Part 1 of this article looked at issues to consider before setting up shop across the ocean yonder. We hashed out questions addressing personal preferences and concerns regarding 1. weather (palm trees or pashminas), 2. health (the ick factor), and 3. travel companions (pets, partners and spouses). Now let's look at some of the financial, food, and language stuff to consider when you are deciding on your new country of temporary, semi-permanent or permanent residence. Part 3 (forthcoming) will look at cultural activities (festivals and the like) and the daily grind (We're not in Kansas anymore...).
The end goal of these articles is to help you pick a country and community that you can see yourself living, shopping, playing, and perhaps working in-- a place that with time and a little patience you will be able to call 'home' or, at the very least, 'a home away from home.' And a home must obligingly have lots of belly laughs, general hilarity, tasty treats, lasting friends, marvelous mementos and an all out rockin' (or quietly relaxing) air of enjoyment. Simple things, you know?
If you can answer this then you know what you want:
Consider the following question: How do you see your upcoming experience abroad? For example, do you see yourself engaging with the local community, learning community slang and language cues, and eating the local grub, or are you more of an isolationist ex-pat who wants to engage primarily with English speaking ex-pats with similar social backgrounds? The answer to this question is important: your view of how and who you want to relate to and with will not only affect what country you can move to but what activities you can do, where you can travel, what you can eat, and whom and what experiences you will hold as memorable.
If you put in the effort to think about all of the nitty gritty details--along with what you actually want in your life abroad BEFORE you personally invest in moving half way across the globe--I can assure you that it will save you money, time, and frustrating scenarios. Below are a few questions that will hopefully get your thinking cap buzzing and mind's eye generating ideas about what you seek/yearn/crave for within a life abroad and, more importantly, who you ultimately see yourself becoming through global exploration.
4. Budgeting & Finance
What is the differential between what you can ultimately afford and what you see as the ideal living scenario? Would you rather live in affordable, less than magnificent housing but eat out and dine-it-up, or would you rather have a beautiful sky rise apartment and rely on affordable street food and the more reasonably priced lunch time restaurants? Perhaps you would like to live in the countryside. If it is cheaper and you won't be bored to death (or lost in translation), this is sometimes a good option to become immersed in cultural community life. If you have a local 'in' with people who can show you the ropes, all the better. Two or three connections before you go can make all the difference in the world upon your first days post-arrival.
To get a good idea of your financial options, check up on rental prices in safe neighborhoods and compare your own finances with listing prices. Maybe your first city of preference costs 5x the amount as the sister-city thirty miles over. Maybe the difference in transportation costs (one city requires a car, the other you can rely on metros/taxis/trains) will affect your overall experience. Write down the elements that are important to your contentedness and then seek out locales that fulfill your primary needs. Find a happy medium between the best of scenarios in an ideal world and the realistic expectations of being on a tight budget or having limited travel orders.5. Language
If a former colony has English (or for that matter French, German, Portuguese, or Spanish) as a primary or national language, find out how many local residents actually speak it. What languages are available on the most-listened to radio stations, television programs, and newspapers? For example, Ghana's national language is English, among others, but when I was living in villages adjacent to Togo in the Volta region, less than 10% of the population could speak or understand English conversationally and fewer could read and write in English. Regionally, Ewe was the lingua franca, but outside of the Volta region very few Ghanaians understood when Ewe was spoken. The capital city of Accra had more English speakers and the languages of Twi (Fante) and Ga were more widely understood (and expected) than the regionally-specific Ewe. The point being, know what the particular city's spoken languages are and not just the country's official national languages. If you are in a country where women have less access to education, be prepared to learn local dialogue in order to buy even basic items from the market vendors or to make local female friends. With a little research beforehand, you will get a better idea of what you will be in for and how you can prepare accordingly.
More on Culture, Community, and the Daily Grind in Part 3 coming soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment