Working Abroad, Pt 2: Where In The World?

Everyone has a dream destination where they want to make their make home. For some it's a Thai beach, for others it's a cottage on a Norwegian fjord. But most of those dreams revolve around a life without work, and expatriates, as opposed to retirees or the idle rich, usually have to work for a living.

Unfortunately, adding work to your dream destination can change its complexion beyond all recognition.

Weather Considerations

Bangkok, oriental city. If you're not used to living in 36 degrees centigrade and 100% humidity it sure takes some getting used to when you're doing more than lying on a beach. Of course you'll have air-conditioning, but that cools the air and any high school science student will tell you that if you take air at 100% humidity and cool it, the water condenses. Cooling 36 degrees to a comfortable level can leave your apartment and all its contents dripping. Clothes go moldy in days and soon start to rot off your back. That's when you go out and get the dehumidifier.

On the other hand a cold European winter can be a battle for survival. I grew up in the UK, I know all about rain. But then I moved from Hong Kong to Turkey. Everyone we knew said, "We'll come to visit you for Christmas, it'll be warm and sunny." No one believed us when we said it got down to 20 degrees Celsius below freezing and the humidity non-existent. That's when you go out and buy a humidifier. Winter arrived in November and it was still snowing in April. After six months of winter we gave up waiting for summer and flew to Cyprus for some sun and warmth.

Cultural Considerations
Or in other words, the people aspects of living abroad.

Let's start with food. In your hometown you take for granted the types of food you eat. If you're British you can always get your bacon. Americans can get their Bagels. Turks can get their Simit. And Omanis like their meat Halal. Move abroad and the local shopkeeper may never even have heard of the delicacy you crave.

Home cooking can solve some of your problems, but not provide you with unobtainable ingredients. Are you sure you can live without certain items and make do with restricted numbers of others? In Turkey it seems like the only fresh vegetables we recognize for four months of the year are carrots.

What about local cultural norms? How do you dress? How do you behave in public? How do you eat? What are your core family values?

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