How was your first experience in other country?

My first experience was in Papua New Guinea surrounded by people in grass skirts with bones and feathers through their noses.

My first experience was Thailand and it was awesome as it was my first flight. Inside plane I was praying to God sometimes.  As I do always, it was not a very much planned trip.  At the airport when came to know many people don't speak English I was lil frightened. as I had not a planned schedule, I had enough time to wander here and there, up & down in side airport.   Only I had few addresses and phone numbers of hotels. So I bought a sim for my phone and called those hotels.Then I selected a hotel room near Nana station but I was afraid to travel by train so decided to go by a taxi and the taxi driver also couldn't speak English. Hotel was good and expensive. When I was walking in the eve, I was wondering why those  beautiful girls were sitting in front of shops with a lot of makeups on their faces- but later realized!  I used to travel inside country and faced many interesting incidents later. I was amazed by the traffic-jam and always used to read the taxi meter but at last it wasn't much expensive. I liked various kinds of street foods and liked to speak with people who were running shops and restaurants. Many traders greeted me in Tamil, considering I was from India. I met a Thai salesman who could speak Sinhala (Sri Lankan) in a telephone shop! Later I was used to  sky trains so after my holidays I could go to the airport by train and I was sad to leave Thailand.

Mine is worst and horrible. My first out of the country was in Middle East and Oh my God, I can say expats have no rights. You can not do whatever you want because a lot of restrictions. Every laws were connected or linked to the local religion.

To all Expats
Immigrant expert; First time you go to a new country is always hard specially if language and culture is different
I migrated from Chile 33 years ago to Australia with my family wife and 4 little children English zero.
I have never liked here despite the beauty of country's nature (no society) I have been in Thailand 4 time in Bangkok, once in  Phuket,  I will  go back  to Bangkok and Chiang Mai in February 2014  With 11 month to retire still working hard full time in a five star hotel Sydney Australia,  with three options on countries for retirement  #1 Mexico Puerto Vallarta, Chile La Serena, Thailand near the ocean etc any where but where culture are friendly and society is open.
Despite my very good progress in English I still have some Spanish accent and my original surname which is quickly picked up by "some big percentage" of this immature Australian society. (so happen to my family).
If some one have a similar experience or would like to positive give me some advise Please write to me thanks.
Rene

My first expat experience in Indonesia was a bent immigration officer trying to extract money as my perfectly legal visa was not in order.
That one was sorted without a bribe but the two coppers that came to my new house to tell me I hadn't filled in the correct form had to be paid off.
Not too much, Rp50,000 each, but bent cops leave a sour taste, even with father beans and a nice chianti.

How was my first experience in other country?

That was Spain, Barcelona

In one word ? Revealer

Glasgow, Scotland.  I had moved from London which was so full of diversity but then in Glasgow you hardly see many foreigners and it could get quite lonely. Am back home now so all good

stumpy wrote:

My first experience was in Papua New Guinea surrounded by people in grass skirts with bones and feathers through their noses.

I didn't understand. Did you like this travel?

mal wrote:

My first experience was Thailand and it was awesome as it was my first flight. Inside plane I was praying to God sometimes.  As I do always, it was not a very much planned trip.  At the airport when came to know many people don't speak English I was lil frightened. as I had not a planned schedule, I had enough time to wander here and there, up & down in side airport.   Only I had few addresses and phone numbers of hotels. So I bought a sim for my phone and called those hotels.Then I selected a hotel room near Nana station but I was afraid to travel by train so decided to go by a taxi and the taxi driver also couldn't speak English. Hotel was good and expensive. When I was walking in the eve, I was wondering why those  beautiful girls were sitting in front of shops with a lot of makeups on their faces- but later realized!  I used to travel inside country and faced many interesting incidents later. I was amazed by the traffic-jam and always used to read the taxi meter but at last it wasn't much expensive. I liked various kinds of street foods and liked to speak with people who were running shops and restaurants. Many traders greeted me in Tamil, considering I was from India. I met a Thai salesman who could speak Sinhala (Sri Lankan) in a telephone shop! Later I was used to  sky trains so after my holidays I could go to the airport by train and I was sad to leave Thailand.

You said that the people in Thailand didn't speak english, but in my case was worse because I was in a country where the people speaks spanish and I don't speak spanish! And when I wan in the plane, I prayed too! 

mars attack wrote:

Mine is worst and horrible. My first out of the country was in Middle East and Oh my God, I can say expats have no rights. You can not do whatever you want because a lot of restrictions. Every laws were connected or linked to the local religion.

Oh! I'm sorry! What country did you visit?
I don't know very much about the Middle East, but I would love to know some cities like Jerusalem and Dubai.

Hi Graci,

I'm sure you know a lot about your home country, so this will come as no surprise to you.

When I first came to Brazil (12 years ago now) I came to build a school for poor kids in the Amazon. Even though I had already learned the language, knew about the culture, the history, and the poverty that exists in this country I was not the least bit prepared for the magnitude of the poverty I would actually be seeing on a day-to-day basis. When I got to Manaus and saw the conditions these poor kids were living in I locked myself indoors and cried non-stop for three days. I had never been so sad in my entire life and had never seen anything that could prepare me for this type of poverty. I was happy that I was doing something to help change that sad situation.

Say hi to your dad for me OK sweetheart!!!

Um grande beijo no coração,
James

wjwoodward wrote:

Hi Graci,

I'm sure you know a lot about your home country, so this will come as no surprise to you.

When I first came to Brazil (12 years ago now) I came to build a school for poor kids in the Amazon. Even though I had already learned the language, knew about the culture, the history, and the poverty that exists in this country I was not the least bit prepared for the magnitude of the poverty I would actually be seeing on a day-to-day basis. When I got to Manaus and saw the conditions these poor kids were living in I locked myself indoors and cried non-stop for three days. I had never been so sad in my entire life and had never seen anything that could prepare me for this type of poverty. I was happy that I was doing something to help change that sad situation.

Say hi to your dad for me OK sweetheart!!!

Um grande beijo no coração,
James

Sadly, what you said is the truth. But what is more sad is saw that is difficult to meet people like you, that see the things that happen and have initiative to stop this situation, because the brazilian's people and brazialian government hardly have done something to change the case of education and of the poor.

If would exist more people like you, I think that this country would be near to be a fair country.

Of corse that I will say!

For you too,
Graci

Graci2014 wrote:

stumpy wrote:

My first experience was in Papua New Guinea surrounded by people in grass skirts with bones and feathers through their noses.

I didn't understand. Did you like this travel?

I have been doing this for many many years as part of my work in different countries. I have actually worked in PNG on 7 different projects over the years.

How was your first experience in other country?

I always like to joke about this or that, but not this time.
For me it really was the hand of Destiny ... 

John C. wrote:

How was your first experience in other country?

I always like to joke about this or that, but not this time.
For me it really was the hand of Destiny ... 

Tell us, what happened to you in Austria John. 

mal wrote:

John C. wrote:

How was your first experience in other country?

I always like to joke about this or that, but not this time.
For me it really was the hand of Destiny ... 

Tell us, what happened to you in Austria John. 

Ohh, my ...     "Tell us"???
Geez, how many of you are there? 

John C. wrote:

Ohh, my ...     "Tell us"???
Geez, how many of you are there? 

We means expat.blog, my dear.   we are a group here!

mal wrote:

John C. wrote:

Ohh, my ...     "Tell us"???
Geez, how many of you are there? 

We means expat.blog, my dear.   we are a group here!

Oh, my, for a moment I thought it was you at the computer and a group of Sri Lankans friends at your back watching over your shoulder for the news at this forum ...    Never mind.

My first contact was a series of surprises which all worked in my favor.  In my case, Destiny has spoken.
When I reached in Austria, I felt good and thought this is how Romania should have looked like to begin with.

My first experience was dubai and it was first a shocking hot weather for me

Bond00Oz wrote:

My first experience was dubai and it was first a shocking hot weather for me

Wow! One of my dreams is to visit Dubai!! What did you do there?

Whe used to visit Switzerland every summer when I was a child.  It is a peculiar little oceanless country.

Hello everyone > just to inform that some off topic posts have been removed from this thread. Thank you.

Christine wrote:

Hello everyone > just to inform that some off topic posts have been removed from this thread. Thank you.

Hi Christine,
Not only did you remove posts from this thread  but also the "Apply for a loan" thread has been deleted completely.    Right when I was ready to apply ... 

was lonely when i first visit to china.didn't understand  their language so was very boring.

8 years before when i reach first time in Congo Republic(Brazzaville)....I dont even know to speak french and after coming out from airport straight way i went to work place and found diffult even to drink water...but somehow i managed to say through body language and it was also my first time in plane....within one month i saw rebels fighting and gun shooting....but after that i understand everything in africa and started loving africa....

My first country was Malaysia and singapore....

It was indeed an exciting n explendid experience.....
No language barrier,no restrictions( dress as well as rules)....never ending night life and events,easy transportation,open minded people everywhere....

The first foreign country I lived in was England. I was very surprised by how foreign it was! People could scarcely understand me, and outside London I had trouble understanding them. We young expats hung around together and criticised the English. The residents of our flat were two Aussies, two South Africans, one New Zealander, and a floater. In July last year I mentioned a couple of my language problems of the time in a blog-post of mine ("English as she is spoke").

Gordon Barlow wrote:

..... The residents of our flat were two Aussies, two South Africans, one New Zealander, and a floater.

Define floater please!

John C. wrote:

Define floater please!

Sorry, John. British slang, I guess. In my context, it meant that our sixth man was not always the same man. Somebody would come for a month or two and pay his one-sixth of the rent, then move on and some replacement would move in. It was a wonderfully irresponsible life for young people from "the colonies", away from their home countries for the first time.

It takes time to get adjusted.Any thing new looks strange Mind will not accept suddenly.Time heals every thing

Away from home is always not pleasant experience but it could be if you goes for a trip with good company ... But I feel the same any where I goes . Although Dubai trip was interesting for me.

But if you get all the fascilities and good salary then..................