Yes, many different areas for different lengths of time. Germany 3.5 years, Austria 1 year, NZ 4 months, Chile 3 months.... my number one first rule is keep a determined SMILE on your face! Regardless of the cultural rules you might break early on in your stay (and you will break some no matter how considerate you try to be) smile, be gracious (laugh if appropriate) and keep on going! The most challenging phases are often those which in normal life aren't even worth thinking about - setting up a postal box, getting a drivers license... ANYTHING that involves significant amounts of bureaucracy!

posted July 3, 2007

I lived my first half of my life in Hungary, since then I am here in the United States of America. The language was the FIRST thing. No matters how many masters degree I have, how many European languages I speak, if I do not speak English, there is no job ! So simple. Fortunately, I was fluent with English when I came. I did not know IBM Mainframe Assembly language but I knew many others assembly languages, so I got my first job in 1981. Rest of them history ...

Then you need to learn customs, official procedures how to get driving license, credit cards, buy a house e.t.c. Try to be surrounded with native (American) people. Food is a good way to make connections. I just made yesterday 10 lb Hungarian home made sausage for 4th of July celebration. My American neighbors left and right love it !!!

Hello Safqat !

He is a GREAT Remedy programmer, I hired him for my IBM team. Needless to say that he is a good cook, as well.

Write me a line: szdomb@yahoo.com

Links:

• http://www.linkedin.com/pub/2/6b2/32a
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/

posted July 3, 2007

Ed,
I am a US citizen and heavily traveled in the US for work and traveled through Central/South America for about 6-9 months for Citibank.
Lived in Israel for 3 years, 2 consulting IBM, Intel, Teva, ECI Telecom, UN and others 1 as a student.
Lived in London, UK for 3 years while managing in Europe for IBM.
In all cases it was great, sometimes harder(languages), usually entertaining.
My job with IBM though had me traveling throughout Europe and the first year I had to impress upon everyone in 15 countries or so that I was not the usual American idiot. I say that because many Americans have poor geogrpahical skills and are viewed less technical or intelligent by the Europeans.
The funny thing is when I returned to the US, I found the same biases in reverse. People who I thought were intelligent individuals from top schools, etc. here did not want to listen to Europeans because they were not at the corporate office or they made fun of everyone's accent.
A very depressing thought for me.
While I had fun and had fun made of me sometimes because of my accent in Europe, I would do it again in a second.
It helps to be good with languages, I am horrible at speaking most even the ones I know like Hebrew and Spanish, but what I can do is understand written languages (except dutch/nordics) and read upside down.
That has made many saves of business and better friends.
My wife would tell you I live and act like an American everywhere I go(she's Irish), that may be I have expectations, but I am open and honest with everyone and that is usually appreciated.

posted July 3, 2007

Am doing so right now, and have been for the past four years. Biggest learning is, DO NOT expect it to be "like home" because no matter how close the cultures, there will be differences (I grew up in Western Canada and now live in California).

posted July 3, 2007

Yes, I did!
Lived 3 years in Nairobi, Kenya. I did stay there the entire time, though I had regular trips back to HQ in The Netherlands. Working for KLM it was not hard to travel around.
Not that that was necessary. I experienced Kenya as a great country (for an expat).
Acclimatisation wasn't hard somehow. I "clicked" with the Kenyans, who are generally very nice people.
You have to follow certain rules re. your safety, but nothing dramatic (at that time).
Challenges were mostly on the technical side. No electricity on regular basis, no communication (telephone) with the outside world, water shortage.
Working with the people was very nice and smooth, though, also here you have to beware of some cultural differences. I could recommend a training (which I had) on that part. It'll save you a lot of trouble.

Overall: a great experience firts of all for life, second for career. Can recommend it to everyone who has the opportunity.

posted July 3, 2007

Hey Ed,
I am an Indian and have worked in USA and currently working in France.
It was a dramatic change when I came to work in France.It is generally assumed that French people are not very friendly,so I was kind-of biased in my dealings.
As a person I am quite an extrovert thus it was a shock when people did not usually reciprocate the way I was used to in India and USA.

However, I must say that the French are not really that bad, if one can at-least try to communicate with them in their language!
It is quite challenging but with the globalisation trend setting in, France is also trying to catch up.

Inspite of all this, they are not really good at taking orders.As a Manager,I find that very intimidating.

-Sindhu

posted July 4, 2007

I lived in the US for six months and worked in a university setting. It was a wonderful experience for me which was however not shared by some others.

One of the biggest mistakes that one can do is to search for same country fellows and stick to them for companionship and support. It is useful to gain such a support network because that can help to clarify a lot of socio-cultural issues. But this network must not be the central part of your personal and social life.

Interacting with local people is important but it is often difficult to move from polite messages to more strong relationships. The tool that helped me greatly was being part of a virtual community. I had been part of several virtual communities including a US based virtual community for several years and almost immediately on my arrival in the US I was invited to the homes of several virtual friends. Through them I was able to experience genuine American hospitality and I came to be part of their peer group as well.

Of course there are dangers to being part of a virtual community. The real and the virtual selves are often very different but this issue had been resolved in our community by checking the backgrounds of members so that I knew the people whom I was meeting beforehand.

Sharing of festivals and events is another way of inviting people to build relationships. Several Indian festivals occurred in the time that I was in the US and I invited friends and acquaintances to join in the festivities which was greatly appreciated. It is not necessary to throw grand parties. Rather explaining the spirit of the festival and personally cooking a traditional dish often breaks social barriers far easily than formal arrangements.

Thirdly, learning the ethos of a culture is vital. It is not necessary to have an expert's opinion about cultural nuances. Most people are willing to forgive cultural faux pas so long as you show an inclination to learn about issues that are central to their hearts. The ability to relate to cultural traditions and myths in your narratives with friends builds a bridge that they can cross.

The ability to recognize and comprehend non-verbal behaviour is more important than simple language lessons. Different cultures have different cues for expression of emotions. Expression of concern can be a sign of disappointment or a sign of affection or a sign of inquisitiveness. It is important to understand what a native means when he expresses himself/herself.

Finally, traveling around in the country is one of the best ways to acclimatize yourself more fully. Travel may be limited by the budget and by your time availability but taking the initiative to go out can help you adjust better.

posted July 4, 2007

I am Born and brought up in India- though many ppl wouldn't know but within a radius of 100kms in any direction, the language, culture, food changes. So its a challenge within this vastly diverse sub continent itself.
Spend 3 years in US (both East and West Coast)
Worked some time in UK and now since 3 years have settled in Melbourne, Australia.

Tip: Try to be a part of one of them and you'll feel at home !

posted July 4, 2007

In the early 90's, I got the opportunity to be sent on secondment in the UK by a large pharma company for 3 years. I loved the experience so much that I followed on with 5 years spent in the US (Pennsylvannia).
Language is the first hurdle that new immigrants have to master. There is such a gap between when you suddenly become immersed in a particular area, and you have to learn the intricacies of local spoken English, colloquial expressions, etc.
But I found the biggest challenge has been for my wife. When I was able to get help from colleagues, she had to rebuild her own network from scratch and do a lot for the house and our two young kids. As for the children, it's been a boon for them (even now after 18 years). They became completely bilingual in the matter of a few months and have managed to keep that skill, although they live in France now. In addition, it has brought them a sense of cultural relativity and opened their mind in wonderful ways.

After our stint in the USA, we went back to France for 6 years and then have relocated to the UK for the last 3 years.
The main learnings from all these years has been:
- Tolerance - there are often no wrong or right ways to go about things. Just different ways.
- The world is a smaill place - there are universal values that we can share (respect for people, kindness, inclusiveness, etc.)
- The mind, once expanded by the experience of living and working in a foreign place can never be constrained back into its old shell

Although I sometimes think it would be good to go back to France with all the things I've learned, I have been enjoying myself thoroughly and would not change one bit of my past and recent life.

posted July 4, 2007

Yes -- France for four months and Switzerland for 18 months.

Learn and adopt the etiquette.
People will notice and extend goodwill to you for trying.

posted July 4, 2007

I lived in Quebec for 10 years. Now I'm in Ontario. One day Quebec might be another country. Now it's just a different nation.

Does that count?

posted July 4, 2007

Originally from Italy, I have worked and lived in England (10 years), China & Taiwan (1 year) and now based in Australia since 2002.

I have found that to make the most of my experience I needed to let go of comparing previous countries to my new home. Otherwise your mind is still living in the past and you do not get appreciate your new life.

Generally I have found that immersing myself as fast as I could into 'native' culture (newspapers, tv, etc) helped me have common ground with new friends and understanding their perspective better.

I would definitely recommend moving abroad for any length of time.

posted July 4, 2007

I've lived in both Kazakhstan (1995-1996) and currently live in Kyrgyzstan where I am the country director for an international media development organization.

My current work assignment is nearing the end of two years after which I intend to return to the US.

The hardest part of my job at the beginning was getting used to working in Russian. While I had Russian language training in the past along with cultural experiences, I had never really had to work daily in the language. (And I have around 30 people in our this office where I am the director.)

This meant that you often missed subtle interactions in the office while staffers might have trouble understanding you. I tried to address this by spending personal time trying to get to know each staffer. I hold one-on-one meetings to better understand their feelings about their work.

And I had to hire a Russian language tutor to catch back up with Russian. This was a personal expense and a lot of time, but it has made such a difference in my ability to lead this office and manage our projects.

Also, there were misunderstanding with some staffers on how they expected me to be managing them. They were used to bosses who approved every step they took. If I assigned them a task and then didn't push at every step, they just stopped working. While I was assuming that once a task was assigned, they understood that they were supposed to work on and only come to me with questions and updates on status.

We together found out that my expectation and theirs were different. After trail and error, they came to realize that I didn't want to control every step while I had to ask for updates more often. So far, its worked well as I've learned to give more deadlines in written form. They've told me that they feel happier and more trusted in their work.

Overall, I've had to have patience and learn when to push and when to step back. And that those are different from what I would do if the staff was in the US. But that basic people and leadership skills and techniques can work in both cultures. You just have to take more time to find out what the different assumptions are as you go along.

posted July 5, 2007

I'm originally from Malaysia but currently reside in Brisbane, Australia for university.

What really helped me was to get involved in nearly everything Brisbane had to offer. Being a creatively and charitably minded young person, this wasn't difficult. Festivals and expos every week, free youth spaces, events to volunteer for...so much to do! I made many new friends, had great experiences, and learnt a LOT.

posted July 5, 2007

Yes; Brazil one year, Spain one year. The former we stayed the anticipated period, the latter ended sooner than hoped - we would have been happy to remain for the 5ish years we planned.
There are two primary challenges (all mentioned above)...
- your "normality" is just that, yours, not that of the place you now are. Or as one wise advisor put it to me - "There are over 100 million Brasilians - and one of you!" (It was a while ago, there are a lot more now!) Adapt and tolerate.
- language - do everything you can to become as competent as you can. Language expresses culture, attitude, beliefs etc. Without getting your head around the language you have no hope with the rest.
- in business - "what is a meeting FOR?" - the answer is not the same in all cultures! Beware of trying to impose your normality!

Get out there and engage - that is the best way to acclimatise literally and socially and culturally. And for that, you need language.

If you find yourself facing a period on another country, or even business trips, there are some great books that help. See link below for one. I've spent many years working in IT internationally, most recently in with airlines and the travel industry. That is often a very multi national world where awareness of cultural differences matters.

Links:

• http://www.amazon.com/When-Cultures-Collide-Richard-Lewis/dp/1857880870

posted July 5, 2007

I am from Redwood City California and this is my third year. To acclimate you can:
1. Eat the local food - You won't believe what this will do for you. I know expats who have lived in Malaysia for many years that never tasted the local food. As a result, they are considered outsiders and unassimilated.
2. Give the local language a try - Take lessons. It shows that you respect the people of the country that you live in and are not forcing your own culture down their throats. Remember, you are in their country using their resources so you might as well help them understand you.
3. Mingle with the locals - You may be with a group of people from your own country but forget that you are a group of people from your own country and talk to the people that live in the country that you are visiting. That will make them feel like you want to be there.

posted July 5, 2007

I have lived and worked in Peru and Chile for a period of nine years running businesses for Hilti Chile and Hilti Peru as well as board vice-chairman roles on local non-profit organizations including the local international school. The following are observations based on my business and personal life as to expat failures:

Unsuccessful expats fail based on my observation in this order 1) Improper alignment with the values and performance requirements of their current employer 2) A spouse or family member that cannot or will not be flexible to learn and adapt to the culture 3) Lack of ability adapt to the difference between cultures thus resulting in poor decision making and high levels of stress and 4) short term perspective of “just camping” in the country thus always referring to “how we do it better” back home. This last failure results in a superiority complex, inability to accept diverse approaches, learn the local language, and a clear message with the local team that this expat is not working in the best interest of the local group.

Links:

• http://www.diversityaustralia.gov.au/_inc/doc_pdf/key_expat_success_tool.pd...

posted July 5, 2007

Hi Ed,

>I worked and was assigned by the Canadian Foreign Service in at least fifty countries sometimes on short term assignment.

Probabluy the most challenging eas the first posting in east africa, during the vietnam war,

I did extend, but found that i fI had not learned a bantu based language '
ki swahili, i would have been much less likely to acclimatise to a new environment.

posted July 5, 2007

I lived in England for five years, an expatriate assignment that was extended from 3 to 5 years. What helped me to acclimate to living overseas was simply sitting down with locals and listening to them. I consciously tried to "fit in" and tried to lessen any overt "americanisms" by living as they lived. I didn't try to replicate my US style of living in the host country.

posted July 5, 2007

I was assigned on expatriate contract to Puerto Rico in 2000, nominally for a twelve-month duration.

Monthly visits home considerably helped my morale, as did the four trips my Mrs was able to make to my condo in Isla Verde.

My greatest challenge was my ignorance of the Spanish language, and the hospitality and generosity of my friends on the island were more than sufficient to overcome any apparent linguistic or cultural obstacles.

I was born in Manhattan and relocated to Hong Kong as an infant before returning to the United States more or less for good. Perhaps that formative experience of having one foot in a different culture at an early age may have improved my receptiveness and resilience.

When my travels have brought me to Israel, Europe, Russia, Singapore, Mexico, Canada, and Tahiti, I've seldom felt entirely like a perfect stranger.

After all, we're none of us perfect.

posted July 6, 2007

A lot depends on your age and the countries you choose to go to. For instance, when I came to the U.S. eight years ago from Russia, I felt somewhat like a "newborn". Having the advantage of knowing the language, I had to learn a lot of things that we take it here as a common knowledge; i.e writing a check, understanding of what is out there on the shelves in the store and what is the good price, getting used to people's smiles that really don't mean anything, learning the right ways to position yourself in a new cultural environment, etc. Being in a new country adds adrenalin to your blood and makes your brain work faster. In addition to a great educational experience, the more opportunities we have to live in various countries the better our attitude becomes towards the world, life and people in general. So, don't be afraid ... and pack your bags!
Best,
Ludmila Podwell
Milamagix@yahoo.com

posted July 6, 2007

I took on the leadership of a non-governmental project in Syria after working all my life (bar a couple of months in Dubai long ago). It has been an extraordinary experience, and like many things in life, I wish I'd done something like it long before. Acclimatisation can mean many things: how you feel you "fit"into the local culture and way of life; how your style of management has to adapt for your team to succeed; whether you miss your favourite food or not. I struggle with the language here, but have enough basic phrases to ensure I can be polite and friendly. Advice? Remember you are the foreigner. Ask questions. It's easy to patronise, without meaning to. And don't assume etiquette translates. After many months of ushering others into rooms ahead of me, I learned that people assume the first one to enter is the most senior,so I was regularly assumed to be the office gopher. Keep a diary, take photographs. And have fun.

posted July 7, 2007

I have never lived abroad but would love to do so. Just a little on the scared side to as to what to expect and whether or not I will excel in what I do. I am not only a Systems Engineer at the moment but also a gym instructor... I would sadly miss my fantastic gym (that I am a member at) and the ones I work at! Is it really hard to break away from it all and start fresh overseas??? But listening to your stories and experiences it is making me wonder what it would be like. :)

posted July 8, 2007

Just doing right now - I moved from Austria (this little nice country in the middle of Europe) to San Francisco to work for Oracle Corporation' HQ.

Most challenging was the decision to move - as well as to start from scratch again, from private challenges to find a flat, to negotiating with native speakers, and miss the right words in stressy situations, I got it all.

Looking back the last 2 years I am living in the bay area - it is a wonderfull experience, and I can just recommend everyone who get's the chance to take it - it will pay off big time.

posted July 8, 2007

Yes, I lived in the USA for 25 years!!

posted July 8, 2007

I was born in France, and moved to Quebec during 6 years, then moved to Los Angeles where I lived 2 years, then to Vancouver since July 2006.
The first move was without kids, the other ones with 2 kids which greatly change the way the transition is done.

Every time has been an exciting project with ups and downs. The first move was the most stressful, then it becomes more or less "business as usual".

Challenges vary greatly depending on where you come from and where you're going. I have been very surprised by the language challenge when moving from France to Quebec.

Hope you will get enough information for your research

posted July 8, 2007

Yes, I lived in the United States in a the beuatiful state of Lousiana for 6 years. The fiss challenge was to understand black dudes, when they spoke due to their accent. However I blend in really nicely with all racial groups. Only challenge was that to educate Lousianians why not to litter, otherise fruitful experience among smart, entreprenurial people and I hope to go back. Advice to the visitors...abandon your prejudice and get accustomed to the culture--it rewardss you and you'll like home

posted July 8, 2007

I suppose whoever puts a line or two in here has definitely had that experience. Needless to say, I had too. It is, by all means, the best way for one to find out how differently (better or worse) the life and business is progressing compared to their own country. My favorite is the language barrier (when it is present) - at first, the fact that one can filter all the nonsense they wanted to escape from and then learning about new cultures while acquiring the local language/dialect. For a business professionals who pursue a carrier, I suppose, this way could be a bit tough but for a scientific research it is a boost (it was for me). To me, a year or two is the minimal period for getting to know a foreign place while following one's professional or personal duties.
Hope this helps and thanks for the cute questions.

Sacha

posted July 8, 2007

Homed in India , moving to the US was a big cultural adjustment for me.
But keeping it short, Wikipedia, Movies and Friends from here really helped me adjust to this new environment. The most difficult challenge was probably the use of colocial English and conveying information with little reference. Since societies here are multi-cultural and everyones new to everything, thus it is very necessary to throw some light on a topic you are asked for before answering questions. It is equally important to approach issues with critical analysis and being very objective with your answers.

posted July 8, 2007