Archive Page 24

June 2024

The European Hotspot in Greece

Greece represents the pinnacle of Mediterranean charm, offering a warmer climate and a slower lifestyle to expats from the UK."

For more Greece info, see this page Living in Greece Information @ Athens Greece Now

Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis announced that unemployment in Greece had reached its lowest level in 15 years

Story at Protothema [in Greek]

Expectations and advantages for relocating into South America – Merco Press

Article talks about cultural differences on time perception, that the cultures of the South are more "fluid," such that events scheduled for 8PM, for example, may very well start much later. Language barriers are that on average only 5% to 15% of natives will have English language skills.

Just a "Head's Up" type of news article: Is Putin's next target to distract the West to creating turmoil in the Balkans? – Politico

The 10 best relocation ‘expat-friendly’ countries

Story at Indian Express

The article succinctly discusses these countries: Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Bahrain, Panama, Taiwan, Malaysia, Costa Rica, Thailand, Philippines

Can you be an expat? – The Costa Rica News

The nitty-gritty of relocating is discussed: jobs, health care, basic finances

Elliniko, just outside Athens, Greece to be Europe's largest smart city with 6.2 million square meters

"Ellinikon is a megascale future-city project envisioned by Greece. It will be spanned over a staggering 6,200 acres."

Story at MSN IE

Educated Abroad: Enrolling at Universities in Europe 2024/2025 - 192 pages - A one-stop resource for international, expat, and third-culture kids and looking to enroll at universities in Europe for their undergraduate studies. International, Expat & Third-Culture Kid Edition – AMAZON

Living six months in the USA and six months in Greece

Story at MSN Business Insider - the longer article is at the Business Insider website

This article doesn't include any "how to do it" aspects but is really more of a comparison between Los Angeles and Athens, Greece, with detaisl to let the reader draw their own conclusion about the (apparently) hyper-regulated way of life in LA versus the rather less regulated lifestyle of Athens.

The best locations for expats in Europe wanting lower taxes – MSN UK Daily Express

Expat in France "getting the locals to love you"

Story at aol.com

Advice that's applicable in many more countries than just France:

The single most important thing you can do to get French people to love you is to make an effort to speak the language. If you can’t communicate with people, how do you expect to form a connection with them? It doesn't matter if your French is faltering – you’ll always find people ready to be patient with you. What they’re not likely to be so patient with is the arrogance of expecting everyone else to make the effort and speak in English just for you."

Expat picks for top five Spanish-speaking locations – Cape Argus MSN

Key points to focus on for moving to Spain – Wales Online MSN

"Top choices" for expat homebuyers in Saudi Arabia – MSN Money Saudi Moments

Expat guide to the "best bars in the USA" – Food and Wine

[I was walking along in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, a top tourist destination in the Ozarks, perhaps only Branson, Missouri compares, and two ladies were walking along ahead of me, a little worse for wear after going from place to place on the main street, and they were saying how they were compiling a list of the "best bars in America," and that they had travelled from the Florida panhandle to the Ozarks with this mission in mind. Considering their condition, I don't think this was an acheivable goal in the long term.]

American expats: preparing for the IRS in 2024 – Forbes

The U.S. tax season is nearing, and most Americans are probably going to have to file. Most U.S. citizens are probably familiar with the April 15 deadline. However, it may not be as common to know that U.S. citizens living abroad are still required to file their U.S. taxes. The April 15 deadline is a tax deadline expats should strive to meet."

Expat pay in Singapore rises: drops in Hong Kong

Story at Bloomberg

Portugal and the struggle in Europe over the Golden Visa programs

Story at EuroWeekly News

The EC European Commission has serious security concerns over the Golden Visa programs being abused by organized crime and tax evaders. Portugal is moving toward either a program termination or a system with heightened screening processes.

It is a "clean" place, but unfriendly - the problems of going to Norway to retire – UK Express

The Nordic country scored particularly badly on social life, culinary variety and affordability. Almost 40 percent of expats said they didn’t feel at home in Norway...

Expat Banking in Europe

Story about Expat Banking in Europe - Tips and a list of the top fifty banks

12 "cheapest" places to retire with only English language skills – Yahoo Finance

The first spot on this Yahoo list is Belize with an average monthly cost: $1,000 – "Belize is one of the best places to retire for those who speak only English, because it's the official language of the country. The cost of living is just $1,000 per month, making it much less expensive than anywhere in the U.S...".

They also provide a synopsis for: Malaysia, Cyprus, Panama, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, St. Lucia island, Thailand, Jamaica, Vietnam, and the island of Malta island.

Kuwait deports 700 Filipinos

Story at utilities-me

Mexico costs getting too high? – Mexico News Daily

Article examines the benefits of the rising strength of the Peso, but also the problem it causes economically, and the impact it has on international travel, tourism and expats coming to stay in the country.

Raising "third culture" kids

Story at Insider MSN

I'm a US citizen living in Singapore with my wife and two boys. I was previously a high school teacher, working with a lot of third culture kids. When we realized our boys would be raised as third culture kids, I wanted to make sure we were intentional about giving them the tools they need to avoid common problems these kids face — especially when it comes to identity.

The article defines "third culture kids" as children growing up in a locale in which the main culture is not the father's or mother's.

Malta: jewel of the Mediterranean and – UK Express

Article on a recent study of retirement benefits in the Mediterranean and how Malta ranked so highly.

How to eat out in Türkiye – Daily Sabah

I know this may sound strange because a menu is one of those basic necessities one would think a restaurant should have, but trust me, there are many restaurants in Türkiye that don’t operate that way. First of all, many dishes are seasonal, such as the varied mezes on display in many a glass-paned refrigerator or brought to tables on huge platters as well as fish, which honestly depends on what the catch of the day happened to be.

Understanding your tax obligations as a U.S. citizen who is living abroad. – Yahoo

The dilemma of going from San Francisco to Croatia

Story at Business Insider

Dubrovnik is a tourist town. The local population is small, and families who live there have done so for generations. Everyone knows each other, so I really stick out. I'm new, but I'm also Asian. I've experienced what I call "unintended racism." I don't think it's done with ill intent, but I have gotten comments and gestures."