Posts Tagged ‘expat’

“And the rooster goes Cockadoodle Doo!,” exclaimed Peter.

We all spoke English well, with the exception of Clementino who insisted we speak only in CROATIAN–after all, it was in taking our Croatian class that we met one another. And we were all living in Croatia yet didn’t speak the Croatian language.

One evening after class a few of my classmates and I decided it was time we got acquainted. We agreed to have coffee at the Cafe Luxor, an Egyptian-themed Italian restaurant located inside the Diocletian Palace. The cafe was luxurious and from the moment we stepped inside, we were embraced by the friendly waitress and consumed by the warmth of the cafe’s atmosphere. She took our coats and offered us a table, “I will give you a few moments to look through the menu,” she said in a polite and sweet tone. We looked around at the intoxicating interior design. Directly above us was a ceiling that resembled a small portion of the Sistine Chapel with angels floating on white fluffy clouds. “I wished I had my camera,” I thought. A big black piano sat in the corner of the restaurant as someone wooed us with Italian music.

Our after-class meet up was very international: Peter was Canadian, Clementino was from Italy while his girlfriend Visnja, was Croatian. John was American–from New York–and me, well, from Mexico. Quite a diverse group, right?

We ordered drinks and began a conversation in English but Clementino interrupted, “Govori Hrvatski Jesik. Speak Croatian!” Easier said than done and I could see it by the expression on everyone’s face that I wasn’t the only one who was worried. This was only our 3rd class. I wondered how to say, “This place is lovely.” But I was lost in translation. We all stared at one another for what seemed like an eternity with no one saying a word. Silence. Then we heard, “So Peter how are you adjusting to life here in Split?,” Visnja asked.

“Well, I really like the city…,” Peter answered, but he was quickly interrupted by Clementino who again shouted, “GOVORI HRVATSKI!” And after several more minutes of awkward silence, the strangest thing occurred.

John: What’s the sound of a dog, in Croatian?
Visnja: Vau-Vau
Peter: How about in Spanish?
Me: Guau-Guau
Clementino: Bau-Bau

This was fun. Adults at a cafe in Croatia making animal sounds over coffee. Then I got the question-asking bug and got in on the fun. “What about a rooster?,” I asked. Everyone got a cheerful glee in their eyes and took turns.

Visnja: Cucu-riku
Peter: cockadoodle- doo
Me: Kiki-ri-ki
Clementino: Keek-a-ree -kee

We roared with laughter as we exchanged other animal sounds. People at the cafe thought we were crazy and we gave them reason when we began to sing Old Macdonald with each of us sounding out animal sounds in our native tongue. It went a little something like this:

Old MacDonald had a farm, Ee i ee i oh!
And on that farm he had some dogs, Ee i ee i oh!
With a woof-woof here and a vau-vau there,

It was an exciting and fun evening although the natives thought we were intoxicated. But we didn’t want to stir trouble since we wanted to return to this cafe. We said good-night and good-bye and promised to do this again–minus the animal sounds but we couldn’t make any concrete promises. So the next time you encounter someone who doesn’t understand English very well, and you need to communicate with them, try animal sounds, it works every time! I’m not sure how that will work out in an emergency, but it’ll be fun finding out!

What silly things have you and your friends done while in public?

In addition to Affordable Calling Cards, Elisa blogs on a daily basis about her adventures of living abroad from the perspective of a non-croatian speaking latin woman, at her website Croatia.

By: Cherrye Moore

The world-or at least Italy and America-has been talking a lot about Amanda Knox, the American college student who was accused and recently convicted of murdering her British roommate, Meredith Kercher.

The story has all of the ingredients any Lifetime Movie could dream of – Sex, Murder, Lies and Betrayal.

Only, this is no fairytale.

A young expat is dead;

another sentenced to 26 years in a foreign prison;

and the world debating a judicial system that may-or may not be-equal to what Americans consider minimum standard, but that is, nevertheless, the governing system where Amanda Knox committed her crime.

In addition to the glowering “Don’t Murder Your Roommate Abroad” advice, there are lessons here for all of us.

Whether or not you believe Amanda Knox is guilty, expats around the world can all learn from her mistakes.

1. Expats don’t have to be gone long to understand there are major differences between their new home and the one they left behind. Remembering these differences and knowing that the judicial system will likely be very different from what you are used to might help you if you find yourself in legal trouble.

2. Speaking of differences, Americans are accustomed to having certain rights as they pertain to police questioning. These rights are not universal … another difficult difference if you find yourself in trouble abroad.

3. Language difficulties no doubt played an important role in the primary questioning of this case. If it’s not easy to go to the store and buy Q tips in a foreign language, it won’t be easy being interrogated by police who are searching for a murderer.

4. Many people-myself included-have a hard time understanding some of Amanda’s actions following the murder. While they may have felt justified in her mind, cartwheels and lingerie shopping aren’t considered appropriate grieving behavior by many people. Perhaps she was stressed or letting off steam, as some have suggested, but remembering one’s manners in a foreign city and international police station, are in your best interest.

So what do you say? What other lessons can expats learn from Amanda?

Cherrye Moore is a freelance writer and southern Italy travel consultant living in Calabria, Italy. She and her Calabrese husband own Il Cedro Bed and Breakfast in Catanzaro. Comments are welcome on both sites.

By Chantal Panozzo

When you first arrive in a new country, it can be stressful for many reasons: language, bureaucracy, finding your way around. But it can also be stressful because it’s hard to judge costs. Yes, things are typically more expensive in Switzerland, but how much so in relation to your salary? Will you be able to save? How will you budget?

The average Swiss salary is about CHF 68,000 (or about CHF 5,600 a month). Full-time salaries under CHF 35,000 are considered poverty level for a family of four. But if you’re a highly qualified professional like many expats in Switzerland, you can expect salaries to be double the national average, sometimes even more. Salaries also vary from canton to canton and industry to industry.

Below is a run-down of what you can expect things to cost: (all figures in CHF)

2-bedroom apartment: 2000-4000/month (depending on canton/location)

Additional apartment costs (Nebenkosten—like heating the building, etc): 5000/year

Parking spot at apartment: 180/month

Health insurance (you typically must buy this independent of an employer): 300/month (with a 2500 deductible)

Apartment insurance: 500/year

Loaf of Bread: 2

2-liters Milk: 2

10 eggs: 4

Bag of Chips: 5

Yearly Resident Permit costs: 100

Liter of Gas: 1.65

Yearly Train Pass (GA, second class): 3000

Full-price ticket for a 15-minute train ride: 10

High-speed Internet: 45/month

Phone line: 20/month

Cell phone: 25-50 cents a minute (pre-pay)

Lunch at restaurant: 20

Dinner at restaurant: 40

Beer at restaurant: 5

Water at restaurant: 6

Movie ticket: 18

Value-meal at McDonalds: 10

Starbucks drink (small): 7

Language lessons: (3 weeks, intensive) 750

Daycare: 2000-5000/month

Tuition at an international school: 30,000/year

Anyone else have anything to add about the cost of living in Switzerland?

For more on living in Switzerland, visit One Big Yodel, a blog about expat life in Switzerland.

by Chantal Panozzo

1. It’s expensive.  Prepare to spend CHF 16-30 for a lunch entrée and CHF 25-40 for a dinner entrée.

2. You usually will not be seated. To look less like a deer in headlights, walk into a restaurant like you own the place and sit wherever you want.

3. Most places are still not smoke-free. If you hate smoke, eat in cantons like Geneva, where smoking is now banned in restaurants.

4. You might have to share a table. Don’t be surprised if someone asks if the seat next to you is “frei.” (And it is “frei”. Unless someone is really sitting there.)

5. Someone might see you eating and wish you “En Guete.” This means “Bon Appetit.” You can just answer, “Danke.” Or if the person that said it to you is also eating, return the favor by saying “En Guete.” The Swiss are kind of obsessed about their “En Guetes”, even if you’re a complete stranger. I’ve even had it said to me when eating a sandwich on a mountain trail.

6. You might have to pay for bread. If you are brought a basket of sliced bread, no worries. But if there’s a basket with rolls in it on the table, don’t be surprised if you are charged later by the number of rolls you have eaten.

7. There are no free refills. If you ask for another Coke or another coffee, you will be paying for another. And the average cost for a drink is about CHF 5.

8. Tipping is not necessary. There’s a reason the prices are high to begin with—tips and tax are already included. The local custom is to round up to the nearest Franc. Other tips are nice gestures, but not essential.

Any other dining tips you could give an expat or tourist in Switzerland?

For more on expat life, visit my Swiss expat blog One Big Yodel. Or check out other great expat blogs about life in Switzerland like Swisstory, From A to Z, Peterthals in Zurich, or TwoFools in Zurich.

by Chantal Panozzo 

In Part One of The Life of an Expat, I talked about the expatriate phenomenon of feeling like your life is on hold. We’ll get that dog when we move back. We’ll have that baby when we’re in a place where doctors speak better English. Yes, we’ll have a house. Someday. When we’re somewhere else in the world that’s more appropriate for such a thing.

And sometimes those “somedays” turn into not just months, but years. And even though to outsiders, we’re living our lives to the fullest (heck, we’re living a life most can only dream of), we can’t help but think part of us is just waiting for a return to the familiar before we do those certain things.

Another thing that’s hard about expatriate life is that you learn to love more than one country. You learn new ways of doing things. Some you hate. But some you like better. In Sarah Turmbull’s book about expat life, Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris, she meets a man who tells her, “It’s a curse to love two countries.” I can’t think of a better way to sum this feeling up.

Even though I do my own fair share of complaining about certain things Swiss, the reality is, it will be hard to leave when (and if) that time comes. Hard to leave my neighbor, my Swiss friends, my expat friends, and a country that almost feels like home. Key word, almost.

Which brings me to the point. As expatriates, we often don’t know how to answer the simple question, “where’s home?” Your adopted country is just that—adopted. And while you’re adopting, your home country becomes more and more foreign.

When I go back to the United States now, I can’t help but criticize all the gas guzzling cars, the wasteful packaging on products, and the stores that stay open on national holidays. But at the same time I can’t wait to eavesdrop on conversations while I eat deep-dish pizza and drink bottomless beverages. I thought living abroad would make me a more educated and international person, but deep down, I think I’m  just more confused. Happily confused, but still.

What do you think? If you’re an expat, does your life feel like it’s on hold sometimes? Do you feel cursed loving more than one place? What do you love and what do you dislike about expat life? 

For more on this topic, visit Part One, over on One Big Yodel.

by Chantal Panozzo

If there had been an Expat Expo when I arrived in Switzerland a few years ago, I would have been in heaven to find so many English-speaking resources in one place. But since I have now been in Switzerland for over three years, I didn’t so much need information as I needed confirmation that people still really do give things away for free. (Yes, I am bitter over having to pay for ketchup packets at McDonalds).

Anyhow, the Expat Expo is a fun thing to go to whether or not you think you’re a know-it-all like me. The event was free. I got a free issue of Inside Switzerland magazine, a free issue of Swiss News, a copy of the International Herald Tribune, a cool reusable bag from Swiss Info, and a cherry Jolly Rancher. One cherry jolly rancher may not seem significant, but if you had been craving this sour candy like I had for the last month, it would have been worth the trip alone (thanks to xpatxchange for that).

And get this, I even learned about some resources I didn’t know about. Imagine that. So in this, Part Two of a two-post series, I’m going to share some great stuff about Switzerland (some that I knew about, some that I didn’t) that I think you’ll enjoy. You can find Part One on One Big Yodel. 

Web Resources

7. www.outandabout.ch This is a going-out guide to Zurich written by a group of travel writers. It includes English-language movies and events as well as recommended restaurants, bars, and clubs.

8. Mamizeit is a web magazine with a focus on international moms living in Switzerland with children of all ages. It shares information on how Swiss daily life works and tries to help foreigners make the most of their time in the country.

9. Swisster is an online English-langauge magazine for expats. It covers topics like news, people, business, education, culture, and more. Users must pay for a subscription to read most of the content, but you can try a free subscription by emailing webmaster@swisster.ch. It seems like a content-rich site, but I don’t know if I’d read it often enough to justify a price of SFr 300 a year to use, especially when there are good sites like www.swissinfo.ch that are free.

Radio Resources

10. World Radio Switzerland If you don’t live near this Geneva-based English-language station (88.4 FM), you can still go to the website and listen online and download podcasts. WRS is the only English-language radio station in Switzerland and it offers a diverse range of shows that cover everything from news to culture to how the heck to make your garden look more Swiss.

Bookstores

11. Bergli Bookshop is an English-langauge bookstore in Basel that also holds Talk Parties, book discussion groups, and other events. Bergli is also a publisher of books that focus on living in Switzerland. Some of their titles include Hoi, your Swiss German Survival Guide and Beyond Chocolate, a guide to understanding Swiss Culture. To get 10% off and free postage within Switzerland on your first internet order, write ‘EXPAT EXPO Zurich 09’ in the comments box when ordering.

More

12. For even more info on Switzerland, visit Part One of this series or stop by the next Expat Expo near you. Upcoming expos:

Geneva Sunday, October 11, 2009

Lucerne Sunday, November 15, 2009

Zug Sunday, April 18, 2010

Basel Sunday, May 30, 2010