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2007-12-04
Susan Grant – President of the International Newcomers Network (INN) – www.innbeijing.org
Sue, as the President of INN, you meet everyday families who have relocated to Beijing and particularly the mothers of those families. What would be your Top 5 Tips for expat mums of families who have just moved to Beijing?
1. Initially join in as many organisations as you can to meet new people - you can always stop going later once you have established some new friendships.
2. Spend time on the internet checking out different expat sites relating to the city you have moved to - there are always good hints and tips in there.
3. Find out if there are any Yahoo groups that you can log on to - a fantastic source for answers to questions from a huge base of people.
4. Get out of the house - even if only for a coffee or a walk in the park - you will be surprised how many people you can meet this way.
5. Don't be afraid to ask total strangers questions about how, when, where and why about life in Beijing.

Zanine Wolf - Head of the Spouse Support Program - at Asia Pacific Access (APA) – www.apachina.com
Zanine, at APA you believe that a China assignment should be a rewarding experience for the entire family, and not just for the working spouse.
What would be your Top 5 Tips for expat accompanying spouses to create a meaningful and enriching life in China?

1. Once you’ve made the decision to move to China, or even before, sit down with your spouse and discuss openly what each of you hopes to achieve during the assignment.
2. Once you’ve identified some key goals for yourself, begin mapping out a plan of how to achieve those goals, with timelines of when you hope to achieve each goal to keep you structured and disciplined.
3. Once you have a clearer idea of the direction you hope to take, begin making contact with organizations and/or people who may be able to assist you achieve your goals.
4. Make a concerted effort to get out and explore everything that China has to offer
5. Reach out to those around you - share your learnings with your family, make friends with other accompanying spouses, and with local people


Anouk Turksma - Psychologist at Beijing International SOS Clinic - www.internationalsos.com
Anouk, International SOS has recently issued a brochure around the topic "Adjusting to Relocation". You quoted as the most difficult family challenges: family adjustment, children's education and spouses career. What would be your advice for expat accompanying spouses in Beijing who have given up their career and therefore have lost their professional identity?

1. Give yourself time to adjust to your new environment. Your partners job is the reason for your stay, so try to make it work. Create a family life: make family traditions, routines and rituals and do fun activities together. After that, you will feel more free to focus on your career.
2. Be aware of stress and do something about it. Focus on positive things and have faith in yourself. Maintain your sense of humor.
3. Share your feelings and thoughts. Improve communication within the family and with the host country. Learn the language of the host country.
4. Be realistic: career opportunities in China are different than in your home country. To find fulfilling activities you should try to be creative and flexible. Be aware of the choices you have and do not focus too much on the impossibilities.
5. Build a new “guanxi”.


Sarah Cooper - Career and Personal Coach – www.cowsfrommywindow.com
Sarah, you have recently started your own coaching company in Beijing. Among your clients, a large majority comes from the expat community. What would be your Top 5 Tips for expat accompanying spouses to break through the challenges they might face in Beijing and lead the life they really want?

1. Remind yourself of who you are: a move overseas can be very disorienting. What values drive you? What are your interests and passions? Your skills and special personal qualities? Write them down.
2. Decide what you want from your expatriate experience. How would you like to use this experience to develop, personally or professionally? Set some exciting goals.
3. Keep positive. We can’t always control our environment, but we can choose our attitude. Negativity closes our minds down: keeping positive will help you to find creative ways forward.
4. Connect with likeminded people. Join an existing interest-based or professional group – there are hundreds in Beijing. Form your own if necessary – it doesn’t have to be anything too formal.
5. Enjoy the moment! When you focus on what you have, you attract more things to be grateful for. Notice what’s great about your life right now.