The size and diverse climate means that when visiting India it is a good idea to be prepared about the potential health complications that you might face and which recourses are available for you to deal with them. Diseases like dengue fever, malaria, chickengunya, pneumonia, hepatitis, tuberculosis are common here due to the contaminated water supply, improper sanitation facilities and increased drug resistance. These problems can however be easily avoided by taking a few precautions (discussed later in the article).

Medical Facilities in India

India has emerged as a major destination for medical tourism in recent times which, in effect, vouches for its superior medical facilities available in the country at affordable prices. Except for very remote locations or some pockets in rural India, you can find decent hospitals and clinics across the country. There is a huge network of private hospitals, government hospitals, polyclinics, super-specialty hospitals, standalone doctor clinics and charitable hospitals across the country. This means that you can choose a medical center that suits your budget and requirements.

Unlike many countries, there is no universal number that you can call for a medical emergency; usually the hotel that you are staying with can assist you in this regard. Some hotels may even have an in-house doctor; in case this facility is not available, it is a good idea to check with the reception about the closest and best option if medical attention is required.

It is also advisable to get yourself medically insured before visiting the country as no government aid is provided in case of an medical emergency. Some hospitals, especially the private ones, may insist on checking about your insurance cover before taking you in.

Choosing a hospital

Most big cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, and Hyderabad have hospitals that are state of art and offer world class services. You can choose from a government or a privately run hospital; government hospitals offer services at more affordable rates but can be a little slow in their services as there is always a large number of patients waiting to be attended.

Hospital chains like Max, Fortis, Apollo, Wockhardt, and CARE have their centers across the country; these hospitals generally offer all amenities (various specialties, trauma care, diagnostic, intensive care, blood bank) under one roof and their services are pretty standardized. The hospitals have state-of-art infrastructure and highly qualified doctors. You are saved from running from one place to another in case you want to get tests done or require blood. The hospitals have fairly updated websites and toll-free numbers which means that you can call for an ambulance if required and can check the services available at the hospital. Whether it is a minor infection or a medical emergency, diagnostic tests are generally required to figure out the line of treatment; these hospitals can save you a lot of legwork.

A few reputed hospitals across India are AIIMS and Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi, Lilavati Hospital, Bombay Hospital and Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai, Apollo Hospital (Chennai), PGI (Chandigarh), Manipal Hospital and Fortis in Bangalore etc. Super specialty hospitals like Escorts for cardiac care, Sankar Nehtralya for eyes, NIMHANS for neurology, Tata Memorial for oncology etc attracts patients from other countries as well owning to the high level of medical facilities offered by them. International chains like Columbia Asia and Parkway also run a few hospitals in India.
Quite a few hospitals have a separate department to take care of the needs of foreign patients so as an expat or a traveler you are not likely to face major problems. The hospital websites can be visited to get more details.

India has a rich tradition of alternative healing therapies too like Ayurveda and Unani but these are more suited to chronic problems like backaches, stress, congestion, stomach ailments etc. When trying these make sure you avoid quacks and go to a qualified and reputed practitioner. The southern state of Kerala is a major destination for those looking to try the benefits of Ayurvedic massages and healing.

Accreditation

Checking the accreditation of a hospital can help you in deciding whether the hospital offers standardized services and conforms to quality standards. These accreditations are often advertised on the brochures, billboards and the websites of the hospitals. You should check for accreditations from agencies like JCI, NABH, NABL or ISO.

Insurance and Payment Structure

Big hospitals, corporate hospitals and hospital chains usually accept credit cards and do not insist on cash payment. However if you go to a small clinic or a standalone doctor or are in a small town chances are you will have to pay in cash; so be prepared.

Also check the acceptance of your insurance before checking in to a hospital. Before you leave your country make sure you check with your insurance providers about the list of hospitals that the company has tie ups with so that you are saved from unnecessary hassles when in India. It is important that you check about what procedures and medical conditions your insurance covers.

Language

If you speak and understand English then communicating will not be a problem. In metropolitan areas most of the staff will be well-versed in the language and even in small towns at least some of the staff if not all can communicate in the language. Some words in Persian and Urdu are also used in Hindi too, so keep this in mind in case you speak either of these languages. Here it is important to mention that in the Southern part of India Hindi is generally not spoken; English would be more useful in this part of the country.

Do’s and dont’s for staying healthy in India

Here are a few small precautions that can go a long way in protecting you:

• Always try and have bottled or boiled water from a reliable source
• Keep yourself well hydrated and drink plenty of fluids.
• Avoid eating from road side vendors
• Never eat cut fruits or uncovered eatables. Wash fruits well before eating.
• Use a mosquito repellant as malaria, chickengunya, dengue etc are caused by insect bites.
• Carry your basic medicines and a first aid kit.
• Before you visit India, visit your doctor six weeks in advance and check for the relevant vaccines.

Keeping the above in mind can help you in steering clear from medical problems but God forbid if your are faced with a problem you can rest assured that you will be able get good medical care.

Website Address and Numbers for a few Hospitals:

National Emergency Helpline 1066
Helpline Number 011-4055 405
Fortis Healthcare, Emergency Number 105010
Wockhardt Hospitals, Emergency Number 9099554444
Care Hospitals
Global Hospitals India

I always thought culture shock was something invented by anthropologists with too much time on their hands until I moved to Japan. Then, I discovered quickly that it is definitely real, and it will mess with your mind completely. Even though I was so gung-ho about moving to Japan and I had a solid support network of friends and family, it still freaked me out.

There are 4 or 5 identified stages of culture shock, but I suspect it differs quite bit from person to person. The entire experience is marked by elation, frustration, withdrawal, enthusiasm, anger, alienation – a whole roller coaster of emotions. At the end of it, you finally come to terms with yourself, and the weird culture you find yourself in is not so weird anymore.

My culture shock stages went like this…

The ‘Lost In Translation’ Stage

When I first landed in Japan, it was a futuristic neon-lit Disneyland of speeding commuter trains, signs full of strange English, beautiful women, and unidentifiable food, all racing past at 3,000 miles per hour. It was like living inside a pinball machine in the year 2057 and I didn’t even want to sleep for fear I’d miss out on something. I wandered around finding everything strange, quirky and delightful. I didn’t have a clue what was going on around me, but I was having a great time.

The ‘Planet Of The Apes’ Stage

Then, reality began to set in. The worst thing possible happened – I started learning about the culture and realizing that it’s not all rainbows and unicorns. Japanese people were strange and impossible to talk to. They lacked all manner of social skills (I hadn’t realized yet that they just have their own way of socializing that’s different from mine – it’s called ‘a culture’). Everything was difficult, from separating your garbage to using everyday household appliances. And then there’s the language.

My natural defense to this was to analyze what little I understood about Japan and see it as inferior to my own culture. I took it apart point by point and firmly established in my mind that it was a primitive island country out of touch with the rest of the earth. All of its cultural traditions were ridiculous and you couldn’t even be bothered with trying to communicate with anyone. I began to spend more time at foreign bars and at home watching American movies.

The ‘Born In The USA’ Stage

Now that I’d established my culture’s superiority, I became suddenly nostalgic about everything I’d always hated about America. I became more all-American than I’d ever been and turned into a ridiculous stereotype of myself. ‘You know, people back home may be a little odd with their guns, tractor pulls, chicken fingers and megachurches, but they’ve got it more together than these people!’

Stupid, I know. But actually, this was an important stage. All silliness aside, this is where I reached a kind of balance between me and Japan. Instead of mindlessly accepting or rejecting the culture as so many people do, I began to know myself and how I felt about the land I’d chosen to live in. I also had a grasp on the language.

The ‘Best Me I Can Be’ Stage

Then one day, the fog cleared. I’d settled into a routine and a way to live in Japan where I enjoyed all the good things, didn’t worry about the bad things, and basically felt no cultural discomfort. Although the whole years-long experience of culture shock must’ve changed me in some way, I couldn’t tell you how.

But now I suffer from hellacious culture shock when I go back home for a visit…

Financial district in Santiago, Chile

Last year, my close friend, Scott Bird, and I finally took the leap out of our steady nine-to-five careers into entrepreneurship after years of only talking about starting a business.  The company we started, Bungolow, features private flash sales for high-end Latin American hotel bookings. We founded the company in July 2011 and launched the beta version of our website four months later.

Bird and I met in high school in Rockville, Maryland, but we find ourselves about 5,000 miles from the Washington, D.C. suburb – in Santiago, Chile. What brought us here was a program called Start-Up Chile, an impressive initiative by the Chilean government to make Chile the innovation hub of Latin America. To achieve that goal, Start-Up Chile provides entrepreneurs from all over the world a one-year work visa, co-working space, networking opportunities and $40,000 in equity-free.  In return, the participating entrepreneurs spend at least six months in Chile engaging with aspiring local entrepreneurs while building their own companies.

With our graduation from the program behind us, we still find ourselves living abroad while working on our business. It turns out that there are incredible benefits to building a company abroad.

Recognizing new opportunities

Living in a foreign country allows you to pick up on very intriguing business opportunities. Coming from the United States, we have noticed many business models and technologies that have yet to crop up in Chile but that would be very successful if implemented here. In fact, some fellow participants in the program have launched additional businesses in Chile based on new opportunities they recognized.

Chile is very developed when it comes to the spectrum of developing economies in the world. The many less-developed countries in Latin America or elsewhere would have even more opportunities.

Getting noticed

I feel like I stick out when I’m simply walking the streets in a foreign country, based on some of the looks I get from the locals. But this sticking out can be helpful while starting a business in a foreign country. Being a foreign entrepreneur has helped me land meetings that I normally would not have landed and get some publicity that I may not have received otherwise.

The reason is that someone building a business in a foreign country is interesting. Interesting gets you noticed, and getting noticed is a tough task when trying to grow a business.

Expanding your network

Obviously, participating in a program like Start-Up Chile has been amazing for expanding my network. The program brings in hundreds of entrepreneurs from all over the world, and I have become close with people from all different backgrounds. However, even without the help of a program like this, an entrepreneur in a foreign country will have no problem expanding their network.

Local businesspeople are happy to help connect us to others and to provide advice. We work in a co-working space alongside local entrepreneurs who are not in the same program as us. Every week, we attend networking events where we meet likeminded people in the area.

In conclusion…

The three benefits I listed above – recognizing new opportunities, getting noticed, and expanding your network – are all business-related and do not even begin to address the personal benefits that go along with living in another country: learning about other cultures, engaging with people from different backgrounds, and spending time outside of your comfort zone to name a few. With the personal benefits being a given, the benefits to starting a business in a foreign country are also very significant and well worth trying.

While learning the language of your host country crosses the mind of most expats at least once during their time on the ground, many foreigners continue to “opt out” because of a variety of factors. Maybe they feel uncomfortable challenging themselves with something new and don’t want to go outside of their comfort zone. Perhaps they work in an English-speaking environment so they think they don’t “need” the language skills. You can shop at the supermarket in English by merely putting things in a cart and then reading the numbers off when the cashier rings them up, so many people think language isn’t a necessity in that regard. You can also point to the picture on the menu when you aren’t sure of what something is called in the local dialect. Not to mention, when all of your friends speak English, or your community and/or work environment is an expat community of English speakers, it tends to lead to insulation where you are living in an isolated bubble of expats who never really blend into the native environment.

There are a hundred excuses that one can create as to why you aren’t learning the language, but what many people don’t realize is that learning a language is about more than simply fitting into your new home. And it’s more than just respecting the local culture. Immersion in a language is, according to Michael Byram and Carol Morgan in their book Teaching and Learning Language and Culture, a way to get in touch with the social side of a culture. In regards to this social instrument, “the feelings…and motivations of learners in relation to the target language…, to the speakers of the language, and to the culture…, affects how learners respond to the input to which they are exposed.”

In other words, through language immersion you are also experiencing cultural immersion, which makes it impossible to ignore the culture of the language you are learning. You will begin to go native simply by immersing yourself in the environment, which transforms you from just another foreigner who has no respect for the locals into a native-speaking resident who the locals respect, feel comfortable around, can joke with, and who understands the native sense of humor and cultural values by the very nature of their immersion. You become more than just another expat; you become a resident who understand the local culture and why things are done the way they are, how the sense of humor works, why certain cultural values are observed and so on and so forth.

But language and cultural immersion is more than just learning another language and culture. According to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages along with Learn NC, individuals (especially children) who immerse themselves completely in learning a language experience a number of beneficial side effects, not the least of which are increased cognitive abilities, increased intellectual growth, a better understanding of local culture, enhanced flexibility in mental exercises, increased memory, creative, greater levels of divergent thinking and higher order thinking and reasoning skills. And once you’ve learned a second language it’s even easier to learn a third because you have the enhanced capabilities from the first time around, and the fourth time is easier than the second, etc.
These benefits are for adults as well as children. For adults it means increased chances at job opportunities on a global scale because you can communicate in more than one way and you have increased mental capabilities compared to your peers. For children it means the same increased opportunities later in life, but earlier on it means the potential for expanding the mind at those crucial years when the mind is open to greatest amount of absorption. For example, Dr. Harry Chugani from the University of California in Los Angeles stated in Reshaping Brain for Better Future that the most receptive time in a person’s life is between the ages of 10 and 12, when the mind can absorb things at a greater rate than after it has had time to stagnate as an adult with only one singular language.

The brain is like a muscle in the sense that it always has the potential to learn and adapt, and the same thing that is true for muscles is true for the brain: use it or lose it. If you are continually challenging it with new things to learn and overcome, it will always adapt, leading to stronger cognitive function. The ability of the brain to continually produce new cells even in adulthood means that you can continually adapt and overcome, and there is no such thing as “you can’t teach a dog new tricks”. Given our brain’s nearly limitless capabilities combined with the fact that you can stave off cognitive degeneration while building up your own mental prowess simply by learning another language, all of those excuses as to why you haven’t picked up the local dialect fade away into the background. If you won’t learn the language out of respect to the culture, at the very least do it for your own health and wellness.

What comes to your mind when you think of Pakistan? A country held hostage by a few hundred extremists? Well, there is more than bombings and terror plots from Pakistan. It is home to 180 million people who are resilient enough to extract good from the worst. A few thousand diehard expatriates also call it home.

Who are they? To make things clear, they are not  CIA contractors. They are not from the diplomatic corps either. They are simply normal, law-abiding citizens like you and me. They are Pakistanis!

Colonial Legacy

Thousands of Brits remained in Pakistan after the division of India in 1947. They found the new country a perfect place to spend their lives. Some were missionaries while others were teachers, doctors, engineers, military officers, traders and bureaucrats. Even larger in numbers were Anglo-Indians, children of mixed ethnicity who formed the backbone of the massive railway system.

As Pakistanis started taking charge of their lives, Brits started losing their superiority. Many found it better to go back to Dear Old Blighty. Anglo-Indians followed suit as despite being racially closer to other Pakistanis; religiously and culturally they were more like the Brits.

Yeoman’s Service

Many expats were and still are employed in education and health sectors. Pakistan was finally declared free of leprosy thanks to the untiring efforts of a German missionary, Doctor Ruth Fao. The septuagenarian, who has earned many national honors, lives in a working class locality of Karachi and is still serving the community.

Expat Wives

Perhaps the largest expat population in Pakistan is that of expat wives. They married Pakistanis and decided to head back to their husbands’ native country. They come from every strata of society. Those married into affluent families have largely adopted the decadent lifestyle. Others like to live among the masses. They teach English and other foreign languages, work in welfare organizations and run their own businesses.

Susan is one of these wives who moved to Pakistan in 1996. She immediately fell in love with the country and its people and decided to stay even after her divorce. She lives in a middle class suburb of Rawalpindi, the sister city of Islamabad, and is running a successful garments business. Now she bargains with her suppliers in Urdu, haggles with cabbies and buys her groceries from a crowded wholesale bazaar. “It is cheaper and the produce is fresh,” she told me.

The Chinese Connection

Pakistan has a significant number of people who trace their roots to China. The third generation of Chinese immigrants is growing up in Pakistan, fully versed in local languages and customs while also retaining some aspects of their native culture. They are restaurateurs (Mandarin food is immensely popular in Pakistan), stylists, medical professionals, teachers and entrepreneurs. They have been joined by another wave of expats in recent years who are involved in construction and engineering jobs.

The small yet vibrant expat community in Pakistan is playing a key role in the development of our society. Pakistanis respect these people and treat them as one of their own. The fact that many of them have settled her for good reflects the fact that things have not gone awry. There is still hope for everyone.

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.

On one side was a stream, flowing slowly, the clouds moving at the same slow pace but in the opposite direction.

I felt myself centered in the middle, between the sky and the earth. Some sort of Thai music was coming closer to me and as i bent over and touched my toes I saw motorbikes pass beneath me.

I continued my walk and found a few temples. A man smiled at me and gestured for me to come in. I entered and found many of the Indian Gods I’d been confronted with in India. Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, Lakshmi the god of abundance and wealth, and Ram. I said some words to them all, bowed and left.

Then the man called me over to the wall and offered me a bowl of this brown colored liquid with ice cubes, I took a spoonful and found some tapioca pieces inside. It was really sweet and really nice, sort of like drinking cool air with flavor. I folded my hands in prayer and bowed my head and signaled a thanks, a gesture called “wai” in Thai.

Later I found some  small children who grabbed my hands through a gate. They said hello and when I responded back they broke out in giggles. Before I turned a corner to get back en route I made the “wai” gesture to one little girl who was all alone and she smiled in delight as if we shared a secret and she bowed back at me.

I’ve worked with as many adults this trip as I have children. The kids here speak in noises and exclamations, their animated faces speaking whole sentences at times. So expressive. I told one girl I was leaving today and she goes “”WaaaaHH?! Today? I think you stay all week?” Another girl named Aom comes up to me and says “When you come back?” I smile at her, touch her hair lightly and say “Soon, I hope.”

Last night I took a life drawing class at my cousin’s neighbors house. The model was the most beautiful, elegant girl I’d ever seen. We listened to this musician named Emancipator and all shared the images we made of this girls body. There’s something so satisfying about creating something out of nothing. Placing ink lines on a paper, that with time, create a whole image, a moment, a feeling.

I interviewed one girl named Helen, from England. I asked her “if she wished she had a word that could describe one feeling what would that word or feeling be?” She told me she wasn’t good with words and that there aren’t words for most things she feels. So I asked, “what does a feeling without words feel like?” and she said;

“I’m so bad with words, I’m on the verge of saying a bunch of stuff……(then she held her toes for awhile and thought)…

 ”OK, so it’s like when you’re really hot and you’re a bit apprehensive about going into the cold water but you know it’s gonna feel really good….it’s like the feeling of going into the new year, not knowing where I’m gonna be or what country I’m gonna be in, or what language I’ll be speaking even… but I know it’s gonna be good, it’s like the content feeling I feel now.”

I like when I get wishes that resonate so much with my own heart.  After she made a drawing of a girl standing over a large body of water, the water rippling out from the middle.

I’m headed to Kolkata tomorrow and then to Varanasi. I got an email from a loved one there who said it reminds him of an old city in France, so ancient and beautiful. 

Back to my samosas, chai, and Indian wishes.

I will miss the scooters here, the way I hold my hands up and close my eyes as we glide through the large open roads, and the way the clouds look like they have  each been sculpted and painted especially for me, and the birds who dance and dart like bats around the sky.

And of course the sticky rice, mango and “rambutans”: little magic fruit that hold little white grape eggs inside.

Happy New Year and be well wherever the road has led you.

Basic Guidelines

Unlike their neighbors across the pond in Argentina, most Uruguayans do not speak English. If you plan to rent an apartment, brush up on your Spanish, or at least take a Spanish-speaking friend– preferably a native Uruguayan– with you on your apartment search. Many Uruguayan real estate agents, called inmobiliaria, do not have a strong online presence. Those that do often specialize in homes in the temporary vacation market, which are far more expensive than annual rentals.

Uruguay also does not have the US equivalent of the real estate MLS. This presents an interesting rental scenario. Since individual apartments have different owners, they might use different inmobiliaria. Two very similar apartments might therefore have very different rents and rental terms. Moral of the story: If you can’t find what you want with one agent, visit a different one.

Note: While Craig’s List Montevideo often has apartment rental listings, many are bogus. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Types of Housing

Uruguay has an eclectic mix of tall, elevator and doorman buildings, smaller townhouse or garden apartments, cottages and apartments with kitchen and living room on one floor and the bedrooms on the second floor. Elevator buildings might have a gym and a pool. Most Uruguayan homes and apartments have an outdoor grill, and a bidet in the bathroom.

Rental Rates

Everybody has a different opinion on rental rates in Uruguay. Some they’re expensive. Others think they’re cheap. It’s a matter of personal perspective, housing location and requirements, timing and luck. You’ll pay higher rates in the upscale sections of Montevideo, Punta del Este and Piriapolis. Rents are moderate in Atlantida and Colonia del Sacramento, and inexpensive in the lesser-known towns.

You’ll pay top dollar for furnished apartments during high season—December through March– especially if you choose a place close to the beach. Furnished annual rentals are far more common in Uruguay than they are in the United States. The quality of the furniture varies according to the apartment. When combined with duty and shipping fees, the cost of transporting your furniture from home is prohibitive. These furnished apartments offer a tremendous value.

Unfurnished apartments are the least expensive, as long as you understand the meaning of the word. These apartments do not come with a refrigerator, oven or water heater. You must purchase them on your own. This adds to your initial financial layout, but believe it or not, it has its advantages.

First off, you can research the different products and choose those that best suit your purposes. If you decide to move to a new, unfurnished location, you can bring your kitchen appliances with you, or sell them for extra cash. Check the Uruguay expat message boards, where people often have refrigerators, ovens and furniture to sell.

Deposits and Commissions

This is where Uruguay gets expensive. Most landlords require a deposit equal to five months rent, which gets held in an escrow account, along with one month’s rent and an agent’s commission equal to one month’s rent. While this is pricey, most landlords do not do a background check or proof of local employment.

Every culture has their own superstitions, and it’s always a good idea to be aware of them before embarking on an extended stay in a foreign country – lest you unknowingly violate a centuries-old taboo. Korean superstitions may strike Westerners as being distinctly odd, but when it comes down to it, they’re no stranger than our fear of black cats, avoidance of sidewalk cracks, and tendency to knock on wood. However, many Koreans take their superstitions a bit more seriously than most – “fan death”, arguably the country’s most infamous urban legend, can be found listed on several death certificates issued in South Korea. In fact, many Korean superstitions are somewhat morbid, with four of the five on this list being allegedly fatal – and the other causing life-long physical suffering. So, here are five prominent Korean superstitions to be mindful of before coming to The Land of the Morning Calm.

Writing Names in Red

This is definitely one for ESL teachers to be prepared for before grading papers or writing on the whiteboard. Never write your kids’ names in red pen, or you may lead them to believe you wish them dead. Traditionally, red is the color used to write the names of the dead in Korea. To write the names of the living in red is therefore considered very unlucky, and to some is akin to the kiss of death. I’ve slipped up on this one a few times while quickly grading tests. Most kids take it pretty well and merely giggle nervously. However, a few were genuinely uneasy, and made me quickly cross their names out before I’d sealed their fate.

The Number 4

In the West, thirteen is a number to be feared, but in Korea, it’s four. The origins of the ’13’ superstition are old and obscure, but the Korean fear of four is much more literal. Four, in Korean, has the same pronunciation as the word for death (both are pronounced as “sa”). You can see why people wouldn’t want to live on “death” floor, which is why Korean elevators often list the 4th floors as “F”, or simply skip the number altogether. On the bright side, if you’re willing to live in Apt. 404, you’re looking at a reduced price!

Cold in the Bones

I learned about this superstition when the director at my first school gave birth. When we went to visit her in the maternity clinic, her room was sweltering. She told us that the nurses wouldn’t allow her ice cubes in her drink, or even let her go outside. When asked why, she told us of the superstition that if a woman gets cold soon after giving birth, the cold will get into her bones and afflict her for the rest of her life.

Korean women are subject to several postnatal superstitions; still, given the modern Korean tradition of sending new mothers off for two week stays in lovely postpartum care centers that give massages and breastfeeding lessons (known in Korean as sanhujoriwon), it doesn’t seem like a horrible place to give birth – granted your tastes are more inclined towards hot chocolate than ice pops.

Showering and Vaccinations

This one’s pretty straightforward, and basically entails that if you shower within 24 hours of getting vaccinated, you will die. It doesn’t matter which kind of vaccine it is, all of them are considered life-threatening when combined with a shower. The origins of this superstition are murky, and the science behind it mind-boggling. However, as you’re unlikely to need additional vaccinations to visit South Korea, you probably won’t encounter this one.

Fan Death

Less superstition and more urban legend, fan death is by far the most famous Korean “myth”. Endlessly fascinating to foreigners, fan death has spawned websites, t-shirts, and is a popular expat Halloween costume. Fan death is a phenomenon found only in Korea, and nearly all Koreans believe it. Simply put, fan death is the belief that if you leave an electric fan running overnight in a room with the window closed, you will die. The rationale behind the science of fan death varies. I’ve heard numerous theories including:

The fan chops up the air molecules in the room, making them un-breathable
The fan causes hypothermia in its sleeping victim
The fan sucks the air out of the room like a vacuum, inducing suffocation

Koreans are clearly undecided as to why leaving a fan on kills you, but they’re united in their certainty that it does. To this day, there are several cases of fan death reported every summer by Korean media, and all electric fans in Korea are sold with timer devices.

Fan death remains a divisive subject in Korea amongst foreigners and natives. It’s absolutely baffling to expats that one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world could collectively believe that a fan chops up air molecules; however, fan death is one of those topics best left alone. Discussions often turn into confrontations with Korean friends and co-workers, with the expat persistently attempting to explain the impossibility of it, and the Korean co-worker growing increasingly uncomfortable. It might also be tempting to tell your Korean friends about the many nights that you’ve slept with a fan on and the windows closed, and lived to tell the tale. However, don’t expect this to change their beliefs.

Fan Death’s reputation amongst expats is such that merely mentioning it provokes derisive laughter, but what few will allow themselves to consider is the nugget of truth behind it. While I’m confident that the majority of fan deaths reported in Korea are not caused by fans, and many Koreans hold mistaken notions as to why fans are dangerous, there is a rare medical circumstance that can cause a fan to be fatal. According to the EPA and American climatologists, the true “fan death” is actually common sense: when it’s incredibly hot, using a fan in a sealed room can increase the risk of heat exhaustion, particularly with elderly people (the details are best left explained by the EPA). However, it’s still very rare, and several other conditions must also be met. So, while there’s a slice of truth behind the legend, don’t lose any sleep if you prefer to keep your fan blasting, and the window tightly closed.

That finishes my list of Korean superstitions to watch out for. Armed with this knowledge, hopefully your Korean faux pas will be limited to tipping your waiter and leaving your shoes on… but that’s for another day.

‘Gaijin complex’ is a term used to describe the general discomfort many Japanese feel toward foreign human beings (gaijin means foreigner). It’s the old guy who’s about to sit next to you on the train and then gets a look at you and thinks better of it. It’s the lady who trembles while she rings up your coffee and can’t understand your simple order even though you said it in perfect Japanese. It’s the teachers at the high school where you work who pretend you don’t exist.

Usually, the gaijin complex is mildly annoying, but sometimes it can really get under your skin and drive you crazy. It can easily turn you into a bitter Japan-hater who curses the entire nation when a few school kids shout ‘hello’ at you. If you don’t develop some ways to cope you’ll go crazy, but here are some strategies that help.

Get Some Perspective

Before you start shouting at the Starbucks lady because even though you pointed at the menu picture when you ordered she still gave you a latte instead of coffee, take a breath and realize a few things.

First, Japan is the island nation of island nations. For hundreds of years, there weren’t English schools everywhere. Brad Pitt wasn’t in car commercials. There were basically no foreigners and the country never developed a framework for their existence. As a result, Japanese culture divided the human race into two distinct subspecies – Us and Them. It’s changing slowly, but old ways of thinking die hard.

Second, realize that it’s not everyone. One old guy on the train gives you a dirty look. The other 60,000 people on the train (if it’s a commuter train) don’t notice you and don’t care that you’re from a distant land. Or, think about your good Japanese friends who couldn’t care less about your foreignness.

Getting Over It

When you encounter the gaijin complex and can’t ignore it, just be patient. Getting mad won’t solve anything. It’ll just freak people out even more and convince them that they were right in the first place – they should never have any dealings with insane, hot-headed foreigners who freak out easily. In fact, don’t just be patient; be nice. You might actually ruin some stereotypes.

It helps me to stay positive. The gaijin complex is one of the handful of things I don’t like about Japan. I try to stay focused on the hundreds of other things I love about this country instead. If you dwell on the positive, it produces a nice buffer against all the little frustrations.

If you really want to make the gaijin complex disappear completely, learn to speak Japanese and observe Japanese custom. A little effort learning how to do things the Japanese way (yes, I know it’s complicated) goes a long way. The language barrier is the main thing. Once people realize that you can speak their language (or try hard to), they’ll chill out.

The best strategy is to just ignore it. Some Japanese people don’t like foreigners and try to avoid them. That’s a pretty civil reaction when you compare it to other countries, where you might get shouted at or attacked. What are a few weird looks, anyway? If you just stop paying attention to stuff, it goes away.

Finally, don’t fall prey to it yourself and turn into one of those Western expats in Japan who won’t make eye contact with your fellow foreigners. Trust me, it happens.

The growth of the vegetarian movement is astonishing. Twenty years ago, the word was virtually unknown, so when it was announced you were vegetarian, the barrage of questions seemed unending… foreign? Not any longer. Strange how much things change in a short 20 years.

Today though, it is so common that in most countries and cities in the U.S. and abroad, you can dine like a king or queen on some of the best vegetarian food available anywhere. Italy is no exception, and with their well known culinary expertise, it’s likely you’ll feel like you have dined and gone to heaven.

Italy is such an amazing country – nearly every place you visit is steeped in history and art – the landscapes display fields of fresh crops, and rows and rows of some of the most spectacular gardens imaginable.

It definitely has it’s mind on growing fresh food in the most unusual places – as is evident in the hillsides and in the unique terrain used. Its as if each piece of land is usable to grow something – anything, regardless of the unusual geography.

Hills are full of fruit trees, and rows and rows of veggies, and lots of grape vines. Yes, Italians love their vino!

Its no wonder that finding a great veggie eatery is so easy in Florence, the city well known as the birthplace of Michelangelo and the home of his ‘David’.

Here are some of Florence’s more popular vegetarian and vegan cafés and restaurants:

Dolce Vegan

Via San Gallo 92r – 50129 Firenze

• Anyone who enters for the first time at the Dolce Vegan does not believe their eyes! All the pastries are without milk and eggs and sugar….. But Sweet Vegan as well as being the first vegan bakery offers a different menu every day for lunch and dinner.
• Incredibly light and tasty vegetable specialties, seasonal vegetables, pasta, bread and cake of production.

Customer review:  Dishes and containers [are] biodegradable corn for consumption on site and carry out.  Why not save the animals, the environment and our health without sacrificing the pleasures of good food? Try it!

IL Vegetariano:

Via delle Ruote 30r, Firenze.

• Since 1981, a point of reference for those who want to eat vegetarian and genuine in the center of Florence!
• Our menu is different every day, is not large (we offer a choice of 3 / 4 as many first and second), and draws on both the Tuscan and Italian tradition in general, that the ethnic cuisine of various countries.
• We use only fresh ingredients and cooked specifically for the various dishes (from the beginning we decided not to use frozen and stored!

Customer review:  The system is quirky, the surroundings simple, the food fresh, tasty and bursting with goodness. This place is extremely popular and deservedly so.

Libreria Brac

via dei vagellai 18r, Firenze

This incredible place not only serves vegan and vegetarian food, but is also a library (Libreria).

• The menu offers vegetarian and vegan diets, which may vary depending on the season. Some of the products used for the preparation of the dishes are of biological origin, or administered from local farms.
• The BRAC houses collections and bibliographic paper devoted to contemporary arts.The space-time period investigated was due to last two decades. Within the library you can browse and / or purchase (taste and / or eat) books on architecture and design, photography, cinema, video art, theater, dance, illustration and graphic design, painting, sculpture, arts permormative, comics.

Customer review:  It offers home atmosphere, tasty vegan and vegetarian meals, presented and cooked personally by Sacha. You can enjoy the library with a book or have a delicious meal.  The yard turns into local talents performance scene on selected weekdays giving the place an artistic, alternative trend. Try the vegan pasta – it was the best I had ever tasted.

Sedano Allegro:

Via Luigi Carlo Farini, 1-3/r, Firenze

Local and very cozy, candlelight and soft music create a romantic atmosphere, especially the furniture and walls burgundy warm.

• Sedano Allegro, vegetarian restaurant in Florence since 1990.  The family-run restaurant offers its guests for over twenty years. Vegetarian in a kitchen in which the vegetables are well cooked by chef Virgil, who together with his sons Sri Hari and Alexander offer delicious dishes following the seasonality and quality of products available.
• The idea of vegetarian food born from the desire to adopt a power plant where proteins, especially given the seitan and vegetables, replace the animals very well.

Customer review:  I went to Il Sedano Allegro with my wife three times when we were in Florence recently. The food we had was all quite good, and the owners are a charming, very friendly older couple. This really is a family-run restaurant.  I highly recommend this place to any veg*n visiting Florence. The food is great, and the owners are wonderful.

Whether you are vegetarian or not, it’s always a good idea to leave animals off your plate a few times a week, just like the doctors suggest!  Here are some great places in which to do that – and still not miss a spectacular or palate pleasing meal!