This week Kirsty spoke with Sarah and Kim, a same sex expat couple living in Germany about their expat life. Kirsty made us squirm thinking about our filthy dirty computers and Nikki looked at ways to track your subscriptions, across countries and currencies.  We learned about how the weather does change (most of the time) and Enida dialled in a review of those 800 lamb chops.

In location, location, location Nikki spoke to a special surprise guest in Qatar.

Subscriptions – How to check what you have on your phone apps, Track my subs website

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Reading, Movies, Telly, Podcasts and Food

Kirsty

Food – Christmas Recipes.

Cranberry Crumble Bars – 2 cups cranberries, zest and juice of an orange, 6 tablespoons of sugar, 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch, 2 teaspoons almond extract, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon.  Crust 1and ½ cups of flour, same amount of almond flour ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, nutmeg, orange, 4 tablespoons butter, 2 large egg whites, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons powdered sugar.

Reading – How to clean your filthy disgusting laptop – NY Times

Watching – This is Us (Season 3), Doctor Doctor, Ozark

Nikki

Reading – The ABC’s social credit article

Watching – Black Mirror, Exposing China’s Dystopian Dictatorship – ABC Foreign Correspondent

Podcast – Planet Money #871 – Blacklisted in China

Expats are called and self identify as a lot of things, we’re going to actively stop using a few of them. It’s time. We chat about why. How do different schools and environments celebrate their international-ness. How many nationalities at your international school?  Kirsty’s life detox is making us think about how tech is enmeshed in our lives and how we can take a little bit of control back, if we want to.

In location, location, location Nikki spoke to Ingrid in Paris.

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Reading, Movies, Telly, Podcasts and Food

Kirsty

Reading – NYT article Puberty for the Middle Aged, NYT article 18 around the world

Watching – Caroline Wilson Andrew Ollie lecture,   Draft Day

Nikki

Reading – Becoming – Michelle Obama

Watching – Homecoming, Oprah interview with Michelle Obama

We talk about International School camp dilemmas and the impact culture has on how comfortable our kids are in attending. If you are re-starting your career after a break and your family has a different dynamic, does it put pressure on your relationship and what you can do about it.  In expat tech we talk about how powerful technology is as a tool for everyone but expats in particular.

In location, location, location Nikki spoke to Airi in Oman.

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Reading, Movies, Telly, Podcasts and Food

Kirsty

Watching –  10 ways to have a better conversation | Celeste Headlee,  Killing Eve

Nikki

Reading – Safe Passage: How mobility affects people and what International Schools should do about it

Podcast – Slate Political Gabfest, Left, Right and Centre

Telly – Friday Night Lights, Bodyguard

In this episode we have a discussion about daylight saving and what Europe thinks about that, hint Nikki is not happy. Kirsty, fresh off the plane from Australia has a new high school graduate and there’s also baby news.  In expat tech we have a closer look at a time tracking and contractor payment tool, Hubstaff. Expat money looked at loans and pre-approvals and why they might be a good idea for expats.

In location, location, location Nikki spoke to Tanya in Nairobi.

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Reading, Movies, Telly, Podcasts and Food

Kirsty

Telly – The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, Exposed – Kelli Lane, Killing Eve

Nikki

Reading – Safe Passage: How mobility affects people and what International Schools should do about it

Podcast – No Filter – Kelli Lane

Telly – A Million Little Things

In this episode we have a discussion about remote work and portable careers, what is the best model and which format works for you best? Loads of Fatties from our Facebook group shared their stories on this front on what they do and what works (or not) for them.  In Expat relationships we talk about how holidays might seem better in retrospect, it’s good to look back at the photos later and maybe forget the trickier bits with a bit of space and time. Expat Money covered the topic of, when free drinks aren’t free drinks and how do you feel about that?

In location, location, location Nikki spoke to Inna in M is for Moldova.

Inna’s book recommendation – Playing the Moldovans at Tennis

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Reading, Movies, Telly, Podcasts and Food

Kirsty

Reading – Infographic  What’s warming the world?

Telly – Tick F*%$ing Tock, Doug Anthony All Stars

Nikki

Podcast – Sold in America

 

This episode begins with a lengthy discussion about schools, the differences between primary and upper schools in an international environment and if you speak the same cultural language as the one your school does, and if that matters. In Expat relationships we talk about how holidays might seem better in retrospect, it’s good to look back at the photos later and maybe forget the trickier bits with a bit of space and time.  In Expat tech Nikki got excited about her husband’s surprise birthday gift, an idea that she got from our favourite Facebook group. In an extension of last week’s Expat Money we discussed why it’s important to have local guardians appointed where you are living, in addition to the permanent guardians you may have elsewhere for your children.

In location, location, location Nikki spoke to Gwen in L is for LA.

Gwen’s movie recommendation – A Star is Born

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Reading, Movies, Telly, Podcasts and Food

Kirsty

Telly – Exposed – The Case of Keli Lane, The Split

 

 

 

 

This episode contains an update on Helen’s baby shower, spoiler, it was great, Nikki goes to see U2 in Germany, spoiler, it was a bit strange. In Expat relationships we talk about the complexities of caring for ageing parents remotely and tips on how to talk to your family members about the situation.  Expat tech exposed Nikki and Kirsty’s different use of the tab feature and while Nikki advocated for Onetab, Kirsty did not. They did both agreed on how cool Radio Garden was, so there’s always that. Expat Money talked about wills and international things about wills, it’s all very complicated and Two Fat Expats will continue to investigate and bring you the best information it can, so stay tuned for that.

In location, location, location Nikki spoke to Jessica in K is for Kigali.

Jessica’s documentary recommendation – Leave it to Beavers

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Reading, Movies, Telly, Podcasts and Food

Kirsty

Reading – An article about Steve Job’s eldest child, Lisa Brennan Jobs (that first appeared in the New York Times)

Podcast – ZigZag

Nikki

Telly –  The Bachelor, Australia (Finale)

 

 

Kirsty had four babies in four countries but did she have any baby showers? Expat Tech closes the story, for now, on Kirsty’s Apple tv and in Expat Money we interview, Andrew in the Netherlands on proposed changes to taxes for expats living there. In Expat relationships we talk about the complexities of being diagnosed with a life altering illness while living away from your home country and how that might look in relation to obtaining a diagnosis and the where and how on the treatment and other issues involved.

In location, location, location Nikki spoke to  Ann-Maree in J is for Jakarta.

Ann-Maree’s podcast recommendation – My mum says my memoir is a lie and her BBC tv rec Bodyguard

Links to further info and resources discussed by Andrew on expat tax issues in the Netherlands, the GoFundMe effort, Change.org, I am Expat info page on the changes and another article of interest and explanation from iamamsterdam.

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Books, Movies, Telly, Podcasts and Food

Kirsty

Movie – Goodbye Christopher Robin

Nikki

Telly –  Facebook watch – Sorry for your loss

Podcasts – All the ones with Leigh Sales talking about her book, Any Ordinary Day. No Filter with Mia Freedman, Conversations with Richard Fidler and Chat 10, looks 3 with Annabel Crabb

 

And just like that we’re at Episode 101.  This episode in Geographical challenges we find out Kirsty could have been married to a concert pianist, Expat Tech explores an update on VPNs and Apple TV and in Expat Money we are on the lookout for a great solution for multi currency budgeting apps. In Expat relationships we talk about the additional hurdles to all your relationships, personal, family and education institution wise, that can happen if you undertake a move with a child that might learn differently. Kirsty referenced a previous episode from Season 2 where TFE interviewed two mothers of children with Special Needs – Expats with Special Needs.

In location, location, location Nikki spoke to Kim in I is for Ivanivka, you may not have heard of it but you will want to hear Kim talk about it in the Fat Five and a bit.

Kim’s podcast recommendation – Popcast with Knox and Jamie

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Books, Movies, Telly, Podcasts and Food

Kirsty

Books  – Everything I never told you – Celeste Ng

Movie – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing

TV – Hannah Gadsby – Nanette 

Nikki

Telly –  Magnum PI

Podcasts – Ellen on the Go

Movie – Book Club

Two Fat Expats is 100 episodes old! That’s a lot of chatting, giggles and sharing of ideas, tips and interviews on how to live a Fat Expat life. In this milestone episode we cover our regular topics Geographical challenges, Expat Tech, Expat Relationships, Expat Kids and Expat Money but instead of a location, location, location Nikki takes Kirsty down memory lane with some old clips of early episodes.

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Books, Movies, Telly, Podcasts and Food

Kirsty

Books  – Everything I never told you – Celeste Ng

Movie – Tully 

Nikki

Telly –  Sharp Objects on HBO

Podcasts – The Teacher’s Pet