Saturday, March 7, 2009

Hi everyone. Lili, thanks for setting this up. There are many things we can discuss, some of which I have mentioned in the meeting synopsis section on wetpaint. However, to reiterate some of the important ones, I think we should discuss the issues surrounding being a parent and an expatriate. This would obviously complicate matters greatly, because the child must also integrate into the new surroundings and culture. Things to consider: might it be easier for the child, who is still in his/her growth years (and is very impressionable) to integrate into the new surroundings than his/her adult parent, who has already developed and set his/her ways? Also, we should discuss repatriation. What types of issues will the expat face when she goes back to the U.K.? How does she handle changes at her employer, and how is she received, especially by new employees which weren't there when she left? Will her original surroundings be so foreign to her, that she will have a tough time reintegrating herself? Will there be a certain amount of reverse culture shock? How does she handle this?

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