Post: #1

6 reasons your plans to move abroad might not work out

Quote:See, "cultural differences" aren't just the obvious things, like making sure you wear pants when visiting a Buddhist temple. You don't realize how much of your everyday communication relies on these quiet assumptions and nonverbal cues. All of that changes. For instance, many Asian cultures respond to uncomfortable or shocking situations by laughing. Try to keep that in mind when telling your new co-workers that your grandmother has inoperable cancer.

I was wondering whether people here agree or disagree with this point of view. Is the guy too pessimistic? Still, I think it's reasonably written and that most of us do a lot more travel than actual, long-term migration, but who knows. Still, I find the last point (you'll probably hang out with people of your own nationality the most) quite accurate, even it wasn't the case for me:

Quote:There is a reason why enclaves like "Chinatown" exist -- a person instinctively wants to be around what is familiar, no matter where they are. And yes, in other countries you do find "Americatown." These expat communities where Americans hang out together eating hamburgers and pining for Mt. Rushmore aren't just for mildly racist overseas workers in upper management. They're a completely natural reaction to prolonged cultural stress.