Comments on: Escaping the expat trap: How to live like a local when you’re abroad

By: Khon Kaen Retirement

Khon Kaen Retirement — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 09:02:12 +0000

Agree with everything except steering clear of expat bars. if you are living overseas, like I am, it is the main place to find fellow expats. One doesn’t have to go nightly, but it can be a good jump off point to find some buddies.

By: Rosie

Rosie — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:22:02 +0000

I have lived in northern Spain for two & a half years. The to dos in this article are exactly what i have been doing……. We came here to integrate which is what we have done. There are two other English couples in the area who have this ´we must stick together´attitude which I can´t figure. They don´t want to involve themselves with anything Spanish. I still can´t figure why they came here…. Oh well, not my problem. I am content living with my Spanish family….

By: Timo

Timo — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:13:23 +0000

Hey Anne! Do you know where did Quinn take that pic in Buenos Aires and when? What venue was that? An Expat Connection meeting? You can answer to my email if you prefer! Thanx.

By: » Living like a local abroad :: Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

» Living like a local abroad :: Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:58:57 +0000

[...] Matador Abroad has a fun article titled Escaping the Expat Trap: How to Live Like a Local When You’re Abroad. [...]

By: Heidi

Heidi — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 03:47:39 +0000

I think immersing yourself in your new culture and learning all you can is a wonderful opportunity one has while living abroad. The word for the day is a great idea and I may need to do that when I start teaching in China next week. As for avoiding Expats/Expat bars…I am not so sure about that. I hope to meet expats, as well as locals, that can help me with any adjustments or problems I have to my new “home”. One thing I hope to do is take cultural classes or cooking classes – those are always a great way of learning about where you are living or just visiting.

By: Eva

Eva — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:11:06 +0000

Kyle — The intention of the article was certainly not to "diss" expats. The fact that you wrote "it can be a completely enriching experience if you do it right" suggests that we're actually in agreement here — the idea of the article was to encourage people to "do it right", by diversifying their experience and making an effort to get involved in the local scene as well as the foreign community. I don't think there was a suggestion here that you should, at all times, avoid all things American. As for the headline, the author didn't write it — I did.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 03:40:26 +0000

I agree. I actually came on here to leave a comment and say something similar. While all the tips for living like a local are great, there's no reason to diss living like an expat. It's not a trap, it can be a completely enriching experience if you do it right. I've also found that people who are super anxious to avoid all things American and "live like a local" are usually people who are here in Chile short term. I call anything under a year and a half short term. Most people who stay long term need and appreciate the community of expats. The term "escaping the expat trap" sort of gave me the idea that the author has never been an expat in one place for a significant period of time.

By: soultravelers3

soultravelers3 — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:35:00 +0000

We are not expats, but have been away from our home country going on our 3rd year as we are on an open ended world tour. I like these suggests and think many of them can apply to travelers as well. I think the very best way to immerse is through having your kids in the local schools! You become part of the community instantly that way through walking your child to school, talking to parents at pickup time, arranging play dates, sleep overs, through the kids participating in after school events together like flamenco class and football practice etc. Too many expats miss this by going to International or American schools. We have spent the last three winters in a 15th century small village in Spain and it has been a highlight for us!

By: annette

annette — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 05:24:19 +0000

yes i agree greg. if you don't fall into a trap there is a best of both worlds to be had. i've seen both sides as have you, when expats either completely disconnect from their realities, or never enter into the new reality in which they have arrived. but again, i'm not one to romanticize, and while it's great to emerge oneself in local culture, it's also equally great to enjoy the international communities at your finger tips. my exboyfriend was mainland chinese, and the best was the mingling of one world with others. i came to meet great friends in beijing, from india, germany, france, singapore, hongkong, taiwan, tibet, mongolia not to mention the us and canada. so again, i don't favour cultures, but try to appreciate the people that all experiences bring us into contact with. cheers to you and your adventurous soul!

By: Greg

Greg — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 05:02:00 +0000

Annette, I tend to agree. I've done the expat thing for 20 plus years, 6 years in Germany for work and study (degreed there). Mexico, Brazil and lastly Egypt ( all assignments 18+ months), and the expat experience can be very rewarding, but do take advantage of all the local opportunities that come to you.