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An expat from the Netherlands appreciates small luxuries in Armenia
Coffee culture in France through the eyes of an American expat What if the French introduced a speeded-up version of baseball called "Quickieball"? That's how American fast food appears to them, according to expat Dan H. Woods. He also found that in France, coffee is not something to be gulped from a huge mug while commuting, but a concentrated, flavorful beverage to be savored with friends and colleagues -- even if it comes out of a machine. Read about this and much more in Dan's funny, insightful Covered Wagons tale of two cultures: French Roast. An American development worker finds herself mired in the snow in enemy territory
While helping rebuild war-ravaged Bosnia, development consultant Amanda Fernandez and a few colleagues hoped to forget about work for a weekend and just go skiing. But the winter resort was in a scary Serbian nationalist stronghold, and their jeep got stuck in the snow -- which provoked humorously different reactions among the expat nationalities represented. Don't miss this Road Less Traveled tale of discarded scruples and pragmatic solutions: Skiing with the Serbs. Language isn't the only communication barrier in Asia Of course it's hard to communicate in Asia if you can't speak the local language. But what if you can? According to longtime Asia hand Antonio Graceffo, many people across the region seem to assume it's impossible to exchange information with a Westerner, no matter what he says or does. Don't miss Antonio's delightfully exasperated Covered Wagons article, reporting on hilarious encounters in the Philippines, Thailand and China: Asia Isn't Babel: The Lack of Communication is Cultural, Not Linguistic. An Australian finds much-needed support in an unusual expat group Living in Singapore and working at home, Australian writer Patricia Tan felt increasingly isolated and lonely. Yet the first steps toward friendship seemed daunting too -- "Keep breathing," she told herself, as she set off for her first gathering of YCFE (Young Childless Female Expats). Don't miss her honest and personal Covered Wagons essay about reaching out to a group of strangers in a foreign land: Starting Somewhere: a first step into the expat community in Singapore. An Anglo-Australian expat finds beauty and harmony at a traditional Thai festival In Bangkok, the polluted canal behind Apple Gidley's house often overflowed during monsoon season. Her attitude toward its muddy waters changed completely, however, when she experienced Loi Krathong, a time when people launch offerings symbolizing thanks and forgiveness. Join Apple for a lisping toddler's prayer, gentle lessons from a Thai household helper, and plenty of cross-cultural insight, in her Road Less Traveled essay, Loi Krathong: Festival of Lights, Laughter and Love . An American health worker learns about life as well as medicine from a doctor in Senegal In the West African village of Sindou, the clinic is a cement-block shack with no electricity or running water. Yet the dedication, caring and generosity of the people there -- especially Dr. Daouda Mbengue, who chose to return to the village in spite of attractive opportunities elsewhere -- led Kari Masson to realize that these qualities are even more important than money and Western technology. Don't miss Kari's moving and insightful Road Less
Traveled essay about her work alongside the doctor: Learning from Daouda .
Short Takes Before The Archive:
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According to Karen van der Zee, everyday life in Yerevan
features "electricity that takes unannounced breaks, water
that stops flowing when you have guests for dinner, and no
fresh broccoli." But like many seasoned expats, she's tracked
down sources for some luxuries that counterbalance the
discomforts: a fabulous imported American mattress, and some
of the world's best trout and sturgeon fillets, delivered
right to her home. Find out why people are surprised by the
sight of raw sturgeon -- and why testing a mattress in public
is an act of cross-cultural defiance -- from her honest and
insightful 
