Thursday, August 28, 2014

Doha Qatar - An Expats Experience

Having been an expat in Bahrain before moving to Qatar, Annabel had some idea of what to expect in a Middle Eastern Country as well as the experience of being an expat. This is what she has to tell us about moving to Doha in Qatar :

I am originally from South Africa - Johannesburg, prior to this we lived in Bahrain for 18 months and have lived in Doha now for 2 years and 9 months.


Doha Mobility Salary
We live close to the sea and take our
dogs walking on a daily basis

What was your first impression of the city / country you moved to? 
Bit of a mix impressions – some areas were very First World with fancy hotels and high rise buildings and yet other parts of the country looked very scruffy and dirty.

What do you like the most about where you are living now?  
The weather, the fact that we live on the lagoon and walk our dogs on the water’s edge every evening.  
The desert and what that has to offer.  
The amazing people we have met from all cultures.  
Our fantastic church (we were not sure if we would find a church in a Muslim country).

What do you like the least about where you are living now?  
The only thing that I don’t like is the fact that I am far away from my family & friends back home.

What do you do for fun?  
Cycling – and particularly enjoy cycling in the desert.  
Kayaking, eating out, going to theatre or shows (Jazz etc), horse shows (dressage, show jumping and races), watching camel racing, camping in the desert, swimming, entertaining.  
Going to gym, spinning, Pilates etc.


Doha Cost of living
Cycling Group

What is the funniest / strangest cultural experience you have had?  
When going to a water park was told by the staff that I cannot go down the slip and slide with my t-shirt on as it is dangerous and might hook and yet a couple of minutes later I saw a lady going down in her full abaya (now that I would have thought would hook)  

How did you find the cost of living compared to your home?   More or less expensive? Why? 
Oh definitely more expensive – everything is about 3 times more expensive because everything is imported and of course there are loads of designer stores, so you really have to shop around to find the discount or cheaper stores.  
The souq is a good place to pick up bargains, but you can’t buy everything at the souq.

Did the company help with your move? How?  
Yes they did, but not substantially – so we just moved our most personal goods (and did not include furniture in our move)


 Does your company pay for any of the following -


Basket Group
Yes
No
Clothing

x
Communication (e.g. Internet; Telephone)

x
Education (e.g. Children’s School Fees)

x
Furniture & Appliances (e.g. Semi-Furnished Housing)

x
Groceries

x
Healthcare (e.g. Medical Insurance; Medical Facilities)
y

Household Accommodation (e.g. Housing or Housing Allowance)
y

Personal Care

x
Recreation and Culture (e.g. Fitness Club Fees)

x
Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotels

x
Transport (e.g. Company Vehicle or Transport Allowance)

x
Air Fare Home each year

x
** The Education and home airfares were all incorporated in the total package – so it is up to us how we want to spend that.




Did you do research before your move on what you needed to earn to maintain or increase your standard of living?
Yes – and having a brother in law working in the Middle East made it easier as he could guide us on the cost of living and salaries etc

If so, what research did you do?
Loads of internet research and talking to other people who have lived in the Middle East

What do you find expensive in your Host city?
I think everything is more expensive except cell phone charges and petrol.

Do you have any advice for readers on becoming an expat and the type of research to do before hand?
We found that it doesn’t matter how much research you do (particularly on the culture) you will only really understand it once you are in the country.  
Having said that, you can never do enough research or talking to people who have been there before is the best way to understand the ex-pat life.  
Some advice that was given to me which really turned out to be very true “is give yourself 6 months to feel at home”  so if you having those down days, just persevere and definitely have an open mind and a positive outlook.  
Also very important to accept invitations from people as the quicker you meet people and find your hobbies the more settled you will feel.  
As a wife who moved for my husband’s job, it is also very important to drive and become independent as quickly as possible.  
Join clubs and societies to find like minded people.

Any favourite websites  / blogs about where you live, that can help others with their move?
www.qatarliving.com,
www.marhaba.com.qa
Facebook groups : South African’s in Qatar, SASCOM Qatar; SA Ladies in Qatar

Do you have a blog or website?
No – we used to do monthly newsletters to keep family in the loop of what we were up to and what living abroad was like – but unfortunately one’s life is just as busy living as expats as living in your home town.  This then becomes a yearly newsletter.
 
Moving to Doha
Beautiful landscapes and sites to see while cycling in the desert


Xpatulator.com provides up-to-date cost of living data for over 700 locations worldwide, employers and employees can calculate how much is needed to earn in another location to have a similar spending power. Steven McManus is a Remuneration and Benefits Consultant and founder of  http://www.xpatulator.com





Thursday, August 21, 2014

An Expat in Myanmar


Steve has been an expat for many years, moving from the USA to Canada, France, the UK, Qatar, Myanmar and back to Qatar. Here is his experience of working in Yangon, Myanmar.

Where are you originally from?
USA

Is this your first expat experience? If not where have you lived before?
No. I’ve lived in Canada, France, the UK, and Qatar.

Where are you living now? Myanmar

How long have you lived here for? 10 months

What was your first impression of the city / country you moved to?
Very lush and green surroundings (especially after the Middle East!) but also quite poor, with chaotic third-world driving standards.

What do you like the most about where you are living now?
The people are very friendly and welcoming even though the country had been closed off for so long that foreigners are still a novelty.

What do you like the least about where you are living now?
Yangon traffic is horrible. It’s also still difficult to find many items that could easily be found elsewhere – Western clothing and food brands, etc.

What do you do for fun?
Yangon has a growing nightlife scene and several very good restaurants, so I typically go to a bar or restaurant with work friends on the weekend.

What is the funniest / strangest cultural experience you have had?
When visiting the iconic Temple of the Golden Rock a few hours outside Yangon, some Burmese pilgrims to the temple approached me and my partner and asked to take pictures with us. After they snapped several photos, another group came, then another and another. We lost count of how many groups got our pictures but must have spent half an hour posing with total strangers. It made us feel a bit like rock stars even though it was of course nothing personal – we were just completely foreign and novel to them.

How did you find the cost of living compared to your home? More or less expensive? Why?
In general more expensive. Housing that even approaches Western standards is in high demand and fetches a high rent – a fairly average 3-4 bedroom standalone house rents for US $5000-6000 per month.  Owning a car is prohibitively expensive.  That being said, going out is cheap compared with other places I’ve lived and taxis are pretty cheap too, with a typical fare within the city usually being no more than US $4-5.

Did the company help with your move? How?
I’m on a temporary assignment at the moment and received airfare plus a cash allowance that would have been more than adequate to ship belongings here as air freight.  If I move to a longer-term contract, they will cover professional movers and a 20-foot container.

 Does your company pay for any of the following -
Yes
No
Clothing

X
Communication (e.g. Internet; Telephone)
X

Education (e.g. Children’s School Fees)
X

Furniture & Appliances (e.g. Semi-Furnished Housing)
X

Groceries

X
Healthcare (e.g. Medical Insurance; Medical Facilities)
X

Household Accommodation (e.g. Housing or Housing Allowance)
X

Personal Care

X
Recreation and Culture (e.g. Fitness Club Fees)

X
Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotels

X
Transport (e.g. Company Vehicle or Transport Allowance)
X

Air Fare Home each year
X



What does your company not pay for that you feel it should pay for?
Fitness club fees would be welcome.

What do you find expensive in your Host city?
Housing, private transportation, imported foods, electronics.

Do you have any advice for readers on becoming an expat and the type of research to do before hand?
First and foremost, have a sense of humour since research won’t prepare you for everything. Be sure you understand what’s included in your package and the cost of any things you’ll need to pay yourself.  For example, I and many colleagues had an unpleasant shock when first moving to Qatar and learning that the cash housing allowance offered came nowhere close to covering the cost of suitable accommodations based on the market rates at that time.

Any favourite websites  / blogs about where you live, that can help others with their move?
Myanmore.com, Yangon Connection FB page


International expat cost of living
Steve in Myanmar



Xpatulator.com provides up-to-date cost of living data for over 700 locations worldwide, employers and employees can calculate how much is needed to earn in another location to have a similar spending power. Steven McManus is a Remuneration and Benefits Consultant and founder of  http://www.xpatulator.com

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

An Expat From South Africa to Ireland to China

Every country an expat moves to is different from where they have come from, from subtle differences to major cultural changes that sometimes are not easy to adjust to.  We have asked expats across the world to tell us about their experiences and give a little advice to those that are thinking of moving.


Read our blog every week for a new expat and a new destination.

 Natalie Cossavella living in China



Where are you originally from?

I’m from South Africa

Is this your first expat experience? If not where have you lived before?
No, I lived in Ireland for 12 years.

Where are you living now?
I now live in Wuxi, China.

How long have you lived here for?
I’ve lived here for 10 Months.


What was your first impression of the city / country you moved to?
It was definitely not what I had expected. It’s a lot cleaner and not as shocking as I would have thought. Maybe a hint of disappointment as I was looking for a shock factor.

What do you like the most about where you are living now?
That I get to travel around Asia and it’s so affordable!

What do you like the least about where you are living now?
That I don’t think I’ll be able to become accustomed to the culture. I have a lot of patience but I don’t think it’s enough to extend my stay over a year.

What do you do for fun?
Travel or Socialise or both!

What is the funniest / strangest cultural experience you have had?
Seeing a mother helping her daughter use the public road, in the city, as a toilet. I had to laugh at this but that’s more shocking than funny really (they do specially make children’s pants with a gap at the bum area). This has happened more often than not and worse when it’s an adult.

How did you find the cost of living compared to your home? More or less expensive? Why?
Much cheaper!! Except if you would like to buy quality food and clothes, they generally add up to roughly the same. In China you can barter down prices.

Did the company help with your move? How?
Yes. They helped me find accommodation as well as sorted out all the legal documents i.e. Visa process and were readily available on Skype and email before I left.

Does your company pay for any of the following -
Yes
No
Clothing

x
Communication (e.g. Internet; Telephone)

x
Education (e.g. Children’s School Fees)

x
Furniture & Appliances (e.g. Semi-Furnished Housing)

x
Groceries

x
Healthcare (e.g. Medical Insurance; Medical Facilities)

x
Household Accommodation (e.g. Housing or Housing Allowance)

x
Personal Care

x
Recreation and Culture (e.g. Fitness Club Fees)
x
x
Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotels
x
x
Transport (e.g. Company Vehicle or Transport Allowance)
x

Air Fare Home each year

x




What does your company not pay for that you feel it should pay for?
Chinese Lessons. It has taken over 6 months for one of our Chinese Teaching Assistants to offer her free time for us. Where the school should have more of an interest to help their foreign staff learn the local language. This will help tremendously with communication with the Chinese staff and just a general helping hand.

Did you do research before your move on what you needed to earn to maintain or increase your standard of living?
Yes I did but only what I thought was enough as the company provided me with as much information that I needed. (In the end, not quite what they say, but generally they were ok).

If so, what research did you do?
Google, Skype calls, emails to people that had already been there and spoke to a friend that was living in the country at the time.

What do you find expensive in your Host city?
Fruit and all western stores, which is fair enough. Other than that, it’s very cheap all around.

Do you have any advice for readers on becoming an expat and the type of research to do before hand?
I came with the mind set of experiencing things first hand, more than to research thoroughly. I think the only thing you need to think about is are you willing to adjust to possibly a completely different and maybe even difficult way of life? I’ve been very lucky with all the places I’ve lived but China being my first solo trip, I do wish I read up more about the current lifestyle and not the historical side. I came here to travel, so it all depends what reasoning you have behind moving. The one thing that is very important is that you need to be willing to ask questions, adapt, befriend strangers and take risks but be street smart.

Any favourite websites  / blogs about where you live, that can help others with their move?
There’s nothing fantastic that I found about China but just a general traveller’s blog, that I love to read is: http://www.nomadicmatt.com/

Do you have a blog or website?
A private one only that’s been very neglected unfortunately.

Xpatulator.com provides up-to-date cost of living data for over 700 locations worldwide, employers and employees can calculate how much is needed to earn in another location to have a similar spending power. Steven McManus is a Remuneration and Benefits Consultant and founder of  http://www.xpatulator.com