Archive for the 'Expat life' Category
How to Learn English – the real secret
The lovely folks over at Kaplan International Colleges are running a contest to get the word about their English learning programs, and I, of course, am all for immersion language study (and also all for prizes). They’ve got a nice infographic, but I have to say that I have an even better way. Infographic: How to [...]
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A peace offering
I realize I’ve been a bit silent lately. I’m in California and trying to find that ever-elusive expat balance. I think I’ve actually done a decent job so far, despite a few changes of plan and far too many trips to the mall. However juggling work, errands, friends, family and rest (ha, what rest?) has [...]
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Returning things in Chile
Sub-title: why sometimes, even after 5+ years of expat life where you really are actually quite happy with how things have shaped up, a system other than the one in which you grew up can still make you want to poke your eyeballs out. I never said it was a snappy sub-title. I’ve read – [...]
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Tourist vs. local
One thing I struggle with when I come to England – beyond the fact that when I left Santiago it was in the mid-80s and sunny until almost 9pm, and I’ve come to a land of freezing temperatures and pitch black by 4:30 – is that I’m not really a tourist, but I’m also definitely [...]
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The British are coming
Or rather, the British came! My dad and his wife Jane arrived yesterday from England, and it’s great to have them here. I swear I’m not only saying this because they came with suitcases full of presents and things I’d ordered online. Even though Rodolfo is still out of town until next week, I no [...]
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The time I almost became an illegal immigrant
All in all, I think getting a visa in Chile is pretty easy (even when your company almost screws it up). Yes, there are seemingly interminable lines and there’s even more waiting around for approval once you’ve submitted the million papers they ask for, but it’s not hard. The requirements for Chilean visas aren’t particularly [...]
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Deciding not to travel
Sometimes the best travel decision is deciding not to travel at all. Sacrilege, you may say! A true traveler always seizes the opportunity to experience somewhere new! And much of the time, I’d agree with you. Part of my resolve to DO things this year was an attempt to put myself in an opportunity-seizing mindset. [...]
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Going to the dentist in Chile
Last week, I went to the dentist. Three times. Like many seemingly routine tasks, this is one of those things that is just that bit harder and more frustrating in another country. I ususally try to recognize cultural differences as just that, differences, rather than looking at one way of doing things as right and [...]
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My 7 links
If you read any other travel blogs, you’ve probably seen plenty of My 7 links posts lately. Tripbase came up with the idea, and I think it’s a pretty good one. We’ve all got posts buried back in the archives that deserve another go round. The rules are simple: pull out a post for each [...]
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Outsider
For the most part, I feel like I fit in here in Chile. I know I’m not Chilean, and I don’t particularly want to be – nothing against Chileans, but I’ve already got two passports and am quite happy with how being a British-American cross-breed has worked out for me so far. All I want [...]
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