Interview: Katherine Davis, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

1.How old are you, where are you from, where are you living now and what took you there?

Age 35, from the UK, currently living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I decided to move to Malaysia in 2003 as I’d lived in Hong Kong for a year in 1996/97 and travelled around SE Asia and loved it! I fell in love with the heat, the energy, the food and the great lifestyle that is possible out here (not many places in the world where you can afford to eat out every night of the week).

2.How long have you lived there and how long will you stay? What keeps you there?

Moved to Kuala Lumpur in 2003, but spent some time away between then and now (8 months travelling in Latin America, 1 year working in Argentina, and 1 year working in London). Marrying a Malaysian next year, so we’re settling down here … so hopefully we’ll be in KL for a long time. (Not ready to move back to London after living through a British winter last year).

3.What do you do to make a living?

Market Research… Been in the same industry for the last 12 years… I’m lucky that it’s a job that is easy to travel with, and I’ve had a great experience working in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

4.Describe your average weekday and weekend day.

Average week day is probably about 12 hours in the office! Weekends involve catching up with friends, lying by our pool, or travelling. There are so many beautiful places close to KL to visit and the highways in Malaysia make everything very accessible. With the advent of cheap travel (Air Asia and other low cost airlines) we’re also lucky enough to be able to do short trips around Asia.

5.What skills have you learned while living abroad?

Languages (French, Spanish, and a smattering of Cantonese… I’ve been promising to start learning Malay soon)

6.What are you missing (professionally) by not being in your home country?

A better wage!

7.If you could live anywhere, where would that be and why?

Anywhere in the heat.

8.What is your favorite gadget that makes your work life abroad better?

I miss the Blackberry I had in London… No such gadgets for me here!

9.Do you have a favorite book that inspired you to travel or consider a different way of living?

Oh there are so many… I’ve always loved reading novels or biographies set in the country or region that I’m visiting, living in, or considering visiting… We were in Cambodia last week and reading some memoirs of people who grew up during the Civil War really gave me a greater understanding of the suffering the country and its’ people went through. In the same vein, I remember reading a photocopied version of the Quiet American in Vietnam in 1997. I also remember reading A Town Like Alice when I was a teenager, and then re-reading it when I was back in Malaysia… Again, enabling me to understand more about the history of the country I am living in. Isabel Allende is another of my favorite authors… Her autobiography (My Invented Country) really bought the Latin American lifestyle to life. Riding the Iron Rooster (Paul Theroux) was inspiring, but the descriptions of the freezing cold conditions he endured on his travels through China put me off travelling in North China in the winter!

Happy With Less When Living Abroad

My daughters laugh at my tendency to proselytize for less comfort.

“Having blankets on the couch is a sign of weakness.”

“No one needs to travel with a pillow– that is what backpacks are for.”

“Sleeping on the floor means you are exercising just getting out of bed”

“Getting used to sleeping in noisy locations will allow you to live anywhere.”

“La-Z-boy® recliners have done more to spur the decline of the U.S. than any other piece of furniture.”

Last week I found my people.

We stayed with a variety of expats in Uruguay, all of whom came from comfortable middle-class backgrounds in the US.

Uruguay’s winters  dip into the 30’s and 40’s.  That in itself is not so bad but coupled with high humidity and poor heating systems it makes for some long chilly months.

“You just heat up some water bottles and put them down your shirt when you are working.”

“I got a lot of reading done last winter spending 12 hours a day in bed because it was the warmest place in the house.”

“You simply wear all of your clothes at one time.”

And those are just comments related to heat.  Screens are few and mosquitoes many.  Hot water heaters are small and water pressure is weak.    Summer days can be scorching and with the high cost of electricity air conditioning is limited.

No one bitched.  No one moaned.  No one complained.

When I asked what people missed most from the U.S. the answers were:

Jalapenos.  Curry.  Sushi.  Thrift stores.

Nothing about comfort.

One American family of five (including two teenage girls) moved to a nice Uruguayan suburb and Mom and Dad immediately made the main house inhabitable by ripping off the roof and tearing up the floors beginning a year-long remodel.  The family lived in the small thatched roof shack in the backyard until Mom decided to have it flea-bombed and the family slept outside for a week.  Complaints?   A few.   But all said it was the most memorable year of their lives.  Now they have moved into the big house and everyone has their own rooms–they say it is pretty lonely.

A  couple hosted us on their  50 acre farm 10 kilometers from the nearest town.  Their farmhouse is 100 years old and very simple.  Hot water?  A dribble.  Heat?  From a central fireplace.  Insulation?  Not in Uruguay!   Only last week did they switch from cooking on a wood-fired stove to a new gas stove.

This couple spent the last 20 years in Manhattan with every comfort known to man.  They told me they have never been happier since moving to the farm and miss nothing about their former NYC lifestyle.

It is astounding to me how many standard creature comforts these expats gave up, and yet they never felt the loss.  In fact, it appeared that their lives are fuller since they have less insulation from the wonderful world in which we live.

I feel a little guilty for complaining that it took 3 months to get our internet installed.

Interview: Simon Botting. Buenos Aires, Argentina

How old are you, where are you from, where are you living now and what took you there?

35, UK, Buenos Aires, I got disillusioned with working for the company that I was working with in London, so I took a sabatical year, came here learnt some Spanish and then on my return decided I couldn’t face going back to the same or similar company so I decided to come up with something that I could do that I was interested in and could sustain me, so I came back to BsAs to set up enbuenosaires.com

2. How long have you lived there and how long will you stay?  What keeps you there?

4 years, 3 weeks (my Japanese girlfriend is pregnant so I’m off to Japan soon, where she’s going to have the baby)

3. What do you do to make a living?

I’m a programmer and have a real estate Multiple Listings Site called enbuenosaires.com

4. Describe your average weekday and weekend day.

During the week, Get up at 8, start work at 8.30 – 9am the actual works varies quite a lot although the main things that I do are: Programming, Business Development (we recently started a new commercial site with a group of real estate agents), Optimizing the site, Optimizing the processes for the site, Meeting with real estate people.

I try to have one day off a week, but the other day I’ll be working on the site.

5. What skills have you learned while living abroad?

I speak a little Spanish, my programming is much better than it used to be, also running a web site is a great teacher although I’m not sure if that’s really because I’m abroad, I guess that would be the same wherever I went or stayed at home

6. What are you missing (professionally) by not being in your home country?

I miss not working with other computer programmers, money wise I’ve taken a holiday, but I’m hoping to catch up in the next couple of years (fingers crossed)

7. If you could live anywhere, where would that be and why?

Perhaps turkey, I fancy a change

8. What is your favorite gadget that makes your work life abroad better?

A laptop.

9. Do you have a favorite book that inspired you to travel or consider a different way of living?

The Blank Slate – Stephen Pinker, brought it home to me how privileged I am (just to be alive) and how I shouldn’t just stay in my safety zone, but should strive to scare myself a little – hence the site and being in BsAs, I don’t regret that at all, best decision I ever made, regardless of how the site turns out.

I also liked Atlas Shrugged (what can I say I’m a libertarian) which was inspiring although I read that when I was over here

10. Other than yours, do you have a favorite expat blog?

I don’t have a blog, but I do read: http://meganmcardle.theatlantic.com most days

Repats – Living Abroad in Your Own Country

We had an interesting week of meeting expats on the east coast of Uruguay between Colonia and Maldonado and all have unusual stories of how they ended up here.

However, some of the most fascinating people we met were the repats– Uruguayans who have lived abroad for several years before coming back to the Uruguay.

Uruguay is a lovely place.  It is safe and beautiful with ample water and food.  The economy is fairly stable and overall the standard of living is comfortable for most.  However, many Uruguayans, like so many other people around the world, dream of living in the US.

The US culture is alive and well in Uruguay on television, radio and internet.  It is no secret that the US is the pro “lifestyle marketer” of the world.  American marketing companies know how to get into the mind of anyone who is looking to be richer, stronger, prettier and more successful–so it is not surprising that many people outside the US yearn to live there.

I expected the repats to be completely happy to be back in Uruguay since they chose to come back and, in general, they came back to a better lifestyle than they had left because they came back richer.  What I found was that they were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.

Repats are living between cultures, not flipping back and forth but morphing into their own third culture of their own.  Their observations are fresh and logical, sometimes negative, sometimes positive but they make total sense (to me at least).  They have been released from the conventional wisdom of both cultures and are thinking in a totally original way.  They have abandoned the blind nationalism that we all have for our home countries.

All expats go through a process of adjustment when first living abroad.  Many find their new cultures new and exciting while others find them confusing and frustrating.  Repats, or at least the ones I have had the pleasure to meet on this trip, use their cultures as building blocks to a more profound level of thought.

Man, I have a long, long way to go.

Interview: Maureen Geraghty, Mazatlan, Mexico

How old are you, where are you from, where are you living now and what took you there?

I just turned 50- yikes. I was born outside of Philly but moved here from Colorado where I lived for most of the last 20 years. I am currently living in Mazatlan, Mexico. Old story, fell in love, thought he was the man of my dreams (planned this amazing adventure together) but somewhere along the way, he got confused. LOL -Then I got confused. He now has the full Mexican retirement package where an over 50 guy gets to marry a 25 year old. (and two kids, of course) NO- I am not kidding.

How long have you lived there and how long will you stay? What keeps you there?

Five years (year round)- not sure if I am staying- lots of changes in the last year. What keeps me here is an amazing group of ex-pat friends- some of the best you can find. My yoga students who keep coming back year after year and the fact that I really don’t like to be cold in the winter. I am working on creating work so I can live here 6 months and in CO the other. Best of both worlds – why not?

What do you do to make a living?

I had created a very successful shore excursion and loved the work. That arrangement ended and my only advise to the world is, “GET IT IN WRITING, and get to know people first before getting in to business with them. Follow your gut and if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” It is possible to be too trusting.

Now I am just teaching yoga and some small cooking classes, while working on a new plan.

Describe your average weekday and weekend day.

Now, it is walk, yoga class 1-2 times a day, devise menus, go shopping, prep, hold class and then celebrate your success. I am currently getting ready to sell my house so my days are filled with projects and waiting for the workers to show up. There is usually time to catch a sunset 2-3 times a week and I prepare dinner for friends once every two weeks. And, of course, there is an occasional live music show or dance performance at the theater and Stone Island every Sunday.

What skills have you learned while living abroad?

I have been a certified fitness and yoga teacher for years so I keep up on my continuing education credits on line or by attending the Yoga Journal conference every year. I have also learned to get by rather well with Spanish and have had lots of lessons on diversity. Way different than what we learned in the corporate class room.

What are you missing (professionally) by not being in your home country?

I have applied for a few jobs in the US recently and with the number of folks out of work, those with the exact experience (and current experience) have a better chance. Most importantly, the networking, which is really the key to finding a new job, is often lost. You can maintain it but it is more challenging to do so.

If you could live anywhere, where would that be and why?

Really hard question. I haven’t been everywhere yet- so not sure. As for places I am familiar with, there is nothing like Colorado in the summer, and if money were not an issue I would have to try living in Hawaii, Italy, Spain, and a few others. The best thing about Mazatlan is the low cost of living. It has its down side for sure (Ridiculous noise, some awful smells, pollution and really crazy drivers) but for the price-the ocean, the food, the friends, and the pace are pretty good.

What is your favorite gadget that makes your work life abroad better?

This handy little computer, my magic jack or vonage phone- couldn’t live without them.

Do you have a favorite book that inspired you to travel or consider a different way of living?

Nope – - always had the desire to explore the world.

Other than yours, do you have a favorite expat blog?

I have seen and enjoyed a few along the way but none are in my favorites folder.

“Don’t come, there is nothing for you here.”

Maya and I have been having  fun discussions with expats during our research trip to Uruguay for her upcoming book.  We are currently staying in a quaint little beach town.  It is pre-holiday (December 15th to end of February is high season) so things are quiet.

Out-of-season rents are low.  Our clean two bedroom, one bath ocean view apartment is $10 per night.  Several expats stay here for several months out of season and then move on once the crowds come and rents go up.

One American expat we met yesterday, who is Garrison Keilloresque in his story-telling ability, told us that they tell friends who want to visit ” don’t come, there is nothing for you here”.  He went on to say, the food is bland, the nightlife meager and the photo-ops few.  That being said, they would not live anywhere else.

We came to this little town a year ago upon the recommendation of the friend.  We can verify that the food is bland, the nightlife is meager and the photo-ops few.  But, we are back.

Interview: Terry Wageman. Tokyo, Japan

How old are you, where are you from, where are you living now and what took you there?

I’m 44, from Portland, OR. Currently living in Tokyo, Japan. We moved here so the children (ages 9 & 12) could become bilingual/bicultural.

How long have you lived there and how long will you stay? What keeps you there?

We have been here 4 years and 3 months. Will stay here at least 6 more months, but maybe longer. We are currently stuck here due to the poor global economy and few opportunities to return home.

What do you do to make a living?

Global strategy/business development for a large Japanese company.

Describe your average weekday and weekend day.

Weekday: Get up 5:45, leave home 7:30, arrive at the office 8:30, work until 6:30 or 7 PM, then go home. Sometimes traveling within Tokyo to customers, or day trips to our factory 4 hours away.

Weekend day: Get up between 6:15 and 9 AM. Get breakfast for the boys and get them to sports practice or games. Sometimes spend all day (8 AM – 5 PM) at sports events/tournaments. Run errands as time allows: food shopping, dry cleaners, etc.

What skills have you learned while living abroad?

Some language skills, some cultural skills, lots of patience, some improved communication skills, how to be more appreciative of what I have and have experienced.

What are you missing (professionally) by not being in your home country?

Simple, easy communication, and a professional growth path.

If you could live anywhere, where would that be and why?

Anywhere that I feel comfortable and can contribute to the whole. I am open to most countries/cultures.

What is your favorite gadget that makes your work life abroad better?

My laptop and my electronic dictionary.

Do you have a favorite book that inspired you to travel or consider a different way of living?

No, unfortunately I am not a reader.

Other than yours, do you have a favorite expat blog?

No.

My Healthcare Experiences Living Abroad

Healthcare is big news these days.  Being self-employed, having four kids and having spent significant periods abroad has given me a unique perspective on healthcare in the US and in other countries.

India, 1979.   There was a doctor around every corner and care was immediate.  Despite seeing more doctors in one year* than I had seen in my previous 15, I spent hardly anything.

*Malaria, dysentery, heat exhaustion—I was a 16 year old boy who did not need to take any stinkin’ precautions.

Japan, 1986.  Daughter #1 born.  We paid into the Japanese socialized medical system directly from our salaries.  Private room, caring doctors, insurance coverage for up to 7 days in the hospital.  Government- paid medical leave compensation plus unused hospital days resulted in a payment to us of $4,000.  We never saw a bill–just a check.

Japan, 1987.  Daughter #2 born.  We received ONLY the unused hospital care payment of $2,500.  I thought about complaining…

USA, 1989.  Daughter #3 born.  We had major medical insurance.  Out of pocket cost: $2,500.  What? I got paid for the first two!

USA, 1990.  Daughter #4 born.  Same result as #3 and had to pay $2,500.  Still up by $1,500 on the birth business so stopped while I was ahead.

1990’s to 2005.  When we left the US in 2005 we were paying $500 per month for major medical insurance with a $2,500 yearly deductible per person.  We spent about $5,000 per year out of pocket mostly for dental and orthodontia in addition to our insurance premiums.  We never met the deductible for covered items in our policy.

2005, Mazatlan, Mexico.  Before leaving the US we took out a World Nomads Travel Policy.  Nice people, reasonable cost though I never submitted a claim.  Cheap peace of mind.

Mazatlan, February, 2006:  Maya had chest pains.  We took her two blocks to the public military hospital and within a minute of arrival Maya had a blood pressure cuff on and two doctors attending.  The doctors did an EKG and chest x-ray.  She was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse which is a common and sometimes uncomfortable heart valve condition but not overly serious.  $75 cash, no paperwork and no further bills.  In and out in 2 hours.

Current.  Buenos Aires, Argentina.  We have the whole family on a private medical plan that now costs $385 per month and covers everything except elective surgery.  The hospitals are modern and the care superb.

We know several non-residents who have received excellent free care from the public hospitals and had few complaints.

Having grown up in a family that did not go to the doctor much due to cost (Dad was self employed), and continuing that pattern with my own family, having healthcare available to me now is an unexpected luxury of moving abroad.  I hope that someday soon everyone in the U.S. can be covered by affordable medical insurance and experience the peace of mind I have in Argentina.

After spending time living overseas where residents (and in some cases non-residents) have free healthcare and free education through college I wonder what I would have worried about if I had access to the same while living in the US.  I am sure I would have thought of something….

Interview: Frank Almeida in Buenos Aires, Argentina

1. How old are you, where are you from, where are you living now and what took you there?

I am 42 years old. I was born in Chicago and lived there most of my life except for the last 10 years, and a couple of years in Mexico when I was a small child. For the past 10 years I have been living in Buenos Aires, and what brought me there was love.

I met my wife on the dance floor of a dance club called Stardust in Chicago (don’t bother to google, I don’t think it’s around anymore. The ones I saw are not it). She was doing her MBA at the University of Chicago. We did not get a chance to talk much, but I guess it was enough to get her attention. I gave her my business card as her friends whisked her away for the evening. Her Argentine friends told her to not waste her time with me since who am I expecting her to chase me by having given her my business card. Luckily she also asked her American friends who told her that I was being gracious by giving her the choice of moving ahead or not. In retrospect, I think she liked the idea of being in the driver’s seat, and seeing how guys are around here, that must have been pretty refreshing.

2. How long have you lived there and how long will you stay?  What keeps you there?

Love brought me here and is keeping me here. I do love it here. Yes, it has its ups and downs but it is an adventure. It is something that is still alien and foreign to me. I am the kind of person that gets bored pretty quickly with just about anything. Argentina is far from being boring. The minute you think you have this place figured out and you fall into complacency the rug gets pulled from under your feet. It is unsettling, but it is not boring and it is challenging.

But it is also a warm place. I can’t imagine another country being so kid friendly. I can take my kids to just about any restaurant without fear of getting attitude by waiters or cold hateful stares from other patrons. Kids are allowed and expected to be kids. Funny enough, most of the time the kids do rise to the situation and behave themselves.

Having said all this, my car just got broken into for the second time and right in front of my shop. Every single car I have owned has been broken into. I shouldn’t be so glowing about Argentina, but you have to take it into the greater context of what it is like to live here.

We have a close knit family that helps each other out, we all live near one another, having access to a maid is fantastic and don’t get me started on the bidet!

3. What do you do to make a living?

My wife and I created Argentina’s first gourmet cookie factory Sugar & Spice. Honestly, the country did not have anyone filling this niche. Any gourmet cookies you found were of the imported variety and they weren’t actually gourmet cookies. Our brand of cookies and baked goodies can be found in the best supermarkets of the country as well as in your local wine stores, gourmet shops, cheese stores, department stores, boutique hotels, and they even serve them in some medical centers. We also provide cookies to Aroma Cafe, Starbucks, McCafé, Munchi’s, Freddo, Jumbo Supermarkets, The Barbie Store, and currently talking to some others to expand that list.

Our factory also has a store front where you can come by and purchase our regular line as well as some things that are exclusively available at our shop. Sometimes we experiment and currently we have mocha biscotti and we have a very deluxe version of our panettone with chocolate for example.

I also have a blog that I write, but I don’t make a living out of it. I did it mostly to help my website get some presence. Before I started it, I could not find my website on any search engine.

4. Describe your average weekday and weekend day.

In the morning we chase the kids around to get them dressed, and ready for school. We then take them ourselves. My days are actually different from one day to another. We have a couple of new products, which leads to a bunch of new clients so I have to carry around a binder with separations for each client with the current open situations that I need to move on, otherwise I would get lost with what has to be done with whom and when. I am feeling pretty overwhelmed these days.

Since June this country’s economy has slowed down. Every retailer is complaining and their sales have decreased substantially. It is a crisis and I don’t even know if the papers are writing about it as such. We are definitely feeling it and the only thing that could or would be saving us are the new products that we are launching as well as the beginning of the holiday season.

Having said that I have to send e-mails, try to get meetings, go to meetings that are either sales meetings or price negotiation meetings or new product meetings, etc. It is basically hectic and confusing.

5. What skills have you learned while living abroad?

I think that I have learnd how to stand up for myself much more effectively. You have to be much more proactive here and not be afraid to be confrontational when the situation arises. I don’t mean you have to go yelling at people, but they do borrow from the Italian tendency to get all hot and bothered one minute and then completely cool down the next. If you stand your ground, you earn respect. You have to remember the cooling down part.

6. What are you missing (professionally) by not being in your home country?

This one is difficult. I was never in this industry back home so I don’t know. I do get the sense that it is not as formal here so things are bit more laid back. But I am going to have to say that I don’t know on this one. Is that allowed? Can I not know something?

However, last week I was waiting around for a potential new client in their office. They had me (and several others) waiting around for 5 hours. I had to walk into his office and not show my irritation. That was some nice acting.

Right after that I had another meeting with a current client and this time, after 1 hour I asked the receptionist if the guy was really in (because he normally does not leave me waiting so long) and she said that he was. I waited for an hour more and then told her that I couldn’t wait anymore. The next day he calls me and apologizes for the receptionist. He was at home sick and she basically flat out lied to me or did not know what the hell she was talking about. I have to hold that one in. When I saw her after that, she recognized me and her attitude was much better about calling him for me, but I couldn’t say anything to her. I have to keep being nice and friendly.

7. If you could live anywhere, where would that be and why?

I like it here, I really do; so Argentina would be my first choice. I think I would need to travel a bit more to come up with a good response. I also loved Italy’s country side; I also loved France; London would have been great in my younger years I think, but I did not feel the love for it. I also did not get to vacation that much. I have been there twice, once for work.

I also love Mexico, but I don’t know if I would like to live there and work there. Maybe if my work was in the States while living there. However, I do have that love for the place when I visit there and I miss it terribly.

8. What is your favorite gadget that makes your work life abroad better?

I have several. My MacBook Pro is awesome and paired with my iPod touch I am in techie heaven. I would love to equip my home with more Apple products. Some day when I have more money maybe.

I have also just bought a magicjack so that helps me to keep in touch with my friends and family in the States. Yeah, the website looks awful, but the thing works.

9. Do you have a favorite book that inspired you to travel or consider a different way of living?

Nope, never researched it or planned on it. However, I am going to read The New Global Student.

10. Other than yours, do you have a favorite expat blog?

Actually there are so many. I have them all side-linked on my blog and I have them on my Googlereader. I might have some on one and not on the other. I have to get that better organized.

The Advantage of Being Illiterate

I am a pretty angst-y guy, always have been.  Anxious to please, absolutely hated getting yelled at and spent far too much time anticipating and worrying about people’s reactions.  I once broke out in hives for 24 hours when I was twelve for something I DIDN’T say to a girl.

Then I got married (different girl—broke out in a rash on our honeymoon) and had four kids in short order.  There is nothing like having kids to open the world of fear wide open and give you an enormous number of problems to anticipate and try to solve before they materialize.

I finally determined that 95% of the things I worried about never came to pass.  And, for the other 5%, I somehow was prepared for those situations on a “just-in-time” basis.  So really, it did no good to worry about them in advance either.

I would like to say the belief above helped me worry less, but it did not.  Maybe it is just something that will be with me forever, like a birthmark or overly-sensitive skin.

However, I worry less since I moved abroad.  I know, it sounds counter-intuitive, move someplace where everything is different and where you have no support and have no idea was is going on around you.  But really, the act of moving abroad, as long as you do it simply, is totally liberating.

It is hard to worry if you don’t know what you are supposed to worry about.  And, if you are functionally illiterate, your ignorance of things to worry about stops you from worrying about the 95% of things that will NEVER happen.

The few things you need to worry about you still worry about and that is a good thing because it allows you to focus on protecting them.  Money, passport, credit cards, keys?  Check, check, check.

If you have made your business virtual before moving overseas then all your worry can be relegated to your laptop.  Laptop open, take care of business.  Laptop closed, the day has ended and you can worry again tomorrow.

Something happens with geographical distance (even in this age of immediate communication via internet) and it is just harder to worry about business if it is far away.  Even harder if your life abroad is full and exciting and distracts you from day to day business concerns.

I hope to learn Spanish well some day, but in the meantime, I will continue to enjoy not knowing about all the bad things that probably will not happen to me.