InterNations Blog

In last week’s blog post, we introduced the best (and worst) cities for expat life in 2014. Thus, it’s only fitting that we’re taking a closer look at the worldwide cost of living today. We are examining the results of the latest EIU Cost of Living Study and how helpful they are for individual expats.

If you want to indulge in luxury, pack your belongings and move to Singapore. At least, that’s what the Economist Intelligence Unit claims. According to their latest cost of living index, the Southeast Asian city state is the priciest expat hotspot on the globe.

Every year for the past three decades, the EIU has published a yearly survey, ranking up to 140 international cities in 93 countries, based on what expat executives need to pay in order to maintain their lifestyle.

In the 2014 study, the top ten costliest destinations are as follows:

• Singapore (Singapore)
• Paris (France)
• Oslo (Norway)
• Zurich (Switzerland)
• Sydney (Australia)
• Geneva (Switzerland)
• Caracas (Venezuela)
• Melbourne (Australia)
• Tokyo (Japan)
• Copenhagen (Denmark)

In Singapore, this list has caused quite a stir among the concerned public: it fits neatly into ongoing debates about rising living expenses and the resulting worries among the local population. After all, Singapore is often called “the Switzerland of Asia” for a reason.

It’s hardly surprising, either, that two cities in actual Switzerland have made the list, or that Norway and Japan make an appearance: all these countries are known for forcing residents to dig deep into their pockets.

In some other ways, however, the ranking seems a bit counter-intuitive. What on Earth makes the Venezuelan capital such an unaffordable place?

Once you move a little further down the list, the bafflement continues: Is Frankfurt (Germany) on #11 so much more expensive than both London and NYC? Is Mumbai in India on the very last rank (#131) really the cheapest metropolis ever?

If we review the survey methodology, we might clear up some of the confusion. The EIU researchers have compared about 400 prices for 160 products or services across a dozen different categories, from groceries over utilities and rental costs to leisure activities.

Each price is converted into USD, and then the items are weighted according to a unified pattern. For the final ranking, the price of staple foods, for example, is of much greater importance than, say, the expenses for concert tickets.

However, as just mentioned, the weighting scale for the items is indeed the same everywhere. This, in turn, assumes that spending patterns remain the same around the globe.

One of the survey’s original purposes is to help companies decide upon the cost-of-living allowances for their foreign assignees. Expats on international assignments – thus the argument – should have the financial means to live in the same manner, with the same kinds of goods, as they would back home.

Obviously, this reasoning doesn’t account for the different lifestyles among local residents, nor does it take into consideration that expatriates, too, often adjust their way of life to various circumstances.

One of the reasons cited for Singapore’s #1 ranking are the extremely high transport costs, due to the prohibitive expenses associated with owning a car. Now it’s true that ownership of a vehicle is a downright extravagance in Singapore. But in a fairly diminutive state with a well-developed public transport network, plenty of expats will think twice about their need for speed and switch to the MRT railway system instead.

What is more, the fact that all prices are converted to US dollars and compared to New York City as a base poses another fundamental problem. For instance, the Venezuelan bolívar is officially pegged to US currency: 1 US dollar is worth 6.3 VEB. Emphasis on “officially”.

As the country has been suffering from high inflation for years, the reality looks rather different. On the black market, you’ll get far more favorable exchange rates for your dollar, which means that Caracas should be a lot further down the list.

Of course, Venezuela – a country plagued by currency depreciation and violent unrest – is an extreme example. Still, the conversion to US dollars means that fluctuating exchange rates can cause changes in rank just as much as actual price increases or reductions do.

If you’re worried about your actual expenses after an impending move, rankings such as the EIU one aren’t actually false, but they can be misleading. Above all, they don’t replace the need some for in-depth research according to your personal situation!

(Image credit: 1) iStockphoto.com 2) Sunrise, Marina Bay, Singapore by Mohd Kamal 3) 100 Bolívar Banknote by Cleiberlopez)

Filed under: Polls & Surveys, Press & Media on March 6th, 2014 | No Comments »

InterNations takes a closer look at the highest-ranking — and lowest-ranking — international destinations in the Mercer Quality of Living Survey 2014.

What kind of qualities should you bring to the table so you can enjoy expat life in the most livable cities worldwide? It might come in handy to have some German language skills – or to really love hobbits. Being a fan of ice hockey might also do in a pinch. Just kidding!

However, the expatriate hotspots with the (allegedly) highest quality of life around the globe are indeed clustered in a number of specific countries, i.e. Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, as well as New Zealand and Canada.

Every year, Mercer, a global HR consulting firm, conducts both a big cost of living and an in-depth quality of life survey. The data for the latter were collected last November, and the results were published only recently for the Mercer City Ranking 2014.

The Mercer team gathers detailed information on nearly 40 factors from 10 different categories that all influence the quality of living in a particular place. These factors can be political and social (e.g. safety and crime), economic, socio-cultural (e.g. degree of personal freedom), or medical (e.g. healthcare, health risks). Moreover, they assess local infrastructure, education, opportunities for leisure activities, housing, availability of consumer goods, and the natural environment (e.g. climate, special hazards).

All these variables determine the overall “livability” of a city for foreign assignees, expat executives, and their families. Depending on such rankings, personnel sent on certain assignments may or may not get a so-called “hardship allowance” as part of their relocation package. But for moving to the top destinations, no such financial incentive seems to be necessary.

The five highest-ranking cities in the current Mercer table include:

• Vienna (Austria)
• Zurich (Switzerland)
• Auckland (New Zealand)
• Munich (Germany)
• Vancouver (Canada)

Other cities from the same countries make up nearly all of the first 15 to 25 places in the league table: Swiss metropolises Geneva and Bern are to be found on rank 8 and 13, respectively; Düsseldorf (#6) and Frankfurt (#7) aren’t far below Munich, while Berlin and Hamburg still show up among Mercer’s top twenty.

Canada is further represented with Ottawa (#14), Toronto (#15), and Montreal (#23) – all of which are soundly beaten by Kiwi capital Wellington (#12).

The European cities in particular received glowing recommendations for their general stability and safety, infrastructure and healthcare services, as well as recreational facilities. In addition, Canada and New Zealand both have breathtaking natural beauty to offer. Of course, in Munich, Vienna, and Zurich the awe-inspiring scenery of the Alps is less than a day’s journey away.

On the other end of the scale, the lowest rankings go – rather unsurprisingly – to places greatly affected by poverty, natural disasters, social unrest, and war.
Brazzaville (Republic of Congo) was the theatre of a bloody civil war in the late 1990s, and the local infrastructure still hasn’t recovered from its aftermath. Sana’a, the Yemeni capital, regularly appears as a “no-go area” in travel warnings, due to the high risk of terrorist incidents and targeted kidnappings.

N’Djamena (Chad) is unfortunately (in)famous for being one of the poorest and most corrupt cities in the world, and Bangui (Central African Republic) is plagued by similar problems. After a putsch in the CAR about one year ago, the political situation remains unstable, and the city’s infrastructure is more or less non-existent. Even in the capital, a lack of water, electricity, and phone connections are often the norm.

On the last rank of all 223 Mercer cities, there’s Baghdad (Iraq) – still one of the most dangerous cities in the world, where only the International Zone provides a certain measure of safety for the foreign community. It’s a long way from drinking coffee in a Viennese café along the River Danube to the River Tigris, where armed guards are part of many people’s daily routine…

(Photo credit: 1) Michaelerplatz, Vienna by Marek Ślusarczyk 2) Town Hall, Zürich by Roland Zh 3) Devonport, Auckland by Ronnie Macdonald)

Filed under: Adventures Abroad, Moving to Another Country, Polls & Surveys on February 27th, 2014 | No Comments »

Since the new year 2014 is barely two months old, many of us are still considering new beginnings. If your new beginning involves working abroad as an expat woman, this is exciting news and you are in good company.

There is a projected boom in the number of expats over the next few years, due to organizations recognizing the value of developing leaders who intimately understand business at an international level. As you consider the option to work and live abroad, we would like to share some advice from women who have already taken the leap.

Here are some thoughts that WiSER (Women in Senior-level Expatriate Roles) have shared with us on things to consider before accepting an expatriate assignment.

Think it through: Think deeply about the implications of moving to a wholly new environment.

Find an assignment that is a good cultural fit for you and your family: It is essential to do your homework in order to truly understand the market and other relevant variables, including safety, living conditions, schools, proximity to daily activities, and so forth.

Find a female-friendly employer: If you are considering an employer who provides international opportunities, it is also important to determine whether it has a corporate culture where female employees are encouraged to identify their goals and then helped to achieve them.

Make sure your family supports you: You need to think whether or not this is a good move for your family because it does change and impact everyone in the family. Without familial support from your partner and your children, your chances of succeeding will be undermined.

Make sure it is your personal choice, not just a career move: Despite the obvious career advantages of accepting an international assignment, you want to make an authentic decision. There is too much at stake and the impact on everybody involved is so big. We’d recommended you to rather not take on an international assignment if, deep down, it is not what you want.

Even if it has not been your lifelong plan, working abroad can be an excellent fit: Even if you have never seriously considered working abroad, you should examine the possibility. Remember: We rarely regret what we have tried, but we may well regret what we haven’t tried.

It’s okay to have doubts: Despite their success in international roles, the women we interviewed revealed that they were occasionally plagued by doubts about their decision to accept an expatriate assignment.

These are what you might refer as the “preconditions” for embarking upon an international assignment. Do you have any other considerations to add? Please let us know.

Sapna Welsh and Caroline Kersten met in Bonn, Germany, as they moved there from the US and the Netherlands respectively, about four and a half years ago. With similar backgrounds in human resources and business in the international arena, they decided to take full advantage of their time in Germany to better understand women in the global workforce.

They joined forces at Leverage HR to help fast track women to the top. Moreover, they have also collaborated on their book “Worldly Women: the New Leadership Profile”.

Filed under: Expat Advice, Expat Women, Guest Author, International Workdays on February 20th, 2014 | 2 Comments »

Amelie, manager of the InterNations Ambassadors & Events team, recently seized the opportunity to meet up with some of our Ambassadors and visit one of the most beautiful towns in northwestern Europe.

Diamonds are a girl’s best friends? If that quote from a classic Marilyn Monroe movie should contain a grain of truth, I definitely came to the right place last weekend: On Saturday, in the early hours of the morning, I set out for Antwerp – Belgium’s second largest city, famous for its role in the international diamond trade. Sadly, however, my trip didn’t involve even the slightest bit of jewelry shopping.

In fact, I was looking forward to meeting the InterNations Ambassadors from our Local Communities in the Belgian cities of Antwerp, Brussels, and Gent, as well as Eindhoven just across the Dutch border. We had agreed to have dinner together in Antwerp on Saturday night, and that’s why I found myself on a flight to Brussels and then on a train bound to Antwerp.

At Brussels Airport, I felt rather proud of myself when I could make good use of my slightly rusty French skills from my high school days. However, since Antwerp belongs to Belgium’s Flemish community, I was a bit lost with the language there. I grew up in the west of Germany, fairly close to the Dutch border. But the kind of Dutch I used to know as a kid turned out to be quite different from Flemish, especially regarding pronunciation. Fortunately, as a tourist, you can safely stick to English!

I checked in at my hotel, which was not far from Antwerp’s impressive central station. I’ve never given much thought to railway architecture, or thought that a train station, of all places, could be particularly pretty, but that was one of the most beautiful station buildings I’d ever seen. Antwerp’s historical center in general is highly picturesque, and I appreciated that it was within walking distance of the hotel. So was the famous Antwerp Zoo, but I couldn’t squeeze a visit into my busy schedule.

Instead, I took a stroll through the historical part of town, past the Rubens House, to Grote Markt, the main square, with its monumental Renaissance city hall, a stunning Gothic cathedral, and the many guildhouses testifying to the wealth of Antwerp’s merchants and burghers. Of course, there are also plenty of cafés and bakeries selling delicious Belgian-style waffles. No visit would be complete without having a bite.

After my mid-morning snack, I briefly refreshed back at the hotel, and then I met Rachele and Caterina, the InterNations Antwerp Ambassadors, for coffee and Flemish appeltaart at a nearby shopping mall. Both of these friendly ladies gave up their native Italy for Belgium a while ago, and they are now taking good care of our expat community in Antwerp. We chatted about local life, sharing tips and tricks for developing the rapidly growing InterNations Community even further.

After our pleasant “coffee klatch”, I headed straight for the dinner venue in the southern part of town. The restaurant, Bizie Lizie, was a trendy brasserie in the best Belgian tradition, and I waited to welcome Praxedes and Joaquim from Gent for a little pre-dinner aperitif.

Praxedes, a Filipino-American lady, and Joaquim, a Spanish consultant from Catalonia’s capital, both settled in Gent around the same time, back in February 2013. They are very much interested in supporting other new arrivals and new members of our Local Community. Gent is one of the “rising stars” among our smaller communities, and we therefore discussed the next steps for community development.

While we were still talking, we were joined by InterNations Ambassadors Eric and Maria from our bustling, 22,000-member (!) community in Brussels. Later on, our little group was complete when Caterina and Rachele returned, and Anthonius arrived from Eindhoven in the Netherlands. Our party of eight even had a room of our own for a private dinner at Bizie Lizie.

The brasserie’s menu introduced me to such typical Flemish/Dutch starters as vleeskroket and kaaskroket, croquettes filled with meat ragout or cheese. Over local specialties – lots of savory dishes with meat, fish, and, of course, French fries – we exchanged feedback on InterNations and general thoughts on community life.

It was great to finally meet so many Ambassadors in person and to participate in such a lively exchange of ideas! I’ve already assembled a “to do” list for my own work, my team, and others at the InterNations office. My head was nearly buzzing with so much input and so many impressions when I got back to my hotel for the night.

On the following morning, I was up bright and (relatively) early to have breakfast with Anthonius, part of our Ambassador team in the dynamic city of Eindhoven. Just like Gent, Eindhoven belongs to our “rising stars” in Europe, and we talked a lot about best practice tips for moving forward with a changing community. After breakfast, Anthonius kindly offered me a ride to the station, so I could catch my train back to Brussels and my plane to Munich.

All in all, I really enjoyed the opportunity to touch base with so many Ambassadors at once. For your energy and effort, as well as for your warm welcome to Belgium, a heart-felt “thank you”, “danke schön”, “merci” and “dank u wel”!

I also had a lovely first impression of Antwerp, a city I really recommend for a weekend trip or mini-break. I’d have loved to stay longer and would like to be back some day. The diamonds will just have to wait until next time!

(Image credit: 1) Public Domain 2)-5) Amelie Dinges/InterNations)

Filed under: InterNations News, InterNations Team News on February 13th, 2014 | 1 Comment »

The first InterNations Community visits in 2014 took me to Eastern Europe last month – or, to be more precise, to Chisinau (Moldova) and Vilnius (Lithuania), where we’ve got two of our smaller Local Communities. The one in Vilnius has already grown to 1,600 members by now while there are only 600 InterNations members in Moldova’s capital so far.

This time, I traveled together with some team members from our IT department in Munich: We are very much interested in adding to our IT capacity and finding more software engineers to work on our site, especially since the InterNations member base keeps growing and growing. The ICT sector in several Eastern European cities has a very good reputation, and Vilnius and Chisinau are among the prime examples.

However, in other respects, the two capital cities proved to be rather different. The two-hour flight from Munich to Chisinau did not only take us to a different time zone, but also to one of the poorest countries in Europe. Since its independence from Soviet Russia in 1991, Moldova has been through some politically uncertain times.

Roughly speaking, the country’s political scene seems to be torn between the champions of Communism and a strong pro-European faction. Although EU membership is now officially one of Moldova’s priorities, parts of Chisinau appeared to be almost stuck in its Soviet past.

Unfortunately, the city hasn’t yet had the time and resources to refurbish some run-down neighborhoods or to focus more on tourist attractions. When we asked a few residents about local sights we shouldn’t miss out on, the first disheartening reply was: “Nothing to see.”

However, there are plenty of parks throughout Chisinau, and our guides also recommended the verdant countryside, as well as a tour through Moldova’s many wine-growing regions. It’s a pity we didn’t have time for a detour – and that we were there in January, rather than spring or summer.

Our hotel in the city center (the Art Rustic) was definitely a great play to stay, though – a boutique hotel with very individualist décor and a personal touch. We then had lunch at a Gagauzian restaurant, where we got to meet a few prospective IT candidates. (The Gagauz minority are a Turkish-Bulgarian group spread over the Balkans, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.)

In the evening, we tried out the Taifas restaurant, which had been recommended to us as a Moldovan-style place: folkloric decorations, traditional music, heavy food (mainly meat dishes with rich sauces), and a selection of local wines. That tour of Moldovan vineyards would really have been worth it!

On the following day, I met up with our Chisinau Ambassador Al from Iceland at the London Steakhouse in town (they sure do love their meat here!). He is a veritable globe-trotter with a colorful resume.

Al graduated from university in the UK, travelled through Africa, used to work in international finance and has lived in Egypt, Hong Kong, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, and Ukraine before. He moved to Moldova about a year ago, and we had an animated conversation about his expat experience so far. Al seemed really ambitious to organize events and bring the international community in Chisinau together.

Our InterNations Event started later on the same day, at around 6:30 pm at Jack Daniels Bar. About 50 people were in attendance, including the IT guys we’d met earlier and invited to join us – not bad for such a comparatively small community!

We sat down for a nice dinner of grilled dishes (Chisinau must be a rather inconvenient place for vegetarians…), followed by mingling and chatting. Within a few hours, I got to know various interesting members, for example expats from the Netherlands, Turkey, and the US, as well as a few fellow Germans. Later on, the tunes of a live band lured most guests to the dance floor.

The die-hard partygoers then invited us to explore one of Chisinau’s top nightclubs: Drive turned out to be a very vibrant and dynamic venue, with a gleaming and stylish interior, and a lively crowd. For night owls travelling through Eastern Europe, this would be a “must see” recommendation.

Slightly fatigued, we had to return to Munich the following morning. We were leaving Moldova with the distinct impression that there may not be that many sights in Chisinau, but that the country is rich in resources nonetheless – its friendly people not least among them.

Barely one week later, I was on the road again, on my way to Lithuania. Again, I was accompanied by several other team members, since we were still on the lookout for talented software engineers and had scheduled a number of interviews in Vilnius. I’d actually been there before, to attend one of our early InterNations Events back in 2011, and I was excited to see the city once more.

However, I wasn’t quite prepared for the Baltic weather during a cold front in the middle of January: When we arrived, outdoor temperatures were nearly minus 20°C! Fortunately, the sun was shining, providing us with at least a little warmth – though our software developer from Brazil begged to disagree, poor guy.

However, the city was very pretty to look at under the winter sun, the roofs covered with a light dusting of snow. The historic center of Vilnius is a UNESCO World Heritage site for good reason – it unites an impressive array of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and neoclassical architecture.

Our interviews with the IT company, however, took place in an ultra-modern building, a tall glass structure full of offices, which dominates the city’s skyline and gave us a splendid view of the Lithuanian capital. Again, we had some interesting talks with several software developers, who were eager to work on such an exciting project as InterNations.

We were staying at the Comfort Hotel in Vilnius, and it did live up to its name: it was really comfy indeed. Moreover, it was only a short walk from the city center, so, with the freezing temperatures, we didn’t have to go far in search of a nice restaurant.

We had dinner close to the cathedral on Plines Street – a majestic building, which also happens to be the oldest church in Lithuania. At the restaurant, we were rather thankful for the hot and rich food. A steaming dish like zeppelini – Lithuanian dumplings with pork, bacon, and sour cream – is a good choice when it’s chilly outside!

On the following day, we invited the IT developers to our InterNations Event at the Holiday Inn. The hotel manager, Geerd from Belgium, is also an InterNations member and had kindly agreed to hosting our get-together there.

Of course, it was our Ambassador Team in Vilnius that organized the event: Anthony from France has spent plenty of time abroad, on various trips to Bangladesh, Germany, Indonesia, Norway, and Thailand. He moved to Lithuania over six years ago, for personal reasons, and is working in the local garment industry. Shaan was born in India, raised in the US, and now divides his time between Vilnius and London.

I was pretty impressed by their international credentials, and I could also thank our Ambassadors in person for their success at growing the InterNations Community and creating such a relaxed, familial atmosphere at their events. That night, circa 70 members from 20 different countries attended, which made for a bit of a contrast with our huge and kind of busy parties in Munich.

Quite a few of the guests are on the NATO staff or work for various EU organizations, as I found out while circulating and chatting. Meanwhile, our IT team seized the chance to gather some feedback on our online platform directly from our members, which resulted in a fruitful exchange of comments and ideas.

But we weren’t only “all work and no play”! When the official part of the event was winding down, some friendly Vilnius members took us to Pabo Latino, a Latin bar, where we danced the night away to some hot rhythms that defied the icy weather.

All in all, we liked the city a lot. And who knows? Perhaps we’ll soon have a reason to come to Vilnius more often…

(Image credit: 1, 4, 5: Malte Zeeck/InterNations 2: Chisinau Stefan cel Mare Park by Wikimedia Commons user Myrabella 3: Alina Lip 6: Anthony Poullain 7: Vilnius Cathedral at Night by Wikimedia Commons user Juliux)

Filed under: InterNations News, InterNations Team News on February 6th, 2014 | No Comments »

Our guest author Ben uses his new home Hong Kong as a springboard to delve into the beauties of another Asian country…

You get to a new place, and you are so focused on your new job and settling in that you sometimes forget one of the best things about being an expat: the ability to explore a new region of the world. So it’s good to remind yourself every now and then that your new home is a great springboard to jump off to small excursions. One of Hong Kong’s many advantages is being a transit hub and an ideal base for discovering East and Southeast Asia.

How did journalist Pico Iyer once describe traveling? “Traveling is a little bit like falling in love, because suddenly all your senses are switched on.” Recently, I took a couple of days off to visit Malaysia — and wow, what a way to switch on my senses.

As soon as I stepped off the plane, the heat and humidity were like a punch in the face. As I was walking down the steps into the terminal, I could feel the sun’s rays roasting my skin. Hong Kong is hot and humid, too, but Malaysia takes it to a whole new level.

Despite the heat, Kuala Lumpur is a great place to start exploring Southeast Asia because there are cheap flights to about, well, everywhere. KL is also a modern cosmopolitan city, which is well-organized, easy to get around, and has loads of fun things to do. You can find yourself in the middle of sparkling glass skyscrapers in the morning; wandering through a tropical rain forest in the afternoon; dining on a pristine beach while listening to the sea’s enchanting symphony in the evening.

Malaysia is where Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures have intersected for hundreds of years, but also where the Portuguese, Dutch, and English each tried to exert their influence at various times. The mixture is evident in Malaysia’s languages, religions, and architecture. Just walk down a street in any Malaysian city, and you will find colorful Hindu temples, grand Muslim mosques, and smoke-filled Buddhist temples, as well as classic European churches.

But where the diversity really shines is in the food. With such a rich history and mix of cultures, you can find authentic cuisine from all over Asia or discover some of their fusion cousins. I suggest roaming Malaysia’s numerous night markets because that’s where the locals go to eat and you’ll be able to try the best dishes.

I remember strolling through a dark quiet alley, and all of a sudden, the street opened up into a lively market that seemed to materialize out of thin air. It was full of bright lights, people scrambling everywhere, mouth-watering food sizzling on the grill, vibrant flashes of color, and hawker stalls offering various goods as far as the eye could see.

One of the first carts I encountered served freshly made Roti Canai, and it was by far the best I ever ate. It was warm and soft and had the perfect combination of stickiness and flakiness. It was so tasty I had to order another one. I tried a sticky rice dumpling flavored with a blue flower that can only be found in Malaysia. I ate fresh seafood prepared in a Malay-Portuguese style with a subtle Chinese influence. I also sampled some interesting Baba-Nyonya dishes, which is a fusion of Malay and Chinese cooking.

Malaysia’s fascinating history, incredible vistas and, of course, the delicious food made this trip wonderful. But what truly made this journey unforgettable were the friendly and hospitable Malaysian people. They are so happy to help you find your way, recommend some scrumptious local delicacies, or simply strike up a conversation with you on the bus or at a food stall. I still remember each conversation I had with the people I’ve met, their kind demeanor, and warm smiles.

For me, Malaysia was the perfect place to awaken my vagabond spirit. I am already planning my next trip there, which is a good indicator of how much I loved it. I hope that in 2014, you will also have a chance to travel and switch on all your senses.

(Photo credit: Benjamin W.)

Filed under: Adventures Abroad, Guest Author on January 28th, 2014 | 1 Comment »

Last month, InterNations went completely MADD – and we are very happy about this. Don’t worry! You needn’t be concerned for our general sanity. MADD is short for our new “Make a Difference in December!” campaign. Just in time for the holiday season 2013, we initiated community involvement in 16 cities worldwide, from Bangalore to San Salvador.

At various InterNations Events around the globe, we raised funds and donations in kind on behalf of more than 15 non-profit organizations, often cooperating with our established Volunteer Program in the respective communities. All in all, we are proud to announce the following:

• According to our latest numbers, nearly 3,000 members got involved.
• Over €14,500 were donated to charity.
• We received about 300 items, especially toys and books, as Christmas gifts for children in need.

The lion’s share of the donations came from a very impressive campaign organized by the Beijing Activity Group in our Volunteer Program. They invited the members of our Local Community in the Chinese capital to donate goods for a charitable Christmas Bazaar, for example, at our InterNations Christmas Party at the Hotel Kempinski Beijing.

The gifted items were then sold over a period of more than six weeks, from mid-November till early January – thus earning literally thousands of euros for Beijing Stars and Rain, China’s first NGO dedicated to children with autism and their families. On behalf of these kids and their parents, we’d like to send a heart-felt xièxie (‘thank you’) to everyone who contributed to this effort!

Moreover, we also want to thank all the people in plenty of other communities who shared their time, money, or effort to make the holiday season a little brighter for others, particularly for impoverished and disadvantaged children, people with disabilities, and refugee families.

More “Make a Difference in December!” Events and Activities took place, for instance, in Bangalore, Beirut, Budapest, Cologne, Dallas, Heidelberg, Lusaka, Miami, Minneapolis, Panama City, Quito, and San Salvador.

In Munich, seat of the InterNations Office, our Activity Group came up with a prize raffle to benefit the residents of a local accommodation for refugees from warzones like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. The support for Santropol Roulant Montréal, a meals-on-wheels organization assisting the elderly, met with great approval from the NPO, and the Lima Community’s donation drive for the Peruvian Westfalia Orphanage even made the headlines in the English-language expat press.

Not only are we proudly looking back on our achievements; we are also planning ahead for 2014. There will probably be a bigger and even more successful repeat performance of “Make a Difference in December!” at the end of this year. However, let’s not forget that there are always other people in urgent need of aid and assistance – not only during the festive season, but each and every day.

If you’d like to offer your help and have a positive impact on society, here’s your chance to “give back” to your community. Read more about the InterNations Volunteer Program and see if there is a group in your city, where you can collect donations, come up with ideas for fundraising drives, go for a “hands-on” approach, or become a mentor for someone.

As British statesman Winston Churchill once famously said: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

(Image credit: 1) Grace Yane 2) Vicky Bokengo 3) Penelope Wan)

Filed under: International Aid, InterNations Events & Activities, InterNations News on January 22nd, 2014 | No Comments »

One of the most popular small talk topics among new arrivals in Munich is – no, not their alpine exploits in the nearby mountains, or even the quantity of beer they may have imbibed at the last Oktoberfest. Instead, it’s the size and location of their flat, as well as the cost of their monthly rent. I’ve noticed this at private parties; observed in the InterNations Local Forum, and even overheard it at our company office.

Among Germany’s major cities, Munich is rather infamous for its upscale property market and the local cost of living, which drives up expenses especially for housing and leisure. However, we denizens of Munich should perhaps consider ourselves lucky still.

Currently, a list of the most expensive cities in the world is going viral, hitting popular sites from the online newsroom Business Insider to the opinion leader Huffington Post. Munich doesn’t quite make it among the Top 30 yet.

The ranking is based on crowd-sourced data from the cost of living calculator provided by Expatistan, a site describing itself as the “Wikipedia for prices” round the world. Unlike the well-known cost of living surveys published by HR consultants such as Mercer, their list offers few surprises: it doesn’t take “outliers”, for example, Luanda (Angola) or N’Djamena (Chad), into account, where costs to ensure the safety and living standards of foreign assignees are traditionally high.

This ranking is rather dominated by the usual suspects: global metropolises renowned for their urban vitality and hip creativity, their architectural or scenic beauty, their booming economy and international outlook. The world’s most expensive cities are situated in France, Scandinavia, Southeast Asia, Switzerland, the UK, and on the US East or West Coast. The Top 10 are as follows:

• London
• Oslo
• Geneva
• Zurich
• New York City
• Lausanne
• Singapore
• Paris
• San Francisco
• Copenhagen

Some of these places have a widespread reputation for generally above-average salaries and an accordingly high standard of living. This applies particularly to destinations in Norway and Switzerland. In others of the abovementioned cities, the steadily rising living expenses have long since become a hotbed for debate in local controversies. Rental costs and housing prices in particular are often singled out as targets.

For instance, critical voices from London point out that large swathes of the metropolitan area should be marked as “barely affordable” for average income earners and “unaffordable” for low-income households. Purchase prices for London housing have allegedly jumped by an annual 14% over the last few years; there are also sporadic reports about rents for similar flats in the same neighborhood that suddenly increase by £50 or from £100 one month to the next.

In San Francisco, local tenant organizations lament the fate of long-established neighborhoods and communities. The bitterest critics claim that the city is slowly but surely turning into a “dormitory town” for top-earning young professionals who commute to work in Silicon Valley.

Obviously, a housing and pricing bubble will affect plenty of residents: families with several children will struggle to find spacious, yet reasonably priced accommodation; people working on the lower echelon of the service sector may be driven from their old home when the next raise in rent is due.

But a sizeable number of expats, or potential expatriates, might not be immune to the financial sacrifices required by these international hotspots, either. Today, global mobility is within the reach of more well-qualified and dynamic people than ever, fueled by both practical interest in getting work experience abroad and the more abstract lure of a cosmopolitan lifestyle. Relocation across borders, oceans, and continents is no longer the domain of the diplomat and the executive.

However, not every person who dreams of “making it” in New York City or the Bay Area is lucky enough to be a Wall Street banker or an IT whiz about to found the next Google.

Will such people have to defer this dream and think less big (and less international) in the future? Will thriftiness become another small talk topic of choice, or will we continue to make do in order to fulfill the vision of global city life? We will see.

What about you? Have you ever changed your relocation plans, or become disenchanted with your destination due to the high cost of living? Or do you think that the benefits of an expensive metropolis outweigh the costs?

(Source for the Top 10 city ranking: Expatistan.com)

(Image credit: 1) Munich Panorama by Wikimedia Commons user Bbb 2) Oslo Opera House by Wikimedia Commons user Helge Høifødt 3) Residential Street in Kensington, London by Mike Quinn for the Geograph Project)

Filed under: Moving to Another Country, Polls & Surveys, Press & Media on January 16th, 2014 | No Comments »

My very last visit to an InterNations Community in 2013 took me to Ankara, the capital of Turkey. When I set out on my three-hour flight from Munich, I was a bit worried about the current political situation.

After all, since the original protests against the new development plan for Taksim Gezi Park (Istanbul) that began last May, Turkey has experienced a variety of demonstrations concerning a wide range of government policies and social issues. However, despite the travel warnings I’d read about unrest in the seat of the Turkish government, I fortunately had a very peaceful trip ahead of me.

When touching down at Esenboğa International Airport, I noticed immediately how different central Turkey is from the coastal areas I’d visited lately. Instead of Mediterranean shores, I saw from above the dry, brownish and reddish plateau surrounding the metropolis. It almost looked like a desert, but then I was surprised to find that it’s actually rather cool in winter – no wonder, as the “Heart of Turkey” is located almost 1,000 m above sea level.

From the airport, I headed right away to the hotel where the InterNations Event was to take place. Tugce and Basel, our Ankara Ambassadors, had planned the perfect way of ending the old year with a bang, so to speak. They’d organized an elegant gala ball with classical live music and black tie dress code, i.e. evening gowns for the ladies and tuxedos for the gents.

The Mona Hotel – the grand event venue – had opened fairly recently, so the location wasn’t only sleek and chic, but brand-new to boot. Cem, the Mona’s general manager, gave me a warm welcome to Ankara before I was off again in order to explore the city for a bit.

The hotel is situated in Kavalkıdere neighborhood, with its tree-lined streets, public parks, bars, and cafés, as well as Ankara’s busiest shopping avenue, including an upscale luxury mall. In the wider area of Çankaya district, you’ll also find most foreign embassies and more of the city’s five-star hotels. Although I didn’t have much time before the ball started, I got at least a good first impression of downtown Ankara during my stroll.

Before the main event, though, I seized the opportunity to have dinner with our InterNations Ambassador team in Ankara at the Mona Hotel. Tugce and Basel have very eventful and interesting personal histories, and it was a delight to meet them in person at last.

Tugce is a self-described “free spirit” with a professional background in the tourism sector. However, her rather unusual CV includes, for instance, a job as a sommelière on a luxury ocean liner, a stint in PR, a degree from a film academy in New York, and a career change to now work in IT and digital movie-making.

Basel is a Palestinian Greek born in Gaza, who has lived in Palestine, Jordan, Greece, and Austria, before he moved to Ankara several years ago. (Actually, he claims that his skills in Turkish, Arabic, and Hebrew are now much more fluent than his Greek). He works as a medical doctor and is training to specialize in surgery at one of Ankara’s hospitals.

Both Basel and Tugce are clearly very social people, who love networking, getting to meet new people, and bringing others together. They were very enthusiastic about their position as InterNations Ambassadors, and we talked for a while about the development of the Ankara Community.

The local chapter of InterNations has now over 3,800 members, and Tugce and Basel put in a lot of time and effort to organize fun events in the citiy’s nicest venues. They shared their pride in watching the community grow, but also the challenges they face from time to time.

Around eight o’clock, we moved to the hotel’s ballroom to start our New Year’s Gala. The attendees certainly added to the glamour with their dashing suits and sparkly dresses. While canapés and champagne were being served, a string duo provided a classical soundtrack for mixing and mingling over drinks and toasting to 2014.

Among the 120 members in attendance, I had the chance to talk to people of various nationalities and backgrounds: to expats from Germany, Iran, Iraq, Moldova, New Zealand, Ukraine, Russia, and the US, as well as local members from Turkey; to diplomats, teachers, doctors, entrepreneurs, NATO staff, and even an opera singer. As always, it was fascinating to see what different kinds of people show up for our events.

In a short speech, I could officially thank Tugce and Basel for their dedication to their role as InterNations Ambassadors. I’m truly grateful for all the great events they host. Again, teşekkür ederim for bringing the Ankara Community to life! Also, I couldn’t resist encouraging the guests to “branch out” whenever they travel: In plenty of other cities around the globe, more InterNations Events and Activities are waiting for them.

When the formal part of the evening drew to a close at midnight, a group of members was keen on continuing the celebrations, so I decided to join them. We stayed out for most of the night – first at Hayal Kahvesi, a popular concert hall with live music, and later on at If, another great place for live gigs, where a band was playing Turkish and international hits.

Unfortunately, I had to leave rather early for Munich the following day. On the one hand, I was looking forward to celebrating New Year’s Eve proper in Germany, but I regretted that I had caught just a glimpse of Ankara. Oh well, since my trip was really short this time, I have all the more reason to come back to this lively city!

(Photo credit: 1) Kocatepe Mosque Ankara by Wikimedia Commons user Bjørn Christian Tørrissen 2) Mona Boutique Hotel Ankara by monahotel.com.tr 3) InterNations Ankara New Year’s Gala by Galina Haydenova-Mittermann 4) Ankara Castle by flickr user Ömer Ünlü)

Filed under: InterNations News, InterNations Team News on January 7th, 2014 | 1 Comment »

As there’s less than a week left until Christmas, I’ll seize this perfect opportunity to talk about one of Germany’s most famous holiday traditions: the Christmas market.

If you have ever been in Germany in early December, you cannot but notice the brightly decorated stalls and tightly packed crowds of people in many a city center. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of Christmas markets throughout the country. Nearly every town has a market of its own, no matter how small, and major metropolises may have dozens. For instance, there are up to 50 different ones spread across the various neighborhoods in Berlin.

Though they are an essential part of the holiday season, Christmas markets are – unsurprisingly enough – a fairly secular affair. They go back all the way to the Late Middle Ages, when the burghers of medieval towns bought fresh meat and seasonal food for the winter months. Even in historical documents, you sometimes come across references to trinkets for children, or such popular snacks as roasted chestnuts (still sold as heiße Maroni nowadays).

Today, the ubiquitous Christmas markets have become tourist attractions (which expats living in Germany shouldn’t miss out on), as well as important sources of income for the local economy. About five million visitors flock to Cologne during the advent season, for example, and the Rostock market on the Baltic Sea coast is a favorite destination for tourists from Scandinavia. The concept is actually so popular that it has turned into a hot export commodity. There are now “original German Christmas markets” in international cities from New York to Osaka.

It’s no wonder that lots of German towns and cities vie with one another for holiday superlatives. Several markets lay claim to being the oldest, with Bautzen in eastern Saxony and Munich being the top candidates for that position. (Both markets date back to the 14th century.) Others offer fun-fair rides, huge ice-skating rinks, cultural performances, gay and lesbian or alternative and eco-friendly markets, as well as plenty of records from the tallest Christmas tree to the world’s biggest musical box. By the way, you’ll find the latter in Osnabrück, just in case you’re interested.

All that hullaballoo isn’t the reason why I’m personally fond of Christmas markets. It’s not even the mulled wine that makes me a little misty-eyed and as sentimental as the average character in one of Charles Dickens’ Christmas stories. My attachment is largely based on nostalgia. Last year, I visited the Christmas market in my former hometown, which I hadn’t attended in quite a while, what with being too busy with holiday preparations.

At first, I was strangely disappointed – everything was so different from what I remembered! The merry-go-round for the young ‘uns seemed a tad too noisy and a little too kitschy. The stalls selling holiday decorations, like tree ornaments or folk art from the Ore Mountains, offered nothing more intricate or original than any other vendor. The market still featured the “living nativity scene” that had impressed me so much as a kid, but it was nothing but a couple of bored-looking sheep and a decidedly grumpy camel.

I wanted to dismiss that feeling of disenchantment as the inevitable result of having visited much more beautiful locations, but it did keep bothering me, and I finally realized why. What I was missing wasn’t anything I would find elsewhere, not even on the biggest and brightest Christmas market of all. As a child, the holiday season had been a time of marvels and magic for me. For my adult self, it was a time full of stress and frenzied attempts to squeeze in some jolly conviviality.

Once I’d caught on to that, I told myself, “oh, sod it!” Although I still had presents to buy and errands to run, I decided I needed a break. A live performance of traditional carols presented by an amateur choir was going to start soon, and I stayed and listened. The singers had some trouble to be heard over the noise of the crowd and the din from the merry-go-round; I’m pretty much tone-deaf, but I did suspect that one soloist was somewhat off-key (probably due to stage fright). And you know what? It was still beautiful and – dare I say it? – magical.

Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate it, and a Happy New Year to everyone! See you again in 2014.

(Image credit: 1) Holiday Decorations at the Straßburg Christmas Market by flickr user dierk schaefer via Wikimedia Commons 2) Christmas Market in Berlin (1897) by Franz Skarbina, public domain 3) Christmas Market in front of Augsburg Town Hall by Wiki Travel user Silvionus123 via Wikimedia Commons)

Filed under: Traditions and Customs around the World on December 19th, 2013 | 4 Comments »