Did you celebrate bibliophile’s favorite holiday tradition, the Jólabókaflóð? The “book flood” is when Icelanders exchange presents of books on Christmas Eve and spend a cozy time reading. It’s become famous among book lovers across social media, who sigh wistfully and wish their own countries would adopt this custom. If you were lucky enough to […] Continue reading… from Found in Translation
The end of the year can be a joyful time, full of reunions and tradition. For expatriates, however, it can bring up a mixture of emotions: excitement at seeing new customs, loneliness at not being with family, and even confusion as schedules change from what they are used to. Combined with long hours of darkness […] Continue reading… from Mental Health and the Holidays
Nowadays information is everywhere, and with more and more people using AI, it can be hard to tell whether or not information has been properly vetted. While AI stands for “artificial intelligence,” AI doesn’t make decisions on its own. Instead, it’s closer to a very advanced word prediction software, making associations from common data patterns […] Continue reading… from Data Accuracy in an AI World
While the numbers for many types of crime are falling, one sector that is seeing an increase includes identity theft and identity fraud. Being globally mobile means carrying a large amount of sensitive documentation and information across border (and leaving other documents behind), increasing the risk of identity theft. There are, however, ways to protect […] Continue reading… from Protecting Your Identity
Social media has become one of the primary ways we connect with others, as well as giving us tiny windows into new places and cultures. It can be fun to spend an afternoon watching videos of strangers strolling in a foreign marketplace or see curated snapshots of a mountain sunset halfway around the world. Not […] Continue reading… from Locked Out of Logging In?
Summer is a season of festivities, from national events to personal celebrations such as weddings. Your host country likely has its own wedding customs, and in one country a traditional wedding has become an important event for both preserving cultural heritage and tourism: North Macedonia’s Galičnik Wedding Festival. While you can count the number of […] Continue reading… from Here Comes the Nevesta
While recently talking to an Italian friend about summer, she recalled how as a child she loved playing in the fountains to celebrate the end of the school year, and the long family holidays in August. I shared my own memories: the crowded community pool and day camps, as my American parents didn’t get weeks […] Continue reading… from Making Summer Memories
We’re all aware that the initial move to a new country is likely to come with lots of anxiety. We may have already planned how we will get around our new city, checked the bus route, parking areas, or train schedules. Once settled in a new international home, we aren’t going to stay inside for […] Continue reading… from From Here to There and Everywhere
When an assignee arrives in their host country, it can be hard to find community outside of work or children’s school friends. Many expatriates report a desire to make local friends and experience more in their host location, but don’t have a clear idea of how they can, particularly when a language barrier is in […] Continue reading… from Lending a Helping Hand
