There’s no two ways about it – Shanghai can seem extremely daunting at first, but after just a few weeks you will feel totally at home. Expatriates enjoy a high standard of living in Shanghai and, if you embrace everything that the experience has to offer, this will be one of the richest and most exciting times in your life.

Most expatriates arrive in Shanghai for the first time via Pudong Airport. This gleaming, light and airy model of efficiency may come as a bit of a surprise to those expecting something a little more second world, but it sure is a reassuring sign of modernity.

Drivers From Hell

Reassuring that is, right up until you are in a rattley, old taxi being hurtled at light speed down the motorway towards town. Although tired from your flight, fear will provide you with the energy to sit up in your seat and clock the way everyone drives, or rather attempts to drive. Cars swerve violently, horns are constantly beeped, no one indicates and there are no seatbelts in the back. It’s scary! Oh my, what have you done?!

High-Rise Jungle

As you enter the suburbs on the elevated highway, you will catch the first glimpse of your new city. And it ain’t pretty! Shanghai is a vast, high-rise jungle. You will be astonished by the sheer level of building work: the incredible number of building cranes – the way that forests of half-built, high-rise apartment blocks lead off in every direction, stretching endlessly beyond the horizon. But, you will also get your first taste of the ambitions that this city harbours.

Teeming Street Life

Once inside the inner-ring road, traveling at a more subdued speed, you will begin to catch an essence of the bustling, teeming street life. And it is this – not the culturally faceless high-rises – that will give you your first sense of place. You are in China!
People are carrying huge loads on bicycles, food is being prepared and eaten by the roadside, it’s rich, it’s very poor, it’s animated, and nothing is familiar. It will seem very foreign but also very exciting.

Shopping For Supplies

So, you’ve arrived at your new home and everything is in order. Or, at least it’s just a phone call to your new landlord away from being perfect, but you need supplies and to run a whole host of errands. Just hop in any taxi and say ‘Bortaman, Nanjing Shee-lu’.
The Portman Shanghai Centre on Nanjing XiLu, Puxi, was the first expat hub to be built in Shanghai and, although 15 years old, it has never been usurped as the king of user-friendly convenience for freshly arrived westerners.

Portman Shanghai Centre

There’s a City Supermarket selling everything you need including a good deli and wine selection. Plus there’s a Starbucks, the popular caf Element Fresh, a good cheese and wine shop, a florists, a dry cleaners, a post office, a chemist, a medical clinic, a host of other bars and restaurants, airline ticketing offices, an HSBC bank and several consulates, including that of the UK….it’s all here in one place for your ease!

Starbucks Expat MixIt is also at the Shanghai Centre where various groups post information on the notice board in City Supermarket about forthcoming social gatherings. Another way, in the initial days, to meet people is to head to the first floor of Starbucks, opposite Parksons on Huaihai Lu by Shanxi Lu for the Saturday morning (10am) social mixer. A nest of tables is gathered in the centre and you will be made to feel very welcome. You will find very early on, that Shanghai expats are approachable and it will be no time at all before you have more contacts than you ever thought possible.

Shopping Areas

As you become more confident about the geography of the city, your comfort zone will extend to the major shopping areas in Puxi of Huaihai Lu, Nanjing Lu, Xujiahui, and Lujiazui in Pudong. This is to name just a few and, as you can imagine in a city of nearly 20 million with a growing middle-class who like to shop – the list is endless. If you enjoy shopping – Shanghai will be a never-ending voyage of discovery for you.

By: Jacqueline Reischel

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Jacqueline Reischel is the managing director of enterShanghai.info, an award-winning online Shanghai expat guide. The web site features a Shanghai property search, relocation tips, career guide and other information for expatriates.

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Moving your family to a new home can be difficult for children; here are some tips on making it a more positive experience for everyone in your family!

Charles Dickens wrote "Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration." As accurate a description as that may be for many of us, the feel of "home" is especially important for children, making the decision to move your family to a new home a weighty matter indeed. For adults without children, moving to a new place can feel like a fresh start, an exciting adventure. For children, moving may be unsettling or even frightening, but there are some positive and reassuring ways to help guide your children through the moving experience.

If you are moving by choice and not out of necessity, first, consider the timing of your move in terms of the impact on your children. Summer can be a relatively good time to move in to a new neighborhood: children are out of school, allowing for plenty of time to make new friends before the next school year begins. However, if all of the neighborhood children are already signed up for organized summer sports and activities, summer can turn out to be a lonely season for your child, so make sure to look into those activities well ahead of your move, even registering them for some if you can. Park Districts and faith communities in your new city are a good place to start looking.

It is also wise, if moving by choice, to consider the ages of your children when contemplating a move. While moving with a baby can be higher stress for parents, as a rule, babies seem to experience less moving-related stress than older children. The prevailing rule of thumb used to be that the older the child, the more difficult the moving experience will be. Indeed, many experts agree that adolescence is not the ideal age for a child to be moving away from their established peer relationships. However, a new school of thought is emerging regarding the impact of moving on younger children as well. In his article "Best Practices in Assisting Relocating Families", Frederic J. Medway cautions that preschoolers, in particular, are also quite "vulnerable to moving-related stresses." Medway attributes preschoolers’ increased vulnerability to their lack of fully developed coping skills; their inability to completely understand at a cognitive level the need for their family to move; and an inherent difficulty in dealing with changes to familiar surroundings. The bottom line is that moving can be stressful for children at all ages, but seems to affect preschoolers and adolescents to the greatest degree.

Moving does not have to be traumatic for your children, however; there are many things that you can do as a parent to help reduce the impact for them, right from the moment you share the news with them.

Sharing the news: Your demeanor as you tell your children of the move will greatly influence their reaction to it. If you are glum or morose, they will view a move as a negative event; if you are upbeat and positive, they are more likely to receive the news in a similar fashion. If possible, be prepared with information about when the move will occur and what your new city and home will be like should your children ask.

Reassure your children: Younger children tend to be very concerned about what possessions may be left behind, so be prepared to answer repeatedly the question "Will we be bringing this?" Even if it is an item of little or no value to you, to your child, the item may represent security and a sense of permanence; now is not the time to break your child of his security blanket habit. One good idea is to make a "Same and Different" book for your child, highlighting what things will be the same after the move and what things will be different. Take some pictures of your old house, your child’s school or teachers, and your neighborhood. Try to get some pictures of your new house, school, etc., and place them in a booklet, labeling them, for example, "This is the park by my old house. This is the park by my new house." This will help reduce your child’s natural fear of the unknowns that lie ahead, making the new already seem familiar.

Make time for goodbyes: As busy as you are with all that a move entails, continue your child’s activities and playdates as much as possible. It’s very tempting to declare that you’re just too busy, but it’s important for them to maintain their scheduled activities. It absolutely may be difficult to schedule individual playdates for your children to say goodbye to their friends; in that case, schedule one large playdate for your children and a few of their favorite friends. Hold it at a park or a restaurant playland and distribute your new address and telephone number to children and their parents as they leave.

Introduce the pen-pal concept: Work with your friends, your children’s teachers, and your neighbors to create a photo address book for your child. Ask your children’s friends to provide a photo and their name, address, and phone number (you may even provide a sheet for them to use, so that the pages of the book will be uniform) and make a book. It doesn’t have to be fancy; in fact, if you use a simple paper folder, your child can have fun decorating it while you’re working at unpacking boxes in your new home. Present the pages and folder to your child after the move, just as they may be beginning to miss some of their old familiar friends. Encourage your children to write letters as often as they like, providing them with special stationery, stamps, or even address labels. It’s great writing and reading practice, it helps your children learn their new address quickly, it really helps keep those old friendships alive, and children love to receive their own letters in the mail! For younger children, allow them to send drawings or to dictate their letters to you, and help them read the letters they receive in return.

Get a sitter for moving day: For children, seeing their home, in their minds, "torn apart" piece by piece on moving day can be a very traumatic experience, whether you move yourselves or have a professional moving company doing the job. In addition, professional movers move quickly and have their own systems for getting the job done; children in the way will slow down the movers’ progress, and may actually present a dangerous situation for your children as well as for the movers. If you can, arrange for a babysitter to have the children away from your house until it’s all over.

Getting settled in your new home: While it’s important for children to see their new house start to feel like a home quickly, it’s also important for them to make new friends and explore the new neighborhood, as well as to have your attention and caring during the moving transition. So have one box or bag set aside full of a couple of your children’s treasured itemsmaybe a special nightlight or a figurine from a beloved grandparent. Unpack that box or bag first, along with the minimum items you need in order to get along for the first day or two. Then set unpacking aside to go exploring and to begin meeting new neighbors and friends. Those boxes will be there tomorrow (and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow), but your children need to settle in now. Be flexible about the rhythms of life in your new community, especially if there is a time change. Maybe your children always go to bed early, but in your new neighborhood, they play until much laterrelax your schedule a little bit, and let them make some new friends.

Set a good example: If you want your children to explore, to make new friends, to learn about their new community, they will need to follow you as an example. Even if you are normally a shy person or don’t read maps particularly well, this is the time to learn to strike out on your own, to start utilizing online maps, and to try new activities yourself. How you handle the transition will help your children learn how to handle it as well, so remember that your children will be looking to you for their cues.

Listen to Pliny: The most important bit of advice about moving is an ancient one, from Pliny the Elder: he wrote "Home is where the heart is." No matter where your family moves, or the reason why you move, remember that it is not the walls and the roof that make your house a home: it is the love shared within those walls. Be extra patient and extra loving with your children throughout your move; everything will eventually fall into place, and your new house will transform itself into a new home for you and for your family!

By Julia Tagliere Published: 6/29/2007

 
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The health care service in Spain is excellent for both Spanish nationals and ex-pats alike. Find out how you can be sure you can receive treatment if necessary whilst visiting Spain.

Health care in Spain is of a very high standard with good local health centres or Centros de Salud and here on the Costa del Sol we have an excellent central hospital, the "Costa del Sol", at Marbella. In addition to which there are of course many other hospitals both private and public but most ex-pats tend to gravitate towards the "Costa del Sol" and you hear very good reports of the treatment people have received there.

Certainly my own experiences through attending the A & E, or "Urgencias" when the children were little were very positive. On one occasion my son broke his foot and we were in and out within and hour having had the offending foot, x-rayed and plastered.

The staff there are kind and caring and there are translators on hand if your Spanish is limited. They have a very positive attitude to relatives and in fact are quite happy for one to be present at the hospital 24 hours a day.

When my other son of 15 was in with a broken leg he shared a room with a younger boy and they pushed the beds together so that the boys father could sleep there. A bit unorthodox by some standards perhaps but the Spanish are extremely family oriented and they made every effort to include my son in their visits.

Your E111, or European Health Card as it is now called, will suffice for many of your needs in relation to your health care in Spain and in fact both the incidents sited above were taken care of by my E111 even though the latter involved quite a complex operation with my son’s leg being pinned. Follow up treatment needs to be paid for however so private health insurance is advisable if you are living in Spain or travel insurance if you are just visiting. You can apply for this new card online here.

If you are living and working in Spain and therefore paying social security then you will be entitled to the same health care in Spain as Spanish nationals. If you are in receipt of a U.K. pension and intend to live in Spain then you need to get a form E121 and this should be taken to your nearest Instituto Nacional de Seguridad Social (INSS) office for registration. You will then be issued with a medical card which you must produce if you require treatment anywhere and you will then receive this free of charge.

Spanish chemists, or Farmacias, are a great part of health care in Spain and are a good port of call if your symptoms are not serious enough to worry your doctor or take you to the A&E department of the hospital. You will always receive good advice there and probably be recommended something for whatever ails you. If you are receiving prescription drugs at home then bring the packet with you and you will probably find that you will be able to buy your medicines over the counter without the need of a further prescription. I must say however that I think their rather free practice of dishing out antibiotics to anyone who asks is not really to be condoned.

In conclusion the level of health care in Spain for both residents and non-residents is of the highest standard and waiting lists are probably shorter than in the U.K. Accident and emergency treatment is provided free for anyone with a European Health card and the full medical services are available for pensioners who have registered with the appropriate authority and for anyone paying into the social security system.

Article submitted by Ruth Polak the owner of www.costadelsol-vacationrentals.com A web site specializing in holiday villas and apartments on the Costa del Sol and in Rural Andalucia. You will also find lots of information about Spain and Andalucia, in particular.

By Ruth Polak Published: 11/29/2006   Classics of British Comedy In our country Spain, we always emphasize on having a good diet and better health care system is also good. I would lik… – Spain guy on Healthcare battle: Canada vs USA. Read more… 4th Annual Healthcare Expansion Congress Middle East As announced in early 2009, expatriates new to the country must provide evidence of a health insurance registration before applying for a work or visit visa. Read more…

 Mail this post]]> http://expatinfos.com/health-care-for-the-spanish-expats-community/feed 0 http://expatinfos.com/expats-health-issues-in-spain http://expatinfos.com/expats-health-issues-in-spain#comments Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:35:00 +0000 whatever http://expatinfos.com/expats-health-issues-in-spain Retiring In Spain

More people are retiring to Spain from all over northern Europe than ever before, it has become the number one destination for pensioners looking to spend their retirement years abroad. Find out how to avoid the pitfalls and make it a worthwhile and positive experience.

Every year many people from all over Northern Europe, but predominately Britain, consider retiring to Spain. The reasons for this are varied as are the experiences of those who take the plunge and decide to spend their retirement years in Spain. Here we take an objective look at the pros and cons in the hope to make your move and life here as smooth and as satisfying as possible.

The first reason for retiring to Spain probably has a lot to do with the weather. After suffering a cold winter in northern Europe many people look toward warmer climes. Not only is it a lot more pleasant but as we grow older our bodies certainly benefit from the higher temperatures as do our pockets with the lower fuel bills. Many people report that their arthritis and other aches and pains are much improved by their life in the sun.

The cost of living is another important consideration as, although prices in Spain have undoubtedly risen in the last few years, so they have in the U.K and generally speaking ones pension does go further in Spain. Although the winters can be cold and wet they are never as cold as northern Europe so less is spent on fuel. If you are already in receipt of your winter fuel allowance before you leave the U.K. then this can still be claimed from Spain although you will probably find yourself keeping it to help pay the cost of your air conditioning in the summer! Additionally the cost of running a car in Spain is a lot less than in the U.K. so that is another added bonus.

Whilst property prices have rocketed on the Costa del Sol it is still possible to sell your U.K. home, buy somewhere very acceptable in Spain and pocket a sizeable chunk to help cushion your retirement years which is an obvious incentive to anyone contemplating retiring to Spain. Areas of inland Spain are still very reasonably priced and the Costa de Luz is emerging as a good alternative to the Costa del Sol. Property prices there are still affordable but planned development looks as though they may well be set to rise thus making it a good area to invest in at the moment The other reason many people have for retiring to Spain is something less easy to define but none the less important, it is the "quality of life." This may mean different things to different people but even so those who have moved to Spain generally agree that there is an all important something here which has made life better for them. Perhaps it is the more relaxed attitude to life, along with plenty of sunshine and longer daylight hours. Certainly the pace of life is slower here and on the whole less stressful than "back home."

So having decided you are retiring to Spain, what is the next step?

The most important is decide which part of Spain you wish to move to. It is a large and varied country with something to offer everyone. Do you want to live in a typical Spanish community, a small pueblo somewhere or perhaps buy a Finca with plenty of space and peace and quiet, or like the majority of ex-pats would you prefer to gravitate towards the more popular Costas with the peace of mind that you will be surrounded by like minded people?

The Internet gives you the unprecedented opportunity to research areas of interest without having to leave home but once you have decided on the area for you then the foot slogging begins. Try to visit your area of choice at different times of the year and any properties you wish to view at different times of the day, to see where the sun falls etc. In the winter it can get quite cold even on the coast and you don’t want to buy somewhere that sees no sun at that time of the year or alternatively that has no shade in the summer.

Also take into account the surrounding area and neighbors. The Spanish, as lovely as they are, are a noisy, gregarious nation with little understanding of the northern European’s need for privacy and peace. You will not change this attitude, nor do we have a right to try, so if you don’t like it then don’t buy an apartment in a basically Spanish enclave but look for somewhere where you will be surrounded by like minded people. If you are visiting out of season then try to find out what the area is like in July and August as you may not wish to cope with an explosion of tourists.

Take into account the number a visitors you are likely to have and be sure to buy somewhere with sufficient space, it is surprising how many friends you suddenly have when you retire to Spain! You will also of course want your family to visit, in fact the tug of those you have left behind you can be very strong and something you need to think seriously about before taking the final step.

The financial implications of retiring to Spain are also something that need serious consideration. First and foremost you will be able to have your pension paid into a Spanish bank account and by law no commissions are chargeable on such income. The Department for Overseas Pensions in Newcastle will be able to advise you on the procedure. Be aware that the inheritance tax, capital gains and other tax differences are very, very, different from the UK so it is advisable to get good legal and financial advice on these matters and to make out a will. Inheritance tax in particular can be a very thorny issue as in Spain it has to be paid on the death of the first partner and the jointly owned property can not be sold until this has been paid!

In addition be sure to get proper legal advice when purchasing your property. A good legal advisor is worth his weight in gold and may save you a lot of money in the long run. The best way to find a reliable person is by recommendation as unfortunately there are a lot of unscrupulous people only to happy to part a "fool and his money."

The health care system in Spain is generally very good and of course as a U.K. pensioner you have full entitlement to all it offers. You will need to get a form E 121 before leaving the U.K. which you then take to your nearest Instituto Nacional de Seguridad Social (INSS) office for registration. You will then be issued with a medical card which you must produce if you require treatment anywhere and this you will then receive free of charge.

Also bear in mind that after quite a short absence from the UK, National Health services will not be available to a returning or holidaying expat and the European Health card (E111 as was) must be obtained for visits to the UK.

On reflection then retiring to Spain can be a very positive move. Coming as it does at a period in your life when it would be all too easy to sit back and vegetate the pleasure and excitement from all the new experiences can have a very positive effect if well planned and executed.

Try your best to learn some Spanish not only is the mental stimulation good for the old grey matter but it will make your life in Spain more enjoyable and rewarding. The Spanish are basically very tolerant of all the foreigners that regularly and often permanently invade their shores but they do appreciate you making some effort to speak their lingo, it is only polite really.

Remember you are retiring to Spain, it is not Bournemouth with the sunshine! The Spanish culture and attitude to life is different to ours so accept that and don’t make your life miserable by trying to change it. So often you hear the lament, "it wouldn’t be allowed in England" well just accept the fact that you are not in England and people do things differently in different countries. After all it is your decision to retire to Spain so relax and enjoy it.

About the author:
Ruth Polak is the owner of www.costadelsol-vacationrentals.com, a web site specializing in holiday villas and apartments on the Costa del Sol and in Rural Andalucia. You will also find lots of information about Spain and Andalucia, in particular.

By Ruth Polak Published: 1/10/2007   Expat Living – The Credit Crunch In Spain | AlmerimarLife A blog about living and working in Almerimar Spain. All about expats, learning spanish, travel, jobs, vacations, food, lifestyle, property and finance.   Read more…

 Mail this post]]> http://expatinfos.com/expats-health-issues-in-spain/feed 0 http://expatinfos.com/its-not-just-you-but-your-partner-too http://expatinfos.com/its-not-just-you-but-your-partner-too#comments Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:55:00 +0000 whatever http://expatinfos.com/?p=12 Expat Spouses – Overcoming The Challenges That Face Them

When a spouse is assigned an overseas assignment, the partner is faced with many obstacles that are often ignored. Unfortunately at this time not too many companies offer their support to the spouse.

According to research done by Val Boyko into ‘global solutions for international assignments’ at the Families in Global Transition conference in 2004, she found that the partner’s biggest challenges are that they feel:

* Unrecognized.
* Unsupported.
* Let down because of inaccurate or irrelevant information.
* Isolated.

Maybe you or a friend is experiencing life as an expat partner where you thought you would be able to work, but have found out that it was is a near impossibility; or that you have assumed that internet access would be easily available to maintain contact with friends and family only to discover that it takes months to get connected; or you are a newcomer without an expat community around you AND you can’t speak the language.

This happens all the time to expat spouses.

So what is the solution?
Tips for the expat spouse

1. Team Work:

Try and get everyone to work together to understand and accept your needs as a spouse. Speak to whoever is in charge of the expat assignment, build up a relationship with him or her before you move and become as informed as you can. Encourage them to give you honest and accurate expectations so that you can make the best choices for yourself and for your family.

2. Your role:

Find out about the issues that generally face expat spouses. Make yourself aware of the challenges you will meet. Take up the responsibility and to make it your business to know. Do not rely on others to provide you give you what you may need.

3. Support:

Make contact with existing expats in the country you are about to move to through groups, message boards, and online forums. Set up a relationship and support system for yourself even before you land at the airport. Begin to explore possibilities before you head out on your new adventure.

4. Education:

Educate yourself – there really is so much information on the web. Don’t assume that the experience will be similar to your impressions. It often is not! So be curious and pro-active. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Let others know what you need. People want to help and it could be your very lifesaver in a time of need.

And finally…you may want consider hiring your own coach to give a speedy start to your overseas success!

Quote of the week

"Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more successful." Mark Victor Hansen.
Powerful question of the week

"What would you like to happen now, this week, next year.?"

Write it down, be specific and make an action plan to make it happen.

Expat lifecoach
As an Expat Life Coach, my purpose is to support expatriate assignees, their spouses and families in developing tools that will help make the expat experience work for them. If you are skeptical or curious about how the coaching process works, feel free to take up my offer of a COMPLIMENTARY coaching session. After the session, you can take whatever tools you developed to support yourself along your expat journey. Please email me to set up your FREE session.

By: Kimbles

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Kimbles is the resident writer at Xpatpals.com. An expatriate advice resource for expats living all over the world.

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The biggest secret I have found to moving is to stay calm, my stomach always used to churn every time we would say: ‘Let’s look at moving to London, Perth, Colorado….’ I would have this rush in the pit of my stomach and wonder how we were going to cope with the challenge.

Now, I take it one step at a time. What do we do first, what do we need to know before we make the decision, how does the family feel about a new culture, different schools, a new home and most importantly new friends.

So, where do we start? Usually with the most important questions, why are we moving and do we really want to change from our comfort zone, once you have been able to answer these questions and you have more positives about leaving than staying (and the answer to this could be as simple as being offered a job in a new country), then you need to start researching the place you are moving to.

Questions start surfacing such as will we fit in and be happy in a new country, what is the education like, medical facilities, culture, politics, housing, work conditions, transport and entertainment? How many expats like ourselves will be living there, will our life be normal or will we have to adjust too extremely, and are we happy to do this?

This is where I start searching the internet. Wikipedia is a great site to get an overall overview on any country in the world and it will cover all the basic factual information for you, including geographical location, population, historical background, religion, culture, education, economic situation and political info.

On getting a basic understanding of a country, I would then start looking at government sites and gathering information about the ease of moving to this country. What is required from a governmental legal perspective, including visa’s, whether a spouse can work on entry, how long a spouse needs to wait before starting to work, what legal rights do you have in the country, can you take your pets with and how does this work, what furniture can you take with (some countries do not allow wooden furniture into a country if it has not been treated) these government sites will cover any and all questions of this nature for you.

Finally and probably more importantly are the forums and blogs you can find, where expats can inform you of what to expect and you can ask any question and expect an honest answer. These sites can come across with mixed emotions from people who are enjoying the move and loving the country to those who hate every minute of their stay. The relevant question to ask here is why….why are they enjoying or hating it and then make your own decision?

The above would be the questions that the spouse that stays at home and cares for the children, however the bread winner wants a different question answered. They want to know what they should be earning in the new country and this is where an international cost of living salary calculator like xpatulator can be relevant to you.
Xpatulator gives you the answers you are looking for dependant on the questions you answer in the Cost of Living Calculator. It will determine what your salary in the new country should be to maintain your standard of living.

Why, you may ask? Because $100 000 may sound like a fabulous salary, however if your cost of living in the country you are moving to is extremely high, it may not cover your costs on a monthly basis. With the calculator, you can determine whether or not you will be able to afford to live in the new country. The calculator will work out the salary you should be earning if you have to cover all costs, or if your company will cover some of those costs for you. They also cover the Negative Cost of Living and Negative Hardship. What are these you ask with horror? Negative Cost of Living refers to a location that has a lower cost of living than the country you are living in and selecting to use this will result in a proportional decrease in the salary required e.g. if you had to move from London to Zimbabwe you will find the cost of living will be lower (negative difference). Negative Hardship refers to less hardship in the new location e.g. if you had to move from Zimbabwe to London you will find that your quality of living will be easier (negative difference).

So before you disregard the importance of what you need to earn when moving to a new country, take all aspects into account. At the end of the day what you will earn, will determine the school, home, medical facilities and entertainment you will be able to afford. So the secret to moving from one country to another, may be your emotional stability and happiness in the new location, however this is often determined by how much money is sitting in your bank account.

By: Steven Coleman

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Steven Coleman runs the most comprehensive international relocation calculator available, an internet service that is used primarily to calculate expatriate salary levels for international assignments, which can be found at www.xpatulator.com

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