrics used to generate their findings are always a little bit different. It will be interesting to see in the coming months if other reports also find that Tokyo has the highest rents in the world.

It seems expats are generating some conflicting information, at least on face value.
As you may know, last week we highlighted an article that showed Baby Boomer British expats are repatriating in large numbers. A new study highlighted in Telegraph.co.uk on Yahoo.com, however, points in a different direction, suggesting that expats are canceling plans to return to Britain:

A new report, however, suggests that this trend could finally be reversing. According to a survey of nearly 900 expats carried out by Lloyds TSB International , a significant number of expats (67%) now say they have no plans to return to Britain, compared with 56% just six months before – a drop of 11%. Furthermore, 65% said they were confident that their financial outlook was better in their new country of residence than in Britain, while only 14% thought that they would benefit financially from moving back.

Jakob Pfaudler, managing director of Lloyds TSB International, said that increasing awareness of Britain’s financial problems, highlighted by the Government’s rigorous budget cuts, had probably deterred many expats from returning.

Over time we’ll see how this plays out, as there is always room for the British expats to change their minds if economic conditions improve in the U.K. and elsewhere.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve highlighted in the blog some excerpts from Culture Shock Reports submitted to Expat Exchange.

Here is another edition, this time from Paris, France:

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?

There was no honeymoon stage, oddly enough. Stampeded right into misery stage. I’ve only been here 10 weeks, but it is pretty nasty so far.

What, if any, were some of the changes you noticed in yourself that might have been caused by culture shock? These might include things such as anger, depression, anxiety, increased eating or drinking, frustration, homesickness, etc.

Typical stuff. Depression, anxiety due to the additional stress in doing anything without sufficient language skills, and intense loneliness due to the disruption of the social network.

What are some things you appreciate most about the new culture?

Food, culture, cultural activities

What are the most challenging aspects of the new culture?

The bureaucracy is pretty irritating.

Probably the worst is the tendency of the French to keep to themselves and their network of friends. Makes it exceedingly difficult to rebuild my social network.

The language is causing me a lot of trouble.

Not surprising in many ways. Language barrier is a problem, as is the bureaucracy. Food and culture? Not so much. Perhaps what’s most interesting, when you read the full Paris, France Culture Shock Report, is that the individual did receive some cross-cultural training before moving overseas.

Oops, we missed….

Also, here’s one we missed back in December from the Wall Street Journal about a California couple that bought a vineyard in Argentina:

During our working years in the U.S. (primarily in real-estate investment), we lived in several places—California, Arizona, New York, Colorado—but never found our Shangri-La. Over time, the idea of living abroad became more appealing. We’re restless and inquisitive by nature, and the chance to meet new people, be part of another culture and learn another language seemed to fit our needs.

How did we miss this one? Great story!

With all of the news in the last year about Brits flocking out of the U.K., it’s interesting to read a report that maybe the tide is turning and British expats are buying homes in the U.K.:

In the last year there’s been a dramatic increase in the number of expats cashing in and sending money back to the UK. The evidence from foreign currency exchange specialists is overwhelming. At Moneycorp there’s been a four-fold increase in the number of expats in Europe (news) returning to the UK compared with 2009. At the same time, the number selling properties in Europe has tripled.

And the pace is picking up. The number of World First clients converting funds to pounds to buy property in the UK increased 4.5 times, or 350%, between August and November 2010.

As the economy hopefully continues to rebound and more Boomers grow older, we’ll see if the trend continues.

Last week we featured an Expat Culture Shock Report from Hengelo in the Netherlands.

Here is another excellent Expat Report that was very recently submitted about Culture Shock in Izmir, Turkey:

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

Actually, I wasn’t worried about culture shock at all. I was concerned about acclimating to my new job in Istanbul. After living in Istanbul for one year and then moving to Izmir was when the culture shock hit and that was quite alarming! Something I was not expecting at all.

What are some things you appreciate most about the new culture?

I really like how everyone is so hospitable and they love to tell you about Turkey. Everyone wants to present a good image of their country. The healthcare is wonderful and so is the food (both which are cheaper than in the US). I love the historical sites and the greenery. The pace of life is much more relaxed here in Izmir than in Istanbul and that is really a blessing. Everyone loves to sing and some people will just break out in song (almost feel like I’m in a Hindi film sometimes

Did you “commit” any embarrassing or humorous cultural blunders? If you did and you’d like to share them, please do tell!

Honestly, I can’t think of any. Oh, wait I remember! It was last year in Istanbul. I did the “I got your nose” game with someone and they said that it’s offensive here in Turkey (the move you do with your thumb in between your fingers). Everyone started laughing, Turks and expats, because they knew I didn’t know. But I’ve made sure not to do that again.

Many of the submissions define the essence of what the expat experience is all about.
Write your Expat Culture Shock Report today!

Expats offering advice about their experiences is the foundation of ExpatExchange.com, and our Culture Shock report is designed to offer some insight to the impact moving overseas can have on individuals.

Here is a phenomenal Expat Report that was very recently submitted about Culture Shock in Hengelo, Netherlands:

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

I think I had a skewed vision of what it would be like because of my study abroad experience in New Zealand. When I was there, everyone wanted to know more about me and were really interested in my being from another country. I made a ton of friends and had an amazing time. Here, people are friendly on the surface but don’t seem to readily open up to you and become your friend so it has been very difficult. The Dutch seem less outgoing than Americans (and New Zealanders) to me.

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

I thought I was settling in but suddenly I realized by “settling in” I had become a recluse. I was afraid to leave the house because I didn’t want to be laughed at for saying the wrong thing or something (not that anyone ever really laughed at me). I was really depressed and anxious and the more depressed/anxious I got the less I wanted to venture out, so it became a downward spiral. Finally I went home for a couple weeks and came back and decided to dive right into some social activities. I joined some clubs at Universiteit Twente, used websites such as this to find other expats, and gradually started returning to my normal self.

The full report (linked above) gives great insight into the process all expatriates must go through as they settle into the host culture. Write your Expat Culture Shock Report today!