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 January 1, 2009 |
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Paris 1: Ratatouille
One of the advantages of renting out an apartment here is that you can save money on food and cook at home. After walking around our neighbourhood we did some grocery shopping.
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What’s So Good About Living Abroad?
If you’re not an expatriate and you’re not even necessarily planning on moving to live abroad, have you ever wondered what’s so good about living abroad?
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Making the Expat Vote Count
Due to mail delays and postage costs, it remains difficult for American expatriates to cast ballots in our elections.
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Phuket still safe
Phuket is one of Thailand's most popular tourist destinations, and yet visitPhuket is one of Thailand's most popular tourist destinations, and yet visitor numbers are well down on previous year.or numbers are well down on previous year.
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January 2, 2009 |
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Thailand Visa Run Rules
Thailand has an ever changing immigration rules, changing that often that when I stop for lunch and get back, I am out of date on the latest changes.
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The Bloggers of San Miguel Gang
This blog is an explanation of what happens to certain people who move or visit San Miquel de Allende in Mexico. These gangs are about rugs not drugs.
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January 3, 2009 |
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back to "normal"
It's funny. When I moved to Mexico my world was turned upside down and I wasn't ready for the ride.
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Affordable Living in Panama
David is a city west of Panama, in the province of Chirque and has an international airport. It takes an hour’s drive from the airport of David to the town of Boquete which is at a height of 4,000 feet. Boquete has been a popular destination for retirees. In this article we are going to discuss about living in Boquete.
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Ecuador Charity
Living in Ecuador, traveling in Ecuador, doing business in Ecuador
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No stamp of approval for Mexico bureaucrats
Mexico is in a league of its own when it comes to red tape. It's gotten so bad that the government is even rewarding citizens for choosing the paperwork best fit for the dustbin.
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January 4, 2009 |
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Wine Country News in Mexico
Rancho Malagon or Viñedos Malagon is the newest “shining star” in Mexico’s emerging wine industry having come out of nowhere to receive one of the highest ratings for a Mexican wine in history.
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Learn Spanish: Language Schools
If you are interested in studying Spanish in Mexico I strongly urge you to have comIf you are interested in studying Spanish in Mexico I strongly urge you to have completed at least The Learnables and Pimsleur Spanish before coming.
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New Zealand Best Place in the World for Expats
According to the survey, New Zealand ranked number one for those concerned more about the cost of living and it ranked number one with those more concerned about the quality of life they can enjoy abroad.
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living abroad in Nicaragua
Living Abroad : Having a Baby Abroad - Nicaragua - Advice from
Expat Advice: Information about Having a Baby in Nicaragua . expat adventure -- from moving abroad , living aroad and working abroad through repatriation.
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Getting your dollar's worth of food!
Following on the One Dollar Diet Project's footsteps, Amy and Karla of Hope Heals:"Dollar-A-Day Challange" are attempting to eat on a dollar a day for a month in order to raise money for a trip to Africa with Habitat for Humanity.
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January 5, 2009 |
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You can't get there from here...
After claiming our luggage we walked to the shuttle train which, after the briefest of waits, carried us to the main Pisa train station
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Copa to Add Flights to Growing Panama
It was announced, via press release this week, that Copa Airlines will be adding an extra 4 Boeing 737-800 Next-Generation aircraft to its initial 9-aircraft order within the next 3 years.
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Thailand adventures
I started studying Thai twice a week in Novemeber because I want to take it more seriously and be able to go beyond basic conversation.
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Slingbox
The key point to add is that I have used this technology now down here in Brazil and it has worked pretty well
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LIVING IN PORTUGAL
In the years since the writing of the first edition of this book (then called Living and Working in Portugal), Portugal has undergone many changes, structurally, economically and in terms of its popularity for business and pleasure alike.
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Thai Tourism Slump
New York Times article about how my beloved Thailand is experiencing one of its worst tourism slumps in a long time.
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January 6, 2009 |
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Thailand tourist visa policy fallout
It has been a little over two years since Thailand changed their policy on tourist visas. Depending on where you stand, some will say it is a positive change, while others have the opposite opinion.
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winter in Sevilla
As I write this, I am sitting on my balcony and drinking a glass of rioja.
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An American Girl Abroad
After living in Italy for nearly 6 years, our time here is coming end. This is a chronicle of a family going through life’s transitions while we savor our last year in Italy.
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Homeschooling Abroad By Roblynn Neumann
Two years ago we sold everything and moved here to Costa Rica for a five year adventure. When we made the move we were concerned about our two youngest daughters who would be moving here with us.
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24 Hours Oceanside
We loved the hotel. There is so much possibility there: great kitchen for Hal to whip up a few comidas fantasticas.
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Real Estate Blog
About 200,000+ American expatriates live in Baja California. The Baja California Real estate in coastal resorts such as Rosarito and San Felipe are notable for offering affordable homes, which can be easily purchased by retirees while still holding US citizenship.
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The Dim Sum Journal
Snack-sized dispatches from two American expatriates setting up house in Hong Kong.
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January 7, 2009 |
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Why learning Chinese is easier in Year of the Ox
Britney Spears wants to stop biting her nails, Cameron Diaz wants to stop smoking and start wearing a bra, and I want to speak Chinese. We all have different New Year's resolutions and maybe in 2009 there's a few expats who will share my wish.
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La Gringa's Blogicito
Gardening and living in La Ceiba, Honduras. Neither is easy for this American woman.
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Teenagers in Mexico?
My only concern would be what it's like for a 15 year old girl to live in the DF?
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Republic of Panama
Continuing on with my reasons as to why I feel The Republic of Panama is such a great place to live
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January 8, 2009 |
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Tuk-Tuk Talker
Welcome to the Tuk-Tuk Talker, a weekly look at the experience of living in Thailand as an American.
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Brace yourself: Political-market risks in 2009
Political risks have historically mattered much more in emerging markets, but political risk in the developed, industrial democracies is rising more quickly than anyone would have predicted a year ago.
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Life in the other America!
So I got to thinking, in order to make this an accurate documentation of my trip I need to show where I come from. So here it is, home sweet home.
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Everyday Spain 'ex•pa•tri•ate'
I started to wonder about the term ‘expatriate,’ or more fondly referred to as “expat.” It seems to have such a negative connotation.
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Ecuador Living
Ecuador has low inflation because it is dollarized. However if Ecuador returns to the sucre and Ecuador’s government misspends, inflation may rise faster than inflation in the US.
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January 9, 2009 |
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A primer on the politics of socialzing in Oaxaca
Let’s say that the average age of foreign born retirees in the city is early 60’s (we tend to not wait until we’ve had heart attacks or been diagnosed with cancer to smarten up), and in our previous lives we worked either as professionals or as self-employed business persons, usually about 6 days or 70 hours a week for most of our adult lives
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My Epiphany
It is the tenth anniversary of my arrival but it is also the tenth anniversary of my own personal epiphany. Mexico has changed my life in ways that I never dreamed it would and the decision to make my home
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First stop: Merida!
Kirk and I have decided that our first exploration into Mexico will be in and around Merida
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It Pays To Wait To Take Your Social Security
t is easier now than at this time last year to analyze your options, because the Social Security Administration has launched an online retirement estimator to help you answer that question.
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Social Security begins taking online applications
The Social Security Administration, bracing for the coming eligibility of 80 million baby boomers, is introducing an online application that will allow people to apply for retirement benefits in as little as 15 minutes.
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What is the Average Retirement Age?
The average American STARTS saving for retirement at the age of 43. (This statistic is about 3 years old; I doubt it has changed much). I've been a Chartered Financial Consultant 20 years.
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January 10, 2009 |
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Found in Translation
Thousands of years old, Euskera has no links to any other known tongue, living or dead. That alone makes it the clearest sign of Basque identity.
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Costa Rica STUPID!
Most gringos in Costa Rica will tell you a funny story of how they ‘botched’ the language, saying one thing when they meant another- mine is more a ‘visual’ Spanish problem.
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Mini America
As soon as I arrived in Tamarindo I felt like I was transplanted into another world. The town was so developed.
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The Upside Of Crisis
“It’s happened so suddenly, and the knock-on effects are far-reaching. It’s like the entire country, overnight, has hit a wall.
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Insuring Your Property in Portugal
To avoid any unnecessary heartache it is important you insure your property as soon as possible after you have purchased your property.
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January 11, 2009 |
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Hammock Musing from Me'rida
Brokers in the United States have seen high-end and large commercial property sales in Mexico stagnate in the past several months, with some saying they now have zero sales.
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Mexican Patience & American Arrogance
But living in Mexico and being married to a Mexican man (himself an atheist who was brought up loosely Catholic) has given me insight into just how strong a role religious ideals do play in the formation of culture and in the way we are brought up to think.
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French property prices
Just thought you might like to know that France remains a favourite despite the Pounds fall against the Euro.
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The Staff of Life
Living in Italy for a couple of years can really sour one on the soft, gooey tasteless loaves that like the shelves of the grocery store.
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NEW MAGAZINE FOR BANGKOK EXPAT WOMEN
Acclimate is another new English magazine to hit the shelves in Thailand. What makes this quarterly publication different is its target - the expat women of Bangkok.
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January 12, 2009 |
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Soaking it up in San Miguel...
Some tend to avoid San Miguel as they perceive it to be "non-Mexican", due to the high numbers of N.American retirees who flocked here to live or buy second homes, when the town was voted in a Top Ten of ideal places to retire.
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Second homes: Living abroad never looked so good
Costa Rica put eco- and adventure tourism on the map, and Guanacaste is home to 98% of the world's rare dry tropical forest. It sits in the hurricane-free zone, and has mostly dry, sunny days from November to April.
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The Food in Spain
One noticeable advantage to living in Spain is the quality and price of food.
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Then and Now
As my first living abroad experience was a plastic immersion, I lived with two other Americans from my program, among other Europeans who came and went.
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Real Estate Resources
The past 4 - 8 years have seen a tremendous increase in the interest, purchase and hype of buying a property abroad.
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A guide to Costa Rican real estate
The best thing to do is to see everything and consider issues such as social and business opportunities, services such as shopping and healthcare, and finally the weather. Here are a few ways to ease your search:
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Red Tape Fiesta in Mexico
I am a Canadian woman living in Cancun, Mexico with my Mexican hubby and our almost four year old MexiCanadian Max.
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Snow closes Madrid airport
Flights in and out of Barajas international airport were stopped for nearly six hours during the daytime because of the snow, airport officials said.
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Tasty Thai
Thai food is exotic. It can be unexpected. It can confuse, but it more often than not pleases.
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January 13, 2009 |
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Sara Hearts Costa Rica
There are an estimated 250,000 foriegners living in Costa Rica to date and with few barriers to living, working and investing in this country, the population of expatriates grows bigger everyday.
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Earthquake in Costa Rica
There was an incredibly strong (6.2) earthquake that made the world shake for what seemed like an eternity.
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Leaving America: The New Expatriate Generation
Today more than ever, large numbers of Americans are leaving the United States. It is estimated that by the end of the decade, some 10 million of the brightest and most talented Americans
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Know more about Asia
This article explains some interesting information about Asia, and if you’re interested, then this is worth reading, because you can never tell what you don’t know.
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Trash stories from Germany
Figuring out how to manage your trash properly is one of the more daunting things for a foreigner to grasp when they start living in Germany.
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January 14, 2009 |
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Living Small
Of course, living in France for two years was an eye-opener.
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Great Snow of 2009, Day Two
An American mom living in Spain with her Spanish husband and their three sons: a six-year-old, a four-year-old, and one little guy who just made his debut!
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The view from on top
On the horizon is the Italian Alps and the lights are Bergamo. Sometimes I can’t believe that I live here
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Cop Scams Cops
Most farangs living in Thailand have been subjected to the sight of a brown-shirted cop waving their vehicle over to the side of the road.
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Al fin de semana primero
So it has been one week of living in Costa Rica and by no means am I short on observations, comments, or amusing stories.
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Figuring the French
Thank you so much Polly for "French or Foe", a book that not only explained a lot of what I was experiencing as a new arrival to France but opened my eyes –
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January 15, 2009 |
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German Holidays
Even after a year of living in Germany, I am always completely amazed at the number of public holidays we have.
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Strange Shores #1
What I would not have answered, not in my wildest dreams, was “living in Sweden”.
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Ecuador Living
Carnival starts the festive season which begins in January immediately before Lent.
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Blogging in Bangkok: Thai-Stars.com
Thai-Stars.com presents the top websites about Thailand. Packed with links to travel sites, personal blogs, information portals and websites of great hotels, resorts, spas.
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After Christmas Sales in Italy
In Tuscany the sales were supposed to start on January 7th so I armed myself with some cash and started hitting the stores
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January 16, 2009 |
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