Featured Global Girl: Tiffany Jansen

Have you heard about Global Girl Online? It's a fantastic site created by expat Danielle Barkhouse (author of The Expat Arc and blogger at Earth to Danie) "as a way to help expat authors, photographers, artists and business women promote themselves and one another, as well as their products and services to the global market." Global Girl also offers an online social community that is full of information and support - a great way to meet your fellow creative expats.

Recently, Danielle added a Featured Global Girl series. So far, these Global Girls consist of Natalie Tollenaere and Tiffany Jansen! My interview was just published on 24 May 2010 and I myself saw it for the first time today. If you're an expat looking to start or promote your own business, I give lots of pointers and tips. There are also a few morsels for the non-entrepreneurial expat - a little something for everyone!

If you're not yet a member of the Global Girl Community, shame on you! Also check the main site Global Girl Online and support Danie in her efforts to promote expats.

"The best advice I can offer is NOT to promote yourself online. This can make you look spam-y and people will automatically ignore you. Do join various social media sites and do keep a blog for your business, just don’t scream from the highest rafter that you’re there to sell something. Instead, give things for free. This doesn’t have to be anything physical nor does it have to be monetary. It can simply be a gift of your time and expertise. Promote others in your niche and concentrate more on meeting the needs of people than getting potential clients. If you meet people’s needs and prove yourself useful, those people will become steadfast clients."

 Click here to read the entire interview.

One last plug (maybe): I will be running a series of expat interviews here on Clogs and Tulips beginning in June. If you're interested in participating, email me at americancloggie@aol.com

Culture Shock on Expat Exchange

Even with the NaBloPoMo madness, I somehow found time to do a report on Culture Shock in The Netherlands for Expat Exchange. This is a new series by Expat Exchange, offering expats in various countries the opportunity to share their experiences with culture shock.

I've written for Expat Exchange before (Vogue: Fashion in Holland, Weighty Issues: The Dutch Edition, Expat Relationship Advice: The Netherlands), so it was nice to be able to write something else for them. They provide other reports on schools, cities, and relationships and have a great collection of articles on tons of countries.

My report on Culture Shock in The Netherlands was featured in Expat Exchange's newsletter The Foreign Exchange on 17 May 2010. The following is an excerpt taken from the report for the newsletter:

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do." This cliche has done me nothing but good. Always remember that you are in someone else's country. What is acceptable in your home country may not be here and vice versa. At the same time, don't let go of who you are or where you came from. Of course things will be different, but that's the beauty of living in another country. Different does not mean good or bad, better or worse. It simply means 'different.'"

Speaking of interviews, I will be running a series of Expat Interviews here on Clogs and Tulips beginning in June. If you're interested in participating, email me at americancloggie@aol.com.

Healthcare in the Netherlands

Back in December 2009, I was asked to submit a piece on the Dutch healthcare system to ACCESS Magazine for their Spring publication. About a month ago they posted the issue online (I already had several copies in my hot little hands by then!) and I'm finally getting around to share it with you.

Click here to read the article. (It has come to my attention that this link is really difficult to read. Here's a link to the pdf file for the entire spring issue. If you go to the top where it says "page" and type in 16, it will take you directly to the first page of my two-page article.)

The article is based on research done in 2009, so it may or may not still hold true. If you are interested in knowing more about the healthcare system in the Netherlands and would like a list of resources I used to write the piece, please let me know in an email to americancloggie@aol.com.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

"In 2009, the Euro Health Consumer Index (EHCI) highlighted The Netherlands as having the best healthcare system in Europe. This marked the second year in a row that The Netherlands received this honour. Results from an International Health Policy Survey of seven different countries (The Netherlands, Germany, Canada, the United States, Great Britain, New Zealand and Australia) by the Commonwealth Fund in 2007 show that those living in The Netherlands have the most positive views of their health system, are the most confident about the care they receive, and are least likely to avoid medical care due to cost issues. It seems as though The Netherlands is the place to be for outstanding healthcare. But what is it about this particular system that makes it worthy of such praise?"

ACCESS Magazine is a free publication that can be ordered via the ACCESS website (you will be charged shipping and handling fees for online orders) or picked up at various locations in Amsterdam and The Hague. ACCESS offers support, workshops, and information to expats in the Netherlands. Please stop by their website to see what they're all about and consider supporting this wonderful organization.

Stay tuned as I have a piece on the Museumkaart due to come out in the Summer issue!

Clogs and Tulips strolls down Exat Alley

Well, it's been a while since I had done an expat interview, so when I saw the notice on Expat Alley looking for expats to fill in their questionnaire, I decided to go ahead and volunteer.

About two weeks later, I had confirmation from Tom that my interview was up and, because I'm slow, you're now seeing it a week after that. Better late than never, I suppose.

Most of this interview revolves around Little Broadway but Clogs and Tulips does get a mention and there are also some tidbits for non-entrepreneurial expats. Click to read Musical Theater Workshop Owner. Utrecht, Netherlands. Expat Alley Interview. Tiffany Jansen.

Tom over at Expat Alley keeps a blog for expats by expats with all kinds of interviews, links, and information for expats living all over the world. He also designs and maintains the website of his wife, author Maya Frost. She is responsible for the book The New Global Student: Skip the SAT, Save Thousands on Tuition, and Get a Truly International Education.

Expat Alley is always looking for new expats to interview so, if you're interested, stop by here for information.

Speaking of interviews, I will be running a series of Expat Interviews here on Clogs and Tulips beginning in June. If you're interested in participating, email me at americancloggie@aol.com. For those of you who have already responded, I have not forgotten about you! I'm just busy trying to compose a list of questions that don't resemble every other expat interview ever done.