Archive for the ‘Expat Advice & Stories’ Category
Easter is happily celebrated all around the world in many different ways. It is chiefly considered a Christian holiday but it has always been a traditional way of welcoming spring (sometimes considered the New Year in ancient pagan times). The word itself, Easter, is related to the German word for Easter, Ostern. This in turn [...]
St Patrick’s Day marks the official day of the patron saint who brought Christianity to Ireland, yet, it is better known as the day to drink copious amounts of alcohol and celebrate Irish culture. While most countries outside Ireland and Northern Ireland do not recognise the holiday officially, you can celebrate the festivities by joining [...]
I was an Erasmus student in Aix-en-Provence and three years later, a receptionist in a hotel in Paris. In between, I went to Izhevsk, Russia, for one year to study and two years later, I went to teach Spanish in Kazan, Russia again, for a year. This means that in five years, I have been [...]
24 hours is just the right amount of time to get a good first impression of Zurich. Follow myfriendfromzurich’s tips, and you’ll know where to go and what to do away from the tourist crowds. 9:00 AM, Zurich It’s 9 o’clock in the morning. You just woke up in one of the nice rooms at [...]
English is the most widely spoken language in the world with 360 million native speakers and around 375 million secondary speakers. So if you have a good command of English you’re probably not too worried about being able to communicate when you move abroad. However, it doesn’t pay to slip into the common assumption of, “If I [...]
In our second festivals installment, we look at some of the global festivals leading up to the new year. We start with November, and the very English celebration of Guy Fawkes, 407 years after his gunpowder plot! November Guy Fawkes Night – Also known as bonfire night, Guy Fawkes night is an annual festivity celebrated [...]
Sometimes it takes a little while to become accustomed to using a different form of currency than what you use at home. Here are some tips that may help with the familiarization of foreign money before you head abroad. First and foremost, figure out what form of currency your destination country uses. There are over [...]
Aside from the main festive periods of the year which usually revolve around religious celebrations, there are many festivals that take place on an annual basis. In the first of a two part series, Just Landed takes a look at some of the most popular festivals this autumn period. September Gerewol Festival – The Gerewol [...]
Moving to Madrid has been my second change of home within two months since I have spent my whole summer working at the Costa del Maresme in Catalonia. Although having been in Spain before, the changes were tremendous when I arrived in the capital of Spain. Coming to a city I have never seen before, [...]
Mark Twain said, “The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like and do what you’d rather not.” How true indeed. Staying healthy is a difficult task. Most expatriates like to travel, see places, taste delicacies, discover new cultures, take new jobs and meet new [...]
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