The Desperate Expat Wife isn’t superfond of Christmas markets. Simply because they can make her – well – slightly desperate. Sure, they’re cute enough – tacky cute at times but still cute – and this part of Europe wouldn’t be the same without them. Oh, and she loves the chocolate covered raspberries. Now she’s actually not particularly desperate at Christmas […]
Sharing enlightens your holiday
19/12/2014 by Leave a Comment
Living abroad means that you might spend Christmas far away from family and friends. Even if new countries and new traditions might be very different from what you are used to, it all comes down to sharing with others. The first Christmas we celebrated abroad was in Canada, with an overwhelming amount of colored lights, […]
Silent night, holy night – and joy to the world
12/12/2014 by Leave a Comment
When did we go from a peaceful calm celebration with family, friends and/or neighbors to this commercial nightmare? I am not going to tell you that Christmas is about baby Jesus. Of course for some it is, and I respect that. In fact, it is a beautiful way of celebrating. But Christmas can be many different […]
The meaning of mealtime
19/11/2014 by Leave a Comment
Dan Franch on why eating together is about so much more than food. If you have kids, life is busy. If both you and your spouse have jobs, life is busier. If you are a single parent with a job, life is well… busiest. Add to that lengthening commutes, further demands outside the home, plus […]
Living in another language
09/11/2014 by Leave a Comment
Hélène Rybol is the woman behind the Culture Shock Toolbox, a website for expats and international students – or future ones – and travelers, filled with musings, checklists and mantras. CLEW is happy to feature her musings on living in another language. So I’ve been thinking about what happened when I started living in another language. […]
Seven. Lucky seven. Seventh heaven
20/10/2014 by Leave a Comment
Everyone is aware of its magical allure. Seven is the most common dice roll in gambling. In ancient times, seven celestial bodies could be seen by the naked eye. There are seven continents. Seven seas. Seven days in a week and seven wonders of the ancient world. Don’t forget the seven colors in a rainbow. […]
Don’t stop reading to your child
12/09/2014 by 4 Comments
“You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.” – Dr. Seuss The importance of reading to children at an early age is unquestionable. Considering that it is at the heart of all formal education, reading to children at a very early age increases their chances […]
Marathon of memories
07/09/2014 by Leave a Comment
When you’re an expat, you need to come back to places of good memories: Walk the streets of the city love of your life, slightly puzzled that people keep smiling at you then realising you have this constant, possibly goofy, smile on your face yourself that you somehow can’t wipe off. The same streets you trotted […]
Finish your plate!
26/08/2014 by Leave a Comment
-Finish your plate! A well-known mom-/dadism still in use. Now there’s a study to show that we actually do finish our plates – in general. The study, from Cornell University, Ithaca, USA, reveals that adults eat 92% of the food they put on their plate, on average. One can easily dish out reasons for this, […]
Am I going to have a heart attack doctor??
14/08/2014 by 1 Comment
It is funny, but nobody ever asks me that question. Doctors love to talk about cardiovascular risk (i.e. your risk of having a heart attack or a stroke). Patients often get very upset if their cholesterol is a little bit out of range, or their blood pressure is too high, but patients and doctors are […]
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