Connecting: Expat Skill Par Excellence?

Posted on 02. Oct, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Musings & Inspiration
0 comments

You may remember that a couple weeks ago, as we were exploring some unexpected benefits of culture shock, I listed some traits that make expats in general a cool bunch of people to be around.

Well, another one occurred to me recently, while I was hosting an expat meetup. I watched complete strangers effortlessly break the ice and get deep into discussion of their life stories, their hopes, their dreams, and sometimes their fears.

It was a beautiful thing to see – instant fellowship, immediate connection. Skip the small talk, go straight to the meaningful stuff. All because we had gone through similar experiences, had faced the same challenges and had had our share of eye-opening moments while living abroad.

If that ability to reach out, establish rapport and connect in a meaningful way is not an amazing asset, I don’t know what is.

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Emmanuelle

Image by Micah J. Walter, via Flickr Creative Commons

3 Strategies To Minimise Culture Shock

Posted on 25. Sep, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Musings & Inspiration, Tools & Resources
3 comments

As I mentioned before, I don’t believe that culture shock can be avoided altogether. But it can certainly be lessened.

We all know one of those “lucky” expats who seem to adjust effortlessly anywhere, no matter what kind of a hellhole their sadistic HR department sends them to. The truth is, luck has nothing to do with it. These highly adaptable individuals have mastered a few strategies that allow them to navigate through culture shock efficiently, if not entirely painlessly.

A lot of it is common sense, yes. But you know what? Common sense can go a long way.

3 Strategies To Minimise Culture Shock

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Culture Shock: Is It Such A Bad Thing?

Posted on 21. Sep, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Musings & Inspiration
6 comments

I am still thinking about that Bill Bryson quote that I found last week. What if culture shock wasn’t such a bad thing after all?

I am not – not for a single second – implying that culture shock is a pleasant experience. More often than not, it’s uncomfortable if not downright painful.

But there’s enjoyable, and then there’s useful. Just because culture shock is unpleasant doesn’t mean that it cannot be a positive experience.

Let’s try a different perspective for a second: we all agree that expatriation changes you as a person, and usually for the better. Expats share common skills such as greater adaptability, open-mindedness, resourcefulness, and, as a study recently showed, greater creativity.

How many of these highly desirable traits would you have developed or strengthened as an expat if you had never experienced culture shock? Would there be anything to gain if you never came into contact with a culture whose habits, behaviours or values challenged your own beliefs?

Bottom line: No culture shock = no growth.

Oh. I had never really thought about it that way.

That’s a big shift, actually. Seeing culture shock not as the enemy, but as an opportunity. That’s something new for me. I’ll try and keep that in mind next time something in Canadian culture (such as the all-pervading fear of conflict) catches me off guard.

I wonder how that will change my response, if I remember to look for the opportunity to grow.

And in the meantime, I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject…

Emmanuelle

Images by M@rio Rossi (top) and Vratsagirl (bottom), both via Flickr Creative Commons

Culture Shock: A Different Perspective

Posted on 18. Sep, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Musings & Inspiration
2 comments

“I can’t think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything. Suddenly you are five years old again. You can’t read anything, you have only the most rudimentary sense of how things work, you can’t even reliably cross a street without endangering your life. Your whole existence becomes a series of interesting guesses.”

- Bill Bryson

Darn. Now I feel like taking off to some faraway country where I don’t speak the language. Ah, the joys of chronic wanderlust!

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Emmanuelle

Image by Janna McLaughlin, via Flickr Creative Commons

Why I Hate The Term “Culture Shock”

Posted on 16. Sep, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Musings & Inspiration
4 comments

I have a confession to make: even though I use it daily, I hate the term “culture shock” with a passion. The way I see it, if Culture Shock were a person, it would be an elitist drama queen.

There’s something so big, so dramatic about “Culture Shock” that a whole lot of expats don’t feel that they even deserve to use the term.

Sounds familiar?

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Passion, Persistence And Butter

Posted on 07. Sep, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Musings & Inspiration
0 comments

Are you a food lover? Do you like a great story? Do you enjoy spending time in the company of passionate, extraordinary personalities?

If you do, consider taking the afternoon off and marching into the nearest movie theatre to see Julie & Julia.

What a thoroughly enjoyable movie – it’s uplifting, no one dies onscreen (aside from three lobsters), and Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci deliver flawless performances.

But what does all of this have to do with expat life? Well, the storyline holds many nuggets of wisdom that we expats can take to heart.

Here’s what I am taking away from Julie & Julia, other than a fierce craving for boeuf bourguignon: (more…)

“Ex-patriots”?

Posted on 04. Sep, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Musings & Inspiration
0 comments

Grumble!

If I see expats being called “ex-patriots” one more time, I’m going to scream – or say something rude in public.

Do people seriously believe this is what Expat means?*

*Judging by how many spell it “ex-pat”, I am afraid they do.

I don’t know about you, but I still love my birth country, AND I love Canada too. There’s enough room in my heart for two, three, heck, maybe even ten countries!

It’s like a delicious box of chocolates. Each country, each city has its own unique flavour – why wouldn’t we want to sample more than one?

I even suspect that the longer we live overseas, the better we are able to appreciate our home country. There’s nothing like gaining a different perspective on our roots and our culture – and what better way to do this than expatriation?

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Emmanuelle

Image by romanlily, via Flickr Creative Commons

Happy September, Wherever You May Be!

Posted on 02. Sep, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Musings & Inspiration
0 comments

In the ever-shifting expat landscape, September means coming back from home leave, adjusting to a new assignment or facing the reality of how many friends have moved away.

Children go back to school. The weather starts changing. A new season is around the corner. (more…)

Feeling At Home: Closing Thoughts

Posted on 31. Aug, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Musings & Inspiration
0 comments

You can never go home again, but the truth is you can never leave home, so it’s all right.

-Maya Angelou

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Emmanuelle

Image by Raychel Mendez, via Flickr Creative Commons

Good Quotes: On Feeling At Home

Posted on 03. Aug, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Musings & Inspiration
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Peace – that was the other name for home. ~Kathleen Norris

Where thou art – that – is Home. ~Emily Dickinson

I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself. ~Maya Angelou

This month, we will be exploring ways for you to feel at home – anywhere in the world!

I am currently on vacation, but thanks to the magic of pre-posting, you will still get your regularly scheduled expat tips and resources while I am away. Answering emails and comments may take me a little longer than usual, though.

Have a fantastic month of August!

Emmanuelle

Image by kismet_art via Flickr Creative Commons