Welcome to 2019, Expaters! If learning a new foreign language is on your New Year’s resolution list, then read on… Here are some top tips, cheats and hacks from a range of language experts for learning a language quicker and more effectively. Let free time become study time Blur the lines between your free time and your learning time. At…
We’re currently looking into a school for our son in Santiago, Chile. If you’re starting the search too, here is a list of some of the best schools we’ve come across here in Santiago and the suburbs. Please note that these notes are my very personal thoughts and impressions. Just because I didn’t rate a school, doesn’t mean you won’t.…
We’ve been in Chile nearly two months now. My Spanish has gone from terrible to borderline average. I studied French and German at university. I’m in an unrequited love affair with Arabic (I love the language, but it doesn’t seem to love my brain). I picked up some Dutch in Antwerp. I tried to learn basic Hindi prior to my…
I guess if you’re reading this you’ve gone through it already or are about to face it. You thought the house move was tough. You find it hard to master your new local language, but nothing prepared you for… the dreaded school application process. School admissions can be a stressful process no matter your country. I’ve heard stories of parents…
Expat life is a funny thing. Funny as in odd, and funny as in hilarious. We’re thrown into situations we wouldn’t normally experience back ‘home’, where we don’t speak the local language, where we don’t understand the local culture and we’re perhaps a bit more brazen because we have to get on and get things organised. Here’s a collection of…
I lived in Syria, pre civil war, before it became known to many as hell on earth, for about six months. A chance chat with a lovely beautician led me to rent a room in her home. To say that Syria was nothing like today is an understatement. After a few months studying Arabic at the University of Damascus, I still…
A few weeks ago I posted about how tough the school application process is here in Santiago, Chile. There’s an under supply of schools and a huge demand from parents, resulting in a scarcity of places. While in some countries a large bank balance will get your pick of the top schools of the country, here in Chile it’s much…
Creche, kindergarten, nursery, parvulario… call it what you like. An important developmental stage for children, a useful preparation for school, a life saver for parents… nurseries can be great. My sister in law is a super qualified childcare expert and when I got myself in a bit of a tizzy over which nursery to choose for my son, she reassured…
We’ve had a huge clear out, our stuff is packed for Chile and we’re surviving with the basics. We’ve packed away our books too, including our children’s top reads, but have been making up for our loss with extra visits to our local library. One book didn’t make it to the packing boxes however – a Spanish / English children’s dictionary…
