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| Expats

Get educated about it;
Survive it!
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Near the bottom of this page are some very useful links for
Expats
| Forewarned
is Power |
Web Bot
Track Record for Predicting:
predicted 9/11
predicted Hurricane Katrina
predicted several other natural disasters
Web Bot Future Predictions:
Feb. 2009: global markets beginning to "bottom out"
Feb. 2009: beginning of a Global Coastal Event (poss. seas rising)
Feb. 2009: wave of enlistments to US military
(as a consequence of no employment opportunities)
Mar.-Apr. 2009: food/goods riots, demonstrations
Mar.-Apr. 2009: predicts NASA whistle-blowers
May 2009: increasing unemployment, rising demand on social services
May 2009: price hikes and sporadic failures of utilities, like power.
May 2009: Global Coastal Event gets serious
(may cause mass migrations of people, if not death)
June-July 2009: "Summer of Hell"
June-July 2009: distribution problems of goods means lack of goods
June-July 2009: lots of natural disasters
(these take a back seat in the news to socio-economic problems)
Aug. 2009: government services falter as budget problems ensue
Aug. 2009: Purchasing power of dollar begins to fail drastically
Sept. 2009: U.S. Fed. Gov't in big trouble; Sub-regions of U.S. form
Oct. 2009: internet becomes sporadic; ships disappear
And that's just 2009
Starting in 2009 and continuing in 2011: many people will literally
disappear.
There is something in the Web Bot predictions about aliens or extra-terrestrials
(E.T.s). What that means is unclear. Perhaps people will
blame the disappearances on E.T.s. Will they be right? Who
knows?
Finally, in 2012, survivors of economic
demise, government dissolution, and natural calamity will be living in
tribal communities growing their own food for survival.
Gloomy Picture?
I'll say.
It is interesting that a modern tool...
a program, designed in the 1990's to "crawl" the web for
financial data (in order to predict the markets) eventually became a
predictor of doom. It is also very interesting that it confirms
what the Mayans and the I-Ching say. It confirms other prophecies
from other prophets like Merlin, the Sybil, Mother Shipton, and
Nostradamus (in his "Lost Book").
It is not like one person or one group
is pronouncing the end of the world. It is coming at us from all
directions, from a myriad of sources, all with an excellent track
record.
I wonder if in Noah's day, the people
had half as many warnings, they would have hearkened unto the
warnings? We are privileged in that we have so many prophecies,
and the technology to disseminate them in a fast, efficient manner, e.g,
at the speed of light. However, I feel that most people will not
listen. They will not hearken unto the warnings. Many will
die. I feel especially sorry for the poor people of the world, who
don't have internet. They will not know what hit them. They
have no warning. I will not feel sorry for those who received the
warning but did nothing.
BUT, how does this apply to EXPATRIATES,
such as you and me?
Excellent Question, my friend!
I shall expound.
Many of us, including myself, may be
"caught" overseas, out of our native countries, when the shit
hits the fan. We may not have a means to get home. That
means that we need to prepare ourselves in our expatriate homes.
EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS for the EXPATRIATE
(alternative title)
HOW EXPATRIATES can PREPARE for the coming EMERGENCIES
1. Have clothing for
ANY kind of weather; AND I mean ANY kind of weather (the weather is
gonna get crazy!).
2. If you live near the
coast, MOVE!
3. Have emergency plans
for loss of power and/or gas (especially in less-developed
countries). For example: how are you going to cook your food?
4. Have emergency water
stored. (and provide a way to purify water).
5. Have emergency
medical supplies stored. (including any medication needed). A
simple first aid kit ain't gonna cut it, sugar.
6. Have food
storage! It is recommended by some modern-day "prophets of
2012" that you will need 4-5 years of food storage.
That will be difficult for us expatriates. I would recommend a
minimum of a year's food storage. At least that will give you a year
to figure out what you will do next. I recommend dry food items,
grains, cereals, flour, sugar, salt, spices, dried fruit, canned goods,
nuts (lots of nuts for protein), dry beans (also for protein), and so on,
possibly dry milk.
7. Store SEEDS.
You will need to plant and grow your own food.
8. Store TOOLS.
All power tools will become obsolete. You will need manual tools.
9. If possible, don't
live in a basement apartment. There will be lots of flooding, no
matter where you live.
10. Have family meeting
points, should you get separated in a natural disaster.
11. Have barter
items. The monetary economy will fail and we will be reduced to a
barter system. Liquidate all your assets now and buy emergency
supplies. The best bartering item that you could possibly have
is: CLEAN WATER. It will be worth gold.
|
| Luck
Favors the Prepared |
For
more info, click
 |
|
Q & A about
living and working abroad
about living and working overseas
Q: How do I find jobs
overseas?
A: Here
Q: How do I avoid being scammed or
mistreated by my prospective overseas employers?
A: There
Q: Once I find a job, and get
accepted, what next? How do I prepare for life in a foreign
country?
A: Firstly, start learning the lingo. Just go to a bookstore (online
or offline) and buy a book for learning the language of the country you
will go to. I'd start with numbers, 'cause you will need numbers to
buy stuff (and haggle).
***** If you'd like to learn Korean, click
here.
***** If you'd like to learn Chinese, click
here.
Also, I would do some research on the country
that you will be living in. Find out as much as you can,
especially about the culture, because you don't want to look like a fool
for making social faux pas. For instance, ask yourself:
| 1. Is it
customary to bring your host a gift?
What kind of gifts
are customary?
For instance, in Korea, when attending a housewarming party, it
is customary to bring some kind of soap or detergent. (I'm
not sure why). In Vietnam, it is customary to bring
foreign cigarettes to a male host. In China, when
returning from a trip, it is customary to bring back trinkets
for friends, coworkers, and family members.
2.
What kind of
clothing is customary? Does my clothing have to be
modest? Will I look like a skank if I wear this in that
country?
Along
with this goes hairstyle. In Korea, I shaved my head,
'cause frankly I didn't have much hair left. Koreans
didn't know how to "take it". My adult students
told me: "In Korea, there are only two kinds of
people that shave their heads: those who
protest... and... monks." I said,
"So, think of me as a monk." They all
laughed. In China, I was told that there was no stigma
against my chosen "head" style. I don't know if
they just told me that to be politically correct or what.
Also, along with clothing and
hair style is facial hair. I used to wear a goatee.
My adult students told me that in Korea, only
"grandfathers" wore facial hair (and it was quite
true). So, it made me appear much older than I actually
was.
3.
How do people
greet in that country?
For instance, in Korea it is okay to shake hands with a man, but
NOT with a woman. Some international businesswomen may
have overcome this social taboo when dealing with
foreigners. Also, in Korea, it is expected that one would
bow to his/her superiors, or elders. In China, I was
surprised to find that this custom is no longer practiced.
It makes sense, though.
You see, although Confucianism started in China, it went out the
window with the philosophies of communism (all are equal, none
is above the rest). Ironically, the three most Confucian
countries are Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. In those
countries, bowing is still practiced.
4.
What is/are the
main religion(s) of that country? What role does religion
play upon the culture of the country as a whole? Is the
country a theocratic one or a secular one? What should I
know about the religion and its place in the culture?
For example, in India, the Hindu belief in reincarnation has
played a BIG role in the custom of abstaining from eating the
flesh of any animal. This, I was told, is as much a
cultural thing as it is a religious thing. My Indian
friend told me that in India, only Muslims and foreigners eat
meat. While Indians respect the right of foreigners to eat
meat, it wouldn't hurt to show a little reverence for the
culture and eat like an Indian while living in India.
5. Who is the
leader/president of that country? What kind of political
system is in that country?
For instance, every time I tell an American that China is a
full-blown democracy, they look at me with incredulous eyes
and/or laugh out loud. But, it is true! China has
elections for city, provincial, and national leaders.
While "the party" is alive and well in China, it is
not the ONLY political party. By the way, communism is an economic policy
NOT a political one. For example (case in point), China use to
be democratic
and communist at the same time (for a while there) Communism is actually what
Socialism should be. Today, in Socialist countries, only
some parts of the labor force is run by the government, whereas
in a Communist country, the whole labor force is run by the
government and wages are fixed. For example, in Vietnam, I
was told that every one earns 50 US dollars a month.
"It is the law!" I was told in 1997 when I
visited there. China is no longer a communist
country. People are now allowed to own their own
businesses and business is thriving. It would be good if
you didn't look like an ignorant fool about such things.
6. How do I say that?
I would advise you to learn to pronounce the indigenous words
& names of people and places of the country. It would
really score you some points with the locals if you could
pronounce words and names correctly.
Korean
pronunciation / Chinese
pronunciation.
7. What holidays or
festivals are celebrated in that country?
Click here:
Korean &
Chinese Holidays/Festivals
8. What are the
drinking and smoking customs of that country?
In Korea, you will NEVER see a
woman smoke on the street. It used to be forbidden even
for a woman to smoke in public, but not so any more, just so
long as it is in the pubs, taverns, and bars. And by the
way, when going to Korean "Hops" (Pubs), you have to
order side dishes. It is a requirement of the house.
Even dance clubs require you to order side dishes (which are
quite expensive). The only exception is when sitting at
the bar (if there is a bar).
In China, men smoke whenever
and wherever they dang-well please. I've never seen a
woman smoke in China. I don't know why. I never
asked. In China, you drink and eat your dinner at the same
time. Chinese like to drink hard and fast. Takes a
while to get used to it. It's hard to refuse, they'll egg
you on, but you have to be firm and set your limits.
9. Do I have enough
money? Many
people are lured to work in foreign countries and their bosses
do not pay what they said they would, when they would.
Some people end up stranded in foreign countries with no money
and no way to get home. I suggest: "Bring a 'safety cushion'
and don't leave it in your home." I brought 600 bucks to
hold me over till my first pay check, but someone robbed my home
and took all my cash. When arriving in the foreign
country, get a bank account ASAP! and deposit your money there
as emergency money, but make sure that the bank is federally
insured. In Vietnam, you don't have to worry. All
banks are owned by the government. Need more advice like
that? click
here.
10. Is the currency
of that country traded internationally?
If not, you'd better get US dollars before leaving the
country. A friend of mine decided to go for a weekend trip
from Korea to Japan. He took only Korean money.
OOPS! Korean money is worthless in any other country, for
it is not traded in other countries!
|
Q: Am I healthy and hardy
enough to live overseas? The environment may be harsher than you
are used to. For example, living standards may be much lower than in
your home country. The food may be unpalatable (to you). And
if so, you may not enjoy your experience in that country. I get
upset when expatriates start complaining about the culture, food, or
living standards of the country that they are in. If you don't like
it, leave! But, for heavens sake, stop complaining. In China,
if you are over a certain age, the government may not issue a work visa.
Q: I'm already in a foreign
country and I'm in a bad situation. I need to get out. What
are my options? The answer depends on the country. In
Korea, you could just leave, but your employer will have you black listed
at immigration and you won't ever be allowed to work in that country
again. In Poland, you cannot leave without certain documents.
Same thing in Vietnam. In China, if you don't have your child's
birth certificate, they may not let you take him/her out of the
country. Getting in is easy. It's getting out that's
hard. If you are in Korea, please see this
page. If all else fails: go to your embassy!
Q: I have a question that
is not on here. Can I submit one?
A: YES!
Contact me |
Critical Links for Expats Planning
on Going to Korea? Better check this out!
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