Would You Like to Live in a Top Ten City?

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Jamie Douglas and Julie R Butler

By Jamie Douglas

Every few weeks or so, some self important organization publishes a list of the

1.       Most Expensive

2.      Least Expensive

3.      Most Livable

4.      Least Livable

5.      Safest

6.      Unsafest

7.      Warmest

8.     Coldest

Etc… You get the picture! It makes for filler on slow news days. But for us expats and wannabe expats, it also makes for educational reading. So below are the top ten and bottom 10 cities as named by Mercer, a Global HR consulting firm, with Jamie’s list alongside.

What is Next? Where can we go?

By Jamie Douglas

Excellent questions which keep drifting into my inbox. I have been using my very special micro-fiber lint free polishing cloth to shine my crystal ball, all to no avail! The deeper I look into it, the more I see dark clouds in there. But not to worry! On Monday, November 28, the U.S. stock market rose almost 300 points. Responsibility for that inexplicable speculator driven event are what Bloomberg proudly proclaimed were U.S. holiday sales and, get this, “Europe Progress!” Just what progress are they talking about?

The fact that leading economist in the Euro Zone are predicting a long and dark depression in Europe?

 That the Euro as a currency may not make it to the end of the year?

That Europe’s hope of protecting the single currency by means of a 1 trillion Euro bailout fund are dead in the water because of the astronomical bond yields?

That Germany could not find a buyer for its debt last week and had to buy it themselves?

That the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (ECOD) is forecasting a deep depression across Europe?

That there will be a tidal wave of bankruptcies if any country will be forced to abandon the common currency?

That the EU, according to Polish foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, is facing a crisis of apocalyptic proportions?

That Moody’s is forecasting a cascade of sovereign debt defaults across the Euro Zone, if any country exited the Zone?

How to Travel like a Nomad

La Casa de Señora Paris

By Jamie Douglas

A half a century of crisscrossing the globe has brought me to the point where I feel I may have something to offer to those who want to leave all that is familiar behind and embark on a journey into the unknown. Some may fear what lies ahead, what with all the economic and political uncertainties on the horizon. To others this may be the incentive to go out and experience the world as it is today, before opportunities to do so evaporate.

There was a wise old woman of nobility from Prussia who I met in Pátzcuaro, Mexico in 1994. She too had lived an adventurous life on many continents, having served as the young trophy bride to an important diplomat when she was in her early teens. During many hours of conversations with Señora Paris, as she was known, I came to know her very well. Hours were spent on benches in the Plaza Grande or in her mansion on Ahumada in conversation with her, soaking up some anecdotes of a time gone by, civilization lost, and a way of life gone forever, where she would travel the world with a dozen servants and a quantity of steamer trunks, affording her the luxuries she was accustomed to.

There were two phrases she instilled on those around her. During our conversations she stated flatly, that “You can never go back, Baby”, and the more important “Never make plans, Baby. Never make plans!”

Euro Chaos, Egyptian Chaos, and the Strange Silence on the World Commodity Markets

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Jamie Douglas and Julie R Butler

By Jamie Douglas

I hope all those of you who celebrated the US Thanksgiving holiday yesterday, November 24, 2011, enjoyed your abundant meals and the time shared with your loved ones. Among the many things I give thanks for is the fact that the US markets were closed, revealing a strange phenomenon, the lack of wild fluctuations.

With all of the speculators gorging themselves for the day, the three major commodities did not trade in the US, and consequently the mysterious fluctuations did not materialize yesterday. In the rest of the world’s markets, gold went up $2.50 or 0.15%, silver gained $0.11, or 0.35%, while platinum lost 0.45% or $7.00. Crude oil also had a meek day, rising just $0.86 to $97.03.

Perhaps we should consider giving the speculators more time off.

Cultural Exchange

by Julie R Butler

One of my favorite things about the time Jamie and I spent living on the chacra in Patagonia were the cultural exchanges that we had with our Argentine friends. We would discuss such things as what all was involved in our holidays, how they were similar and different, and many other aspects of culture that were curious and interesting for all of us to learn about.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Considering that the Christmas holiday season in Latin America is an expanded affair, beginning as early as mid November in Venezuela and elsewhere on 6 December, the Day of the Immaculate Conception, the assumption that Thanksgiving is part of the Christmas season calendar is only logical.

Thanksgiving is celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November and in Canada on the second Monday in October. But elsewhere, the conquest of the New World was largely about gaining land and wealth and building empires rather than about freedom from religious persecution, the aim of the Pilgrims as well as the French Huguenots.

Nomadic Expat: Where in the World is Bizet’s Carmen

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Jamie Douglas and Julie R Butler

By Jamie Douglas

While the world is dealing with self immolation and self flagellation, what are you doing late in 2011? Are you at home glued to Fox News, CNN or any other bearers of bad news?

If so, providing you have the courage to tune all that crap out and pretend that things are fine as far as you are concerned, get the hell out of the US while you can, and enjoy your money. Fall and winter on the Continent are show spectaculars. Theatre and opera companies have rehearsed for the last few months, set builders were busy building sets, and now it can be yours, all across that troubled Continent, to seek escape in one of the many venues around Europe. That is not to say there are many fine production companies spread out across the US and Canada, but there is just nothing like strolling the boulevards in Paris, Milano, London, or any of the other historical cities across Europe.

The Arab Spring Becomes Winter

By Jamie Douglas

Being an expat in the Mediterranean region certainly has had its ups and down in 2011. The many thousands of working and retired expats living from Tunisia to Turkey had to deal with major social and political upheaval, as well as natural disasters. Egypt’s problems looked like they might be over with the downfall of Hosni Mubarak, but in reality, the people’s uprising against the despot seems to have presented the opening the army needed to take control of that country. The military is attempting to write into the new constitution powers and authority that are exactly what the commoners who brought about the changes were demanding to get rid of in the first place.

The so called Arab spring actually started in the winter of 2010 in Tunisia, where it took all of 23 days to topple the iron fisted ruler of 23 years. His corruption was legendary even for a region where the practice is institutionalized. On January 14, 2011 the despot, Zine El Abedine Ben Ali snuck off to Saudi Arabia, which promptly granted him asylum, just as they have for many other fleeing former dictators, including Idi Amin of Uganda.

Germany v. England, € v. £, and Elections in Spain

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Jamie Douglas and Julie R Butler



Mariano Rajoy
Spanish People's Party



By Jamie Douglas

Germany and the U.K.

And what a struggle it is! German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s race to the bottom of public opinion has been curious to watch. However, her British counterpart, Prime Minister David Cameron, can rest his laurels on the decision made in 2003 by his predecessor Gordon Brown to stay with the Pound for the UK’s currency instead of following the rest of the founding members of the EU (the Lemmings) blindly into the uncharted waters of the Euro.

As is typical of high level political meetings, there were the usual photo opportunities, handshakes, and statements last Friday, November 18, 2011. The most significant of the statements released was by the British and German “leaders” who agreed to disagree. While stressing that both have the same vision for a unified Europe’s recovery, the one thing they could not agree on was a financial transaction tax, with Cameron stressing that such a tax would have to be universal to avoid punishing the London financial institutions.

The Financial Crisis, Gold, and More

By Jamie Douglas

The Eurozone

Every day brings more interesting news from the battle fronts of the financial world, which right now seem to be centered on the Eurozone, something the Americans should be eternally grateful for, as it has taken the pressure off the US Dollar for the moment. The continuing battle between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy has become rather comical to me. Some nitwit must have told Angela that if she could save the Euro from flaming out, she would get the Nobel Prize for Economics. Currently she is expressing her increasing opposition to the European Central Bank (ECB) playing a bigger role in solving the Eurozone debt crisis, insisting that political solutions are the only way to resolve the ever-mounting problems they are facing. Memo the Angela: Is not the role of a central bank to do just that – solve the debt crisis – and is it not just the role but the duty of the central bankers?

Which brings up the inevitable question: Where in the hell were they and what in the hell were they (not) doing while this growing financial disaster was in the making? One thing they were not doing for sure was their fiduciary duty as stewards of the Euro currency. They, like all others indoctrinated by Milton Friedman’s disastrous model for unregulated capitalism, just sat by idly, assuming falsely that the markets would police themselves and that things would turn out just hunky dory.

The Greek Drama, The Italian (Soap) Opera, and the Danger They Pose to the Euro

By Jamie Douglas

The tragic-comic drama continues to unfold by the hour, and the sheer incompetence of the leaders of Europe entrusted with dealing with the salvation of the unified currency makes the debt disaster even more dangerous.

The world’s markets are responding to the situation with their usual schizophrenic responses:

Scenario 1. Share prices rose almost 4% on the “hope” that the situation is stabilizing.

Scenario 2. Share prices lost 3% on fears about the Greek and Italian sovereign debt crisis.

VPN: An Expat Necessity?

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Jamie Douglas and Julie R Butler

by Julie R Butler

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) seem to be the latest requirement for the savvy expat.

What is a VPN? It is a network that provides user access to a centralized network over public infrastructures (i.e. the Internet). They came to be as a way for companies to avoid the high cost of using physical leased lines in order to share information over a private intranet. Instead, data is encrypted and sent through a secure Internet Protocol (IP) “tunnel.”

VPNs have become popular for people who are traveling or living overseas for two reasons. One is for security. With a VPN and a laptop, public wifi networks can be used for secure Internet shopping and banking. All data transmitted back and forth over the Internet is encrypted by the secure server, protecting the user against snoopers and intruders.

Got Some Time to Kill in London?

Royal Albert Hall, London

By Jamie Douglas

Finding yourself in London this fall/winter? Fret not, for there is so much to do that a quick layover could easily become a month long cultural experience. As we are getting closer to Christmas, there will of course be many holiday themed events, as well as the normal goings on to partake in.

For starters, you can visit Covent Garden Piazza between now and December 24 to pet Santa’s reindeers, up close and personal. If you however are more of my persuasion, you will be tempted to look for a way to set the poor creatures free, as they really don’t look very happy. They have that “Can’t wait to get back to Lapland look.”

For the lovers of Cabaret, you can go for a couple of weeks without seeing the same show twice, taking in some first rate entertainment at the same time.

From Nov 16 to Nov 26, The East End Cabaret will be at the Arcola Tent nightly to delight you with their winning performances. The duo of Bernadette Byrne and hermaphrodite Victor Victoria sing about modern sex with a very engaging rapport.

Nov 17 -26: Eat Your Heart Out Presents Violence, a collection of Violent Vignettes featuring a certain level of confrontation. You are asked to bring a certain level of tolerance and British humor with you.

Nov 17-Dec 22 the RVT showcases David Hoyle’s Winter Warmer is a fiercely political, scandalizingly entertaining, thrillingly improvised performance that will have you wondering about sacred cows.

There is much more for the cabaret lover to see and hear. Inquire locally for the latest performances.

If you like the theatre, there is a lot in store this winter season, starting with a gender reversed production of Hamlet directed by Ian Rickson, nightly at the Young Vic until January 21 2012.

Matilda the Musical is being performed nightly at the Cambridge Theater by the Royal Shakespeare Company in a gallant effort to save the fine craft of the British Musical.

Death and the Maiden will be performing until Jan 21, 2012 at the Harold Pinter Theatre. This small scale revival features some very big names indeed, such as Thandie Newton. A film Directed by Roman Polanski with Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley, and Stuart Wilson was made of Ariel Dorfman’s dark play about a woman who recognizes the voice of a houseguest her husband brings home, after his car breaks down on an isolated stretch of beach. The play is all the more captivating because of the lack of distractions from the hauntingly desolate scenery in the film.

As I am sure most everyone knows, London has way too much to offer in just about every aspect of the performing arts, museums, galleries, and live concert venues. No matter when you are in town, be sure to always check out the performance calendar of the Royal Albert Hall, as you just can’t go wrong with performances there.

Elsewhere, one of the major events in town from Nov 11-20 is the renowned London Jazz Festival, featuring over 280 performances at more than 50 venues. One of the must see performances is by one of my favorite performers, Brazils Hermeto Pascoal, who is performing in a rare and perhaps his last London set in celebration of his 75th birthday.

Jamie Douglas

San Rafael, Mendoza

[image via Wikipedia]

I encourage you to write to me, jamie@expatdailynews.com with any questions or suggestions you may have, and if necessary, we can establish a voice communication via Skype. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel related business. My advice is based on my own experiences, and is free of charge. (Donations accepted). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

Jamie Douglas is an Adventurer, Writer and Photographer with an amazing array of Nikon equipment, and a lifetime of experience traveling and documenting. To contact him for assignments, email: jamie.douglas [at] yahoo.com

See more expat articles by Jamie at

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Admiral Nelson and the Canary Islands

You may remember Horatio Nelson from school history lessons as the jolly little man with the big hat and equally inflated ego; his costume goes down a treat at fancy dress parties. In pictures, Nelson is instantly recognisable as the semi-blinded, one-armed naval officer who destroyed the French and Spanish fleets; he also had a fascinating ménage à trois with the rather interesting Lady Hamilton. So what is the real story of the man whose statue dominates London’s Trafalgar Square, and how does it link with the Canary Islands?

I am often surprised to discover that these lumps of volcanic rock, known as the Canary Islands, punch well above their weight when it comes to links with famous and interesting people, as well as key moments in history; the links with Admiral Nelson are yet another example.

According to the history books, Nelson lost his right eye capturing Corsica and his right arm whilst attacking the Canary Islands. He captured six and destroyed seven of Napoleon’s ships at the Battle of the Nile, trapped Napoleon in Egypt, assaulted Copenhagen and dealt with Napoleon’s combined French and Spanish fleets off the coast of Spain. This defeat of the French navy stopped Napoleon’s power at sea, and with it, his dreams of world domination. Nelson is, of course, best remembered for winning one of the greatest naval battles in history, the Battle of Trafalgar, on 21 October, 1805.

A Cultural Enrichment Journey: Zürich

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Jamie Douglas and Julie R Butler

By Jamie Douglas

Now that all the summer and fall events across Europe have come to a successful conclusion, it is time to have a look at some of the wonderful indoor events you may partake in while in Europe this fall and winter, ignoring for a moment or five how expensive traveling on the continent has become. We have to indulge in the finer things in life when we can.

And what could be finer than attending a fine wine exp0 held on twelve historic ships, which in the summer ply the lovely waters of Lake Zürich, in Switzerland. Attendees will have to choose from 4000 different wines from 22 countries on 5 continents. Please rest assured that our beloved Argentinean Malbec will be well represented there, as well as Uruguay’s finest Tannat. For the politically incorrect lovers of stinky cigars, such as me, you will also be able to enjoy the finest hand rolled cigars from all over the world, including those great Cubanos, off limits to US citizens since 1959.

The European Union: Going, Going, Gone?

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Jamie Douglas and Julie R Butler

By Jamie Douglas

The G-20 has had its run last week; nothing was accomplished there of course, except a couple of newsworthy comments made by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and US President Barack Obama: “I cannot bear Netanyahu. He’s a liar,” Sarkozy said to President Obama. Obviously neither of the world leaders was aware that the microphones in front of them were hot. Replied President Obama: “You’re fed up with him, what about me? I have to deal with him every day.”

The above exchange was enough to set loose the Republicans in the US, making wild-eyed accusations to the effect that the Democrats were against Israel, and questioning Obama’s “commitment to Israel.” Mitt Romney, one of the many presidential hopefuls running under the Republican banner issued a statement condemning Obama’s “derisive remark about Israel’s Prime Minister [confirming] what any observer would have gleaned from his public actions and statements toward our long standing ally, Israel.”

One in Six US Citizens are Poor – 49.1 Million People

Homeless American (via Wikipedia)

By Jamie Douglas

Today, I will look at one of the most disturbing aspects of life in the USA: poverty!

Staggering statistics just released by the census bureau, using a more accurate method of tabulating the actual poverty rates, have clearly established that there are 2.5 million more people living in poverty in “the world’s richest nation” (WRN) that had previously [September 2011] been reported.

Utilizing the latest revised and updates methods for counting the least fortunate citizens of the WRN, the census bureau has determined that 1 in 8 seniors live in poverty; more than 1 in 4 children under 18 live in poverty. And the situation is getting worse every day. The manufacturing sector is shrinking while the service sector is ever expanding, and together with the astronomical unemployment rates, these statistics are rendering the US into third world status.

What did the G-20 Meeting Accomplish?

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Jamie Douglas and Julie R Butler

Obama and Cristina, 2009



By Jamie Douglas

The G-20 meeting in Cannes, France has come and gone with much hoopla and no results.

For those of my readers who may be aware of this organization but not know the details, here they are:

G-20 stands for “Group of 20.” The group’s individual member nations are generally represented by their Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors; however, it has become a meeting ground/love fest for heads of state. The organization was founded in 1999 to deal with items of worldwide economic importance, such as the ones confronting so many nations today. The members in alphabetical order are as follows: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Republic of Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom and the USA.

While the G-20 summits have dealt with such globally important issues as terrorist financing, combating money laundering, and establishing internationally acceptable standards for the “all important” crime of tax evasion, it may be a note of interest that this group of twenty nations never felt that human slavery, the sex trade, or child labor are worthy of their consideration, maybe because they are good for global capitalism.

Saint Helena, the Ultimate Getaway

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Jamie Douglas and Julie R Butler

If you have read my article on the South Georgia Islands recently and find that in spite of its desolate beauty it lacks company and most of all, a tolerable climate, I may have just the right place for you, particularly if are a British subject. It is the island of Saint Helena, a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean.

So remote that it was considered the perfect place to keep Emperor Napoleon in exile from the end of 1815 until his death in May of 1821. Located at 5°45’ west and 15°56’ south, it offers a substantially warmer climate, almost tropical, to its inhabitants.

Moving Abroad with Children: Basic Health and Education Issues

Appeal to our readers: If you enjoy our writing, we ask that you donate a little to help us defray the cost of our internet, which has just gone up to $115 per month. Neither of us gets paid for our work, and we do it strictly out of a sense of wanting to inject some information and viewpoints into the debate. Living in Argentina, and having many years of being observers to Latin America gives us a unique insight into the different cultures. If you can, please donate through PayPal by clicking here or on the donate button at the end of the article, or by going to Amazon.com via our Expat Daily News aStore to launch your online shopping.

By Jamie Douglas

I am writing this article for the many of you who are relocating to a foreign locale while raising school aged children. I have had a bit of experience in this field myself, as well as having observed friends and associates in this situation.

Some of the more pressing issues of course are health care and education.

Many health care issues are no different than the ones faced at home. You will have to deal with the usual childhood illnesses which of course are always more prevalent in schools, particularly during the cold season. No news here.

Social Unrest In These Times

Appeal to our readers: If you enjoy our writing, we ask that you donate a little to help us defray the cost of our internet, which has just gone up to $115 per month. Neither of us gets paid for our work, and we do it strictly out of a sense of wanting to inject some information and viewpoints into the debate. Living in Argentina, and having many years of being observers to Latin America gives us a unique insight into the different cultures. If you can, please donate through PayPal by clicking here or on the donate button at the end of the article, or by going to Amazon.com via our Expat Daily News aStore to launch your online shopping.

Thank you!

Jamie Douglas and Julie R Butler

By Jamie Douglas

Perhaps it is even coming to your country! The protest movement that is spreading around the world may be just the precursor to what will come when the economic crisis deepens, not just because of the extreme social inequities which keep getting worse, but also because of increasing lack of affordable educational options, work opportunities, and basic resources.

The G-20 leaders are meeting November 3 and 4 in Cannes, staying in $5000 a night suites, stuffing themselves with truffles and caviar, while trying to figure out a way to support all those “too big to fail” financial institutions, which bear the ultimate responsibility for the fix the world economy is in. Surely number one on their agenda is the Euro crisis, which is about as terminal as it can get. After several weeks of frenzied negotiations and meetings, last weekend brought the long awaited “resolution” to the crisis. France, Germany, and their partners reached a consensus to bail out Greece by letting them default on 60% of their debt and making available an astronomical sum of money to save the banks there as well as in the rest of the Eurozone, the very same banks that knowingly took on the risks associated with lending billions of Euros to what is perhaps the most unstable and corrupt nation in all of the EU. To back up this outrageous statement, I present the fact that, in order to join the EU, Greece totally lied about their financial condition and then took advantage of the lowered risk rating of being a member of the Eurozone to continue to borrow additional billions from member banks that were equally deceived by the cooked books of this sovereign nation.

 

A Once in a Lifetime Experience: South Georgia

By Jamie Douglas

Interested in doing something that probably none of your neighbors have done? This winter, leave the cold and misery behind and go to South Georgia. Fortunately this is not in the US State of Georgia, therefore no kudzu, a most desirable side effect.

As reported by the South Georgia Newsletter on 24 October 2011, this stunning island with only 30 permanent residents will have an onslaught of 51 cruise ship calls, with a total capacity of 6350 passengers, but will likely only bring about 5000. How I would like to have the souvenir concession when all those folks arrive!

The South Georgia Islands were invaded during Leopoldo Galtieri’s ill-fated invasion of the Falklands, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands, which are all in the South Atlantic. Argentina’s claim to South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is even thinner that for the Falklands. These islands were first sighted in 1675 by a London merchant, Anthony de la Roché. Captain Cook circumnavigated them in 1775 and made the first landing, claiming them for the Kingdom of Great Britain. Argentina laid its first claim to South Georgia in 1927 and the South Sandwich Islands in 1938.

In The Sahara Desert: A Journey Back in Time

Story and photos by Jamie Douglas

Many years ago, I criss crossed Morocco, prior to crossing the Sahara desert with my trusty expedition equipped Land Rover.

I went through the Atlas Mountains, visiting towns and cities along the way, making many friends of the Berbers and Blue Men and Tuaregs. Many wonderful adventures were had, some of which were downright scary. I was accompanied by two American women, so in many places it was assumed they were my wives, which gained me respectability in the eyes of tribal elders. Another factor was that I spoke good enough French to assure them that I was Swiss and not French, as there were many bad memories about the French occupation, which had ended as recently as April 1956.