Five Recommended Expat Blogs – Canada

At Expat Focus, we like to keep an eye on the blogosphere and see who’s sharing interesting, up to date content about expatriate life around the world. In our internet travels, we come across blogs we’d like to recommend as excellent reads for anyone considering expat life. Today we’re focusing on Canada; here are five of our favourite Canadian expat blogs.

Colder Weather
http://colderweather.me

A fun and quirky take on life in a busy apartment complex, Colder Weather details the adventures of Swedish expat Rebekah, her Canadian husband and her cat McDuff. Focusing on day to day life and finding pleasure in the small things, Colder Weather also takes part in Wordpress’ weekly photo challenge, and the pictures are definitely worth a look.

K & K Adventures
http://kandkadventures.com

Karin and Kieran are two British expats residing in Ontario. With lots of practical tips on setting up a household, local cultural event guides and travelling on a budget, K & K Adventures is a must-read for anyone who’s thinking about living in Canada. The blog also features guest posts and interviews with other expats to give a well-rounded flavour and a good idea of what to expect when making the move...

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Expat Experiences - Mike, Perth (Western Australia)

Who are you?

I'm a family guy first, trained as a mechanical engineer and working in the Oil and Gas services industry.

Where, when and why did you move abroad?

We were living in our home town of Edmonton, Canada and were offered a position by my company in Perth, Western Australia. The thought of having an "Australian Experience" on the company dime was too great to pass up.

What challenges did you face during the move?

The relocation company we worked with was very experienced moving people from the US but was very unfamiliar with Canada.

They caused us a lot of additional work and needed to be managed often. I highly suggest expats who have a relocation policy to read it thoroughly and push back on relocation companies asking you to ignore what the policy says.

The first 3 months in general was tough with temporary accommodation much smaller than the house we left and not knowing anyone or how to navigate policies and procedures and even where to buy things...

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Expat Experiences - Lauren Mokasdar, Nagpur, India

Who are you?

Hello, my name is Lauren and I am originally from England. I have a master’s degree in pharmacy, but I have now left my career as a pharmacist behind and followed my heart on a one-way ticket to India.

Where, when and why did you move abroad?

Nagpur is now my home, known as the orange city (famous for growing oranges). It is located in the state of Maharashtra and is centre point of India. Since I was a child I had dreamt of travelling to this mystical land.

The more I learnt about the culture and spirituality, the more the country enchanted me. I knew it was inevitable that I would visit India someday. I did not expect that when my dream finally did come true, I would be going to India to meet my in-laws, get married to an Indian and I would be living here permanently.

After our marriage I had to return to England for a year for work purposes (July 2013). I soon arrived back in India in December after quitting my job in a well-known pharmacy multiple. I had become too stressed balancing work and a long distance marriage. As soon as I was reunited with my husband in Mumbai, I knew I had made the right decision for me. I chose my happiness over my career...

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Three Coins in the Fountain: Falling in love through faith, family & frequent flyer miles

Expat Focus talks to Catherine Tondelli about her book "Three Coins in the Fountain", a funny and helpful memoir of her life as an expat in Rome.

Catherine, please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I was born - along with my twin sister - into a large Irish/Italian family in Chicago, the ninth of 11 kids (six boys & five girls). Growing up as part of this large, chaotic family has provided me with many entertaining stories that are woven in my memoir. Most significantly, at the age of 13 my father walked out on us all and never looked back. Against all odds, my mother, a school teacher who made sure we all got an education, while raising us with no alimony or child support on her pauper’s salary.

From those humble beginnings and after having met my Italian Roman husband, I am today a cross-cultural expert, living and working abroad for the past 13 years with several multinational companies in marketing, PR and business development. I am an American living in Rome and globetrot as a luxury hotel expert and event manager, assisting companies with their meetings and events worldwide.

You recently published "Three Coins in the Fountain: Falling in love through faith, family & frequent flyer miles", what is the book about?

My book recounts how my entire life changed in one fateful trip to Italy, with my mom. It all started from the title, “Three Coins in the Fountain” where I threw them in -- in Rome’s Trevi Fountain, wishing for love and of course, a return trip to Rome. It is not just a love story but a story about faith, hope and survival. As they say all roads lead to Rome and my road went from Route 66 in California to Via Veneto in Rome...

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The Trouble With Truffles

by Kim Defforge

When I hear someone talking about truffles, it takes me a second or two to figure out which kind they are referring to: the confection or the fungus. This can cause trouble because, although the words are the same, their meanings are not at all interchangeable. The word truffle derives from the Latin word tuber, meaning swelling or lump, which later became tufer and eventually evolved to the current term in French, truffe.

The black truffle, referred to as l’or noir (black gold), are actually tuber melanosporum, a fungus that are harvested at the base of oak trees in winter and summer. Truffle production depends on just the right combination of soil pH, precipitation, and sunlight for a warm, dry environment and therefore, is rare. This makes them a highly prized and priced delicacy, commanding from $250 to $450 per pound.

Last summer I saw prices at 120 Euros for 100 grams. Summer harvested truffles are less flavorful, and therefore, are a little less expensive than in winter – Christmas demand can elevate the price from 500 to 1000 Euros per kilo (1 kil0 = 2.2 lbs.).

Truffles are hunted and harvested with pigs or trained dogs that able to detect the mature truffles strong odor from underneath the ground at the base of the oak trees. The odor is similar to a pig’s sexual pheromone, making their reaction a telltale sign - the trouble is trying to prevent the pig from eating the truffle...

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A Month In The Life Of An English Writer In Tuscany - December Reflections

by June Finnigan

The continuing adventures of June Finnigan, her Man, and Farty Barty the cat.

Well, here we are again at the top of a New Year and looking forward to a gentle slide down through the seasons in Beautiful Tuscany. For years we had gigantic Christmas trees, however, that was when we had properties to match. Now a small tree takes pride of place on our former dining table, in the sitting room of our lovely little hillside villa. Christmas markets were on in most towns and villages. In Florence, one could visit the German (yes German) Christmas market, which is hugely popular. Germany is said to host the best markets in Europe! However, I do like to support the local shops, where things are very much the same as thirty years ago in England. Small shopkeepers still somehow survive and their window displays are lovely.

I was delighted to discover Richmond’s English Shop in Viarregio. It is too far away for us to visit; however, they sent me an lovely goodies box, which included Christmas Crackers, Mince Pies, Bird’s Custard, and Daddy’s Brown Sauce & Colman’s Mince Sauce. I have been drizzling the mint sauce over everything!

The Chianti countryside in December took on a gold, brown, and silver green glow. The sun was a russet gold and the light fantastic. Mornings of bright warm sunshine and freezing fog in the valleys below, made for some fantastic photos and lovely walks through the hills. These hills are not only vineyards and olive groves; in fact, a large area is made up of steep hillsides covered in mixed woodland and quite a few sheer crumbling inland cliffs...

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Exploring The Outskirts Of Phuket

by Anne O’Connell

When living the expat lifestyle it is important to establish a routine. Each time you move to a new country, routine is what will help you ease into life in a new place. However, try not to get too lulled by the boring rhythm of the coffee mornings, school pick-up if you have kids, stop ‘n shop, mani-pedi type routine. You’ve got to shake it up once in a while.

Now that we’ve been in Thailand for a couple of years, we’re into a nice routine. I’ve started a writers’ group that meets once a month and I also help out once a week at a local school. Then I work on whatever writing project I have under way the rest of the time. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I live in a different (even exotic) country and exploring beyond the local grocery store once in a while is highly advisable to have the most enriching experience possible.

I have a friend (also an expat) who has come to visit a couple of times and spurs this philosophy on. Last time she came we did a side trip to Phi Phi Island. This time, before she came she asked “What remote island shall we visit this time?” I had to put my thinking cap on.

We are blessed with being surrounded by natural beauty in our immediate vicinity but also with a veritable feast of options for places to explore, including hundreds of islands in Chalong and Phang Nga Bays. This time I chose the very remote, not touristy, peaceful island of Koh Yao Yai.

There are a few words of advice I’d like to share when planning to explore those ‘outskirts’ wherever you live...

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