When visiting a Peruvian family, it is customary to bring a gift for the host. While some will bring liquor or chocolate, others choose to send flowers. What kind of flowers should be brought?
Mobile devices now account for almost half of the globe’s Internet traffic, and their use for contactless payment is also on a dramatic rise.
While a number of mass transportation systems around the world have had their own mobile apps for fare payment for a while, there are now systems that accept payment directly from Apple Wallet and/or Google Pay. This is convenient for passengers who are short-term visitors, multi-destination travelers, or just prefer this method where available. Apple provides a list of compatible transportation systems here, and Google Pay provides one here.
Here’s how to use this type of payment:
Make sure your operating system is up to date.
This is important not only for functionality, but also for transaction security.
Make sure your transportation accepts the payment method.
It’s important to be aware that in some cases — for example, New York City — contactless mobile device payment is only available in some parts of the overall system.
Add a payment method to your device.
Instructions for Apple Wallet here.
Instructions for Google Pay here.
When you approach the transit system entrance, wake up your device.
Hold your device near the screen. You may be required to provide your passcode or ID.
Proceed when you see payment has been accepted.
If you don’t want to take your mobile phone out of your pocket, smart watches that have access to Apple Wallet or Google Pay can often be used instead.
In some transportation systems, those with an iPhone 6S or better can even set up their mobile devices to automatically authorize fare payment, without needing to wake the device up or provide passcode/ID. Apple provides a setup guide for this here.
Some preparation now can pay off significantly over time, as these innovations continue to take hold. Mobile device payment offers contactless convenience that’s often more secure than its card or cash-based predecessors. These are qualities that appeal to many consumers, whether they are globally mobile or not.
Written by Erin Fitzgerald, GMS, Content Manager
March 8 is International Women’s Day and the theme for 2020 is equality for all. In over 25 countries, it is a public holiday and others is it largely ignored. It can be a day of protest or a day that celebrates womanhood. It is a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, and at the same time to focus on continued gender equality.
March is also Women’s History month in the U.S. Here are some ways to celebrate:
Learn more about Women’s History month.
Become a mentor to someone at work, a family member or a neighbor. Sharing knowledge is helping others reach their goal.
Get inspired by women role models – inspirational quotes.
Support women-owned businesses in your area.
Listen to inspiring podcasts: The History Chicks, Stuff Mom Never Told You, The Well Woman Show
Donate gently used professional clothes for women just starting out. You can find your local Dress for Success here.
Volunteer at a local women’s shelter or somewhere in your community that supports women.
Read books as inspiration. These 10 books were written about women by women.
Showcase women at work from all levels and departments either through email announcements or special events.
Watch a movie or documentary on powerful women of influence. How about RBG (Ruth Bader Ginsburg)?
How about supporting women in the arts? There is a wide range of exhibitions in the United States. From California to New York, galleries across the country are focusing on women’s issues through art. Artists range from Africa to Mexico. To find the best exhibitions, click here.
To find additional events by country, click here.
However you choose to honor the women in your life, remember that gender equality makes the world a healthier, wealthier and more harmonious place for us all. Through our own actions, behaviors and conversations, we can all impact our larger society to continue to move towards a more gender equal world.
And, in the words of Gloria Steinem, world-renowned feminist, journalist and activist, “The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.”
Written by Cathy Heyne, GMS, Managing Director
Traveling or living abroad is an all-encompassing experience. Parts of your brain that are usually on autopilot at home tend to come alive with awareness, absorption, and adaptation. But that heightened state doesn’t mean you won’t get distracted. Or forget things. Or leave things behind.
A recent article described how efficient the Japanese are at reuniting lost items with their owners. In Tokyo, for example, 2018 saw 83% of lost mobile phones returned to their owners, and 65% of lost wallets, according to the BBC.
Credit is given to Japan’s kōban, neighborhood police kiosks whose ubiquitous presence and friendly officers foster honesty from an early age.
What about other places? Apparently – and not surprisingly – there is a much lower chance of your wallet or phone being turned in to police in New York – about 10% and 6%, respectively, according to a University of Michigan study.
Would you know how to go about finding a lost item in, say, the New York City subway system? Here’s a look at the Lost & Found details from transit authorities in a few major cities around the world:
New York City MTA:
Step-by-step Instructions on What to Do:
Things lost in New York range from blood pressure meters to hockey sticks to dentures, with lots of cell phones, wallets, and umbrellas in between. With 5.7 million people riding the subway on an average weekday, some of those people are bound to lose something.
Items are held by the MTA for at least 3 months (unless perishable or in poor condition, in which case they’re discarded), and up to 3 years.
London’s Transport for London (TFL):
The Underground cautions that it can take up to 7 days to collect and catalog items left behind. Items are held for 3 months, and then donated, recycled, disposed of, or sold.
Authorities will not keep individual credit cards. They are securely destroyed when found, and owners are advised to contact their banks for replacement when they realize they are lost.
Items lost in Paris within the past 5 days are reported by phone, while items lost longer ago are reported via an online form.
Lost credit cards are sent to a centralized payment center in Limoges, where cards are returned to the issuing banks. But note that while French-issued cards are returned within 2 days, it may take up to 60 days to return a non-French card. Customers are advised to contact their bank to suspend the old card and issue a new one.
Recommendations
– One key takeaway is to act quickly but have patience. All mass transit systems take some time to get your item into the system. Then a wide variance in the amount of time items are kept mean that your item could be discarded within 30 days or stored for three years.
– Metro authorities deal with lost tickets in different ways, some simply discarding them while others give their owners an opportunity to file a lost-item inquiry for them.
– Anything monetary related – like a metro card linked to your credit card that automatically reloads – riders should plan to address it quickly.
– Finally, be aware of what you’re carrying in your bag or purse, so if you lose the whole unit you can identify lost items, and replace them promptly if necessary.
And if you should find yourself on the Tokyo Metro and lose something, click here and then rest assured that you have a very good chance of it being returned to you.
Written by Ellen Harris, GMS, Product Manager, Content Group
In Cambodia, which is not a social custom?
Repatriation is commonly cited as one of the most challenging phases in a globally mobile lifestyle. While there is a great deal of support available for assignees in unfamiliar destinations, preparation for a return home can be much more elusive. Many assignees and their families are surprised at how their experiences have changed them, and at how much their home country has changed during their absence.
Here are five things assignees can do now that will support their journey to repatriation later:
Consider challenges
In many ways, repatriation should be viewed as a new assignment rather than a homecoming. Many changes — some small, and possibly some substantial — have taken place in your home country during your time abroad. Take the time to review your perceptions and identify your expectations.
Plan ahead
Think about where the children will be academically on your return home, and compile a list of possible schools or colleges. An accompanying spouse or partner may need to consider whether they are likely to return to their career at home, or use this opportunity to change direction. Those who have learned a new language, or wish to continue developing their interest and involvement in a new culture, should research how they will be able to do so at home.
Communicate
Talk about what you are going through with friends, family, and colleagues. Connecting with others who have repatriated, and who have experienced reverse culture shock, can prepare you for the unanticipated. Looking for counseling sessions, reentry workshops, and ex-expat clubs in your home destination and online can be helpful, as can determining how you will keep in touch with friends you made abroad.
Stay familiar
Being in sync with your peers will be important when you return. Magazines and newspapers from home, whether in paper or online format, can be a good way to maintain this connection, as can podcasts and other streaming media programs.
Maintain data
Moving from one destination to another requires organization, regardless of what location is “home.” Make sure the following information is up to date, and in easy places to access:
These are just a few of the things you can do to prepare for repatriation. The International Relocation Center offers many other resources to begin thinking about the challenges and processes of returning home.
Written by Erin Fitzgerald, GMS, Content Manager
Is yours one of many companies that is still hesitant to invest in cultural training? Do you question the potential return on investment for soft skills training? Do you believe your employees can develop these skills on the job? By then it may be too late to repair the damage or avoid a costly mistake.
In our 30 years working with global organizations, we have learned that soft issues – such as learning the host country language, navigating daily encounters, and achieving cultural understanding – can make or break an international assignment.
In our survey, over 80% of responding organizations believe it is important for their global team members to be culturally competent, and that cross-cultural training is a necessity. Over 90% of respondents said their organization would like to provide employees with cultural training, using a flexible online learning platform.
Research shows that improved access to content motivates employees to learn more. The newest learning platforms offer a high degree of portability. This means users can learn anywhere — not only in a classroom environment or the office, but at home, or even during travel. New learning platforms are also designed to assess a user’s unique needs, and provide content to meet those needs.
Customized cultural training content can minimize misunderstanding, reinforce business relationships, and guide you to a more successful outcome.
Let’s look at one of the globe’s top assignment destinations, India:
Businesses should strive to create the kind of culture that maximizes learning and brings ongoing performance improvements.
“The single biggest driver of business impact is the strength of an organization’s learning culture.”
-Josh Bersin, Principal and Founder, Bersin by Deloitte
If you don’t already provide cultural training, what are you waiting for? Cultural understanding provides the confidence required for global roles. When you invest in your employees, they feel valued and supported. And your customers know you care enough about them to see the world from their perspective.
Written by Cathy Heyne, GMS-T, Managing Director
“Where will they go to school?” is one of the most critical questions relocating parents ask. Finding an answer can take several paths, depending on what’s available in the host country, what’s important to the parents, and the particular needs or strengths of the child.
When all three align on assignment, the resulting educational match can ease parents’ minds and help students thrive. Often, however, parents have to prioritize their needs and wants, and compromise somewhere to find the best fit. Some countries present unique opportunities for learning in different ways.
In Denmark, for example, empathy is taught in schools. Students aged six to 16 receive one hour of Klassens tid each week. Fundamental to the Danish curriculum, Klassens tid allows for problem solving in an environment in which children feel safe while practicing understanding and support of one another. Educators and parents alike credit this early introduction to empathy with building adults who are among the happiest in the world.
South Korea has the distinction of achieving 100% literacy, through a culture of hard work and great emphasis placed on exams. Students go to school year-round and learn to persevere past options that lead to failure. Proponents point to goal-oriented young people who accept that early toil leads to success later.
At the other end of the spectrum is Finland’s belief that personal choice and self-motivation lead to a satisfying course of study. School days are short, compared to those in other Western countries. While taking education very seriously, schools also count extracurricular activities as important to student development. The schedule and curriculum allow time for these activities, typically chosen by the student. This ‘whole student’ approach has worked for Finland, whose education system ranks among the best in the world.
These three examples point to different measurements for success, both while in school and after. Only your family knows what you deem most important. School placement experts can educate you on your options in the host country – or even at home or elsewhere if boarding is the best solution. They can also guide the process of appointments and interviews, while pointing out the nuances of various choices.
When relocation is on the horizon, start early to get on the path to your children’s education abroad. Coupled with your own parenting and the experience of living in a new country, their opportunities will take them fascinating places.
Written by Ellen Harris, GMS, Product Manager, Content Group
|
It’s the beginning of 2020 and time for another year of corporate travel, which is crucial for any business. Customer meetings still top the list as the reason for business travel, with average travel plans ranging from once or twice a month to once every two months. Business travel supports business goals, skills development, recruitment and initiatives for the coming year. What trends will influence business travel in 2020?
If you have employees who are frequent business travelers, it’s crucial to stay ahead of trends, and to keep your corporate policies updated. The overall goal, of course, remains the same: making business travel efficient for better experiences and investments. Written by Cathy Heyne, GMS-T, Managing Director Living Abroad’s Global Business Travel Center supports global business travelers with the tools they need to navigate the unfamiliar with confidence. If you’d like to learn more about the depth of our content, request a demo! |
Another leap year is upon us. And while none of us was around back in Julius Caesar’s day, most people know that calendars back then had fewer days per year, which threw off the seasons over time. The 46 B.C. Julian calendar reformed the previous Roman one, bringing the number of days to 365 and standardizing one additional day – an “intercalary day” — every four years.
But adding a day every four years began to accumulate incrementally more time than the solar year. By the time Pope Gregory XIII was head of the Catholic Church in 1582, he was concerned about Easter becoming out of sync with the spring season. His calendar skipped leap year every 100 years – with the exception of every 400 years, when it is a leap year. This adjustment makes the Gregorian calendar as closely aligned with the solar year as possible.
The Gregorian calendar is the international standard today, although there are countries that do not use it – including Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Iran.
If we did not work leap years into calendars periodically, the seasons would reverse every 730 years or so. Just imagine if the hemispheres’ climates swapped according to the calendar. Not that anyone would notice, since it would take about 24 generations to achieve.
The current generations have some decisions to make this year. Presidential elections are on the 2020 calendar, in the United States as well as in Bolivia, Burundi, Greece, Iceland, and Poland.
Meanwhile, we will enjoy an extra day at the end of February. And those born on February 29 can actually celebrate their birthdays on their birthdays, rather than on March 1 as is the norm. As we start the new leap year, here are two quotes from motivational presenter Tony Robbins, born on February 29, 1960:
“Success in life is the result of good judgment. Good judgment is usually the result of experience. Experience is usually the result of bad judgment.”
“Change is inevitable. Progress is optional.”
Here’s to a year of new experiences, and of learning, growth, health and happiness. Wishing you a Very Happy 2020!
Written by Ellen Harris, GMS, Product Manager, Content Group