„Cultural agility“ – this expression seems to be the perfect buzzword for our increasingly globalized world at work. But how do you actually define such an apparently nebulous thing? What are common myths and misconceptions about cultural agility? And how can you leverage genuine cross-cultural skills in the corporate sphere, especially in managerial positions? These […]
Filed under: Culture Shock, Intercultural Differences, International Workdays, InterNations Recommends on December 18th, 2012 | 2 Comments »
Wedding ceremonies and the traditions and assumptions surrounding them can vary immensely from country to country. In some cultures, a low-key, inexpensive wedding seems almost impossible, while in others, it may be perfectly normal. What are your experiences? InterNations member Philip, who has recently moved to Iran, gives us a very personal insight into Iranian […]
Filed under: Adventures Abroad, Intercultural Differences, Traditions and Customs around the World on June 26th, 2012 | No Comments »
Living abroad with children – everyone who has ever done it knows that most of the time, you can’t just carry on doing exactly what you used to do back home. Can you remain true to your family values and beliefs when circumstances change dramatically? Our guest blogger Abu Muhammed talks about his experiences raising […]
Filed under: Adventures Abroad, Expat Families & Relationships, Guest Author, Intercultural Differences, Traditions and Customs around the World on June 20th, 2012 | No Comments »
No one ever said that moving abroad was easy, but one may be tempted to think that moving to Spain from another European country is slightly less intimidating than moving to somewhere on the other side of the world. Well, it is and it isn’t… InterNations member Mary-Kay recalls one experience from her time as […]
Filed under: Adventures Abroad, Culture Shock, Intercultural Differences, Moving to Another Country on May 21st, 2012 | 2 Comments »
InterNations member Philip, our British expat in Tehran, is blogging about his first Nowruz experience – the Iranian New Year, which he celebrated in true traditional style. In the west we have Christmas, Halloween and Easter. However, in Iran it is a completely different ballgame. The Iranian New Year (Nowruz) has been at the turn […]
Filed under: Guest Author, Intercultural Differences, Traditions and Customs around the World on April 17th, 2012 | No Comments »
Learning the local language when living abroad as an expat is one of the most important steps on our way to a fulfilled expat existence, says InterNations member Aaron. And if you follow Aaron’s tips for everyday language learners, it’s not nearly as daunting an undertaking as you may think… Learning the language of the […]
Filed under: Expat Advice, Guest Author, Intercultural Differences, Languages on April 3rd, 2012 | 4 Comments »
Our guest blogger Abu Muhammed, and American expat living in Saudi Arabia, introduces himself with some reflections on the presidential elections in the US and how he used them to breech the subject of research to his Arab students. It is election time in the States and Americans now focus their highly distractible intellects on […]
Filed under: Guest Author, Intercultural Differences, International Workdays on March 28th, 2012 | No Comments »
Philip, our man in Tehran, takes a closer look at the Iranian banking sector and notices some striking differences between what he sees there and his experiences when living in the UK. One thing I have noticed about my time in Tehran is the way in which banks on the high street mushroom up in […]
Filed under: Adventures Abroad, Guest Author, Intercultural Differences on March 11th, 2012 | No Comments »
Jenni, a Canadian with Finnish roots who set off to explore the country of her ancestors, feels frustrated: Despite making great progress with the Finnish language, she still feels that she cannot express her true personality in a foreign tongue. There seems to be one particular obstacle … One of the biggest challenges of living […]
Filed under: Adventures Abroad, Culture Shock, Intercultural Differences, Languages on March 4th, 2012 | No Comments »
British expat Simon finds that there’s a whole new dimension to his relationship with his girlfriend ever since their move to Germany: Simple arguments suddenly turn into a matter of cross-cultural communication. Munich has one of the best broadband connections in the world, apparently. But last week we had a black out: No phone, no […]
Filed under: Adventures Abroad, Expat Families & Relationships, Guest Author, Intercultural Differences on February 25th, 2012 | No Comments »