We take a look at expat related news this week.

 

Paradise postponed? Don’t give up on retirement in a sunspot

 

“It’s cold, it’s dark and we’ve got no money. The dream of emigrating at retirement really takes hold during the long winter months. And this time around, with a painful recession under- way and the credit crisis still biting hard, the temptation to leave these shores must be greater than ever.
However, this self-same financial crisis is putting many of us off the idea of spending a happy and hopefully comfortable retirement in foreign climes. In fact, one in 10 Britons who would like to move abroad have now put their plans firmly on hold, according to research by the credit reference agency Experian.
A host of factors could be acting as deterrents. First, the property crash is making it harder for people to sell their home, their biggest asset. Of course, the flipside of this is that the price of property in many premier destinations for emigrating Brits, such as Spain and Italy, is also falling. This, however, is offset by the dramatic fall in the value of the pound against the euro. And anyone looking towards the US as the retirement destination of choice will be aware that last week the pound dropped to the lowest level against the dollar since 1985.” Read more from the Independent

 

Expat Aussies watch bushfires in horror

 

“Australians in Britain who have family and friends affected by bushfires back home are monitoring the devastation from afar.
…In Oxford, northwest of London, Australian Karen McKenna spoke of the difficulty of being so far away after her parents escaped their property.
“They’re safe at this point, but it’s just the distance, you don’t know where they are or what they’re doing, it’s very hard to take at times,” she told the BBC.
“I’m sure there’s lots of other Australians feeling the exactly the same way.”
Expat Sarah Aitken agreed.
“It’s hard,” she told the BBC.
“I’m lucky my family’s safe but it’s hard being so far away because you’re constantly relying on people to give you a call or send you an email to let you know.
“But at the same time you don’t want the phone to ring because you don’t want it to be bad news.”
Read more from the Sydney Morning Herald

 

Expatriated by s.denis

Aussie expat, Australian expat, Expat in London, overseas retirement, retired abroad, retirement

 

Over the past 12 hours, all eyes were on the election night in the United States of America. Televisions around the world were tuned to broadcast Senator McCain delivering his concession speech as the American voters where reported to have elected Senator Barack Hussein Obama as the next president of the USA.  Obama democrats abroad, republicans abroad, Americans overseas as well as citizen of other nations joined together to follow what is described as an historic night.

Barack Obama as a former expat kid himself growing up for a few years in Indonesia, has found a good echo in the American overseas community but we will have to wait to find out what are the results from American expatriate’s vote.

As the election results where broadcasted around the world and across time zone, we take a look at some groups of American expatriates and locals following the historic event:

 

Expatriates and locals in Vienna, Austria

Supporters of the U.S. Democratic Party try to enter a pub to follow the U.S. presidential elections in Vienna, Austria, November 4, 2008.
Copyright: Reuters Pictures

 
Expatriates and locals in Sydney, Australia

Women react as votes are counted during a US Democrats Abroad election day watch in Sydney on November 5, 2008. Copyright: AFP/Getty Images 

 

Expatriates and locals in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Supporters of US Democratic Party hopeful Barack Obama react in front of he Foreign Correspondent Club of Cambodia (FCCC) in Phnom Penh on November 5, 2008.
Copyright: AFP/Getty Images 

 

Expatriates and locals in Toronto, Canada 

Yonge & Dundas Square, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Copyright: Eyeline-Imagery 

 

Expatriates and locals in Beijing, China 

People follow the results of the US pesidential election from laptop computers during an election day event organized by the US embassy in Beijing. Copyright: AFP/Getty Images

 
Expatriates and locals in Chengdu, China

An American abroad stands next to posters of presidential candidates of Democrat Barack Obama (L) and Republican John McCain at the US election watch party in Chengdu, in China’s southwestern province of Sichuan on November 5, 2008.
Copyright: AFP/Getty Images 

 
Expatriates and locals in Paris, France

Copyright : francois_lafite 

 

Expatriates and locals in Berlin, Germany

The representation of German media group Bertelsmann in Berlin hosting a US election party
Copyright: qnibert00

 

Expatriates and locals Athens, Greece

A Greek American Obama supportes watch the early election results while attending the US election night by the Democrats Abroad in Athens, early November 5, 2008.
Copyright: AFP/Getty Images 

 

Expatriates and locals in Jakarta, indonesia

Americans residing in Indonesia Arian Ardi (L), Ron Mullers (C) and Phil Richard (R) celebrate the victory for the Democrat Barack Obama telecast live on the news in a cafe at a shopping mall in Jakarta on November 5, 2008. Copyright: AFP/Getty Images

 
Expatriates and locals in Seoul, South Korea

Members of Democrats Abroad Korea and Obama supporters watch an election broadcast on TV during the election Returns Party at the Orange tree November 5, 2008 in Seoul, South Korea.
Copyright: AFP/Getty Images

 
Expatriates and locals in Barcelona, Spain

People sit during an election night party organised by American Institute in Barcelona, to watch the results in the U.S. presidential elections, in Barcelona November 5, 2008.
Copyright: Reuters Pictures 

 
Expatriates and locals in London, United Kingdom

Supporters of United States Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, celebrate as they watch a TV broadcast predicting his victory in the state of Ohio, during an election party in the U.S. embassy in central London, early Wednesday Nov. 5, 2008.
Copyright : The Associated Press

 

Expatriates and locals in  Mexico city, Mexico

American citizen Ralston Darlington, a supporter of U.S. President-elect Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), watches Obama speak onscreen at an event sponsored by the Democrats Abroad in Mexico City November 4, 2008.
Copyright: Reuters Pictures 

 

Expatriates and locals in Amsterdam, Netherlands

President’s Night 2008 in de Melkweg
Copyright: PjotrP  

 

Expatriates and locals in The Hague, Netherlands

At the 5:00 a.m. post-election “Who’s the President?” Breakfast in The Hague, Netherlands.
Copyright: eselcee

 

Expatriates and locals in Manila, Philippines

Supporters of U.S. President-elect Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) watch election results at an event sponsored by the Democrats Abroad, in Manila November 5, 2008. Copyright: Reuters Pictures 

 

Expatriates and locals in Singapore, Singapore

Deanna Pesik, left, from California reacts as she hears results from television that Barack Obama has been elected President of the United States at an election results gathering in Singapore on Wednesday Nov. 5, 2008. Copyright : (AP Photo/ Wong Maye-E)

 

Expatriates and locals in Madrid, Spain

Copyright: marilink

 

And of course!  Expatriates and locals in Obama, Japan

Local residents celebrate as it is announced on television that Barack Obama has been elected the President of the United States in Obama, western Japan, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008. Copyright: (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)

 

Do you have pictures of expat gatherings on election night? send it over ( contact @ expatfinder.com ) or leave the link in the comments!

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