View Full Version : Ex-Pat knowledge-possesors
royalfan5
10/30/2006, 11:07 AM
So it looks like my career may be taking me in a direction that will give me the opportunity to live in countries that aren't America. Have any of y'all spent time living and working abroad(or Canada) in a non-military situation? How hard is it to adjust to living abroad? Any other tips you might have would be appreciated.
critical_phil
10/30/2006, 11:10 AM
women in norway and australia like american men.
i'm just saying.
royalfan5
10/30/2006, 11:13 AM
women in norway and australia like american men.
i'm just saying.
You don't say. Australia is a huge player in World Grain markets. That could be promising.
yermom
10/30/2006, 11:18 AM
i too have heard good things about Norway...
i was just thinking about a conversation a while back... what the heck does Ex-Pat actaully mean?
royalfan5
10/30/2006, 11:25 AM
It's short for expatriate which literally means out of country in Greek.
jk the sooner fan
10/30/2006, 11:26 AM
i only did it in the military
and since i NEVER got off base and mingled with the locals, i guess my opinion is out ;)
royalfan5
10/30/2006, 11:30 AM
i only did it in the military
and since i NEVER got off base and mingled with the locals, i guess my opinion is out ;)
I would more than likely not be living in an area that has a significant U.S. Military prescence, unless we have a bunch of bases in Brazil and Argentina I don't know about. So I figured the military experience wouldn't be all that similar.
skycat
10/30/2006, 11:31 AM
I think Drew Bledsoe sucks.
What else do you need to know?
jk the sooner fan
10/30/2006, 11:31 AM
a foriegn country is a foreign country......
royalfan5
10/30/2006, 11:34 AM
a foriegn country is a foreign country......
I guessing it's a lot different to be one of a few Americans in a situation, than having a whole built in support system though.
jk the sooner fan
10/30/2006, 11:36 AM
there will be many more americans where you're going than you think
making adjustments to living amongst the locals isnt any different for a young army private away from home for the first time
i spent 10 days in ethiopia and couldnt believe how many whites with blonde hair were there
royalfan5
10/30/2006, 11:37 AM
there will be many more americans where you're going than you think
making adjustments to living amongst the locals isnt any different for a young army private away from home for the first time
i spent 10 days in ethiopia and couldnt believe how many whites with blonde hair were there
fair enough.
likewise, I am curious about these things too. It is very possible that sometime between next year and 2009, my new job (whichever one I choose) will require me to move to geneva, switzerland (or france, since its cheaper to live on the french side of the border)
Taxman71
10/30/2006, 11:45 AM
No need for condom use abroad. Only Americans are disease carriers
Jimminy Crimson
10/30/2006, 11:52 AM
Ze wimmenz in Brazil are, shall we say vedy, vedy nice!
...oh, and as a very important sidenote, their country has a hairstyle named after them. :texan:
crawfish
10/30/2006, 01:00 PM
What the stink happened to pat?
RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!
10/30/2006, 01:32 PM
Just keep alert, and don't agressively compare whatever place to the USA. I lived in Venezuela as a kid, long before Chavez. It was very educational, as you would imagine. Living abroad is MUCH different than just visiting.
SicEmBaylor
10/30/2006, 02:07 PM
Free Pinochet if you go down there. I know you said nothing of going to Chile but I'm just sayin'.
TAFBSooner
10/30/2006, 04:56 PM
Free Pinochet . . .
Hmmm. Why? :confused:
sanantoniosooner
10/30/2006, 05:01 PM
I have found the language down here to be difficult but Americans are accepted for the most part with little abuse.
Make sure you research the financial side of it before you move.
IB4OU2
10/30/2006, 06:04 PM
Pat knows about living abroad......just ask it...
Sooner_Bob
10/30/2006, 06:06 PM
Pat knows about living abroad......just ask it...
Wait, Pat is a broad?
Mixer!
10/30/2006, 06:14 PM
Jeepers... who knew? :eek:
soonerboomer93
10/30/2006, 08:22 PM
A lot depends on where you're going and how adaptable you are.
Where I live now is nice, there's a lot of other ex-pats here. But at the same time it is a major adjustment. I'm in South Korea, so there are a fair amount of english speakers, they're required to learn it in school. The big thing is that they don't really have a chance to speak it, and then can't remember it. Certain places are frequented by lots of expats, so they tend to speak better english there. Also the big problem for me is they have a character based alphabit, so I can just read the sign off a store and look it up in the dictionary. Strangely enough though, a fair amount of signage is in English, especially their convenience stores.
RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!
10/30/2006, 08:46 PM
A lot depends on where you're going and how adaptable you are.
Where I live now is nice, there's a lot of other ex-pats here. But at the same time it is a major adjustment. I'm in South Korea, so there are a fair amount of english speakers, they're required to learn it in school. The big thing is that they don't really have a chance to speak it, and then can't remember it. Certain places are frequented by lots of expats, so they tend to speak better english there. Also the big problem for me is they have a character based alphabit, so I can just read the sign off a store and look it up in the dictionary. Strangely enough though, a fair amount of signage is in English, especially their convenience stores.What are you doing(work) over there? I was there in '69 and early '70 in the Army.
soonerboomer93
10/30/2006, 08:59 PM
I work QA on offshore platform construction projects.
Chuck Bao
10/30/2006, 11:43 PM
Just off the top of my head, these are a few of my suggestions.
Will you be on an ex-pat package? You should be if they are recruiting you out of the US.
Is this a new position or are you replacing someone? It’s best to see what terms were offered to the previous person and ask that person how adequate the terms were.
Will you be paid in US dollars or local currency?
Will the company provide housing or a stipend for housing? It may make a difference in terms of taxes.
Will the company provide car? If the term of the contract is for only one or two years, it may not be worth it for you to buy a car.
You’re not married, right? So, this doesn’t apply to you. The biggest issue for many ex-pats with family is schooling for their children. It is important that you have an ex-pat package that covers the cost of international schools, which are often very expensive.
Make sure you have enough holiday allowance for sightseeing and at least a trip home each year. Depends on the length of the contract, but some companies provide a round-trip airfare home.
Learn the local language. Go to night school. Or, if you are busy with work, hire a tutor during lunch breaks.
Keep all of your weekends open for sightseeing and traveling.
RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!
10/31/2006, 12:46 AM
Just off the top of my head, these are a few of my suggestions.
Will you be on an ex-pat package? You should be if they are recruiting you out of the US.
Is this a new position or are you replacing someone? It’s best to see what terms were offered to the previous person and ask that person how adequate the terms were.
Will you be paid in US dollars or local currency?
Will the company provide housing or a stipend for housing? It may make a difference in terms of taxes.
Will the company provide car? If the term of the contract is for only one or two years, it may not be worth it for you to buy a car.
You’re not married, right? So, this doesn’t apply to you. The biggest issue for many ex-pats with family is schooling for their children. It is important that you have an ex-pat package that covers the cost of international schools, which are often very expensive.
Make sure you have enough holiday allowance for sightseeing and at least a trip home each year. Depends on the length of the contract, but some companies provide a round-trip airfare home.
Learn the local language. Go to night school. Or, if you are busy with work, hire a tutor during lunch breaks.
Keep all of your weekends open for sightseeing and traveling.Yeah, baby!
soonerboomer93
10/31/2006, 03:31 AM
I'll give you some hints on what's in my ex-pat package
(but fyi, my understanding is this is above what many companies in my field provide).
Flight home for 10 days vacation every 90 days (business class if over 6 hours of flying time). Business class options is very important, we can also use the flight to go visit other places (I plan on hitting autralia next july, and possibly Thailand next September).
They provide the housing (furnished, includes utilities and tv service), car, and mobile phone.
One thing to remember is that any expenses the company occurs on your behalf, can be (and most likely will be) considered income for you. Also, to qualify for deductions, you have to be out of the coutry for 330 out of 365 days (you declare the start date). The deduction I beleive is $85,000 and not getting it can really affect your income.
Penguin
10/31/2006, 05:22 AM
So it looks like my career may be taking me in a direction that will give me the opportunity to live in countries that aren't America.
Why do you hate America?
royalfan5
10/31/2006, 10:46 AM
Why do you hate America?
I'm not planning on leaving permanantly, I just don't want to restrict my career path by turning down opportunity.
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