Internet Cafe Directories See Using Internet Cafés Abroad: Practical Tips for Safely Staying Connected in Public Places by Volker Poelzl for a practical and detailed article which provides more first-hand information. Cybercafes.com, www.cybercafes.com, is a database of 4,207 Internet cafes in 140 countries. The Cybercafe Search Engine, www.cybercaptive.com, is an online database with 5,763 verified cybercafes, public Internet access points, and kiosks in 161 countries. See Taking Your Laptop Overseas by Volker Poelzl, a detailed article for those planning to take a laptop abroad. Hotspot Haven, www.hotspothaven.com, is a worldwide guide to free and paid Wi-Fi hotspots. Internet Access Providers Meta-List, www.herbison.com/her bison/iap_meta_ list.html. Laptop Travel, www.laptoptravel.com, is an online store offering laptop mobility products as well as information and advice for laptop travelers. MaGlobe, www.maglobe.net, provides prepaid dial-up Internet access for travelers worldwide. NetAway, www.netaway.com, provides pre-paid pay-as-you go Internet access in 104 countries. Roadnews, www.roadnews.com, provides info and resources for international travelers with laptop computers; also hosts a forum for information exchange. Steve Kropla’s Help for World Travelers, www.kropla.com, provides a World Electric Guide, World Wide Phone Guide, World Television Guide, World Mobile Phone Guide, as well as International Dialing Codes and information about ISPs and Global Internet Roaming Services worldwide. The List, www.thelist.com, is an online directory of Internet Service Providers worldwide, including Dial-up and Broadband connections. Wi-Fi FreeSpot, www.wififreespot.com, is a worldwide guide to free WiFi hotspots. WiFinder, www.wifinder.com, is a worldwide guide to public access Wi-Fi hotspots. Worldwide Dialup, www.worldwidedialup.net, is an Internet roaming service with worldwide Internet connections via WiFi, Ethernet, and dialup in over 150 countries. Live-radio.net, www.live-radio.net/info.shtml, provides continuously updated links to thousands of online radio stations worldwide. Kidom Media Link, www.kidon.com, is a worldwide guide to news sources online. Online Newspapers, www.onlinenewspapers.com, lists over 1000 links to online newspapers worldwide. Radio Tower, www.radiotower.com, is an extensive Internet radio directory for online radio stations and streaming live audio from around the world. The Voice of America, www.voanews.com, broadcasts U.S. related news, information, educational, and cultural programming worldwide, via shortwave, AM, FM radio, satellite television and the Internet. Telestial, www.telestial.com, provides telecommunications services to North American business and recreational travelers, and offers pre-paid wireless products for use in over 140 countries around the world. ekit, www.ekit.com, provides a suite of travel communication services including mobile phones, SIM cards, global calling cards, Internet calling, voicemail, text messaging and email solutions. These services are accessible worldwide from more than 152 countries. Cellhire USA LLC, www.cellhire.com, offers the ultimate in communications flexibility while you’re abroad. You get one phone and one phone number that operates in 140+ countries or you can rent a local sim for each country you visit. Cellular Abroad, www.cellularabroad.com. Get unlimited free incoming calls and low outgoing rates for international cellular service. Cellular Abroad rents and sells international cellular phones. go-sim™, www.gosim.com, has a range of low cost solutions designed to significantly reduce the cost of staying in touch using your own mobile phone overseas. InTouch Smartcards GSM Store, www.intouchsmartcards.com, is one stop shopping for all your wireless needs; satellite and GSM cellular phone rental, prepaid GSM SIM cards for over 100 countries and global SIM cards. PlanetFone, www.planetfone.com, provides international GSM cell phone rentals for more than 150 countries, with weekly, monthly and long-term rates. Expats Abroad. A message center for expats worldwide as well as anyone considering traveling or living abroad, whether looking for new friends or trying to locate old ones. Reunite with friends who have moved abroad, locate lost loves, friends or relatives. Expats Reunite. The international site for expats everywhere. Reuniting friends and families all over the world. International Penpals, www.pen-pals.net, 300,000 penpals. 200 countries. Email, letters. 808-949-5000.
International Schools Services (ISS) is a non-profit organization that operates and supports international schools. Provides listings of American and international schools, as well as services for schools, teachers and families overseas; also publishes the regularly updated The ISS Directory of Overseas Schools ($45.95), a comprehensive guide to American and International schools with over 500 listings. International Schools Services, 15 Roszel Rd., P.O. Box 5910, Princeton, NJ 08543; Tel. 609-452-0990, fax 609-452-2690; iss@iss.edu,www.iss.edu. Office of Overseas Schools, www.state.gov/m/a/os, lists 185 elementary and secondary schools in 132 countries that are sponsored by the Department of State. GoAbroad.com, www.goabroad.com, provides a comprehensive international education database and lists extensive resources for those intending to live, study, or work abroad. StudyAbroad.com, www.studyabroad.com, provides information for students (college, high school and all others) interesting in study abroad programs or seeking intern and volunteer opportunities; publishes a free weekly newsletter with program updates and information. Worldwide Classroom, www.worldwide.edu, contains information on over 10,000 schools in 95 countries.
Living abroad isn’t for everyone. Some find out the hard way that living away from family and friends and the comfortable familiarity of home is so painful that it sours their entire stay. Others thrive on the new challenges, thrill to the novelty, gain enormous satisfaction from overcoming each new problem successfully, and are rewarded with a sense of achievement and personal growth. Before you make a decision, determine your motives for wanting to go. Consider what you might find difficult about living abroad, what you might miss from home, and what the benefits of being abroad could be. If you are prepared, problems won’t overwhelm you and keep you from enjoying living in a foreign culture. In the preparation process, you may find that you are not yet ready to stay abroad for an extended period, saving yourself an unpleasant experience. Why Do You Want to Go? If you are volunteering to teach in a remote Himalayan village for two years because a relationship has just broken up, then you are going for the wrong reasons and will probably regret your decision. The more positive reasons you have for going the more likely you’ll make a success of it. If all you can think of is how much you hate your job, your boss, and the weather, then you are likely to be as unhappy in your new home as you are now. What Do You Hope to Get From Your Time Abroad? Just thinking of what you can gain should have you raring to go. The more you want to get out of your time abroad, the more focused you will be when you are away. The inevitable problems will be mere distractions from your ultimate goal, which can range from the purely material, such as making money, to the spiritual. If you are going abroad to work, then work experience, new challenges, the chances of professional improvement, as well as a good pay packet, are all valid reasons to go. As a student, you might find a degree earned abroad gives you an edge over stay-at-home graduates. On the personal side, you’ll gain a new perspective on the simplest everyday tasks when you carry them out in a new language. As a result, you’ll be more confident and capable. Are Your Expectations Realistic? Are you really going to be fluent in Chinese after two years? Will you really have saved enough to be able to travel the world? Are you really going to be able to get up at dawn everyday to practice Tai Chi? Just because the country is Buddhist doesn’t mean that everyone is a peace-loving vegetarian who spends every evening in meditation. Make sure your list of expectations don’t resemble a list of New Year’s resolutions that won’t even last the first week. It’s easy to let your imagination run wild as you imagine long, lazy days by the swimming pool or long, leisurely dinners under the stars with a bottle of local wine. But is it realistic? Can you even afford to rent a place with a pool? What Problems Can You Foresee? Don’t go too far with this or you may find you’ll be too nervous to leave home. Most problems stem from differences in culture and language, so if you know what to expect beforehand, you will be more likely to thwart big problems. Learn as much about your destination as you can and take a preparatory language course. This should whet your appetite for going and experiencing the country for yourself. Finally, expect the unexpected and remember that unanticipated events make the most memorable experiences. What Are You Worried About? If it’s communication, then learn the language and promise yourself you’ll enroll in more classes as soon as you arrive. If its concern about diet or health, talk with someone who has direct experience of the country you are planning to visit. It’s okay to be paranoid, as long as your concerns spur you to seek answers. Could You Really Live Away From Home? Examine your lifestyle and identify those aspects of it that you would find difficult to change or do without completely. If you are extremely close to your family, you may find suddenly being without them and their support is very difficult. Also give some thought to coming home. You won’t be able to just walk into old friendships as if nothing had changed; you may find you have grown away from some of your friends. Is your social life tightly bound with a club, sport, or hobby that isn’t likely to exist in your new destination? One friend of mine refused to consider working abroad because he’d “miss the cricket.” A Dutchman I knew in Taiwan cut his stay short because he couldn’t find anyone at his level to play chess with. Are you hooked on the theater, concerts, and the latest movies? How do you feel about being cut off from this and the fact that you may never be able to quite catch up. Are there any particular foods you just can’t live without? Teaching in Sudan, I used to crave toast and coffee for breakfast; we got mashed oily beans and a glass of tea. Would You Mind Being A Foreigner? Do you mind being stared at? Followed around by giggling kids? If you are away from tourist areas and obviously not a local, then you may be of considerable interest. Depending on how much other entertainment there is around, you may be the focus of attention. Children gathered outside the small wooden house where I lived in northeast Thailand. If I so much as showed my face they would greet me with excited shouts. If you are the only foreigner for miles, then you will stand out, which can be very trying if you sometimes need solitude. Finally, track down some people who have spent time in your proposed destination. Internet chat rooms on travel web sites are good places to start. Get some idea of what they experienced and whether or not you could cope. Don’t be put off by the possible difficulties and hardships, but be prepared for them and have strategies at hand to deal with them. This way you’ll be better able to appreciate what should be one of the most fruitful times of your life. But be careful. Like me, you may like living abroad so much that you never go home.
