InterNations Blog

This time, our blog doesn’t talk about exploring the world through running, but rather about metaphorical crossroads and personal journeys. Guest blogger Joyce describes growing up as a Third Culture Kid (TCK) and searching for her own identity.

For all the TCKs that I have met and known out there, it is never a journey that has been easy for any of us. Out of all the various reasons that have led us to life as a TCK, I am here to share with you all a story of mine: growing up as a TCK and where it has brought me today, my current life as an expat in in Germany.

Ever since I started to form my own memories, I considered myself Singaporean. I had my first fun education in Singapore as a Kindergartener, who was reprimanded by the teacher when I handed in a colored apple in black, and during my primary school years when dentists were my biggest fear.

I woke up as early as possible in the morning just so that my sisters and I could be in school on time to sing the Singapore National Anthem, our pledge. All those times, I sang and enjoyed it with pride. I had a strong Singlish accent, and I was tanned like a Malaysian. I never had thought about my own identity and how come my parents were different than us kids.

All these identities issues first came to mind when we moved back to Taiwan, our home country, after seven fruitful and exciting years in Singapore. Our lifestyle changed dramatically, from living in a comfortable condominium with a big swimming pool to a small apartment in the heart of Taipei. Then I knew I was not a Singaporean after all.

I started going to school in Taiwan, and quickly learned how to sing our so-called National Anthem. This time, however, I didn’t sing it with joy, and I joined only not to be left out, with all the classmates who had known how to sing it since they were little.

When I entered adolescence at around the age of 14, I was living a life in unknown territory, so to speak. We relocated to Latvia, an Eastern European country that was once part of the Soviet Union. My family and I are Chinese; we have dark black hair and tiny Asian eyes. The locals looked at us as if we were aliens, people from another planet. My siblings and I hated it, hated feeling so different and odd. We started to show our frustrations, our anger, at our father’s lifestyle and our family’s frequent moving.

Now, at the age of 25, whenever someone asks me which country I have enjoyed the most out of all the places where I used to live, my diplomatic, yet honest answer is always the same: I cherish and like them all. All of these journeys did really have a meaning. But the trickiest thing in life is that we never know that when we are busy living our lives; the meaning only comes much later. We often live with unnecessary regrets, regardless of how hard we tell ourselves not to.

I am currently residing in Germany, and I hope that this is the country where I can stay forever. I often look back at my childhood and at myself and ask, “What has made me who I am today?”

My parents have influenced me tremendously, despite the international background and education I have had. I see my family’s influence in little things like my eating habits, e.g. how I always crave a warm meal for dinner; or in my habit of always saying “no” to anything I’m offered, since they taught me to be polite like that.

Back in university, a professor once said to me that a person’s own identity will become more obvious as you grow older. I am still waiting for this – perhaps I am a bit slow. But at the moment when I’m standing at a crossroads in my life, I am pretty confident that my own identity will come fairly soon.

And what has defined your identity – TCK or not? Your family, your experience of living abroad, etc.?

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Joyce Yeh is a young blog writer residing in Germany. As a Third Culture Kid, she has lived in Singapore, Latvia, Australia, and now in Germany. She started writing a blog to find out her own identity. She is the principal writer of the blog The Cultural Frontier, where she talks about and discusses Chinese cultural misunderstandings and intercultural issues.

(Photo credits: Joyce Yeh)

Filed under: Adventures Abroad, Culture Shock, Guest Author, Intercultural Differences, Third Culture Kids on May 16th, 2013 | No Comments »

And the running theme continues! After last Friday’s feature on the LA marathon, this week our guestblogger Jessica – a Puertorican-American “repatriate” recently returned to the States – describes her passion for running round the globe and tells us why sneakers are the most important item in her luggage.

My passion for running began in high school, where I only chose it in order to expand my extracurricular activities, hoping that it would make me more competitive for college. My first running experience took me to Cobbs Hill Park in Rochester, New York. I was not the best in the team, but I enjoyed trails runs decorated by the Upstate New York fall foliage. Ever since then, I have developed a love for it.

Running is a sport which doesn’t require equipment, or a partner, or ideal weather. I have been able to see the world through my sneakers from a marathon in Madrid to a training run in Casablanca. For those of us who like to travel, the runs sometimes take you to a street you may have not seen in a guide book or serve as a way for us to discover a new restaurant in our own neighborhood. Having had the privilege to run in five continents, I have been able to witness gorgeous sunrises and unforgettable sunsets, to embrace the goodness of others and discover myself. These are some of my favorite anecdotes.

When I first moved to Brussels, a way of getting to know the city was through running. I would check the map in order to give me an outline of where should I go, but I would end up getting lost regardless. One of my favorite places to run in Brussels is Les Étangs d’Ixelles (Lakes of Ixelles). I loved following the streets leading to the lakes, running by old Art Nouveau homes and fantasizing on how it would feel to live in one. Although running around the two lakes takes only 1.6 kilometers, not two loops are the same. The more laps you run, the more you can observe the diversity of Brussels by faces seen and languages heard.

One of my most moving running experiences was in Ghana, where I went on a business trip for two weeks in 2010. At the time, I was training for the Amsterdam marathon and had to follow my training plan. Thankfully, some of my colleagues would join me at 5:30 am for a run. Every morning, I noticed a lady carrying a load on her head, walking on the same path as us. She was barefoot. I felt compelled to give her shoes. On our last run in Accra, I brought a pair of sandals with me to give to her. That morning we did not see her. The experience taught me not to wait for the last minute to help another person.

Most recently, I was in Australia and had the opportunity to run in Melbourne, Brisbane, and Hervey Bay. Running in those places made me discover things I would not have seen otherwise. St Kilda Beach in Melbourne on an early fall evening gave me a snapshot of how locals stay in shape. With only 36 hours in Brisbane we were able to see many of the city highlights and discover a local neighborhood, Paddington, in eight kilometers. In Hervey Bay, we “ran” into Coast, the restaurant where we ordered the most glorious, decadent meal we had during our Australian adventure.

It has been ten years since the first time I was living abroad. I have very fond memories of running by the quaint fishing villages in Okinawa, Japan. The scent of the ocean reminded me of my childhood in Puerto Rico, although I was thousands of miles away. Running has always given me a sense of home and also made me realize that we are not as different as we think.

Now, I am in Washington, DC and cannot help but be in amazement while running by the National Mall. Although I live here, I seem to discover something new in every one of my runs. It may be an overlooked monument or developing a story to write. As a traveler, I find that my sneakers are one of the best resources in my suitcase.

What’s your favorite way of exploring a new location?

(Photo credits: 1) K-Swiss Tubes Run 100 Running Shoes by Wikimedia Commons user Mk2010 2) Ixelles Ponds by Wikimedia Commons user Jopparn 3) Marathon Training in Ghana by Jessica D.)

Filed under: Adventures Abroad on May 14th, 2013 | No Comments »

After the famous Boston Marathon was overshadowed by the shocking bombings this year, it is perhaps time to remember what running a marathon is actually about: For many participants, it’s a highly personal event, an opportunity to push yourself to the limit, to discover new aspirations or make old dreams come true.

Such a race also brings people together in celebration of that challenge. The marathon community is international and diverse, uniting runners from all countries and walks of life: high school students on their first long-distance race and octogenarians who have run dozens of marathons, professional athletes and ambitious amateurs, wheelchair users and cancer survivors, or “just” highly motivated people looking for a special achievement to call their own.

Vessi, a Bulgarian expatriate and member of the InterNations LA Community, became one of them two months ago. It is her inspiring story that we would like to share.

The Road from Plovdiv to LA

Originally from Plovdiv – a historic town in southwestern Bulgaria, now one of the most populous and prosperous cities in the Balkans – Vessi arrived in the States 14 years ago to pursue her higher education. After completing her degree courses in business administration and management, she stuck around.

Embarking on a career in the global finance industry, she has lived in the US ever since, the last four years in Los Angeles. She greatly enjoys the city’s amazing diversity (40% of all Angelenos are foreign-born), its sightseeing opportunities, and its vibrant cultural scene.

Her positive energy and her can-do spirit have helped her master expat life so far: the transition from Bulgaria to the US, the separation from her beloved family in Plovdiv, and the necessity to make new friends abroad. Last autumn, this attitude gave her the idea of trying something completely new.

A New Challenge

Vessi has always had an avid interest in hiking and running, but she had never run more than six miles in a row. Still, she entered into a pact with a good friend – to take part in the popular LA Marathon and, if possible, to complete its famed 26 miles from the “Stadium to the Sea” in 4:30 hours, or less.

The training schedule was rigorous and time-consuming. Two short runs, two long runs, and several times of circuit training per week required a lot of self-discipline and persistence. “I had no time to do anything else but work and train,” Vessi recalls.

But she persevered. After all, she had made a promise to her friend and to herself, and she certainly didn’t want to let her running partner down. Ironically, it was him who was out of the race before the marathon even started. A few days before the event, he injured his knee during soccer practice.

The Big Day

So, on March 17, Vessi was on her own – as alone as you can be among 24,000 participants assembling in the Dodgers Stadium. The course ahead was to lead her right to the Pacific Ocean, from Downtown LA to Santa Monica, past such tourist highlights as the Chinatown Gate or Hollywood Boulevard.

Since the LA Marathon is an extremely popular local event, various communities provided entertainment along the route: Taiko drummers performed in “Little Tokyo”, mariachi bands along Olvera Street represented LA’s large Mexican-American population, and several schools sent their cheerleaders to encourage the runners.

Vessi had her personal cheerleading team with her: Her training partner and several close friends were waiting for her along the way. During the first part of the run, she still enjoyed the spectacles, the music, and cheering crowds, but it kept getting harder and harder.

After she made it through Hollywood, West Hollywood, and Beverly Hills, mile 20 (the farthest she had managed in training) proved to be the biggest challenge during the actual marathon. “I felt nauseous and light-headed and nearly blacked out,“ she says. Nonetheless, she kept on running. Fortunately, she tapped some unexpected energy reserves on the last mile, with the finish line on Ocean Avenue already in sight.

Personal Victories

Vessi did complete the course – in 4 hours, 16 minutes, and 56 seconds, 15 minutes less than her original goal. This personal victory is one of the most memorable and most fulfilling moments in her life, one of those times she really wants to look back on.

What will be her next challenge? Who knows…

You can read more about Vessi’s journey in an interview with her and our current InterNations LA Ambassador Jean-Marc.

And what do you count as one of your personal victories? Are there any challenges – especially regarding international life – which you are proud of overcoming?

(Photo credits: Vessela K.)

Filed under: Adventures Abroad on May 10th, 2013 | No Comments »

Our new guest author Karen, a US expat living in Spain, introduces us to a lesser known religious and folkloristic custom in Andalucia – the children’s Cruz de Mayo.

When people talk about the spectacular spring festivals in Seville, they usually mean Semana Santa (Holy Week) and the huge April fair, but to me, the small, often rag-tag children’s processions of Cruz de Mayo have an intimate charm all their own.

One of the things I love about them is that they seem to spring up out of nowhere when you least expect them. One minute you’re dawdling over an afternoon coffee in a sidewalk café, trying to decide if it’s too early to switch to beer, and the next you’re surrounded by music and kids and the support team of parents, grandparents, older siblings, and everyone else in the neighborhood, watching the cross lurch and wobble down the street.

The plain wooden cross is the centerpiece of every procession, rising from a platform carried on the shoulders of young boys who attempt (with mixed success) to keep it upright and prevent it from swaying too alarmingly. The platform is accompanied by a gaggle of other kids, looking variously solemn or bemused, dressed in ordinary clothes, simple uniforms or, for some of the girls, flouncy and colorful flamenco-style dresses. Somebody might put their drum lessons to use, beating out a background rhythm, or an old tape recorder might provide a tinny soundtrack.

The whole effect, especially with the smaller groups, is endearingly impromptu, like something my brothers and sisters and I might have come up with on a dull Saturday, rounding up the neighborhood kids and raiding the linen cupboard for props. In fact, each procession takes considerable planning and organization, and in many cases, no small expense.

To recuperate the costs, several children work the crowd asking for donations, which they collect in rattling metal cans – giving rise to the expression dar la lata, literally ‘give the can’, meaning to harass. I’ve never found them annoying – in fact, the kids tend to be almost excessively polite – so I willingly drop in a few small coins.

The Cruz de Mayo processions come and go apparently at random throughout the month of May, and have been known to pop up as late as early June. Unlike the much-advertised and massively attended Semana Santa processions, the kids’ versions are modestly attended, and you can get quite close without having to elbow your way through mobs of spectators.

You may be in town a week without seeing a Cruz de Mayo go by, or you may stumble across two in a single day. Your best bet is to listen for the sound of drumbeats, the rattle of coins in a can, and the laughter and applause of the neighbors who come out to cheer on the next generation being initiated into the mysteries of the Seville’s spring festivals.

Karen McCann is an award-winning journalist, travel blogger and author of the book Dancing in the Fountain: How to Enjoy Living Abroad that describes her expat life in Seville, Spain. “Living abroad is the best opportunity to reinvent yourself outside of the witness protection program,” she says. “It lets you hit the reset button on your life.” She’s an active member of the Seville chapter of InterNations.

(Photocredits: Karen McCann)

Filed under: Adventures Abroad, Traditions and Customs around the World on May 3rd, 2013 | No Comments »

Recently, InterNations founder and CEO Malte Zeeck paid a visit to our InterNations Communities in two very different cities with a big international population. Right after Central America, it was time for him to be off to Northern Europe!

Thankfully, my next trip involved less strenuous traveling than Mexico City. A few days after returning home, I set out again, this time for the latest InterNations Event in Copenhagen.

The Danish metropolis is only 1.5 hours by plane from Munich. However, upon arrival, I thought I might have traveled much further to the north. When I left Germany, spring had come at long last, but Copenhagen welcomed me with plenty of grey clouds and a cold shower of rain, alas.

Our Ambassador Team in Copenhagen

The weather didn’t dampen our spirits at the InterNations gathering, though. Our current Ambassador team had chosen the Pier 5 lounge bar of the Marriott Hotel for our venue, an impressive luxury complex right on Cophenhagen’s waterfront. Unfortunately, I could not meet and greet all three Ambassadors. This event was hosted only by Tobias and Marisa. Solomon, their fellow Ambassador, was out of town that day to attend to personal issues back home in the UK. I hope I’ll get another chance to talk to him in person one day.

Tobias is a veritable InterNations “veteran”: The German expatriate has been the InterNations Ambassador in Denmark ever since we started organizing local events in Copenhagen. After working in Mexico for several years, he came to Scandinavia for his current job as a product manager in the international automobile industry. He has been committed to bringing the local expat community together for about five years.

As Copenhagen has grown into a Local Community with 6,500 members, Solomon and Marisa have joined Tobias in this task. Marisa is a Latvian-American from the state of New York, who has lived in about half a dozen countries and speaks just as many languages. But the aspiring singer and songwriter is especially passionate about music, the universal language that transcends all words.

InterNations April Event @ Pier 5

Marisa and Tobias definitely did a great job at creating an event with a very relaxed and jovial atmosphere and a very diverse crowd of guests. On the official sign-up list, we counted 58 different nationalities, from Argentina to Zambia.

The attendants all seemed to enjoy the InterNations Community a lot: When I started mixing and mingling after my short thank you speech, I received plenty of feedback, as well as suggestions for new features and activities in Copenhagen. Right now, there are ten Activity Groups in the city, but there’s always room for many more.

Moreover, the Ambassadors told me that they might soon introduce a second monthly event, as the interest and number of guests has remained consistently high for some time. Maybe this is due to what a few InterNations members confided in me: For some reason, they said, they found it a bit hard to make local friends outside the international community, though they generally enjoyed life in Copenhagen.

Exploring the “City of Spires”

Over the next two days, I took the time to unwind a little and to discover this beautiful city, in spite of the cool and windy weather. There was plenty of sightseeing to be done! I also popped into Simons Natklub, said to be the trendiest club in Copenhagen at the moment.

Nightlife and clubbing aside, I certainly didn’t neglect Denmark’s amazing cultural highlights: I managed to admire the royal residence at Amalienborg and to catch a glimpse of Copenhagen’s iconic mascot, the statue of the Little Mermaid, which adorns the harbor promenade. I then strolled through the heritage waterfront and entertainment district of Nyhavn, with its quaint, bright-colored buildings, and through the popular amusement park of Tivoli.

And of course, near the famous spiral church tower in Christianshavn (one of the many spires in the horizontal skyline), there’s the tiny neighborhood of Christiana, a semi-autonomous community with about 1,000 residents. Established on the ground of some abandoned military barracks in the 1970s, the “free town” has attracted hippies, squatters, political anarchists, gay activists, and other members of the alternative counter-culture for decades.

By now, Christiana has become one of Copenhagen’s tourist attractions, but unfortunately, I don’t have any photos. A restriction on visitors taking pictures is one of the self-imposed rules that the community agrees on.

Copenhagen is indeed a lovely place, which is well worth another visit – hopefully, with more sunshine, though.

(Photo credits: 1) & 3) Malte Zeeck/InterNations, 2) Marriott Copenhagen)

Filed under: InterNations News on April 25th, 2013 | No Comments »

Recently, InterNations founder and CEO Malte Zeeck paid a visit to our InterNations Communities in two very different cities with a big international population. Here are some impressions from his first trip.

In early April, I was invited to the wedding of a good friend, whom I have known since my high school days. Said friend also happens to be one of the first InterNations Ambassadors ever, though he is not active in this role anymore. The wedding celebration would take place in his expat home of eight years: Mexico City.

Thursday: A Pre-Wedding Party in Polanco

The nine million mega city is an 11.5-hour flight away from Munich, with a brief stopover to change planes in Frankfurt. After such a long journey, I was very glad to reach my cozy little hotel in Polanco. This popular district includes more than half a dozen affluent colonias (neighborhoods) of the Mexican capital, located north of large Chapultepec Park, a site of considerable ecological, historical, and cultural importance for the capitalinos.

I arrived on a Thursday night, just in time for the pre-wedding reception hosted by the happy couple. On this occasion, I already ran into several InterNations members, e.g. Maria Piedad, another former Ambassador of our Mexico City Community, who had flown over from her new home in Cork to attend the festivities. And, obviously Danilo, the groom himself, an expatriate from São Paulo, who was about to get married to a wonderful girl from Argentina and had assembled a really cosmopolitan wedding party.

Thursday turned out to be a rather long (or short) night, since the first reception ended with a group of celebrants heading out to keep on partying at Joy Room. The club, discotheque and lounge is a highlight of nightlife in the Distrito Federal and a veritable playground for Mexico’s rich and famous.

Friday: Ambassadors and Consuls

After the celebrations on Thursday, I got to sleep in the following morning. But I had to make it to lunch with our team of current InterNations Ambassadors in the Mexico City Community. As so often when I get to know our most active members in person, I was amazed by their global backgrounds, globe-trotting ways, and international careers.

Heidi from Switzerland – where else could she be from, with a name like this? – is a lawyer by profession, and a bon vivant and opera fan by inclination. She shares her Swiss heritage with her fellow Ambassador David, an entrepreneur with plenty of experience in finance, banking, insurance, and risk management. Hector, their half-Venezuelan, half-Spanish Co-Ambassador, is currently working with an education consulting company to promote exchanges between Latin America and Switzerland.

Only Alexandra, the fourth Ambassador in this large community with over 6,000 members, is an exception to the Swiss connection. She comes from a Spanish-British family and grew up in Spain. This background made it possible for her to move to Mexico City, where she is employed in the pharmaceutical sector and indulges her personal passion for salsa dancing.

The five of us met over lunch and a glass of wine at 2pm. In the business world of Mexico City, plenty of people stop working by three o’clock on a Friday afternoon to have an extended lunch – usually with more than a single glass of fine wine.

To honor this local tradition, we gathered at Pujol, a top-notch restaurant in Polanco, where you can taste their modern elaboration on classic Mexican dishes and traditional ingredients. While I’m no expert when it comes to gourmet dining, I thought that Pujol more than deserves its reputation as one of the 50 best restaurants worldwide.

The long lunch break had barely ended when it was time for my next meeting, this time at a bar in Condesa. Condesa is a half-Yuppie, half-bohemian neighborhood full of beautiful art nouveau and art déco buildings, as well as cafés, bars, and restaurants.

There I had the opportunity to talk to Roland, a German expat living in Mexico City, who is just trying to establish a new InterNations Charity Group in our community. He told me all about the challenges of working with local NGOs, his plans to support Ministerio de Amor (a Mexican charity which helps the many streetchildren in the metropolis), and his ongoing search for a Co-Consul to share this project with. If I was lucky, I thought, I could find a potential candidate at the upcoming Mexico City Event.

Saturday: An International Wedding and an InterNations Event

First things first: On the following day, there was a big wedding to celebrate. The reception was hosted in a country club in Polanco, on a beautiful spring afternoon. After the “official” part was over, quite a few guests could not sit still any longer. The dancing started early and went on for a long, long time. I would have loved to stay until the very end, when everyone had worn out their dancing shoes, but the InterNations Mexico City Event took place on the same night.

So I had to leave by 10 pm and make my way to the rooftop garden of the Hilton Hotel for our get-together. A big thank you to James from the Hilton staff for creating such a nice ambience, to our sponsor Heineken for providing a DJ as well as special treats (kegs of beer ) for our prize raffle, and, of course, to our great Ambassador team for organizing it all!

During a short speech, I was able to thank them all and to name the lucky winners among our guests. I also seized the opportunity to announce our plans for the Charity Group project. Later on, a member indeed approached me to ask about the role of Consul for this group. Nothing’s official yet, but let’s keep our fingers crossed. Hopefully, we can soon kick off the latest InterNations Charity Group in Mexico City.

Saturday: A Brief Tour of Mexico City

On Sunday, I then returned to the fold of the wedding guests. The bride and groom had generously organized a guided bus tour for their visitors from abroad. During the trip, we got to see the districts of Polanco and Condesa, as well as the Zona Rosa, another picturesque cosmopolitan neighborhood, which owes its name to the many pink-colored villas in the vicinity.

We passed by Zócalo, the historic main square, where mariachi musicians were waiting for a paying audience, the Teatro Municipal, and the Casa Azul, the former residence of Frida Kahlo, which now houses a museum dedicated to Mexico’s most visionary artist.

Luckily, I just about made it back to the airport to catch my flight home to Germany. Phew. It had been a great visit, though a tad stressful. As I tried to take a nap on the plane, I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of envy for the other wedding guests: Most of them were to join a one-week beach holiday in Cancún on Monday. But while I was still day-dreaming about tropical resorts and pristine white sands, I must have dozed off after all…

(Photo credits: 1) Lago Menor Chapultepec by Wikimedia Commons user Thelmadatter, 2) & 3) Heidi Putscher, 4) Malte Zeeck/InterNations)

Filed under: InterNations News on April 25th, 2013 | No Comments »

This week, InterNations has a birthday to celebrate!

One year ago, our Activity Groups saw the light of day. The InterNations team members officially created the first of these groups on April 17, 2012.

What’s This All About?

Some of you may now be wondering: What’s an Activity Group anyway? For those members who haven’t joined one yet, here is what our activities are all about:

Our Activity Groups are created and organized by the members themselves, as smaller spaces dedicated to various hobbies and interests. They cover a wide range of leisure activities and professional themes, offering something to expats from all walks of life. From expat athletes to bookworms, from young party people to best agers – each of these groups has their own local niche to plan regular meet-ups in their InterNations Community.

Fun with Figures

At first, the Activity Groups were launched only in five of our biggest Local Communities to see if members liked the concept and showed sufficient interest in trying something new. So, we started out with InterNations Activities in Beijing, Brussels, Dubai, Istanbul, and of course, Munich, home to the InterNations HQ.

But where are we now, after one year? Well, to use a bit of understatement, there was enough interest indeed. We’ve asked the staff members of our Activity Groups team to provide some stats to sum up their success.

How many Local Communities have got their own Activity Groups now? – 270, give or take, from Abidjan to Zurich.

And how many Activity Groups are there in total? – A whopping 1,850.

Which InterNations Community can boast the most Activity Groups then? – That’s our local Munich Community, with more than 80 groups at the moment.

Where can we find the Activity Group with the highest number of members?

Again, in Munich. This is the Munich Alpine Division, which is a record-holder in several respects. It is also the oldest of our groups and thus the #1 in our internal classification. Today, it unites 1,500 expats and locals in the Munich area who love hiking, skiing, and mountaineering in the beautiful Bavarian Alps.

And if I don’t live anywhere near Munich? Where are some other lively Activity Groups?

Oh, there’s plenty going on in other expat hotspots, too. For obvious reasons, the Activity Groups in the first five Local Communities tend to be the biggest since they are also the oldest. In Istanbul, the Singles Club attracts its fair share of lonely hearts while in Dubai, Professional Networking is our most popular activity.

The Brussels DinnerNations people – over 1,000 of them! – love exploring the cuisine of the Belgian capital, beyond waffles and French fries, and the Brussels Galleries & Exhibitions group, which brings almost 700 art lovers together, deserves a shout-out, too. In Beijing, on the other hand, music seems to be a favorite – the Live Music fans attend plenty of gigs together, from swing dance to gothic industrial rock.

But are the groups with the most members automatically the most active ones?

Well, not always. Many of the larger groups do organize a lot of regular meetings, but a few smaller ones literally give them a run for their money. Our Running Groups in Houston and São Paulo “only” have 50 and 130 members respectively, but these runners are really busy and can’t do without their training!

What about the folks behind the scenes? Have they ever attended an InterNations Activity?

Certainly! In fact, every member of the Activity Groups team has already been out and about. Dominik and Franziska participated in some activities of our Munich Charity Group, which helps to support the residents of a local home for refugees and asylum-seekers.

Christin went skiing together with the people from the aforementioned Munich Alpine Division, and Susanne joined the Jazz, Pop, and World Music Club for a live concert. So they could all see for themselves what they help daily to coordinate.

Last But Certainly Not Least

Most of all, the success of our Activity Groups is due to our Group Consuls – those members who moderate and maintain the groups, and host activities as well. A big thank you to every single one of you! We couldn’t have done it without you.

Interested? If you’d like to become a Group Consul, too, you can simply create an Activity Group in your InterNations Community. Or if you’d rather give selected groups a try, check out the local Activity Groups section.

Now it’s up to you to show up and have fun. Enjoy!

(Photo credits: 1, 3, 4: InterNations; 2: Germany Bavaria Alps Road by Wikimedia Commons user RRKennison)

Filed under: InterNations News on April 22nd, 2013 | No Comments »

The Cultureur is a mixture between luxury travel blog and online cultural magazine, which went live in summer 2012. As this site might be of interest to all global minds with a taste for the fine things in life, we have interviewed its globe-trotting founder and editor.

1) Please tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you originally from? What’s your background?

A little bit about myself… to start with, I’m from California, born and raised in Orange County. Up until last year, I was living abroad for the past seven years, moving around from London to New Delhi to Berlin to Paris, and loving every minute of it (looking forward to returning to expat life soon!).

I have a Master’s from the London School of Economics and I’m pursuing my JD/MBA in a few months. Talk to me about travel, social media, global cultures, good food and wine (cocktails definitely count!), international development, and/or fashion, and I’m all ears!

2) When and why did you decide to start blogging about your many experiences abroad?

I pretty much started The Cultureur on a whim in August 2012. On one hand, it seems like just yesterday I was buying the domain and pushing the “publish” button for my very first post, but on another note, it seems like I’ve been doing it forever! But either way, I’m loving the whole learning process, and I’m so grateful for the overwhelming response and support that I have received over the last seven months.

When I think about it, the creation of The Cultureur was a subconscious decision that had been brewing for many years. I’ve been freelance writing for various online and print publications for the past several years and have always wanted to start my own magazine, and in our self-publishing era, it’s as easy as ever now!

Another deciding factor was that I was always the travel consultant for friends and family, and I would always be asked about best hotels, restaurants, things to do/see, etc., so I figured it would be easier to direct everyone to one website that contained all my tips, stories, and ideas, instead of sending out emails every time someone had a question.

Once I got started, I began realizing things about my own travel style, and refining my goal for what I wanted to accomplish through this new venture. I wanted not only to chronicle my personal travels and share my stories and experiences with friends and family, but also to fuse my wide array of interests on one platform to inspire the greater public about all the gems and beauty the world has to offer.

As one to seek out the finer things in life, I didn’t want my website to be just another luxury travel blog that is all about the best hotels, restaurants, etc. of my travels. While you’ll find all that jazz, I also wanted to incorporate other areas of interest that included delving into the local culture and bringing light to pressing international social issues that you encounter along the way. It’s for this reason I refer to The Cultureur as a hybrid luxury travel blog and digital cultural magazine. Given the nature of the content, my mantra is to inform, inspire, and incite.

3) Which topics do you cover regularly? Is there one topic that is especially important to you, and why?

To be honest, I cover a wide variety of topics, all that interests me and all that is important to me, spanning ideas of classic luxury travel to international development to local culture. Like I mentioned earlier, The Cultureur is not just another luxury travel blog where you’ll only find the top hotels and restaurants around the world. My purpose through the site is to introduce a redefined idea of luxury that lies at the cusp of local culture and classic luxury travel, and to create a network of socially-conscious travelers that focus on the overall experience, rather than just the appearance of a destination.

I strongly refute the idea that staying at five-star hotels or dining at upscale restaurants makes you any less cultured or informed about the destination, as my travel style aims to combine the best of both worlds. While you’ll see me staying at Hôtel de Crillon in Paris and dining at Michelin-starred Alinea in Chicago, you will also find me teaching English in the slums of New Delhi, driving down unpaved roads on a safari in Uganda, and sampling some of the best street food Mexico City has to offer (even if it made me sick the next day!).

4) Do you have any favorite blog entries that you’d like to recommend to all new readers?

I’d say all of them! Ha. I can be an out of control perfectionist sometimes, meaning I’ll fret over every single word, comma, and idea before I publish my posts. For that reason, it is my hope that through every post, the overwhelming passion for travel and all that it brings radiates through every written word.

But still, for starters, I’d love to direct your attention to: 1) 5 DOs and DON’Ts in Paris; 2) Empowered by the Red-Light District in New Delhi; and 3) Berlin: A Culinary Melting Pot.

5) In which countries have you lived for a longer time? Did you enjoy a particular destination most, and why?

I’ve lived in the United States, United Kingdom, India, France, and Germany for extended periods of time and in multiple capacities—work, studying abroad in college, Master’s degree, volunteering, etc. And to be honest, I’ve loved all my experiences!

From studying abroad in New Delhi to being a Fulbright journalism scholar in Berlin to working at the U.S. Mission to UNESCO in Paris, each adventure has been wildly unique and incredibly memorable. Not only has every experience given me a bank of insider tips on the local culture, but it has also given me an incredible opportunity to probe different facets of my personality and to uncover new interests, passions, and aspirations.

6) What are your favorite travel destinations? Do you have a couple of insider tips for them?

Having been to more than 40 different countries, this is a question I’m asked often, and one that I always find a bit troubling because every place has its unique beauty and dose of fabulousness, if you just allow yourself to see it. With that said, if I absolutely had to choose my top destinations that would never cease to pique my interest, London and Paris would most definitely top the list.

Considering both cities are wildly popular and almost always on the mainstream radar of travelers, my advice is to not just see famous Paris/London, but to create your own Paris/London. Look beyond the clichéd itineraries and venture off the beaten path to find hidden gems that even your guidebook would be envious of. Both cities are buzzing with eclectic personalities and interesting styles, making them both prime destinations to people-watch and soak up the local culture. So indulge!

7) What’s your dream journey that you haven’t got around to making yet?

I don’t know why, but my dream destination is Iceland. I’ve been fascinated by the country ever since I learned about it in geography class in school. I have tried to make that trip happen three times now, and every time I’ve had to cancel, either because of volcano eruptions or personal emergencies. I realize this could be a sign from the heavens, but I’m determined as hell to go one day. The Blue Lagoon is calling my name—I can hear it! Fourth time’s a charm, right?

8) Last but not least: what’s the most important thing that you have learned while abroad?

Better question is what haven’t I learned from traveling? It’s the constant discovery about the world we live in and the high level of introspection that accompanies each experience that fuels my globetrotting drive. After my first expat experience, I quickly learned that travel was not just a hobby, but a lifestyle for me.

(Photocredit: Nyssa@The Cultureur.com 1) The editor herself 2) Guzzling down tacos in Mexico City 3) Berlin Fashion Week)

Filed under: Adventures Abroad, Expat Interviews, InterNations Recommends on April 16th, 2013 | No Comments »

“It was as true as taxes is. And nothing’s truer than them.” Or so a character in Charles Dickens’ popular classic David Copperfield claims. Taxation is certainly unavoidable in many a country, and doing your taxes, at home as well as abroad, is often associated with the current season.

In various places, income tax returns are due during the spring months. In the US, the deadline is looming on the horizon on April 15. As for Germany, residents have some more weeks to get their tax records in order, and in neighboring France, taxpayers should hand in this year’s déclaration de revenus on May 27.

Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

Unless you are among the happy few living in a global tax haven like Monaco or the Bahamas, filing your taxes will not go away while you are living abroad. For expats, the annual income tax return may bring about additional complications. Preparing your relocation involves a lot of items on your to-do list. Your future income tax payments might be the last thing on your mind at that moment.

Nonetheless, if you are planning ahead while you are on the move, you can avoid unpleasant surprises later on. For example, you won’t have to pay penalties for late tax returns as the deadline abroad was much sooner than in your usual country of residence. Or you won’t be sitting in your new home overseas, surrounded by confusing forms in a language that you cannot read fluently, with your taxes due in two days…

So, what’s an expatriate taxpayer to do? First of all, try to find out your obligations in your country of origin once you know you’ll be going abroad. You could be required to do your taxes when leaving your country and upon your return. Alternatively, you may still need to file an annual tax return, no matter where you are residing. For instance, US citizens and alien residents have to send yearly updates to the IRS, even if they are actually expats.

The Definition of Fiscal Residency

List the countries where you have recently lived and where you are going to live in the near future, plus the duration of your stay. This helps you determine where you count as a resident for tax purposes.

Generally speaking, fiscal residency applies if you live over 183 days in a specific country within a tax year. Local legislation may include other criteria, such as the concept of “habitual abode”. It exists, for example, in German fiscal law, creating exceptions to the “183 days” rule of thumb.

Your status of fiscal residency often has implications for filing your taxes in a certain country. Let us take, say, Singapore. The Southeast Asian city state is known for its fairly moderate income tax rates. The maximum rate of 20% only affects fiscal residents in the highest income bracket. However, non-residents are taxed at a flat rate of either 15% or 20% on all their income.

Other countries rely on your immigration status in addition to the basic definition of fiscal residency. In Australia, for instance, expats with a temporary visa are exempt from selected kinds of taxation: Among other things, you needn’t pay taxes on your foreign investment income. Of course, plenty of countries have so-called “expat clauses” in their tax laws which grant all sorts of exemptions.

Global vs. Territorial Taxation, National vs. Local Taxes

Usually, the decision as to what kind of income needs to be taxed where is determined by basic definitions in local tax laws.

The “global principle” of taxation requires you to pay taxes on your income from all sources worldwide. The “territorial principle”, on the other hand, prescribes that only the income from sources in the same country is subject to taxation. Thus, expat residents of Germany are taxed on their worldwide income, while anyone living in Malaysia must pay tax on Malaysian-sourced income only, e.g. on their salary from a job in Kuala Lumpur.

It can help to draw up a list of your income sources when you go abroad, to see which tax laws and principles could conceivably apply. This list should include all assets beyond regular income sources as well. Such assets as motor vehicles or real estate can oblige you to pay other taxes. If you are planning to own a car abroad, you won’t get around vehicle tax in most places. Purchasing a house overseas – even if it’s owner-occupied – normally necessitates property tax, etc.

You should familiarize yourself with the rough outline of the tax system in your future country of residence. For example, if regular duties for owning a motor vehicle are kept purposefully high, like in tiny, crowded Singapore, you may rethink your stance on public transport.

Or, if there is a multi-tiered income tax system, choosing your new house carefully can literally pay off. In the US, there is no state-level income tax in Nevada – but you have to pay up across the border in California. In small Switzerland, each of the 26 cantons has different income tax rates on the regional and even communal level.

Tax Benefits and Tax Treaties

Living abroad may also grant you unexpected tax benefits – or you can lose deductions you are used to. If a same-sex couple with an officially registered civil partnership moves from Germany across the Channel, they will profit from the Married Couple’s Allowance in UK tax legislation. However, tax cuts for civil partnerships are still being discussed in Germany. There are countless such differences among the various kinds of tax deductions available worldwide.

What it is most important when it comes to international tax legislation are the so-called DTAs (Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements), also known as bilateral tax treaties. As the official name implies, their purpose consists in mitigating the effects of double taxation. Taxpayers should be able to avoid having to tax the same income twice, in two different countries, or their financial burden should at least be minimized.

Good to Know!

If you are about to move abroad, contact your local tax office to find out if your country of origin has signed and ratified a DTA with your destination and what the agreement stipulates. While you’re at it, use this opportunity to enquire if there’s a dedicated contactperson for expatriate citizens: Make sure to have their contact details in your luggage.

Abroad, it will be just as useful to know where the nearest tax office is. Who should you talk to for advice? Is there any official help for foreign residents? Can they provide an interpreter if they are language problems, etc.?

If all else fails – or if you have a bit of cash to spare – there is one option to make the expat taxpayer’s life a lot easier. Start looking for an international tax consultant, and let them deal with easing your monetary burden!

What are your best tips for expats filing their tax return during their new life abroad?

(Disclaimer: This blog entry contains general information about international tax laws and expat taxation. The information is not legal or professional advice and should not be treated as such.

Photo credits: 1) Official logo of the US Internal Revenue Service, public domain 2) “Two Tax Collectors”, by Flemish artist Marinus van Reymerswaele (1490/95-1546?), public domain 3) German Einkommenssteuererklärung (Income Tax Return 2009) by Wikimedia Commons user Sven Teschke)

Filed under: Expat Advice on April 9th, 2013 | No Comments »

Finally, spring is here! Well, at least for those living in the Northern Hemisphere. Theoretically speaking. When looking out the window at the InterNations office, I see an icy parking lot covered in snow. Unfortunately, the weather here in Munich didn’t get the memo that the astronomical equinox on March 21st marks the beginning of spring. The snow seems here to stay, though it’s already the week before Easter.

Speaking of Easter: regardless of the weather, around the globe millions of people are celebrating or preparing for various festivals associated with springtime. Which important religious and cultural festivities will be taking place from March to early May?

Nowruz: The Persian New Year

Last week did not only see the March equinox. The date coincides with Nowruz, a spring festival of Persian origin that is about 3,000 years old. The name means ‘new day’ or ‘new light’, and Nowruz is thought to go back to ancient Indo-Iranian agricultural rites. However, over the millennia, it has become a significant part of Persian culture, as well as several faiths.

Today, Nowruz still designates the beginning of the year for countless people in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Caucasus region, Central Asia, large parts of Pakistan, and the Kurdish community in Turkey. The best-known custom associated with Nowruz is the traditional table setting called Haft Seen. When the family gathers to pray and/or celebrate, symbolic items and dishes are laid out to bring good fortune and blessings for the upcoming year, e.g. apples for beauty and health, garlic for medicine, and sweet pudding for wealth.

Pesach: The Jewish Passover Week

A highly symbolical table setting also plays a major part during Seder, the ritual feast that starts off the Jewish Passover (or Pesach) week. According to the Jewish lunar calendar, the seven or eight days of celebrations start on the 14th or 15th Nisan – which corresponds to the 25th or 26th March this year. Before that astronomical date was defined, Passover was set in a more seasonal rhythm during biblical times when the exact day depended on the ripening of grain in the fields.

The allegorical Seder plate, with such essential items as unleavened bread, bitter herbs, and a piece of sacrificial lamb, refers to the story of divine delivery from slavery in Egypt, as told in the Book of Exodus. Among observant Jews, the Passover meal has a highly structured schedule that involves a retelling of the biblical story, as well as instruction for the attending children.

Easter: Of Bells and Bunnies

According to Christian tradition, the origins of Easter are often connected to the Passover festival. The Last Supper before the Crucifixion is said to have been a celebration of the Jewish Seder meal, though this explanation is not accepted by all scholars or Christian denominations. But it lives on in the word for ‘Easter’ in many languages, e.g. Pâques (French), Pascua (Spanish), or Påske (Danish), which derive from the Hebrew term Pesach.

Be that as it may, the Easter holidays – whose date varies according to a lunar calendar – commemorate the suffering and celebrate the resurrection of Christ. In Western Christianity, e.g. among Roman-Catholics, Lutherans, and Anglicans, Easter Sunday falls on March 31st this year. Of course, there are many folkloric and secular customs associated with Easter in various countries.

Decorated eggs are especially popular in Central and Eastern Europe, from Germany to Ukraine, and plenty of kids all over the world receive chocolate eggs and candy from the “Easter Bunny”. But did you know that in traditional French and Dutch lore, it’s the church bells that bring sweet gifts for Easter? Or that one of the most popular activities of the Easter season in Norway is Påskekrim – ‘Easter crime fiction’ – a variety of murder mysteries published in spring?

Holi: The Hindu Festival of Colors

Before a great part of the world is going to celebrate Easter this weekend, millions of celebrants in South Asia and the desi diaspora will enjoy Holi on Wednesday and Thursday. The Hindu spring festivities mark the end of the winter season in India and Nepal, as well as among the Hindu communities of Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Holi is usually traced back to agricultural rites and/or to a Bengali festival in honor of the deity Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu, one of the Supreme Gods in the pantheon. Moreover, Hindu mythology relates Holi to Vishnu’s protection of his devout follower Prahlada from the demon king Hiranyakashipu and his equally demonic sister Holika – hence the name.

Across the globe, however, Holi is probably best known as the “festival of colors”. While there are plenty of different regional Holi traditions, people splashing each other with powder and water in bright colors is a near-universal favorite. The colored powder is supposed to represent the abundant colors of a cheerful new season, while Holika Dahan bonfires are lit in remembrance of Vishnu’s victory over the forces of evil.

Others Dates in the Worldwide Festival Calendar

In mid-April then, around the 14th, other parts of South Asia and Southeast Asia usher in the Tamil and Sinhalese New Year, and Thailand witnesses the joyful water fights and traditional Buddha image processions of Songkran, their own New Year’s Day. The latter, in turn, is frequently linked to similar holidays in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, where the year begins in the middle of April as well.

And once these festivals are barely over, it’ll be Easter all over again! Due to their adherence to the Julian calendar, the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches, e.g. in Greece, Russia, and Ethopia, do not observe Easter until the 5th of May 2013…

Which of all these holidays, if any, do you celebrate? And what are your favorite related customs?

(Photo credits: 1) Iranian New Year Haft Sin by flickr user Hamed Saber 2) Seder Plate by the Jewish Museum New York 3) Easter Bunny Postcard 1900, public domain 4) Shop selling colours for Holi, Old Delhi by flickr user Eliza Raschke)

Filed under: Traditions and Customs around the World on March 26th, 2013 | 3 Comments »