What To Get For My Best Friends Birthday?

My childhood best friend will be celebrating her birthday at the begining of July. But my best friend is also an expat - living far away in Portland, Oregon (What a beautiful place). So how do I let her know I care? A phone call is just not enough...

I started thinking what to do, and then I remembered that while we were posted in Venezuela my sister came for a visit. She was in her twenties and just met a new guy, who she left back home.

This young guy (now my brother in law) was in love, and wanted to show my sister how much he cares. So he phoned the embassy, spoke with our security guys, and requested them to buy her flowers and to arrange for the flowers to be sent to our house. Probably a smooth move as they are married today.

Well, why won't I do the same and send my best friend flowers for her birthday? Only today is 2009, the internet is much more developed and there is no need for such extreme actions.

I started searching the web, and I stumbled across FromYouFlowers.com They have so many products to choose from , and not only flowers but also gift baskets and plants.

However, what I really like about FromYouFlowers.com is that they deliver to 160 different countries! This is so cool I can send birthday gifts to any of my expat friends or family around the world.

I just hope my best friend would like it.

Would you be happy with this kind of birthday gift?

Sharon

How Can US Expats Avoid Taxes Headache?

Hi Everyone

One of the biggest headaches and time consuming is the need to file your taxes.

Filling taxes is a huge assignment for everyone, but if you are an expat it gets a lot more complicated. I am sure many of you have postponed their tax filling until the very last minute, and some were even tempted to ignore it.

The good news is there is a great solution for USA expats. (I promise to search for solutions for other nationalities as well).

So, US expats - You do not need to file your taxes by yourself. You can consult an expert who can guide you through the process easily.

expatcfo.com - Expats Certified Public Accountants offers a Premier Tax CFO Program, specifically designed for Americans living and working abroad.

Among the services that expatcfo.com provides, you can find:

• 1. guidance through the complexities of the tax laws, and tax solutions that will help you make good decisions for your family and your future.


• 2. Activation of a secure, on-line financial world portal for you to organize and focus your personal financial information and critical documents.


• 3. Optimization of your financial world with tools, resources, and professional consultations that provide you with holistic tax solutions that make sense for your unique situation.


• 4. Aggregation of your financial world portal to provide you with nightly updates of your various banking, mortgage, credit card, retirement plan, and investments balances - all in one place!


• 5. Preparation of your necessary Federal and State annual tax returns, which include regular tax projection consultations so that you can avoid any year-end tax surprises.

As expats you have so much on your plate, from family transitions to language barriers to accessing your documents. So why not let the experts handle your tax preparation.


Sharon

How Expats are Greeting the Locals in Their Host Countries?

Hi everyone

I read recently a blog post at a reluctant mom about greeting and why it can sometimes become very confusing.

Greeting can put you in awkward situations, especially if you are an expat living in a foreign country. I was curious how other expats are feeling about this, so I posted a question on twitter asking - I am curious - How do you greet others in your host country?

I would like to share with you some of the answers:

@US_Unlocked Hey, how are ya?

@JessInChina kidding right? I smile & say hello. they act like I just tried 2 rob them. rush on by. I'm a chick for goodness sake!

@AnnKatrin_B - A Swede in Germany - I look learn and follow and sometimes excuse myself for being a silly Swede not understanding all the rules of greeting... Whom to kiss on the cheek, how many times, who should have a handshake, who do you "wave" to - impossible to know. I try though.

@sarainsantiago Usually a kiss on the cheek.

@bellavventura 'Moien' (Luxembourgish) that when I have to revert to French.

@hollysuel I'm in Finland and it is the same as the USA...

@msamayoa i'm from Latin America (El Salvador) and how we great there is handshake for guys and one kiss on cheek for girls... :)

@TheWritingWell - A brit expat living in the Netherlands - in NL it is with 3 kisses on alternate cheeks with friends, family and those u know. It's a handshake for strangers.

magpiegirl In Denmark you are supposed to introduce your self and maybe shake hands. no kissing or hugging. but in the Danish expat community it is all over the map! handshakes, hugs, 1, 2 or 3 kisess...we all just bumble and laugh.

I find this list very interesting, Don't you?

Please contribute to the above list by sending a tweet to @expatsguide, or by commenting on this post.

Sharon