Posts

expat interview
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Interview of the month June 2017

While supporting expats with integration, their confidence and languages, I share these interviews, revealing personal stories, tips and advice. Moving countries is such a change, and how to feel ‘’at Home’’ can be challenging. Let’s…
Beacon Financial Education
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Second Free Financial Awareness Seminar for Expats

The Financial Implications of Being an Expat. By Beacon Financial Education in collaboration with expatsHaarlem. The need for financial information and investment needs of an expat differ from that of a “regular” employee. •…
Interview month January
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Interview of the month January 2017

In my goal to support people moving abroad, I enjoy taking interviews, revealing personal stories and advise. Why do you seek to move abroad? What are the challenges and opportunities you may encounter? This month we are traveling from Mexico,…
Interview month

Interview of the month April

This month I take you to Austria. It’s my pleasure to introduce you to a very interesting and amazing business woman, Kornelia. Enjoy ;-) In my goal to support people with network, confidence, integration and languages, I interview…
Hunger for stories: Barbara, from Veneto to Haarlem

Hunger for stories: Barbara, from Veneto to Haarlem

Stories are among my  main driving forces, since I can recall. Even now that I’m a grumpy almost-old man, I cannot cure my craving for stories. Here's the story of Barbara. I blame and thank my grandma for that, the one with the name…
Being a Third Culture Kid – Part 3: The Parents’ Role
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Being a Third Culture Kid – Part 3: The Parents’ Role

This article is the last piece of a series of 3 on being a Third Culture Kid (TCK). We began by defining the concept of TCK and listing the major challenges of growing up in between cultures in Part 1. The 2nd part was about the benefits of…
About basil and lavender’s roots (Photo: Marco Alf)

About basil and lavender’s roots

Since I became an emigrant, I’ve been often asked where I’m from. I come from Italy, is my answer. Yes, but from where? I totter. From the North. From the mountains. Then I keep talking and I say that I’m from a small village and no, there’s…
Being a Third Culture Kid - Part 2: The Benefits
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Being a Third Culture Kid - Part 2: The Benefits

This article is part 2 of 3 on being a Third Culture Kid (TCK). Summing things up, we are talking about children that have spent a significant part of their development years living out of their home culture, not identifying completely with…
Dealing with Dutch Directness: disconnect or connect? (Photo: Creative Mornings)
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Dealing with Dutch Directness: disconnect or connect?

Did you catch the tongue-in-cheek article, “10 ways to fit into Dutch society” (posted 3 June, 2014 on expatsHaarlem), written by Simon Woolcot (a.k.a. Amsterdam Shallow Man)? I was entertained for sure, which I imagine was the whole point.…
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Comparisons of the Dutch with other Europeans

The Shallow Man is a well travelled old fossil. I’ve lived in a country or three and have been fortunate enough to have travelled to a few places during my long slow jog on planet earth. I’ve written lots about various aspects of Dutch…
Home is a place you can tell about…(Photo: Bertolda)
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Home is a place you can tell about…

He was a chubby kid. He wasn't pretty but with one of those faces with regular features and intense eyes that will always let him find a girlfriend. I would look at him even with please if he wouldn't have had his ass nailed on the bench. It’s…
Being a Third Culture Kid - Part 1: The Challenges (Photo: Chaud)
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Being a Third Culture Kid - Part 1: The Challenges

Do you have small children and are you thinking of moving abroad? Did you shift between cultures as a child? Are your children spending a significant part of their development years in a culture that isn’t their original one? If any of the…
About migrants that landed but with anchors made of salt, as their thoughts (Photo: Marco Ottaviani)

About migrants that landed but with anchors made of salt, as their thoughts

“They go on with their lives here. I might have realized it just now”. This is what Michele told me. With his eyes looking down, to the left, as he was feeling guilty of something. Then he looked back at me. The green was surrendered;…
What makes you an Expat?
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What makes you an Expat?

Is it possible to feel more at home in your new country than your home country? Read my story and the challenges I faced when I moved back to the Netherlands after a 10 year stint abroad. According to Wikipedia: “An expatriate (sometimes…