ExpatFocus.com - for anyone moving or living abroa 4m6j4f

There’s been a bit of debate online about whether we’ll see a baby boom from the coronavirus lockdown. Is all this forced time at home the perfect opportunity to get pregnant, or, is a pandemic pregnancy the last thing on your mind? If you are planning to start - or add to - your family, you might want to give some thought to teaching your child a second language. It’s so much easier for them to pick up when they’re young, right? Annika Bourgogne is our guest in this episode to talk about raising multilingual kids. She’s done it herself, she’s the author of Be Bilingual, a language teacher and an entrepreneur. And Annika recommends you research and decide on your approach to raising your child with more than one language, before they come into the world.

Poland has been ri the rankings as one of the best countries for expats to live and work in, and we’re going to chat to one such expat today. Blogger Anda Alexandra relocated from Romania to Poland, for work. And, almost a decade later she’s still there, married with a child and she’s going to talk through some moving essentials: from finding a place to live to opening a bank , learning the language... Anda has some especially great insights to share with you on job hunting, navigating healthcare and pregnancy in the country.

There’s not a huge amount of moving about the world going on at the moment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t research and plan. And if you’ve got a move to Malaysia on your mind, we have the perfect guest to give you some insider knowledge. Writer Kirsten Raccuia and her husband Mark moved from the USA to Penang seven years ago. In this episode, she’s going to talk through their experiences with visas, working options, renting, and why you don’t need to necessarily freak out if you inspect a place with no kitchen. We also cover whether you need to learn one of the three main Malaysian languages, and what she’d do differently if they made their move again.

When you’re planning a move to a new country, there’s a lot to get your head around, and understanding how things work locally is key to quickly landing on your feet. Today’s guest is Emma Pearson, Editor of The Local , a website covering French news, culture and practical tips on everyday life in the country. Emma’s going to walk us through how to move to . We cover everything from visas, to finding a job, a place to live, getting into the French healthcare system, opening a bank and schooling options if you have kids. Think of this, as a really useful “pick your brain” session with someone who has been through it all - in Emma’s case, twice in fact.  

Just as the world was coming to grips with the seriousness of COVID-19 and countries were locking down, parts of China were getting over the worst of the pandemic and life was beginning to return to normal. This was the case when we recorded this interview with Mauricio ‘Momo’ Estrella, an Ecuadorian digital designer based in Shanghai with his wife and young son. In fact, Momo tells me that now, life is very much back to normal there. In this chat he’s going to explain how a city of more than 24 million people handled the outbreak, and what that experience was like. We also discuss how he adjusted culturally to life in China when he first made the move a decade ago. We also chat about the country’s social credit scoring system: Momo explains why it’s not as creepy as that episode of Black Mirror makes the concept out to be!

Where are you spending your coronavirus lockdown? Are you in a densely populated city? A smaller town, where social distancing is made that bit easier? Are you spending this time away from where you’d normally call home? Maybe you’re on your own property in the countryside, with not a soul in sight… Danish expat Christian Graugart and his young family are spending their isolation time at home in St Barts, a small French island in the Caribbean. In this episode, Christian explains how they got there, and what lockdown life is like on a 25 square kilometre island with a pretty small population, only one supermarket and currently, no swimming allowed! 

The property market - like so many sectors right now - has slowed down as the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic. Tenants, landlords and homeowners are all feeling the pressure. Governments are being looked to for bailout packages, while people in the process of buying or selling are now working to completely unknown timelines. We arranged this interview with today’s guest - Ugo Arinzeh, founder of Onyx Property Consultants - just before the pandemic fully hit, with the intention of sharing her insight into how the US property market works and providing tips for first-time investors there. We’re still going to talk about that, along with Ugo’s work with clients where she’s based in the UK. But she’s also going to share her thoughts on what the current crisis means for property owners; the risks and the opportunities.

Government-mandated isolation has become the new normal for so many of us, as the world fights the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m in lockdown here in where only essential shops remain open, and we need to carry a permission form when we leave the house which can only be for specific reasons like, going to the supermarket, the pharmacy or doing some exercise close to home. In this episode I’m chatting to American expat Leslie Keeler Saglio about her experience with coronavirus containment where she lives in Spain. As she mentions, the situation is changing so quickly, and since we recorded this interview on Thursday the 19th of March, Spain has introduced a permission form for its citizens to be able to leave the house. The country has recorded its highest number of virus deaths in a day, and its nationwide lockdown won’t be lifted until the 11th of April at the earliest. As a motivational speaker and life coach, Leslie has some good advice for how we can all lift our spirits and try to focus on the positives at this very difficult time.

You might be feeling a bit paralysed by the news at the moment as the Coronavirus pandemic worsens across the world, and governments update their guidance every day. But amid the chaos, are people trying to do some good. Volunteers in many countries are sewing masks for local hospital staff facing shortages. GoFundMe pages have been set up so we can buy coffees for people doing essential work. A new website in Australia is highlighting small businesses doing it tough that are still able to open. And in Switzerland, an expat entrepreneur is hoping to connect communities through his new app. Slovakian Stefan Kuruc is our guest in this episode to talk about how Help’n’Trade can be used by individuals and families, to get the they need.

Today we’re exploring the foreigner’s experience of working in Asia, with a man who has written a book on the subject; Steve McGinnes. Originally from England, Steve has lived and worked across the Asian continent for fifteen years, and his book combines practical advice with first-hand stories and experiences of professionals, covering topics including power, relationships, family and corruption. So whether you’re already working in Asia, looking to make the move, or just curious about some of the key cultural differences between Asian work environments and the West… I hope you enjoy this interview.

The Coronavirus pandemic is forcing cities across the world into lockdown, and in Italy, American business owners Linda and Steve have had to close their Rome hostel, The Beehive, for the first time in 21 years.  In this episode, the couple share what the past few weeks have been like as the impact of COVID-19 set in, what Italy is providing to business owners like themselves, and how they’re hoping to survive this very tough time.

Mario Cacciottolo's move from the UK to Malta was very much a homecoming. He spent the first 12 years of his life in the country, and its booming economy, 300 days of sunshine a year and a desire to close some local ‘knowledge gaps’ were big motivators for him to return. In this chat, he’s going to shed some light on what it’s like to live on this small island in the Mediterranean. You’ll find out where you can expect to land a job as a foreigner, where you should look for your first apartment, the best ways to get around, and, find out if you should bother learning Maltese in a country where English is an official language too. Mario also shares his thoughts on getting to know the locals, and explains why for him and his wife, every Friday is the start of a holiday. 

A fellow podcaster is our guest on this episode, to give you the lowdown on what it takes to set up and run your business from anywhere in the world. Sundae Bean is an American by birth and the host of the ‘Expat Happy Hour’ podcast. Sundae is an intercultural strategist who left her corporate job in Switzerland to set up her own coaching business, working from Burkina Faso in West Africa and later, from South Africa. In this chat, Sundae’s going to talk through:  how she identified her ‘calling’ and her clients  the that comes with working for yourself and being location independent  time management and motivation as a solopreneur  how she juggles clients all over the world while also carving out time for herself  money, and earnings - what’s realistic when you’re starting out on your own Sundae also stresses the importance of investing in yourself, and ‘doing the work’ to reach your goals.

Caitlin Taylor is a style coach, fashion blogger and podcaster who describes her expat life in New Zealand as “same-same but different.” In this chat, you’ll find out about the Kiwi fashion scene; how Caitlin’s business has evolved over a decade; and how she found her business ‘tribe’ in her new home.  

It’s a major “achievement unlocked” as an expat when you start to understand how the locals tick - and how long that takes is different for everyone. American, Chelsea, lives with her Norwegian husband in the town of Henningsvær in Norway. They’ve been together for five years and in that time, she’s learnt a thing or two about the Norwegian approach to life - ten things in fact that she’s going to share in this episode.

It’s all happening in the UK at the moment; at the time of recording this the general election is just one week away, and the outcome could determine when, how and if Brexit will end up happening. The UK’s exit from the European Union and the tax and social security implications have been top of mind for British expats for a long time now. We're checking in on these issues with tax advisor Oliver Heslop on today’s show, he’s also going to explain why it could be well worth Brits abroad - and anyone who has worked in the UK - investigating their pension entitlements.

Has a beachfront holiday home in Mexico taken your fancy? Maybe you’ve spotted a place with a great rental return in Malta. Or perhaps you have your sights set on a house to retire to, in Panama. If you’ve never invested in property abroad before, it’s hard to know where to begin. So today’s guest is going to give you some pointers, talking through the current hotspots and the things that can trip up people who are new to the international investment scene. Lief Simon is the founding editor of Global Property Advisor. Over 20 years, he has bought more than 45 properties and invested in 26 different countries around the world. 

The logistics involved in expat life become even more complex when your partner is also a working expat. How do you successfully fuel each other’s professional ambitions, as well as personal? Is it inevitable that one half will need to sacrifice their career, or take a backseat in the relationship to the other? INSEAD Associate Professor Jennifer Petriglieri has researched hundreds of couples juggling two careers. She’s just released a book about the challenges that face working couples, and in this chat, Jennifer shares her thoughts on how you can successfully combine love and work, with life abroad.

One of the fastest-growing EU economies, Poland is also rising in the rankings of popular destinations for expats. The country moved from 23rd to 13th in this year’s HSBC Expat League Table, and it’s among the five best countries in Europe for digital nomads, according to the Remote Workers Index by Plusnet. But before you pack your bags for Poland, there are some key things you should know. Our guest, American blogger and teacher Leah Morawiec, has lived in the country for almost a decade, and she’s going to share her top five tips.

Entrepreneur Alan La Rue is our guest in this episode of the Expat Focus podcast. A language school owner, he’s been living in the country for a long time, and is going to talk through the essentials: from where to live to what to bring with you; job opportunities in Peru; how to approach learning Spanish; and the Peruvian cultural norms that may take some getting used to.