Here is a particularly insightful Expat Culture Shock Report from Nassau in the Bahamas:

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

Not significant enough to scare me away but just surprised at the lack of standardization, insfrastructure and expertise considering the proximity to the USA.

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?

Irritation to Anger was a big stage experienced primarily with the level of customer service and service in general on the island.

What, if any, were some of the changes you noticed in yourself that might have been caused by culture shock?

A bit of lonliness and homesickness for sure. Maybe a bit of depression during the “rainy” months.

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

Friendliness of the people in my office – I am the only expat. Ability to be happy despite not having much. Their religious faith is strong.

What are the most challenging aspects of the new culture?

Work ethic is lacking. Ability to understand their responsibility for their own betterment. Tendency to take a laid-back approach to everything.

Now, when I say it is insightful, I mean that the author’s frustration highlights the difficulty for expats in adjusting to a culture that has critical differences when compared their own. Click through and read the entire report. The final questions/answer is particularly interesting, as it is almost a request to the people in her host culture. Interesting.

Have you filled out our Expat Culture Shock Report?

American expats are free to contribute to candidates running for office and, make no mistake about it, they are getting hit up for cash as the 2012 Presidential Election heats up.

This week, as is well documented in the media, Republican Mitt Romney is in Europe getting some cash from expats. He’s been meeting with British officials, and, of course, attending fundraisers. All you Democrats out there need not worry, the article points out that President Obama is getting it done, too:

Neither Governor Romney nor President Obama will leave a stone unturned in this election. That much we know for sure, as the $1 Billion figure keeps getting thrown around in relation to the two campaigns. That’s each, mind you, NOT combined.

A recent survey by Lloyds TSB International, and highlighted on Yahoo.com, describes the reaction of British expats to the London games, which are set to open just a bit more than 3 days from now. First, there are a ton that are going home for the games, and it’s seen as an important even by many:

I have to admit that I was surprised by such a large percentage. Twenty one percent is a big number!

I also thought the following was also noteworthy:

It’s amazing how leaving home can make you appreciate it!

An Expat from Busan, Korea recently submitted an Expat Culture Shock Report. This certainly reads like he or she is happy there and is fully engaged in the expatriate experience:

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

Our adrenaline was so high at the beginning we didn’t experience it at first. But, over time…especially when we were tired we did have a few meltdowns (mostly my wife )

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?

Not at all… we immediately loved the friendliness of the people here and actually got more frustrated with the other foreigners who didn’t appreciate what was around them.

What, if any, were some of the changes you noticed in yourself that might have been caused by culture shock?

Patience, Acceptance, Tolerance, the ability to stop questioning everything.

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

The smiles of the people, the helpful attitudes that many have after just struggling with a simple Korean hello. Most will help you with anything. The ability to bend over backwards running around like nuts to help you and then in the end, nothing was really done.

I think the most striking part of this report is the underlying theme that one needs to give themselves to the expatriate experience and the cultural differences of the host culture.

Have you filled out our Expat Culture Shock Report?

Are British expats facing ever escalating cost of living? So it would seem, according to this article in the Independent:

The dream of living overseas has gone sour for some, with costs rising by 11% on average since last year, increasing to 15% for people living amid the economic turmoil of the eurozone, the Post Office Expat Payments Index found.

Almost half of more than 900 expats surveyed said they were paying out more than 10% extra on household expenditure, motoring and meals out than last year. Nearly two in five thought that these prices had risen by more than 20%.

The article reports that Spain, Cyprus and Portugal are particularly hard hit, but also that some level of relief might be on the way due to a decreasing CPI index.

Are expats in China the target of… the Hong Kong dating community? So it would seem. A recent survey, highlighted on WSJ.com Asia Scene section, found that this seems to be the case:

Sorry, mainland singles. If you’re running out of options in China and looking to Hong Kong for a potential soul mate, you might need to rethink your dating strategy.

When it comes to love, Hong Kongers have their hearts set on the West. Not only is the city home to “free for foreigners” dating nights, but a new poll has concluded that Hong Kong’s single ladies and men would rather marry an expat from a Western country than someone from mainland China.

These romantic findings were part of a broader survey of single people searching for love in the city, carried out by the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong. Ironically, the political party is typically supportive of mainland China’s policies…

…One question asked respondents if they would “consider marrying a foreigner” or a mainland Chinese person. Overall, 57% said they would consider a foreigner, but only 45% said they’d accept a mainlander as a partner. The survey did not inquire about their feelings about Hong Kongers as potential mates.

With cultural ties to the west, I suppose this isn’t entirely surprising, as is pointed out in the full-text article. Thoughts? My thoughts turn to cultural distance and some of the hurdles it can present. What happens when the assignment is over? Just some of the problems shared on ExpatExchange.com over the years.

Can American expats fall victim to “culture shock” in the U.K.? Absolutely, even if it is less likely to be a problem than it is for Americans that move to more culturally-distant countries. Here is an excerpt from a culture shock report from Hereford, U.K.

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

Very minimal. There are many differences but none that are radically different from US. Biggest adjustment has been learning to deal with the work culture here. Overall, communication is much less effective and much more hierarchical. Extremely challenging to deal with given the fact that, back in the US, I worked in a very “flat” business (same company) with pretty good and effective communication practices.

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?

No, I feel like I just settled in. The main challenge I’ve had is that my pets are still back in the US with my parents and I miss them dreadfully.

What, if any, were some of the changes you noticed in yourself that might have been caused by culture shock?

Disengagement at work due to frustrations with the ineffective approach to communication. Because things are communicated in a very hierarchical way, a lot of information doesn’t get shared effectively or on time.

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

I love that everything is not open 24/7 and that there is not an all-encompassing focus on things always being as convenient as possible. Gives people time just to be with people and not always buying as many in the US do.

The full report adds more detail to the settling-in experience for this American expat.

And how does an American actually get a chance to move to the U.K.? It’s easier said than done, as was pointed
on our U.K. forum for expats.

If you are an expatriate living in the U.K., please take the time to fill out our Expat Culture Shock Report.

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Expats in China are now grappling with a rising cost of living, and not just in the largest cities. Here is a report through CNBC.com, that nicely describes some of the financial realities visited upon expats by the continuing financial crisis:

“Power, water, building management fees – everything you’d associate with renting an apartment has gone up big time – it’s been really noticeable in the last four to five months,” Carney told CNBC.

“Shenzhen cabs are the most expensive in China,” he added. “To get in a taxi you’re going to go ten feet [and] it’s $13 – if you’re using a private driver, that’s up as well.”

While China’s major business centers, Shanghai and Beijing are known to be among the most expensive cities for expats in Asia, the cost of living in other, less well-known Chinese cities is now surging.

This is a great piece to read for a variety of options. It’s very interesting to see what firms are doing to hold on to their existing expats… i.e. not hiring other expats, who are more expensive than hiring local workers.