Hurdles

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Hurdles

Good at running? How about with added hurdles?

He’s back!

Your man in Phuket is sitting with a slightly sore throat and a cup of Kazakh ‘cold rem’.

The fan is off and a few beads of sweat are congregating on my somewhat furrowed brow.

But the show must go on, and Matthew J.G is cracking that bullwhip uncomfortably close to my clenched hind cheeks.

Today it’s all about the hurdles you face when working overseas.

Surprisingly, in order of how badly they affect me personally, my top five would be:

1.    Trying to send money to my home country
2.    Settling in after a couple of months – getting a house, internet, utilities and basics
3.    HR and hiring/firing. Quite a lot of difference between countries in this area
4.    Getting around – stick with taxis & donkeys, or make a bigger commitment
5.    The language barrier (YES! I thought it would be closer to the top as well!)

Interestingly, the cash question is right on top.

If you are fortunate enough to not NEED to send any money back home, then the world is indeed your oyster. Perhaps even a Rockefeller, or some other similarly indulgent recipe.

Oh how I long for Dubai, where a quick trip to an exchange and a flash of a passport were all that was needed – regardless of work permit or residence status.

KZ and Thailand have fairly onerous regulations requiring passport, work permit, tax file number and more. Otherwise, it’s down to Western Union with their almost criminal exchange rate and their 5-7% commission on top of that. (It can cost up to a couple of hundred dollars just to send money back with this “fast 15 minute” international transfer service).

It is normally a couple of months for visa & work permit processing, so the first few months are normally the most tense.

Working for an international hotel or an organised company is a huge positive. They normally process visas and work permits promptly, and comply with all of the regulations.

Local chains and private outfits are often a bit shady when it comes to following the law, and you can end up with quite a few dramas, so double-think the private sector, and do your homework on the company or group before committing.

After 2-3 months (think probation also, before committing to any big expenses or house/car/cable TV contracts), you are no longer the novel new foreigner, so your hand stops being held on an hourly basis.

So once this comfortable umbilical cord of local support is cut, you have to get out and about and negotiate a house, car, babysitter or whatever – in a foreign environment with people who see you as a bit of a cash cow. (Or “piggy bank” if you are as portly as me).

Now, I am the first to admit that I sometimes swear.

I did not expect that the cause of my profanity would be trying to get internet installed, rather than “other” more normal pressures.

Try and enlist some local support, or get yourself some drinking buddies who don’t mind to help you through the minefield of settling in.

Many companies assist – and many more don’t, and try and get you the quickest deal rather than the best deal.
Managing expectations and motivating change is a biggie in the foreign workplace.

Sometimes the expectation is that you will be too fearful of the local workplace mafia to do your job.

Other times, it is that you are “nice” and “fair” and if they become your good friend, and source of help in the foreign environment, then they will be immune from your standards and procedures.

Different cultures have different HR expectations, systems and practices.

This can be a minefield and a nightmare.

Advice here – to get a good understanding from your fellow department heads of how it all works – and also from colleagues in your personal networks (including this one of course!).

Getting around is quite fun as a tourist – and you don’t mind splashing out at first. It’s probably cheaper than home. Or at least somewhat more novel.

As an expat at the mercy of a shocking world economy and a malignant exchange rate, one tends to either stay home or work out easier, cheaper and more permanent options.

Perhaps a car? Or a bike? Or choosing to live closer to the train?

A bit of thought into these areas makes expat life MUCH more rewarding, and allows you to really immerse yourself into the new environment.

The last of the ‘top 5’ is the language barrier, and although it has its challenging (and comical) moments, it is actually one of the least problematic.

Usually when companies hire a foreigner, they make allowance for this, and it is not unusual to be required to implement dual language systems, or to have some ‘assistance’ from a sous chef, secretary or translator.

The real issue here is with taxis, and basic shopping.

hehehehehehehehehe. You’ll see.

Getting milk at the local store is really amusing when you are in front of a stony faced assistant, shaping your fingers into horns on your head, and making mooing sounds and milking gestures.

Taxis can also be a bit of an ordeal.

Try Thai……..that is a TONAL language

Until next time,

Regards, Chef Shane

The Culinary Globe Trotter

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