May 23, 2013

The eleventh of the month (dispatch from Thailand)

 

I’m sitting in an auditorium in a school in Thailand. My cousin is next to me planning courses.

I spent the morning stretching on top of a brick staircase in the sky. The steps were falling apart and as I walked up it hoping the structure wouldn’t crumble beneath me. The staircase didn’t seem to lead anywhere except to the platform at the top, at the edge of the clouds.

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Stress in a Latvian Student’s Life

Stress blows problems out of all proportion, especially when you are nineteen and you’re currently attending University. [Read more...]

The Indian Food Puzzle

What’s your experience with Indian – or on a broader scale – South Asian food? Are you in love with it? Do you feel heartburn after a hearty meal of spicy lentils? If your experience is not good, chances are that you made a bad choice. South Asian food is as diverse as the languages spoken in the region. Knowledge of different types of food will help you in better enjoying the delicacies. [Read more...]

Top 5 expat destinations. Why are they attractive?

They offer the best living standards in the world. They have the best career opportunities and the biggest salaries. In addition to this, they are the most heavily visited destinations in the world. I am talking about the top five countries with the biggest number of expats.  [Read more...]

Life is a carnival in Montevideo

On a sunny summer’s morning in late January, you awaken in Montevideo to the sound of pulsating drum rhythms. The sound emanates from the waterfront. It intensifies, and draws closer. Look out your window. Women dress in scanty, elaborate costumes, parade down the street as they dance to the rhythm of the drums. It’s carnival season in Montevideo. Forget New Orleans. Forget Rio. Forget Trinidad. The Carnival in Uruguay lasts 40 days, making it the longest in the world. [Read more...]

The Secrets of Romanian Cuisine

I must admit it. I like food! One might say it is my preferred heuristic device for exploring new places.

When I first visited Romania, I was really curious about what this small country had to offer in the field of gastronomy. Back in Greece, I was accustomed to various dishes, and you may know that Greeks love to eat.

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Hot and strong – meet the American diner!

I thought I knew everything there was to know about the America and – New York for sure. I knew all the facts: I knew that I needed to spend an entire afternoon at Times Square and several afternoons in Central Park. I prided myself on my knowledge of all things a brand new expatriate in the United States should know. I stood head and shoulders above the ocean of tourist misconceptions and gilded perceptions of the Land of the Free. I had visited almost every tourist hangout in the country and thought I knew a thing or two. [Read more...]

Guide to Location Independence Pt. 1: Respecting the Way of Life

“When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” – Clifton Fadiman [Read more...]

A little ways from Angkor

Somehow, whenever people speak of Cambodia, all they seem to remember is the great citadel of Angkor Wat. While Angkor is certainly the showpiece of ‘The Magnificent Kingdom’, I wasn’t buying the argument that if you had seen Angkor, you had seen Cambodia. Most of the people you meet on the streets will still proudly flaunt the country’s recovery from war while others will echo a not-so-optimistic outlook – both are true and this makes the country so much more beautiful. [Read more...]

Being an expat in Romania versus Greece

As I found myself on a plane headed towards Romania, I must admit that I felt terrified. I was moving away from my home, sunny Greece, into a new, unexplored place, a strange country, with vampire myths, and bizarre traditions. [Read more...]