Future Expats Forum » Asia

A Video Look at Some Expat Destinations

FutureExpat — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:00:14 +0000

For a change of pace today, I thought I’d share with you some YouTube videos about expats and their new homes. A quick YouTube search of “expat” turns up over 4,000 videos. As you’d expect, some are good, some are terrible and most are in between. Some are slick, commercially produced efforts, most are not. The ones I find most interesting are individuals who shares specifics about their new homes.

I’ve chosen 14 videos worth a look. We’ll come back to this from time to time, so please don’t think I’m ignoring large chunks of the world.

Latin America

Retire Early in Mexico
Live, work and retire in Mexico. This video looks specifically at Merida, on the Yucatan Peninsula.
Living in Mexico, Moving to Mexico and Retiring in Mexico. An American couple moves to San Miguel de Allende.
A Retirement in Panama: Everything Under the Sun. This is a professionally created video by International Living.
Ecuador – One Man’s Dream
To Live in Cuenca, Ecuador
Cuenca Day and Night
Costa Rica Expat interviews w/Wayne

Asia

The Expat Life: Dumpling 101 An adventure in Chinese cooking. This is a really cute video of a US expat in China trying to make Chinese dumplings, to his daughter’s disapproval.
Life in Korea. The first month’s of a young American teacher’s adventures in Korea.
Life as an Expat in Thailand: Getting a Job
How to Live and Work as a Teacher in Thailand
Why Malaysia? A British expat explains his reasons.
Expat Women in Hong Kong Society. This video gives a glimpse of the down side of expatriation — what do you know when the society you’re living in doesn’t want to mingle with you?

Can you recommend other online videos worth watching about expats and expat destinations? Add your comment to share!

9 Expat Blogs to Follow

FutureExpat — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:00:44 +0000

It’s been a while since I’ve done any kind of list, so I thought I’d give you a look today at some of the expat blogs I follow, and that you might find helpful, too.

Empty Nest Expat. Currently living in Prague, the blogger describes herself as “an American expatriate bursting with enthusiasm to GET OUT AND EXPERIENCE OUR GLOBE! ”
Living In the Sun. This is a website with four offshoot blogs, each dealing with a European/Mediterranean country. There’s one for France, Portugal, Spain and Greece.
Soul Travelers 3. Two fifty-something parents and a nine-year old travel the world in “an epic odyssey: open-ended, years long slow trip around the world as a family adventure, unschool, spiritual journey and lifestyle.”
Expat+Harem. A Berkely, CA native living in Istanbul with her Turkish husband.
My Several Worlds. The author is a traveler and photographer. Originally from Ottawa, Canada, she currently lives and works in Taipei. Her site features gorgeous photos, as well as information about teaching English abroad.
Career by Choice. Megan Fitzgerald helps expats develop their careers abroad.
Traveling4Health. While not specifically an expat blog, this is a terrific resource for anyone interested in health care abroad.
Mid-Atlantic English, the blog of an American who’s lived for an extended time in the UK.
The Cranky Yank. This is the personal blog of Dan Prescher from International Living, and he always has a unique perspective.
Do you have a favorite expat blog? Share it by clicking on the Comment link below.

Take It All In Stride

FutureExpat — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:00:40 +0000

Guest Post by Brandi N. Grays

I never really decided to live overseas. There was no well-laid plan, no dream destination. I didn’t do any research. When I first got off the airplane in Ankara, Turkey I had no idea what life had in store for me. My boyfriend had been working in Turkey for a little over a year and he asked me to marry him. He was already in Turkey (and it seemed that I had been awaiting this proposal forever), so we decided that I would go there and we would get married right away. I found a tenant for my apartment, packed my bags, and hopped on a plane to Ankara.

Because I hadn’t done any research, I arrived a few days before the start of Ramadan. We had to wait through closed offices and holiday observances; but, we were finally able to get married about three weeks later. So many people ask me, “How did you manage to get married in another country?” It was a challenge, but this experience is what helped shape my perspective about life overseas; take it all in stride.

I have lived all over the world; Turkey, Belgium, Bosnia, Israel, and now Mexico. I am thoroughly enjoying myself. However, I believe that in order to take full advantage of your expat life you have to relax a bit and understand that you don’t have the same amount of control as you do in your home country. I have had many opportunities to work myself into fits of frenzy; however, my outlook on this uncommon life has saved me.

What Do You Mean, I Can’t Buy Groceries Here?

I can remember standing in the checkout line at a grocery store in Belgium. I had a basket full of groceries and was at least 7 months pregnant. I handed the cashier my credit card and my passport and began bagging my groceries. However, I was alerted to the fact that there was some sort of problem with my identification. The cashier explained that my middle name was not on my credit card as it appeared on my passport and therefore, I couldn’t pay for my basket full of groceries. I tried to explain to her that it was just my middle name and didn’t have to be on my credit card, but my explanation was not sufficient. I speak enough French to get through my daily life; but, I can’t go head to head in a verbal battle with a native French speaker.

So, here I was holding up the check-out line in Carrefour and getting angrier by the minute. Had I been in the states, I would have demanded to speak to the manager, asked for the number to corporate headquarters and called them while I sat in the car. In this case, however, I pushed my basket to the front of the store, bought a hot waffle on my way out, and went back later with my husband and his credit card.

These sorts of experiences will happen, especially when you first arrive in a new country. If you don’t fluently speak the language, you will encounter them much more often. But they will give you opportunities to laugh later on. They are simply part of the adventure. There is no sense in getting upset and angry. Take it all in stride.

I could tell you stories about rogue taxi drivers, hostile sports fans, ridiculous apartment deficiencies, and the worst McDonald’s on Earth. Of course, when you are standing face to face with a cashier and can’t buy your groceries, it can be disheartening. If you have to demand that a taxi driver take you back home because he doesn’t know where he is going (and you don’t really either), it can be a bit overwhelming. But when you stick it out and get past these little bumps in the road, the journey is a blast.

Brandi N. Grays is the owner of Eleven Twenty-Three Creative Group, a small business marketing firm. She blogs about starting and growing your small business. She will be launching her own blog dedicated to expat moms in the spring of 2010. You can reach Brandi at brandingrays@1123creativegroup.com.

Expat Experience Gone Bad: A Passage to India

FutureExpat — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:00:34 +0000

EM Forster’s classic novel of India under the British Raj examines the dark side of the expatriate experience. Although not absolutely necessary, it helps to understand a little of the history of England’s presence in India, because, central to the novel’s core, is the oppressor’s fascination with and repugnance of the oppressed – and vice versa.

Cast of Characters

Forster introduces his characters in order of importance, beginning with the Marabar Hills, 20 miles away from the city of Chandrapore. And, make no mistake, Marabar becomes the central character, acting on the human characters in dramatic and unexpected ways!

Next we meet Dr. Aziz, a young Muslim physician who works for the British in their hospital, and a group of his friends. They are discussing whether it is possible to be friends with an Englishman. Hamidullah, a lawyer who was trained in England, takes the position that it is possible – but only in England, not in India. He tells Aziz:

“It is impossible here, Aziz! The red-nosed boy has again insulted me in Court. I do not blame him. He was told that he ought to insult me. Until lately he was quite a nice boy, but the others have got hold of him.”

“Yes, they have no chance here, that is my point. They come out intending to be gentlemen, and are told it will not do. Look at Lesley, look at Blakiston, now it is your red-nosed boy, and Fielding will go next. Why, I remember when Turton came out first. It was in another part of the Province. You fellows will not believe me, but I have driven with Turton in his carriage – Turton! Oh yes, we were once quite intimate. He has shown me his stamp collection.”

“He would expect you to steal it now. Turton! But red-nosed boy will be far worse than Turton!”

“I do not think so. They all become exactly the same, not worse, not better. I give any Englishman two years. … And I give any Englishwoman six months. All are exactly alike.”

After some further discussion, Hamidullah states, “The English take and do nothing. I admire them.”

“We all admire them” is the response.

Aziz receives an urgent message from Major Callender, his superior at the hospital, ordering Aziz to report to him immediately. When Aziz arrives at the bungalow he finds Callender has gone out, leaving no message, and Callender’s wife and another English woman snub Aziz.

He stops on his way home at his favorite mosque, and suddenly an Englishwoman steps out into the moonlight. He shouts at her:

“Madam, this is a mosque, you have no right here at all; you should have taken off your shoes; this is a holy place for Moslems.”

“I have taken them off.”

“You have?’

“I left them at the entrance.”

“Then I ask your pardon. … I am truly sorry for speaking.”

“Yes, I was right, was I not? If I remove my shoes, I am allowed?”

“Of course, but so few ladies take the trouble, especially if thinking no one is there to see.”

“That makes no difference. God is here.”

They converse, and Aziz learns that she is the mother of City Magistrate Ronald Heaslop, the red-nosed boy. She has walked over from the Club, where the English are watching a performance of a play she had seen in London several years before.

Adela Quested has traveled from England with Mrs. Moore to decide whether she wants to marry Ronny Heaslop. After her adventure at the Mosque, Mrs. Moore returns to the Club, where Adela greets her with the statement: “I want to see the real India.” She repeats it to Ronny later.

“The request struck him as comic, and he called out to another passer-by: ‘Fielding! How’s one to see the real India?’ ‘Try seeing Indians,’ the man answered, and vanished.

“ ‘As if one could avoid seeing them,’ sighed Mrs. Lesley

“ ‘I’ve avoided,’ said Miss Quested. ‘Excepting my own servant, I’ve scarecely spoken to an Indian since landing.’

“ ‘Oh, lucky you.’

“ ‘But I want to see them.’

“She became the centre of an amused group of ladies. One said, ‘Wanting to see Indians! How new that sounds!’ Another, ‘Natives! Why, fancy!’ A third, more serious, said, ‘Let me explain. Natives don’t respect one any the more after meeting one, you see.’

“ ‘That occurs after so many meetings.’

“But the lady … continued: … ‘I was a nurse in a Native State. One’s only hope was to hold sternly aloof.

“ ‘ Even from one’s patients?’

“ ‘Why, the kindest thing one can do to a native is to let him die,’ said Mrs. Callender.”

Mr. Turton, the Collector offers Adela a Bridge Party.

“He explained to her what that was – not the game, but a party to bridge the gulf between East and West; the expression was his own invention, and amused all who heard it.

“ ‘I only want those Indians whom you come across socially – as your friends’ Adela told him.

” ‘Well, we don’t come across them socially,’ he said, laughing.”

Friendship and Betrayal

The Bridge Party is duly held, and it is an utter failure. The British, with the exception of Adela and Mrs. Moore and the Turtons, whose duty it is to be hospitable, hold themselves aloof in one area, and the Indians stay in another area. The few conversations are stilted.

Ronny explains to his mother, “We’re not pleasant in India, and we don’t intend to be pleasant. We’ve something more important to do.” His mother thinks he talks

“like an intelligent and embittered boy. … One touch of regret – not the canny substitute but the true regret from the heart – would have made him a different man, and the British Empire a different institution.”

Mrs. Moore and Aziz meet again at a party given by Mr. Fielding, the Principal of Government College, at his school. Adela Quested is there, as well as a Hindu friend of Fielding’s, Narayan Godbole.

In an expansive moment, Aziz invites them all to come see him, then turns the invitation into an expedition to the Marabar Hills because he is ashamed of his shabby bungalow and doesn’t want to expose it to the English ladies.

The Marabar Hills, which look beautiful from the distance of Chandrapore, are known for their numerous caves. The caves are absolutely round and featureless, and have the distinction of turning every sound made within to a resonating “boum.”

The expedition starts cheerfully at the train station, but disaster ensues. Before the end of the day, Adela Quested is in the hospital, Aziz is in jail and Fielding has been cast out by the English. Levels of mutual distrust among the British and Indian communities for one another become elevated to new highs.

Forster skillfully weaves together threads of misunderstanding, isolation, mistrust, cultural and gender differences, betrayal and vengeance. The story moves slowly and introspectively.

In the end, Forster shows that at least one Indian and one Englishman can be friends, despite their lack of cultural understanding.

A Passage to India is not an easy book to read. The subject matter is disturbing, and the writing style is densely analytical without a lot of action. However, anyone interested in the cultural aspects of living in another country can learn a lot about the pitfalls of doing so by reading this novel.

Are they any expat-themed books you would like to see reviewed here? Let me know by sending an email or leave a comment.

Which Countries Have the Best Health Care?

FutureExpat — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:50:10 +0000

In the Expat Web group on LinkedIn, a member asked recently, “As an Expat, which countries do you think have the best and worst healthcare systems?”

Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Canada, Malta and France all received positive comments. One poster said Japan’s was “the worst I ever experienced.” The US was mentioned favorably, but “only if you have good insurance. Prices are about 5 to 10 times the costs of France or Belgium.” This kind of anecdotal information is interesting, but not all that useful.

Of course to most expats and would-be expats, especially those of us who are approaching retirement age, health care is an important consideration in where we choose to live. What is its quality? Is it at least as good as what I’m used to? How expensive is it? How accessible is it? Will I have to be in a major city to have quality care available?

So what’s a concerned health care consumer to do?

There’s an interesting bubble chart on the Columbia University website, showing the average life expectancy and health care spending by country.

The US is way off by itself as the biggest spender. But our life expectancy (77 years) lags behind Japan (85), Switzerland, Australia, France, Canada, Norway, Spain, New Zealand, Austria, Korea, Portugal, UK, Luxembourg and Denmark, all of whom spend considerably less (around half!) than we do per capita.

The WHO (World Health Organization) has published a listing of medical care by country. Compiled in the year 2000, it’s a bit outdated, but might provide a good starting point. You can see it here.

A Few Considerations

First, I think it’s safe to assume that the care you’ll receive in rural areas will not be as up-to-date or comprehensive as the care you can receive in major cities. That’s true in the US just as much as anywhere else.

If living in a bustling metro area is not your taste, how fast and easy is transportation to those areas you’re considering? Use your common sense – if your dream retirement is on a remote beach or mountain-top retreat that’s an 8-hour drive over mostly dirt roads to get to the nearest city, that will be an issue in accessing quality health care. If it’s an hour or two over good roads, you’ll have significantly better access.

Are there hot spots of medical tourism in the country you’re considering? If so, you can be pretty well assured those doctors will speak English, have up-to-date training and use modern equipment. According to Business Week:

“The low cost and high quality of medical service is a big selling point for Singapore and Thailand, which have heavily promoted medical tourism in recent years. Hospital costs are as much as one-half what they would cost in the U.S.” Read the entire article here

Other popular medical tourism destinations include Panama, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Malaysia, South Korea, India and Israel. There are plenty of websites which discuss medical tourism, as any Google search will show.

Once you’ve narrowed down some possible destinations with health care facilities that will meet your needs, conduct your own research. When you visit the area, ask a lot of questions, find out what other expats do for health care, visit the hospitals and clinics if you can.

Ultimately, as with any other aspect of your move, you need to just do it.

End-of-Year Lists

FutureExpat — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:20:59 +0000

International Living’s annual Quality of Life Index. Every year, IL produces a Quality of Life index, which usually differs quite a bit from their recommendations on best places to retire. France has topped the list for several years running.

France (was #1 last year as well)
Australia (moved up from #5 in 2009)
Switzerland (down one spot)
Germany (up from the #8 spot in 2009)
New Zealand (up from #9)
Luxembourg (down from #4)
USA (down from #3)
Belgium (down from #6)
Canada (a big jump up, from #19)
Italy (down from #7)

Top Ten Retirement Havens from Live and Invest Overseas

Argentina
Belize
Chile
Croatia
Dominican Republic
France
Malaysia
Panama
Uruguay
Vietnam

Mercer’s Best Cities for 2009:

Vienna, Austria (1st)
Zurich, Switzerland (2nd)
Geneva, Switzerland (3rd )
Vancouver, Canada (tied 4th)
Auckland, New Zealand (tied 4th)

Forbes list of The World’s Most Expensive Cities to Live. According to Forbes, the 10 most expensive cities are:

Tokyo, Japan
Osaka, Japan
Moscow, Russia
Geneva, Switzerland
Hong Kong, China
Zurich, Switzerland
Copenhagen, Denmark
New York, USA
Beijing, China
Singapore

2009 Best Retirement Havens, according to International Living:

Cuenca, Ecuador
Merida, Mexico
Coronado, Panama
Punta del Este, Uruguay
Calitri, Italy

So there you have it. Some highly respected lists from 2009, and one for 2010.

Best wishes for a happy expat New Year!

___________________

Finance Your New Life Overseas

Turn Your Pictures Into Cash
____________________

Bahrain: World’s Friendliest Country?

FutureExpat — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:40:04 +0000

According to Forbes.com, Bahrain scored the top spot in HSBC’s recent survey of 3,100 expats. They admit this might be a fluke — only 31 responses came in from Bahrain, compared to 450 from the UK, for example. But it’s an interesting list, nonetheless. Canada moved down from its No. 1 spot last year to No. 2, followed by Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore, Spain, and in the No. 10 spot, the US.

Read the article here, and see the scored list of countries here.

Death In The Andamans: Expat Book Review

FutureExpat — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:04:13 +0000

Death in the Andamans by MM Kaye takes place over Christmas in the late 1930s. Copper Randal’s school chum Valerie has invited Copper (christened Caroline Olivia Phoebe Elizabeth) to stay with her in the tropics. Valerie’s stepfather, Sir Lionel Masson, is the Chief Commissioner of the Andaman Islands, a group of islands governed by the British in the Bay of Bengal.

Copper has spent the previous two years working in drab London:

“… at about the time that Valerie was setting sail for the Andamans, Copper had been reluctantly embarking upon the infinitely more prosaic venture of earning her living as a shorthand typist in the city of London.

“For two drab years she had drawn a weekly pay cheque from Messrs Hudnut and Addison Limited, Glass and China Merchants, whose gaunt and grimy premises were situated in that unlovely section of London known as the elephant and Castle. The weekly pay cheque had been incredibly meager, and at times it had needed all Copper’s ingenuity, couple with incorrigible optimism, to make both ends meet and life seem at all worth supporting. ‘But someday,’ said Copper, reassuring herself, ‘something exciting is bound to happen!’ “

Something, in the form of a “small and totally unexpected legacy” from a forgotten uncle, did occur and Copper promptly resigned her job and traveled to the Andamans on the S. S. Maharaja.

“That had been nearly three weeks ago. Three weeks of glitteringly blue days and incredibly lovely star-splashed nights. … It was all so different from that other world of fog and rain, strap-hanging, shorthand and crowded rush-hour buses, that she sometimes felt that she must have dreamed it all. Or that this was the dream, and presently she would awake to find herself back once more in the cheerless, gas-lit lodgings off the Fulham Road. But no: this was real. This wonderful, colourful world.”

Copper’s “wonderful, colourful world” quickly meets stormy weather, and with a vengeance. On Christmas Eve, Copper, Valerie, and a group of friends picnic on one of the nearby islands. Returning, by car and ferry, to “the mainland,” as the largest island is known, the weather becomes a character in its own right.

“ ‘Why is everything such a queer yellow colour?’ persisted Copper restlessly. … Copper … leant out to look back at the sky between the double wall of trees behind them. They heard her catch her breath in a harsh gasp, and Dan Harcourt … leant out in turn and whistled expressively. ‘Great Caesar’s Ghost –! Here, step on it, Charles, or inside another five minutes we’re going to be overhauled by the father and mother of a storm!’ “

Several of the party travel back in sailboats. All three boats are overturned within seconds of the the storm hitting. Fortunately all but one of the sailors is later rescued, however, Ferrers Shilto is not found, and he is given up for lost, presumed drowned. The group on the ferry arrives safely on the mainland, but nerves are understandably frayed.

Because of the storm, the Christmas Eve dinner at Government House is sparsely attended and extremely trying. The evening ends after the household cat brushes against one of the guests, who begins screaming hysterically and has to be taken to the little local hospital.
Then misfortune becomes mystery. On Christmas afternoon, Copper, Valerie, Valerie’s fiancé Charles, visiting naval officer Nick, Dr. Dan Harcourt and some of the others walk to the beach to get some fresh air after the storm subsides. Imagine their surprise when the body of Ferrers Shilto is tossed by an incoming wave practically at their feet!

Later that evening, young Dr. Dutt informs Sir Lionel that he has signed the death certificate stating that Shilto drowned. Dan Harcourt, a Navy doctor temporarily in port questions Dutt, who becomes very defensive. Arrangements are made for a funeral the next day – this is the tropics, after all, and funerals must be held quickly.

However, the next morning another body is found in place of Shilto’s. Instead of Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward Men, Christmas becomes a game of “was it you?” as the inmates of Government Hosue and the other islanders watch each other with suspicion. Add a ghost, a mysterious fortune, a disappearing letter, an affaire or two, and some romance, and you’ll thoroughly enjoy Christmas in the Andamans with the English expats.

About the Author

MM Kaye was an English girl who spent many of her growing-up years in India. Later she traveled extensively with her husband, a British military officer. She has written two enormous, powerful novels about India, The Far Pavilions (which was made into a disappointing movie) and Shadow of the Moon. She set a third novel, Trade Winds, in Zanzibar. Besides these novels, Kaye wrote several stunning children’s books, the best of which is Ordinary Princess, which she also illustrated. As she moved from country to country with her husband, she would write a mystery set in the country. Besides being well written, interesting whodunits, Kaye’s mysteries provide fascinating glimpses into the society and history of their settings, and give us a look at expat British life in numerous settings.

Top 10 Retirement Havens

FutureExpat — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:23:06 +0000

Live and Invest Overseas publisher Kathleen Peddicord has named the Top 10 Retirement Havens for 2010, and the list includes some surprises.

Panama occupies the top spot, and Peddicord comments that “this country manages to become more appealing all the time.”

Vietnam

Her Top 10 picks include:

Panama
France “World’s best quality of life, world’s best health care, world’s best infrastructure, world’s most romantic city”
Uruguay for “The banking, residency, and tax advantages of Panama without the chaos or the construction dust.”
Dominican Republic. “Easy foreign residency, favorable approach to foreign taxation, and, right now, a down real estate market that has created great crisis buy opps”

Argentina, which has “the most cosmopolitan city in Central or South America. . . . If you want to live a life filled with art and history, culture and interesting company, but you can’t afford Paris and its euro, look to Buenos Aires.”
Malaysia, specifically Kuala Lumpur
Chile, a new addition, for beachfront, First World services, and lowest violent crime rate coupled with the highest GDP per capital in Latin America.
Belize, “safe stable and English speaking.”
Croatia, where “both nature and man have worked together over many centuries to create something very special, almost magical”
Vietnam, for its “temptingly low cost of living” and youthful population and energy.

Panama’s placement is no surprise, nor is France’s in the no. 2 spot. Uruguay, Malaysia, Belize, Croatia and Argentina have been in the forefront of expat retirement destinations for several years. Surprise additions — at least to me! — to the list were Chile and Vietnam. While I’ve been aware for several years that Vietnam’s economy was growing, and I’ve had a personal interest in the country, I was surprised to see it emerge on a “Top Ten” list. And, I have to admit, I’m not at all knowledgeable about Chile, although I feel as though I know a reasonable amount about most of the other South American countries.

I will watch the forthcoming information about those two countries with great interest.

A Town Like Alice: Expat Book Review

FutureExpat — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:42:22 +0000

A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute is multi-layered expat novel, which was made into a TV mini-series in 1981. It has been one of my favorites for a long time, not only because of the expat themes, but because it also features a strong female protagonist who overcomes some truly daunting obstacles. Author Nevil Shute is interesting in his own right. A prolific author, with over 20 novels to his credit, Nevil Shute Norway was by profession an aeronautic engineer and pilot. Shute became an expat himself. He was born in 1916 in London, and emigrated with his wife and daughters to Australia in 1950 following World War II. His books strongly reflect his love of airplanes and flying, and his adopted country. He died in Melbourne, Australia in 1960.

London, After World War II

The book is divided into three distinct sections: London just after World War II, Malaya during the War, and subsequently in Malaya and Australia. When we first meet her, Jean Padgett is a young woman, living by herself in London after the end of World War II. She receives a letter from solicitor Noel Strachan who informs her that her uncle Douglas Macfadden has died, and that if she can prove she is his niece she may be entitled to part of his estate. Jean meets with Mr. Strachan and discovers that Mr. Macfadden, whom she barely remembers, was reasonably well off and has left her his entire fortune. However, being a confirmed bachelor and not trusting a woman’s ability to handle her own financial affairs, Jean’s legacy is to be held in trust for her by Mr. Strachan and his partner until she reaches the age of 35.

During the War

Jean shares her history with Mr. Strachan over the next several months. He learns that she lived as a young child in Malaya (modern-day Malaysia), where her father worked in the rubber industry. Jean and her brother Donald learned to speak Malay, and their mother encouraged them to continue using the language even after they went to England to attend school. After finishing school, Donald got a job in Malaya, and Jean went to live there as well in 1939, working as a shorthand typist. War had broken out, but the family felt Jean would be safer in Malaya than in England.

However, Malaya was taken over by the Japanese. Jean’s evacuation to Singapore was slowed down when she detoured to help a family with three young children, and she was captured by the Japanese along with others who had not made it out in time. The men and older boys were removed to a prisoner of war camp, but there were no accommodations for female prisoners or children. Instead, the Japanese Captain ordered them to march, under guard, to Kuala Lumpur, from whence they would be transported to new prison camps being built in Singapore.

There was no prison camp for women, in Singapore or anywhere else, and the group was marched from one end of Malaya to the other. After months of forced marches, near starvation and lack of medical attention, and during which two-thirds of the original number died, they found a safe haven in a small village. Their Japanese guard had fallen ill and died, and Jean persuaded the headman of the village to let them stay and help with the rice planting in exchange for food and shelter. They stayed there for three years, until the war ended.

At one point during their travels, the women and children had come across several Australian prisoners who were driving trucks for the Japanese. The men felt sorry for the women, and obtained some food and medicine for them. One of the men also stole several chickens for the women, and when the theft was discovered, he was punished so severely that he died while the women were forced to watch.

After the war, Jean returned to England, went to work for Pack & Levy, a firm that made high-end shoes and handbags, and tried to forget her war experiences. Her brother Donald had died while a prisoner of the Japanese, and their mother had also died.

After the Legacy

Jean leaves her job and goes to Malaya to dig a well as a way of thanking the village that sheltered her during the final three years of the war. While chatting with the well diggers, Jean discovers that Joe Harman, the Australian prisoner who had stolen the chickens for them, had survived his ordeal and recovered after months in the hospital. She decides to travel on to Australia to see for herself how he is doing.

Jean and Joe are reunited, after a few twists and turns, and fall in love. Jean never does return to England but marries Joe. After learning how girls from the small Outback town near the cattle ranch that Joe manages leave home and move to cities thousands of miles away because there is no work for them, Jean starts a business employing a few young women to make fancy alligator shoes and handbags like those she became familiar with while living and working for Pack & Levy in London. This starts a snowball effect: instead of leaving for the cities, the girls who work for Jean stay in town, get married, and start families. They leave their jobs, and more girls come to work for Jean, which attracts more stockriders and other male workers to the town. Jean opens up an ice cream shop to give them someplace to spend their money. The shop employs a few more girls, attracting more men to the area, and giving Jean ideas for more businesses. The town is gradually transformed from a dusty Outback hole to a vibrant little community, with plenty of entertainment for the young families. The initial source of all this growth is Jean’s inheritance, doled out to her in small pieces by Mr. Strachan according to the terms of his trusteeship. Ironically, the Macfadden family money was earned by a grandfather, who worked in one of the “gold towns” of the Australian outback, towns which had boomed during the country’s gold rush, and then gone bust.

Postscript

Fascinating to me is the fact that the middle portion of the story is based on a true circumstance, and the author explains in a note at the end that he expects to be “accused of falsifying history.” In fact, he states, the forced march of the women happened in Sumatra in 1942, not in Malaya. According to Shute:

“A party of about eighty dutch women and children were collected in the vicinity of Padang. The local Japanese commander was reluctant to assume responsibility for thse women and, to solve his problem, marched them out of his area; so began a trek all round Sumatra which lasted for two and a half years. At the end of this vast journey less than thirty of them were still alive.”

“In 1949 I stayed with Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Geysel-Vonck … Mrs. Geysel had been a member of that party. … In the years that followed Mrs. Geysel marched over twelve hundred miles carrying her baby, in circumstances similar to those which I have described. She emerged from this fantastic ordea undaunted, and with her son fit and well.

“I do not think that I have ever before turned to real life for an incident in one of my novels. If I have done so now it is because I have been unable to rsist the appeal of this true story, and because I want to pay what tribute is within my power to the most gallant lady I have ever met.”

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