On the night of December 5th we Dutchies celebrate our traditional “Present Night” – pakjesavond. At this night most of the Dutch children receive their presents during the “Present Night” celebration (as supposed to other countries like USA, UK- in stockings-, where they receive them on December 25th, Christmas day or Spanish speaking countries where […]
There is wisdom in turning as often as possible from the familiar to the unfamiliar: it keeps the mind nimble, it kills prejudice and it fosters humor. – George Santayana ‘The Philosophy of Travel’ Culture shock The term culture shock most commonly associated with difficulties adjusting to a foreign environment. Or in […]
Whether you and your family are about to move overseas or to a neighboring country, preparing your children in the best possible way is key to success. But how? What do we need to prepare them for? Especially when it’s your first time moving abroad and you feel left out in the dark yourself. An important starting point in this process is communicating what remains the same and what will be different in their new place.
‘Repatriation- the deepest and darkest secret of the expat experience’– opens a recently published article in The Wall Street Journal . Do you recognize this, I was shocked reading this because it’s o so true and nobody tells you. I was unaware and therefor unprepared for this last transition. ‘You expect life to be basically […]
Culture cones with three scoops If you have ever experienced getting the local greeting wrong, don’t worry, you are not alone. It can be a minefield. This happened many times to me in several greeting situations when I thought they were going for the kiss but it was the hug and now I just drooled […]
For the last 18 years I have moved around the world in various countries with three growing children. Besides this being an awesome experience I realized how children in transition adapt so differently from adults. In order for children and teens to ‘re-root’ in a balanced way in their new environment, it is important to […]