Recently I’ve come across loads of articles stating the “Top #” of places to live as an expat. After a while, I’ve found these lists on the edge of becoming misleading and sometimes down right biased. These “ Top #” lists point out the best nations to: Retire / Start a new business / Work or Do business / Get health care / Find a partner Study or Do research / Learn a new skill / Find romance / Start a family / Etc,…… I am finding that these oversimplified statements are lacking fully developed ...
Apr 14, 2016•13 min•Ep. 30
In this info-packed episode, James sits down for a chat with fellow New Yorker, Jamar Whaley. Jamar shares his expat experience and talks about his observance on how people from low-socioeconomic classes are not offered or simply blocked from opportunities to study abroad and why this needs to be changed. Jamar often gives an emotional inter-personal perspective on his life abroad.
Apr 07, 2016•50 min•Ep. 29
In this episode, we chat with Ms. Clara Wiggins, a prolific blogger, writer and mother of two wonderful girls from the UK and now living in South Africa. Clara is a TCK ( Third Culture Kid ) and shares her expat experiences with us and offers up some tips for living life abroad. Clara talks about the challenges of raising and educating children in an environment unlike the one they come from. Also, she taps into issues accompanying spouses of different types face while trying to maintain their r...
Mar 31, 2016•41 min•Ep. 28
Time really flies and people change. Hopefully people change in good ways and appreciate the things they have and the people around them. Sara Hong is a former student of mine. I first met Sara when she was a forth grader and now she’s working in the legal field in a country that is very unlike her own. Sara is in the city that never sleeps. Join us while we take a walk with Sara through events in her life abroad that at first confused and later amused her. Sara does all this while, at the same ...
Mar 15, 2016•35 min•Ep. 27
On this Valentines Day, James chats about the few steps couples can take to help their relationship apart stay afloat. It's not a secret that long-distance relationships can cause a lot of stress to partners and require that both partners be patient and trust one another throughout. The following are five tips to deal with the ups and downs of a long-distance relationship. 1. Have mutual positive feelings 2. Strong commitment 3. Have faith and trust 4. Communication 5. Be Mature...
Feb 14, 2016•14 min•Ep. 26
We often hear of or meet people who sacrifice many things for the betterment of others. In this episode, we sit down for a heart warming chat with Mr. Jon Dunning, originally from London, England, now living in Auckland, New Zealand. Listen to how he and his wife looked abroad to make a better future for their family. Jon wholeheartedly shares his story about how his situation back in London, along with the contacts he made while working overseas, gave him the idea to look beyond borders for a n...
Feb 08, 2016•1 hr•Ep. 25
Busy Philadelphia native and Penn State graduate, Mr. Saul Fleischman, connects to us from Osaka, Japan to share his expat experiences. Saul is a long-term expat in Japan, with over 22 plus years living there, and shares his story of how he ended up in the place he now calls home. Saul is a straight-talker and walks us through how he followed the typical road many expats take while searching for a purpose in their adopted environment. He describes how Japan left an impression on him during his e...
Jan 19, 2016•53 min•Ep. 24
At the end of 2015, I had the opportunity to interview Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar, a South Asian American Expat, now living and working in Doha. Mohana is a wonderful speaker and writer who gets to the point. She talks about how she and her two young children adapted to their host nation. Also, she sheds some light on the intricate interactions of the expat community where she lives. Besides being a wonderful writer, speaker and parent, Mohana is also a podcaster! This is why in the interview I cal...
Jan 13, 2016•57 min•Ep. 23
We are glad to have American expat Mr. Jonathan Rollins as a guest on the show. Now, living and working in Sweden, Jonathan is also married to a wonderful Swedish lady and they have a young little (1.5 year old) boy bouncing around the house. I learnt about Jonathan through a blog post he wrote about gun control in the US. His viewpoint of his home from abroad prompted me to track him down for a chat. As it turns out, Jonathan has an interesting story about how he ended up in Sweden and to top t...
Dec 22, 2015•43 min•Ep. 22
An American expat from Harvard University studying Entomology in Taiwan, Avalon Owens (姜安蓉), joins us in a chat about how she ended up in Taiwan. Avalon has also spent time in Beijing and she explains the non-typical way she learned Mandarin Chinese. Avalon is full of energy and always delightful. Come hear what she has to say. I guarantee she’ll put a smile on your face.
Dec 15, 2015•50 min•Ep. 21
We are very happy to have South African music designer Anton Botes on the show to share his experiences living abroad. He talks about why he decided to make the change from his established occupation in South Africa to a new life overseas. He also offers some special insight to his lifestyle abroad. Mentioned: Show Reel: http://www.antonbotes.com The Lab Space: https://www.facebook.com/labspacetw THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE! Thank you very much for taking the time to share this podca...
Dec 08, 2015•48 min•Ep. 20
Over the past few weeks, listeners have been writing to me asking about employment opportunities and conditions abroad and I found myself repeating the same advice over and over again. It looks like many people are to shy to leave a message on the website so I decided to create a podcast on the topic. Much like looking for employment in your home nation, there are basic questions that should be asked and be concerned about. However, simply because of the location and distances involved in overse...
Dec 04, 2015•24 min•Ep. 19
Mark Goding, a fifteen plus year Australian expat living in Taiwan, chats with James about his early travels before ending up in the place he now calls home. A class A optimist, Mark is well known for his endless energy and outspokenness and he always has an antidote for any situation or cause. He keeps active and also runs his own business selling sausages to local business. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE! Thank you very much for taking the time to share this podcast. Click HERE if you...
Dec 01, 2015•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 18
In this short episode we sit down for a late night chat with Kathy Wang, a Taiwanese expat living in Brisbane, Australia. Kathy started off her Australian journey on a working holiday. Now, two and a half years later, Kathy is pursuing her master’s degree and, at the same time, working in a local Australian company. Kathy talks about how she prepared to deal with language and cultural issues. She also points out the importance of getting out and mixing in your local community. THANK YOU FOR LIST...
Nov 24, 2015•32 min•Ep. 17
Colombian Expatriate William Cruz Molina is in the Taipei studio to chat about how he ended up coming to Taiwan to study in university. William also talks about how important it is to get outside your protective shell and mix with an overseas environment. He explains the situations he encountered while learning the local language and culture. In the end, he points out how his experience as an expat helped him further develop his view of his life and world. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE...
Nov 17, 2015•31 min•Ep. 16
Today we sit down for a chat with Brent Smith. Brent is a Canadian expat residing in Taiwan for 15 years! He shares his views of how his overseas experience helped him widen his view of the world. He notes during the interview that people are generally the same and kindness really is universal. Brent has lived in a few places in Taiwan and is well qualified to compare and contrast both the positive and negative aspects of being a long-term overseas expat. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE!...
Nov 10, 2015•40 min•Ep. 15
Today we interview Ms. Christine Chang, a Taiwanese expat working in Hong Kong. Ms. Chang, in her first Internet interview, shares with James Thomas her experiences working and living abroad. Christine talks about some of the issues she’s faced working in a “male dominated” industry and how it seems that more women at put in hi-level management positions in many Hong Kong companies. She also points out what was her drive to look overseas for an employment challenge and the value of an overseas w...
Nov 04, 2015•39 min•Ep. 14
What are some of the issues female expatriates have to face while living and working abroad? What are the unique situations they encounter as a result of their assignments, locations and especially gender? Today, female expats say that they feel the need to take on international assignments or rotations to further their career goals and prove self-worth. They note that one of the prerequisites for a top-level executive position is having an international overseas experience….. Women, under the m...
Oct 29, 2015•13 min•Ep. 13
We often hear people from all cultures living away from their home or in an unfamiliar environment talk about their feelings of being homesick and the reasons why they feel the way they do. Now, hold on for a minute! What does homesick or homesickness really mean? What are the elements that form these feelings? Is being homesick really about how a person feels about their “home”? What really does “homesick” mean and what are the underlining symptoms that show up as a result? THANK YOU FOR LISTEN...
Oct 09, 2015•21 min•Ep. 12
Going abroad can help a traveler widen his or her viewpoint of the world by giving the person a personal relationship with the location and the people encountered. However, when planning to travel overseas there are steps that need to be taken to ensure the traveler’s safety and wellbeing. In this podcast I offer a few tips to assist anyone from anywhere in their preparations before and during a journey abroad. Many of the points I raise can be called common sense. No matter where you plan to tr...
Oct 04, 2015•27 min•Ep. 11
When people talk about Finland, most of the time they describe a place flanked with historical architecture, monuments and fields of grass. Within this background three expats from Britain, America and Spain now call Finland their home. Steve, Ken and Guillermo, the three host of the podcast “techxpatspodcast.com”, sit down for a chat with our host, James Thomas, and share their connections and reasons for calling Finland home. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE! Thank you very much for tak...
Sep 25, 2015•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 10
Tune in and join us as we interview American expat Erik Lahdakorpi. Erik has been all over the world experiencing life overseas. He has interesting stories and antidotes to share about his times living abroad. Erik is not only an adventurer, but also a well established English language consultant. His service has helped many professionals get a secure foothold on the English language. Erik Lahdekorpi Professional English Services: http://www.eng.coach A few years ago a friend of Erik had an expe...
Sep 22, 2015•48 min•Ep. 9
A longtime friend on Facebook sent me a link from a blog (http://anamericanintaipei.com) that had the flashing title “Leaving an EFL Job Gracefully After You’ve Been Screwed Over”. I found this to be an interesting title as well as a topic of interest to many expats employed abroad. Leaving an EFL Job Gracefully After You’ve Been Screwed Over”. I found this to be an interesting title as well as a topic of interest to many expats employed abroad. I contacted the Webmaster and author of the mentio...
Sep 20, 2015•55 min•Ep. 8
Views of an expat's home country from abroad After watch the GOP debate the need for a more true international understanding is needed. This is why I created this podcast. We are all the same, but different. This really makes ALL our lives more colorful and meaningful. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE! Thank you very much for taking the time to share this podcast. Click HERE if you would like to load our Four Seas One Family Website RSS Feed . Please help us make this show better by filli...
Sep 20, 2015•11 min•Ep. 7
For a variety of different reasons, many people think about moving or living long-term in another country. Of course, people thinking like this should know that they might need time to adapt. Learning to co-exist in a country with people of different cultural characteristics, language, cuisines, religions, moral values, ethics and others on a daily basis may not be a skill some of us can obtain. If you are steadfast and determined to living a life abroad, be prepared to make a checklist of why y...
Sep 06, 2015•16 min•Ep. 6
This isn’t new news. In fact, maybe it’s a trend. More and more students are leaving the US to study abroad. Nothing new about this fact, but the point to mention is less than 10% of American students today choose to study abroad and there are several reasons why this is so. This low rate of increase is far behind the rates of students seeking an overseas learning experience in the US from other countries... Institute of International Education (IIE): Demand for Study Overseas by American Studen...
Aug 29, 2015•32 min•Ep. 5
Join James in a studio interview with local radio and TV personality Stevie G. Listen to the road this US expat took to find his way in his new home. Stevie has some funny encounters and anecdotes to share during his time in Taiwan. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE! Thank you very much for taking the time to share this podcast. Click HERE if you would like to load our Four Seas One Family Website RSS Feed . Please help us make this show better by filling in this Expat Life Expat Life Surv...
Aug 22, 2015•47 min•Ep. 4
This episode was quickly patched together while in the middle of Super Typhoon Soudelor (8/8/2015). I wanted to get this episode out before the heavy part of the storm hit the island and as a result a lot of tongue twisting occurred. In this episode I present a very brief overview of getting a Taiwan work permit and an Alien Permanent Resident Certificate (APRC) . I would also like to make a correction. I referred to the Taiwan National Immigration Agency (NIA) as the National Immigration Associ...
Aug 07, 2015•14 min•Ep. 3
First off, please excuse my “Ahhh”, “Humms” and twisted tongue in this episode. Here is some fast paced information for people planning to come to Taiwan. Here, I’ll quickly talk about what is needed to apply for a visit or a stay. Most of the information I present here in this episode can be found at the Taiwan Nation Immigration Agency (NIA) website at these links: Visa-exempt entry: http://www.immigration.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=1090149&ctNode=30085&mp=2 Applying for an Alien Resident Cer...
Jul 31, 2015•18 min•Ep. 2
Have you ever wondered how your life would be if you suddenly had to travel or live abroad? How would you adapt? How would you communicate? How would you make friends? This is the podcast to learn about living overseas as an expatriate. Tune in and learn about the ups and downs to cultural and social adaptation when living abroad. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE! Thank you very much for taking the time to share this podcast. Click HERE if you would like to load our Four Seas One Family W...
Jul 25, 2015•10 min•Ep. 1
