Excited Expat

The “Excited Expat” has never had a passport, never left their hometown, never attempted to speak a second language

and had little or no exposure to different cultures.  The probably have never eat Chinese or if they had they think Lemon Chicken is a regular Chinese dish.

Excited Expats have no extra luggage (ie wife, kids, animals) and therefore their drain on the company is less than the “Xtra expat” who has an entourage.  They also tend to have no expectations and arrive to find the city of Hong Kong expensive, overcrowded and exciting!

Hang out in the Wanchai Bar district you will find one of these expats there.  Eventually they move out of this phase – because I suspect that this is purely a phase not a permanent breed.  See them as a puppy, over zealous, eager to please, into new stuff and clearly missing the point at times.

Professional Expat

“Professional Expat” well they are a little like a “Loco Expat” but they have been doing it longer, they have also found ways to still find a company that will give you an Expat package with less perks.  They usually stay in one place unlike the “Xtraordinary Expat” who has moved countries many times over many years.  Professional Expats have a way of making the system work for them; they usually have a really nice holiday home in a tax-free country and pay no taxes anywhere. Professionals will eventually retire to there tax free haven and travel regularly. I even met a professional expat who had a business card that stated he was a ‘beach bum’, with a tech degree and incredible knowledge on how to ‘hide’ his money from the Tax man.  I never worked out how that all went but he also knew how to travel the world and ‘crash’ with friends for a few weeks at a time!

Loco Expat

“Loco Expat” no they haven’t gone crazy they tell you.  They just love living where they are and will do so at any cost.  They have given up their original package, which included housing, medical, schooling, club membership, car etc for a local salary. 

Now a local salary is usually high for someone in his or her field.  It needs to be because they are now going to have to pay for all those things the package usually included.  However, usually those that go local down size their accommodation, give up their club membership and use the local health care system for their ailments.  It’s not a bad deal you just have to love living in your new home more than your old one. 

Some Loco’s have acquired a taste for the local faire i.e. woman/man and as such there really is no turning back, unless they decide they are going to bring back said ‘faire’ or should that be afair to their original point of sale.

 

Xtraordinary Expat

“Xtraordinary Expat” another slant on the “Expat Xpert” but usually they have finished their “Expat Xpert” stint and gone home for a few years. They are glad to be back home but get bored doing their job in their hometown.  The company sees this and needs them to return to another city to save the company or increase revenue again. Sometimes the company realizes if they don’t send them they will go to a competitor who will use them to their advantage.

 It’s a version of “Your Country needs you”.  By this stage in your life (you are over 50) you can demand anything in your new package.  These guys usually get a driver and high-end motor vehicle, 1^st class tickets home, incredible housing allowances, more than one return trip home a year, and many more perks. Companies reward them accordingly because they have made money for them.  NOTE: These guys NEVER become “Loco Expats” and they tend not to sleep.

Expat Xpert

 There is the “Expat Xpert” – they’ve come, they succeeded, they like it, they work out how to do it longer and they stay on.

Sometimes they stay on in the same city for an extra assignment and then they become known in HQ and HR as the “Expert” and they are sent to do it all again in another city.  Mostly in Asia they will be sent to Tokyo or Singapore.  After having down it a few times I think the “Expat Xpert” gets a bit tired of the deal and wants to go home to open space, friendly skies, and fresh produce.  I am sure there are versions of the European Expert or the South American Expert for this type of expat.

 

Some might call the expert a bit of a know it all.  They usually have the upmarket gadgets … you know the latest phone, the fancy watch and perhaps the extra wife!

Hi-Xpectation Expat

“Hi-Xpectation Expat” they have come overseas to get on with their career.  They were stuck in their current job and the only perceived way up was taking a job that took them out. Usually being out means another region.Hopefully this will help get kicked up the company ladder once the assignment is over.  Note this type of career move does not always work out the way they hope – they often end up becoming one of the other versions along the way.

X-type Expat

“X-type Expat” are slightly different from the “Experimental” version.  They come with high expat expectations, make money, live off the fat of the company, travel in Asia frequently, acquire a mistress and save money.  None of which happens and they end up hating the place, sometimes before they have even begun.  “X-type Expats” usually don’t last very long, they dine and whine about their life and go home.  Friends are usually glad to see them go because their whining is draining.  “X-types” can be classes as “A-type” personalities only they have expat expectations in the mix.  “X-types” are worth avoiding but sometimes they can be very charming and you need to know that they can actually educated you in what not to be!  Watch them from a distance though – don’t become their friend as you know they won’t be around for long.

Breeds of Expats

The term “Professional Expats” comes up from time to time.  There are definately different types of expatriates that transplant themselves all over the world.  Let me start with explaining the experimental expat.

Here in Asia there is definitely the “Experimental Expat” – they come, they look, they leave.  What I mean by that is that their company plans to send them for 2 years.  It may be a trial assignment, something new for all parties.  The company is testing out the water to see if their company idea will fly here in Asia.  Hong Kong is a good starting point.  I guess that if you can make it here you can make it anywhere is their company’s attitude. Hong Kong is very central when it comes to air travel and banking.  Experimental Expats may last 2 years but usually less than 12 months.  Experimental types usual moan a lot one way or the other and make comparisons about their temporary assigment vs their ‘home’ base.  These guys usually don’t last and don’t do it again.  Thank goodness because they can be a drag and they certainly are not the companies best advertisement.

Expat Expectations 2

I remember being in Sydney a few years ago at a very high end hotel near the Quay complaining to the day manager (probably all of 25 yrs old) that they needed to improve their service.  His doorman the night before when asked by my husband where he could find a cab (it was 10pm) that it was a bit late to be going out SIR.  The cab rank was a mere 20 yards away and in full view of the lobby.  I was talking to the day manager because the lass at the breakfast bar was not coping – her supervisor was not responding to pages by her.  She could not offer me ham and cheese sandwich on bacon and when it arrived there was tomato on it something I had not ordered. She wanted to take it away but I suggested that a 1/2 wait was long enough and I needed to go and pack in any event. You might think I’m crazy but having lived in a country where service is only offered in the more expensive hotels and department stores I have nothing to complain about.  But in truth service is lacking here so often that when I don’t get it in a place I expect it I get even more irate.  My bank probably has little notations about crazy expat wife likely to yell at you on my account.  I am so used to using the magic words here “MY HUSBAND SAID” – it is amazing what doors that phrase opens for me here in Asia.  I usually get service in the building I live in the moment I use that phrase or at the bank or to the computer guy. 

Hello world!

This is where it will all start again the Expat World according to Sass.  A number of years ago as a family we moved to Hong Kong right after HK was returned to China.  We lived there in an ideal expat world with a maid and loads of activities that only expat take advantage of.  Sometimes though that same ideal world would and can be frustrating.  Learn about the trials and tribultions of our family in this site.