Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (27)

Involve other members of your family (who are relocating with you, for example kids) in the process of relocation too. Tell them about the new country, new culture, the people, the cuisine etc. They will be able to integrate better if feel a part of the entire process of relocation.
[Photo Credit - geoftheref] 

---

Sharing is Caring!

The Dutch way - Expressions about Dutch culture

Starting this month, I have become a regional contributor for PocketCultures. I will be writing about expat life and my experiences in The Netherlands. I will also contribute posts on life in India. Check out my first post on The Dutch Way.

About PocketCultures - PocketCultures is an independent site which aims to provide a guide to world cultures. The aim behind the website is to increase understanding and make connections between people in different places. It provides a wealth of information and insights into the different cultures of the world.

---

Sharing is Caring!

What Expats should know about Rotterdam

Check out What Expats should know about Rotterdam, The Netherlands - a short city guide written by me for Expats Moving and Relocation Guide Website. This contains the basics of relocation to Rotterdam.

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (26)

Get to know the business culture of your host country. Ask questions, no question is a stupid question. It helps to be aware of the rules and regulations pertaining to employment and business. Consult different sources, one source cannot have all the requisite information.

[Photo Credit - Rennett Stowe]

---

Sharing is Caring!

Friday Fiesta - Week 5!!

“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” ~ Lin Yutang

Image Courtesy : Stock Xcnhg

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day 25)

Develop your own list of at least five things that you would want to know more about, relating to your host country - do it every week. This will help you know more about the country, its culture and stay updated with the latest happenings. Keep a track of this list and soon you would have more information than any travel book.

[Photo Credit - Wikipedia]

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (24)

Be sure about the taxation rules of the host country. How much is the tax, what are the tax brackets, are there any special conditions/concessions for expatriates, etc are some of the questions that you should be able to answer. Also, check out the dual taxation treaties that now exist between many nations.

[Photo Credit - alancleaver_2000]

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (23)

Join a gym. This is important to keep the body and mind in good shape. Exercise helps to keep your spirits high and provides a great way to work out, specially in places with dark cold weather.

[Photo Credit - mhofstrand]

---

Sharing is Caring!

Top 3 Relocation Aids!!

Have you ever wondered that when you first moved to a new country, what were the three essential things that helped you settle down better, faster and integrate with the environment efficiently. This is an open topic and readers are most welcome to put in their views.

For me, the top three things would be :

• Having done with the paperwork and house search smoothly - The paperwork can create a bit of stress, considering that everything is in Dutch. Once that was done, and we found a nice place for our self - the basics were done and much of the initial stress was over.

• Getting a feel of the local language and beginning to learn it - This played an important role in helping us understand and have short conversations with the locals in the supermarket, Gemeente and elsewhere. Though I am still learning the language and with each new word my confidence soars high.

• Exploring the beautiful surroundings - This helped us to get familiarized with the surroundings, get a feel of the local way of traveling and also gave us a chance to befriend some of the locals.

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (22)

Check out the local cuisine. This can be a great way to integrate with the local culture. There are many ways to do this - learn to cook with the help of a local, go to restaurants or get yourself invited to a neighbor's house for dinner. Whatever it is, make sure you have a local person around just to let you know what it is exactly that you are eating.

[Photo Credit - avlxyz]

---

Sharing is Caring!

Dutch Proverbs!!

Proverbs offer a great way to know more about the culture of the nation where they originate. For an expat, they offer a sneak peak into the ways of the host country, as well as facilitate learning the local language. Here are some Dutch Proverbs with their nearest English equivalents.

• "Wie mooi wil zijn, moet pijn lijden" - No gain without pain.

• "Voor iets gaat de zon op" - There's no such thing as a free lunch.

• "Boter bij de vis" - Paying in cash.

• "Na regen komt zonneschijn" - Every cloud has a silver lining

• "Waar de zon schijnt, is de maan niet nodig" - Why settle for less?

• "Als oude honden blaffen, is het tijd om uit te zien" - When old dogs bark, it's time to watch out.

• "Het regent pijpenstelen" - It is raining cats and dogs.

• "Wie voor een dubbeltje geboren is, wordt nooit een kwartje waard" - Born poor, forever poor

• "Heb je geen paard, gebruik dan een ezel" - There's always a way out.

• "Een open deur intrappen" -Stating the obvious.

• "Bitter in de mond maakt het hart gezond" - Good medicines often taste bad.

• "Een haastig man moet op geen ezel rijden" - You can succeed only with the right tools.

• "Wie twee meesters dient moet tegen een beiden liegen" - Who servers two masters has to lie to one.

• "Als de boter duur wordt, leert men het broodje droog eten" - Cut down on costs during bad times.

• "Als twee honden vechten om een been, loopt de derde er mee heen" - While two dogs are fighting for a bone, a third runs away with it.

• "Beter een vogel in de hand dan tien in de lucht" - A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

• "Hij keek als een aap in een verroest horloge" - He looks like an ape in a rusty watch.

Resources : Check out these links for many more Dutch proverbs -

• The Free Library
• Spreekwoord
• Wikiquote
  
  

Books on Dutch proverbs :

• Dictionary of 1000 Dutch Proverbs - This collection of the most commonly used and understood Dutch proverbs of the day is designed for a broad readership. Students of both language and culture, from secondary school to post-graduate, as well as educators, travelers, business-people, and linguists will find this book entertaining and educational. This book is organized alphabetically by key word, the proverbs are arranged side-by-side with their English translations.

• Dutch proverbs - Compiled by Holy Flame and Jean Caris, this delightful book is filled with gems such as "Everyone must row with the oars he has," "Virtue is its own reward," "What parents whisper, their children shout!"

Image Courtesy : Stock Xchng

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (21)

Get the weather right. Whether it is snow, rain, wind, sun - always check the weather before going out. Though it can throw up a bit of a surprise sometimes, but generally the weather predictions are on the mark. It helps you plan your day better in a new place.

[Photo Credit - Krikit ]

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (20)

Do not look for bad things or things to criticize in your host country. If things are not similar to what they used to be in your home country, take it as a chance to learn something new. This can be overwhelming at times but the best way to combat it is to not consciously pick on the differences.

[Photo Credit - Cyron] 

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (19)

Take advantage of the multi cultural, multi ethnic environment that an expatriate life offers. This is the best time to make friends with locals, as well as expats from other countries and get to know their culture from a unique perspective. It will leave you feeling enriched with memorable moments and everlasting friendships.

[Photo Credit - AlpenaMi]

---

Sharing is Caring!

Orangesplaash is now a "No Follow Free" blog!

I am happy to post that my blog Orangesplaash has now become a No-Follow free blog. This is a big step also for all the readers and commenters of my blog. Nofollow is an HTML attribute value used to instruct some search engines that a hyperlink should not influence the link target's ranking in the search engine's index. What this means is that now the commenters on my blog get backlinks for their sites/blogs as a token of my appreciation. This will help me achieve increased interaction with my readers too.

However, the comments will be moderated as always. Spams are severely discouraged and will not be tolerated.

---

Sharing is Caring!

Expat Focus Recommended Website award!

Expat Focus website has come out with the Expat Focus Recommended Website Award. Recommended websites can be expat blogs, communities, portals or any other kind of site but they must meet the criteria of usefulness, geographic focus, and others which have been outlined here.

To nominate a website please email details to: carole@expatfocus.com giving a reason why you have nominated the site.

---

Sharing is Caring!

Friday Fiesta - Week 4!!

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” ~ St. Augustine

Image Courtesy - Stock Xcnhg

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (18)

Before moving abroad, complete the relocation formalities and other documentation in your home country. This may include filing tax returns, activating International banking services on your bank account, paying any remaining dues on credit cards, electricity, telephone bills etc.

[Photo Credit - lumaxart]

---

Sharing is Caring!

John Fealey - Koninginnedag (Queen's Day) - Interesting video!!

Check out this video..Simply awesome!!

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (17)

Apart from Health Insurance and Personal Insurance, there are many other categories of insurance which may not have been essential in your home country, but assume significance in your host country. These include but may not be limited to Car Insurance, Legal Insurance, House Insurance, Theft Insurance etc. It serves well to be aware of all such insurance needs and adhere to the rules of the host country.

[Photo Credit - Howard Dickins]

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (16)

Insurance plays a very important role in every one's life, more so when you are living in a new place, in a new country. Check out all the available options regarding Personal Insurance. Get in touch with other expats, search online, join forums and find out the best insurance cover suited to your needs. Once you have figured it all out, without any further ado, get the insurance cover.

[Photo Credit - lumaxart]

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (15)

Check for Health Insurance in the host country. European countries, and in particular, the Netherlands has an excellent health care system. Expats along with their families should get insured by a competent health care insurance provider. This will save a lot of hassle and provide peace of mind in case of any health issues.

[Photo Credit -  Biology Big Brother]

---

Sharing is Caring!

Expat Interview And Another Good News!!

To know more about my expat experiences in The Netherlands, do check out this Interview with Expat Focus. A big thanks to Carole for the interview. Expat Focus aims to make life easier for anyone moving or living abroad by being the most comprehensive information and support resource for expatriates on the Web today.

The other piece of good news is one of my articles getting published on the IamExpat website. The article is about " Getting a driving license in Netherlands for knowledge migrants." Many thanks to the IamExpat team, specially to Panos for publishing the article. IamExpat is an online repository of information for expats of all colours, shapes and sizes. Recently, they have published an expat events calendar which is absolutely indispensable.

---

Sharing is Caring!

To All My Blog Subscribers

First of all I would like to thank all my subscribers for subscribing to my blog through any of the following-

• Becoming a follower
• Subscribing to my blog feed
• Subscribing through email
• Subscribing in a reader
• Any other way

I am glad that the number of subscribers to my blog are increasing with every passing day. Thanks once again. And if some of you have not already done so, please do go for it..this will help you never miss any of my blog posts and stay updated with the current happenings in the expat world.

Now coming to why I thought of writing this post - A number of my email subscribers told me that they are not able to see the images in the mail that they receive in their inbox. I have given them the solution individually but would also like to post it here so that it helps others who might be facing the same problem.

This issue may be due to the images being disabled in the mail browser. You just have to click on "Display Images Below " in the mail header. You can also click on the link in the mail which will take you to my blog where you can check out all the pics.

Lastly, please do share your own perspectives, experiences and thoughts by participating in the posts through comments. I look forward to them and value each and every comment.

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (14)

Be aware of your own expectations. Know yourself. If you are a person who does not like change or cannot handle change, then the move is probably not for you.

[Photo Credit - Orangesplaash]

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (13)

“The illiterates of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn”- Alvin Toffler

Learn, Unlearn and Relearn - When expatriating to a new country, there is so much new to learn and experience. This will require you to do away with your preconceived notions and unlearn the prejudiced thinking. You will notice that the everything worth keeping arrives only after you have passed the initial learning stage and are willing to relearn with a fresh insight.

[Photo Credit - tonylanciabeta ]

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (12)

Living life as an expat appears hard many times and everyone tends to have a bad day. Just maintain your sense of humor and look at things with the thought that they will get better - trust me you will not be surprised.

[Photo Credit - themonnie]

---

Sharing is Caring!

The Expat Awards 2010

The Expat Awards 2010 have been created to recognize the efforts of the International and Expat community in The Netherlands. The awards will be given in three categories of :

• Expat of the year
• Expat Employer of the year
• Expat Service Provider of the year

The winner in each category will be decided through a combination of public voting and jury assessment. Voting can be done by filling up a form on the Expat Awards website. You could even win a Dutch ID Double Dutch Bike valued at €749. It is only possible to vote once in each category and voting closes on March 14.

On Tuesday, March 23 the awards will be presented during the official awards ceremony at Nyenrode Business University.

So what are you waiting for. Let your voice be heard!!

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (11)

Take the public transportation to go around in your host country at least for the initial couple of weeks. This will help you get familiarized with the surroundings, get a feel of the local way of travelling and might also give you a chance to befriend the locals.

[Photo Credit  -Orangesplaash]

---

Sharing is Caring!

Friday Fiesta - Week 3!!

"Act the part; walk and talk exactly as if you were already the person you want to be." ~Brian Tracy

---

Sharing is Caring!

Public Transport and OV-chipkaart

Paper tickets have been done away with on the buses and trams in Rotterdam. The only means of payment is now the smart card OV-chipkaart. Last year, this time, the paper tickets were phased out on the city's metro lines with the chipkaart accepted as the only mode of payment. And now, starting Thursday, the 11th of Feb 2010, paper tickets have met the same fate on the buses and trams as well.

What does this mean :

Passengers will have to get used to the new system of checking-in and checking-out the smart card during the course of their travel now. This compulsory usage of smart cards has resulted in the fear of the travel costs for passengers getting increased, in some cases to as much as 50%. The transport minister Tineke Huizinga has promised an independent research into calculating the cost of the public transport.

The same system is proposed to be implemented in Amsterdam from April this year.

This prompted me to carry out a small poll, to see what others think about the costs associated with the OV-chipkaart since its been in use throughout The Netherlands now, though not compulsory yet as in Rotterdam. Do chip in your votes.

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (10)

There are a number of expatriate tips/suggestions that are derived from the collective experience of innumerable expats and their families. These contain excellent and useful advice which if followed will, without doubt, improve your expat life considerably. However, these should serve as mere guidelines and you should also be willing to experiment by removing all inhibitions and pre-conceived notions.

[Photo Credit - kelp1966]

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (9)

Get a hold on the paperwork. Understand, appreciate and complete all the paperwork related to relocation on time. This is the single most important step in a successful expatriation. Getting the visa done, applying for a work permit, registering with the local municipality, meeting out the requirements for a residence permit etc are all time consuming chores but complaining about it will not be of much help.

[Photo Credit -  Keith Williamson]

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (8)

"The only thing in life that remains constant is change ."

This appears all the more true when you relocate to a new country. Do not expect things to be the same as they were in your home country. Get over it and be ready for surprises. In case you wish everything to be the same as your country, then it is best to stay where you are.

---

Sharing is Caring!

InterNations - social network for expatriates!

I received an email last week from Mr. Philipp von Plato, one of the founders of InterNations - the social network for expatriates. He provided an insight into InterNations and sent me a personal invitation to join (membership to the site is by invitation only). For an expat living and working in a foreign country, this site appears to be a wonderful resource. More so, because in this age of global mobilization, Internet is an expat's best friend and a platform that connects expats all over the world online is wonderful. I promptly became its member and am now looking forward to a fruitful and enriching experience.

Here is a little information about InterNations : I thought of sharing this in my post here so that fellow expats and readers can utilize this platform too.

InterNations is the largest global networking site for expats of various nationalities and their family members. Its members are diplomats, managers and employees of multinational companies, IGOs and NGOs, and foreign correspondents. They actively discuss both local and global issues and also meet up in over 235 communities on a regular basis. At the moment, the site has around 140,000 members in 230 cities worldwide, a substantial share of them comes from English-speaking countries. In the Netherlands there are two InterNations communities at the moment, one in Amsterdam and one in The Hague.

This platform :

• Connects expatriates and their partners with compatriots.
• Helps build up a social network abroad with like-minded internationals in one's city.
• Oraganizes meet up with fellow expats at InterNations events.
• Provides reliable information about one's new environment abroad.
• Furnishes valuable tips to expats from local insiders.

The Organisation :

InterNations was founded by three young entrepreneurs Christian Leifeld, Philipp von Plato and Malte Zeeck and has been online since September 2007. They came up with a web-based solution for the 'real-life‘ problems of the expat community – and their business concept was promptly awarded the “Land der Ideen” award by the German government and the Federation of German Industries.

Due to the members huge interest in real-life networking, the site is no longer imaginable without the casual InterNations get-togethers. Hosted by so-called Ambassadors, they serve as a valuable addition to the site’s online services. There are worldwide around 100 InterNations Events and Get-togethers every month.

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (7)

Zig Ziglar, American Motivational Speaker and Guru once said : " It's your ATTITUDE, not APTITUDE that determines your ALTITUDE in life.

One of the best ways to plan for the upcoming expatriate life is to get yourself in the right mindset. Be prepared mentally for the forthcoming challenges and be confident enough to face them head on.

[Photo Credit - Horia Varlan]

---

Sharing is Caring!

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (6)

Living an expat life gives an excellent chance to know your own self - your strengths as well as your own limitations. There are a lot of situations where in you may feel pressurized, and those situations test your endurance. But they also provide you an opportunity to harness the hidden, the unknown potential within you. So open the windows and let the fresh air come in. There is a lot to learn on the way. The journey has just begun!

[Photo Credit - Orangesplaash]

---

Sharing is Caring!

A wonderful meeting!!

A coffee meet with a lovely friend, also a fellow expat blogger and the city of Utrecht - a combination that is too delicious to resist. Meeting someone in person, with whom you have been in touch only through blogging and emails all these days is so much more interesting..and I felt the same on meeting Sandra.

We decided to meet in Utrecht, as it was mid way for both. Talking in English with Dutch words sprinkled throughout liberally, Sandra comes across as such a warm and genuine person. Being from Portugal, she is very passionate about her own country.

In her own words : "I do not want to forget my Portuguese language skills, specially reading and writing." And that is perhaps the reason she loves to write in Portuguese on her expat blog - Presepio com Vista para o Canal

This was also the first time I got a chance to explore the city of Utrecht..what ever little we saw, mostly the Central side - was enough to draw me towards this beautiful city. Looking forward to seeing the city, complete with all its canals and culture someday soon!!

It was lovely meeting you and getting to know you better Sandra. Getting to share experiences and thoughts with someone on the same wavelength is a great experience - as many of you will vouch for.

---

Sharing is Caring!