It’s great to see how a parent’s worldview is changing by observing their childrens’ cultural transformation. The “Baker’s Half Dozen” blog follows an American expat family in Hungary.
April 7, 2011
April 6, 2011
Making Friends the Key to Expat Happiness
We who work with expats know that far too many assignments end early or end badly, mostly due to cultural differences and unhappy families. And we also know that relationships are probably the single most important factor in feeling content and at home in a place. If you aren’t able to connect with people, you will most likely have a negative impression of your expat home. In the article “How to Make Friends Abroad: Ideas for Lonely Expats”, the author states that “an unhappy expat is far more likely to give it all up and head for home than a happy expat with plenty of friends. So, if you want to succeed abroad, you owe it to yourself to find ways to make friends and meet people.” Not a truer word was spoken. We can’t just wait for the natives to be friendly. We have to be a friend to the natives ourselves, or at the very least to other expats like ourselves. To read the full article, click here.
April 5, 2011
House Sitters for Expats
Here’s a great idea for both expats who have homes in several locations and global nomads who don’t want a home, but need a place to roost for a while – as long as they are responsible enough to be the guardians of both home and garden, including pets. The Guardian article “Keeping your home and pets safe when away” describes Andy Peck’s innovative house-sitting service for expats and second home-owners with pets.
April 4, 2011
Kulturtolk Welcomes New Intern From Germany
For the next three months, Kulturtolk will host Esther Grund from Berlin as its first intern. This internship is part of her ongoing studies in Intercultural Management in Jena/Germany. She will support the team in cross- and intercultural business issues, as well as in their marketing strategy.
March 5, 2011
Rules of Intimacy
This is a very funny look at the rules of intimacy: space, conversation, greetings and nudity among the French, Americans, British (and Germans and Finns). Simon Kuper is a Brit living in France. He gets it right in “Don’t touch me, I’m British”, featured on FT.com. There are a lot of gems in this piece, but these lines stood out for me – “Generalising grossly: to Americans, conversation doesn’t imply intimacy.” And vice versa – “In France… you always flirted whether you fancied someone or not. The flirting meant nothing.”- So true. Lists of “Do’s and don’ts” are never set in stone, but there is always a seed of truth in them.
November 19, 2010
Northern Exposure – how to survive the Scandinavian winter
Anna Maria’s article (second of a two-part series “Seasons in Scandinavia“) on how to survive the light and dark dichotomy of Scandinavia has been published on ExpatArrivals. The second article focuses on the effects of darkness on Nordic inhabitants and expat survival tips for winter. This follows her article “Got light? – The Importance of Sunlight When Living in the Nordics“, and what to expect in terms of climate and culture. As winter approaches (some would argue it’s already here), the temperature drops and the dark envelops the inhabitants of the north. These extreme changes in climate can wreak havoc on the unassuming expat. The best way to survive the winter is to have the right expectations and be prepared.
Kulturtolk welcomes its new partner, INN!
As of today, Kulturtolk is happy to announce INN as its newest partner. INN is a daughter organization of the Oslo Chamber of Commerce and as such, provides services to expats through their member program.
INN offers relocation services and expat support throughout the expat lifecycle. Their members receive many benefits, including:
* INN® Expatriate Handbook
* Weekend suggestions
* Counselling
* Events – cultural and social
* 24 hour emergency line
* Support for accompanying partners
September 9, 2010
Kulturtolk article published on IMDI Mangfoldsportalen
Bjørn Christian Nørbechs article “Hva skal til for å lykkes med integrering?” was published on the front page of IMDI’s website “Mangfoldsportalen”. It delves into how you can get people from different backgrounds to communicate and work together effectively. What do those who are successful in integration do and how do they do it? This article covers these questions and gives some answers and general tips to leaders and others working with integration in Norway.
Here is an excerpt: “Hva skal egentlig til for å lykkes med integrering? Hvordan får man mennesker med ulik kulturbakgrunn til å kommunisere og samarbeide effektivt og lystbetont med hverandre? Er det noen som er dyktigere enn andre på dette, og hva gjør i så fall de? I denne artikkelen skal jeg ta for meg disse spørsmålene og forsøke å gi noen svar og generelle tips til ledere og andre i norsk arbeidsliv som ønsker å arbeide med integreringen i egen virksomhet.
September 1, 2010
Great guide to interviewing across cultures
“Employment interviews are stressful whenever and wherever they occur. In your own country or culture, it is easier to know what to expect and how to establish credibility. Interviewing in a country other than your own can be an extremely challenging experience.”Pamela Leri, guest columnist to Going Global, lets us in on what you need to be aware of when interviewing in a new culture. Read the article here.
July 3, 2010
Kulturtolk education certification program
In the fall of 2010, we will be announcing the start of a Kulturtolk education program for individuals interested in becoming certified kulturtolks. In the meantime, if you are interested in information, please contact us.