Who? Why? How?

We’re here to look at who decides to live overseas, why they do, and how they accomplish it. There are probably as many reasons to live outside of your native country as there are people who do so. In my case, my husband and I realized several years ago that, if we stay here, we will never be able to afford to retire. Add to this my lifelong desire to spend significant time in another country, and we began looking at the possibilities of retiring overseas. But that’s not the only reason, not by a long shot! More

As Different as East and West

American East movie
This entry is part 18 of 19 in the series Expat Books and Movies

Two Expat Movies: American East and Sabah: A Love Story

Both these movies deal with the clash of Middle Eastern cultures in a western setting, but they’re as different as East and West.

American East has a gritty feel, starting with the opening sequence which shows a post-9/11 terror alert level red indicator. The newsfeed-style

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From New York to New York

kate_and_leopold
This entry is part 17 of 19 in the series Expat Books and Movies

Kate & Leopold
Starring Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman

Leopold, Duke of Albany, is spending 1867 in New York City, sent there by his family in disgrace because he is 30 and not yet married. While watching a speech by the designer of the Brooklyn Bridge, Leopold sees someone behaving oddly in the crowd.

Later that

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A Hundred Million Miracles

flower_drum_song
This entry is part 15 of 19 in the series Expat Books and Movies

A Review of the Movie Flower Drum Song

“A hundred million miracles are happening every day.”

That’s the opening song in the movie, Flower Drum Song, and the theme that sparkles throughout the entire musical. Flower Drum Song is also the story of cultures on collision courses with each other – East vs. West, traditional

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Expat Experience Gone Bad: A Passage to India

Indian_hills_sunset
This entry is part 14 of 19 in the series Expat Books and Movies

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 –

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Learning from Art: Expat Books and Movies

I’ve been posting reviews of books and movies with an expat theme every month for the past six months or so, and I really enjoy this feature of the Future Expats Forum. It forces me to think about books and films in a new way, and to exercise all those writing skills I

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The Holiday: Expat Movie Review

This entry is part 12 of 19 in the series Expat Books and Movies

Well, it’s not exactly an expat movie, although various characters do travel to and stay in other countries. But it’s a sweet Christmas-time romantic comedy, so I thought it worthy of a review at this sentimental time of year. It also features an unusual character – the Home Exchange website, a great place

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Expat Films: Across the Universe

This entry is part 10 of 19 in the series Expat Books and Movies

At its most basic, Across the Universe (2007) is a coming-of-age love story. Young man from Liverpool, England, takes a job on a trans-Atlantic ship, then disappears into the US on arrival. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, find obstacles in their path, are temporarily separated and ultimately reunited. All set to

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Expat Films: Chocolat

This entry is part 6 of 19 in the series Expat Books and Movies

Chocolat, 2000, starring Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench and Johnny Depp, is a heartwarming movie dealing with expat issues on several levels.

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