Living abroad can be immensely pleasurable as long as everything runs smoothly. But what if things start to go wrong? What if your partner dies, what if the money runs out, what if a storm or a hurricane wrecks your house, what if you fall seriously ill and there is no one to look after you ...?Problems like this can occur in Britain, of course, but at home you are equipped to deal with them. In a foreign land they can be more unnerving, especially if you have no close relations in the vicinity, you are unfamiliar with procedures in the country and do not speak the language.

Many of us like to assume that disasters always strike other people, never ourselves. However, it is wise to be prepared. You need to have close by you – or on your person when you are out and about – the following items:In a number of countries expatriate self-help organisations produce information booklets that suggest how you should cope with almost every eventuality, and are usually based on experience gleaned over a period of years.

Accidents

These happen to the best of us whether we are in the house, out on the road, up a mountain or playing a quiet game of golf. Even if the injury does not appear serious, you should not rely just on emergency first-aid treatment, but make an appointment to see a doctor or specialist. If you are bitten or scratched by an animal in a country where rabies is endemic (eg continental Europe) you ought to have an anti-rabies vaccination.

Road accidents are particularly traumatic and if it is a particularly serious or fatal accident, you may need to contact the nearest British consul. As in the UK you must try to keep your cool and should not admit liability. Contact your insurance company as quickly as possible to find out what you should do if your car is damaged. Don’t overlook your health: you may be suffering from shock and need hospital treatment.

Culture Shock

This is a very unpleasant phenomenon which you may experience quite soon after your arrival. You get frustrated with delays, you have visions of being robbed, and suffer from an extreme form of homesickness. You feel depressed or overstressed; you get headaches and feel confused, isolated and powerless; you start to find fault with everything and everyone.

Adapting to a new environment, alas, takes its toll, and the initial period in a new country can be particularly stressful. Rather than resort to sedatives or the bottle you need to recognise that this is merely a passing phase, and as you start to feel your way around and begin to understand your new environment better, you will start to feel at home.

Culture shock normally goes through five phases:

• the honeymoon stage – this is the stage most tourists experience. You are intrigued and enthusiastic about everything you see and the people you meet;
• crisis and disintegration – you feel lost, isolated, lonely and inadequate and tend to become very withdrawn;
• reintegration – you become more self-assertive and start to find fault with the country and its people;
• autonomy – you begin to find that you can cope with the new situations and become more relaxed and sympathetic;
• independence – at last you feel at home accepting and relishing the cultural and social differences.

 

Not every expatriate experiences culture shock, and the way to avoid it is to come well prepared. The better you understand the culture and values (and language) of the local people the better you will cope with your new circumstances.