Two Fat Expats

Expats – The Series

This week we discuss Expats the television series based in Hong Kong. The series is adapted from the novel The Expatriates written by Janice Y.K. Lee. Nikki is 6 months in with her repatriation and has a very honest chat about...

How much money will I need?

What is a good salary in Doha? London? Jakarta? We’ve all seen the questions based on how much money you need to make to survive, today we have a new question. What’s been the biggest cost you didn’t foresee when you...

The Trailing Spouse is Dead

The Trailing Spouse is dead – this week on the podcast we talk about why the “Accompanying Spouse” has arrived. I mean the Accompanying Spouse was always a better term wasn’t it? We all walk side by side don’t we?...

Should I go home?

This week on the podcast we answer a question from the Fatterati’s “Should I go home?” We also discuss the complications of re-acquainting yourself with old friends after repatriation. Kirsty’s three favourite things: Exposed (podcast) Deadloch (television) Travis and Taylor and everything EVERYTHING about...

Repatriation – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Cry

When do you spill the beans that you’re moving? Long term postings or always on the move which one are you?

This was Nikki’s very last podcast before she repatriated. The post When do you spill the beans that you’re moving? Long term postings or always on the move which one are you? first appeared on Two Fat Expats.

Given birth away from home lately? Here’s how things have changed. Also, an expat mental health check.

It’s been seven hours and sixteen years…yes I know the song doesn’t go like that but it fits with the intro. It’s been a long time since Kirsty and Nikki have hit the maternity ward so we asked the Fatterati...

Want to know the truth? Here’s some long term expat challenges you may not have thought about. Food discoveries from the Fatterati.

What are some of the unique challenges long term expats face? Savings and superannuation, self care and medical issues? Heart breaking friend break ups? Property ownership and all the tax implications that come with it? We ran through a few....

I don’t like it here – what to do when you hate your location.

Also, the ageist expat are you a victim or a perpetrator? Kirsty’s three things: Shrinking, The Big Swing and while we’re on the subject….golf! Nikki’s favourite three things: White Collar, 1923, Robbie Williams live in Copenhagen And watch out Amsterdam we’re coming for you! The...

Doing it live in Singapore

Welcome to our first live audience podcast recorded in Singapore – yes yes Kirsty was in Singapore in 2016 but it was a 4 kids, 20 suitcases and a beagle reading whereas this was the full package! The theme of the...

The Realities of Repatriation

Nikki is dealing with the realities of the impact her expat life has had on her family relationships and describes how it feels like a bit of a “kick in the guts”. We talk about Kirsty’s book and its premise....

How do you Repatriate with expat itchy feet

How will you settle? Expats traditionally have itchy feet so how do you settle when you’re heading home? How will you plan your expat year ahead? Or how will you divide up your time ahead? Now that expats are back...

2023 – Episode One

How will you cope with no-one giving a flying fig about your expat life when you’re home for the holidays or repatriating? Kirsty and Nikki discuss why expats are hurt by friends and family that appear disinterested in their expat...

The Festive Expat

Will you be with family or without for the festive season? What do you do to make your holiday season special or is the holiday season non existant where you’re currently living? Instead of our usual three favourite things with podcasts,...

Would You Move to China Right Now?

In our would you/could you we discuss what Covid restrictions look like in China right now. Would you/could you move there? We talk to the Chinese Fatterati about their lives and report back. Would you/could you make your house a home...

The Redundant Expat

This week on the podcast we discuss travelling between countries with medications and how to navigate when you’ve been prescribed something in one country only to discover it’s banned in the country you’re moving to. Nikki has some big news...

Expats at The World Cup

This week’s episode is all about the World Cup both in Qatar and South Africa. I’ve written a piece about living in Qatar and the recent press. Here’s a few of the links I talked about: David Beckham Peyton Manning World Cup...

Episode 200 is here

A quick chat about having the World Cup on your door step. Who has the longest work hours and is it just a part of Expat Life? Should you put up and shut up? What’s it like to work in...

Feeling Frisky? Or are you sick of the pat down? Here’s some airport security tips to help you get to the gate on time. And how to have the boarding school conversation without losing friends.

Are you ‘randomly selected’ for an extra pat down every time you make your way throught the airport? We think we may know the reason why. Listen in to find out why it’s happening to you. Would you/Could you break up...

The Great Expat Summer. Lost luggage delayed flights and a very small hotel room with a positive covid test. Are we having fun yet?

Nikki walks us through her covid on holidays experience. Would you/could you send packages to a transit hotel? What are the rules? Do all hotels let you do it or are some hotels going to charge you for the privilege? We...

Could you kill the Two Fat Expats group? Also, expat insurance what do you need to cover yourself?

In would you/could you this week we discuss expat insurance. What do you need? Are you paying too much? Or have you forgotten to pay at all? We also discuss recent activity in the Two Fat Expats Group. Anger management,...

Never lose a suitcase or package again – we’ll tell you how.

We begin with a couple of would you/could you questions. Would you / could you leave an apple air tag in your shipment (either air or sea) to track your belongings? Would you / could you take a trip home without your...

Leaving your kids on the other side of the world?Get ready to have your heart ripped out of your chest.

We begin with a couple of would you/could you questions. Would you / could you leave your child in your home country and return to live in your expat location without them? Would you / could you change your June /...

What’s an ESTA? Don’t get caught out with recent changes.

Would you / could you agree to remote parenting roles while in separate countries? Nikki asks Why am I organising sleepovers from 10,000 miles away? Would you/could you tell me what an ESTA is and if so do you feel up to...

Expat swimming. Have you swum in the icy cold nude? Or are you bobbing around like vegetable soup in the middle east?

Would you / could you (and where) would you swim in your current location? Would you / could you listen to a podcast at more than 1.0 speed? (Are we better at 1.5?) Would you / could you pay for the cost...

The Opposite of an Expat Love Story

What happens when expat love turns sour. Two stories of betrayal, young love and then twenty years on, how do you protect yourself from getting burnt? Why is an expat betrayal any different. We decide on the best medical face mask...

Have our Kiwi expats had it harder than anyone else? Meanwhile in Denmark…

This week in would you/could you? Would you/Could you go out without a mask where you live? Would you/Could you call Lunar New Year Chinese New Year? Would you/Could you travel with just a ticket and a passport? We speak to Bridgee a Kiwi...

Expat Love Stories

We put a call out to the Fatterati and today we have an absolute gift for you. Sit back and enjoy some beautiful expat love stories. How did you meet? Where did it take you? Have you ever had a...

2021 Two Fat Expats – The Best Bits

What did we talk about in 2021, quite a bit! Here’s a recap of the best bit. February Kirsty – It’s a Sin Nikki – Bridgerton March Kirsty – I made an adult (Tracey Crisp) The Adelaide Fringe Nikki – The Test Kitchen April Kirsty – Grace Tame – Press Club Speech Nikki...

The best expat Christmases

Is there such a thing as your best Christmas ever? If so, where was it? We run through some of our favourite locations and moments as well as offering up some advice from the Fatterati on what made their Christmases...

Omicron – the expat heartbreaker

Omicron has broken the hearts of many expats this week. With some of us being days away from getting on a plane before flights were cancelled and strict quarantine procedures rolled out. This week we talk about making plans in...

Can you be a vaccine hesitant expat? And Tinder for expat families.

This week we discuss Austria’s decision to make covid vaccinations compulsory. Who’s next? Can you keep your job while being a vacine hesitant expat? We also take a look at a new app designed to assist families to connect. It’s...

When you’re not going home for the festive season.

This week we discuss the pros and cons of returning to your “home” country for the festive season. We’re also talking Christmas markets in Europe – will they happen this year? Nikki’s trying to not get her hopes up after...

Should you stop shipping your stuff around the world? And who gets to decide which nationality you identify with/as?

How much sh*t do you ship? And what effect is it having on the planet? In the week of COP 26 we look at shipping containers and personal belongings and how we can be better at moving our things from...

Where have all the expat bloggers gone and when does a new country feel like home?

This week we talk about the death of the expat blog. Did Bloggers become influencers? Did Instagram kill the art of storytelling? Do we even want to read expat blogs anymore?? Then Nikki talks about her recent Saturday night and...

The hardest goodbyes? New country, new essential purchases.

This week we talk about the things you didn’t know you needed until you got there. Nikki is all over her new phone cover for her bike (something she didn’t need in the US). What have you needed in one...

The Best Vaccination for Travel.

This week we talk about the best vaccination for international travel. What’s the most widely accepted? And will there be restrictions on where you can go and what you can do depending on your vaccine? We also talk about getting...

International School Dress Codes and here comes Business Travel, are you ready?

Business Travel. Are you ready for it? Are you busting to do it or are you a little bit wary? Personal travel is different (there’s a lot more margaritas) and you get to choose the destination and the activities –...

How does perimenopause affect the expat? And the link to the magic lipgloss.

Our two fat questions are vastly different this week. We cover how will menopause affect my expat life? And then what shall I buy as a hostess gift when I go to stay at someone’s house? Broad enough for you? Seriously though, what...

Can you keep your job “at home” but still travel?

If you had a chance to have a job in your home country (that you could do from anywhere) or a job locally, what would you choose? What makes more sense? Keeping one leg in the employment market at “home”...

Generous Airlines and Expat Re-invention

Nikki gives us an insight into life in Denmark without covid restrictions. Spoiler alert…there was a buffet table! We discuss what airlines are doing to keep customers “on board” . Nikki mentioned this article https://thepointsguy.com/guide/airline-elite-status-coronavirus/ Do you re-invent yourself with every expat...

Did she just say her clivia had flowered?

Okay I’m just going to put this out there. I talked about my clivia not flowering – and if that sounds really really naughty and rude it’s because you’re possibly not across the beautiful South African native. So if you...

Season 8 – We’re back!

Are you trying to get into Australia? This week we spoke to Sarah from Mindful Migration. Sarah explained the options for getting back into Australia, and more importantly how you’ll get out once you’ve got in! Nikki talked about her...

Expat telephone trees. Who is at the top of yours?

Kirsty has lost her tree, what was once a flourishing jungle appears to now be a burnt stump. Nikki on the other hand is trying to work out where the top of the tree begins. Who do you call when...

Will Expats Get Home For Christmas?

With Europe and the US opening up, but Australia shutting down who are the expats who will make it home for Christmas? Also we talk International Schooling, when do you decide where your children will finish their schooling? How soon is...

Once an expat, always an expat? Or are you turfed out of the group when you return home?

How do you keep your medical records up to date when you travel? Have you registered your Covid vaccine in your home country. Nikki’s decluttering, Kirsty’s rowing on her brand new water rower. Nikki is reading – The Mindful Way Through Depression...

Are digital vaccine passports the answer? What’s your “it’s a small world” story?

Okay, let’s get the down low on digital vaccine passports. When and how will they work? What’s your small world story? For Nikki it’s her new apartment in Copenhagen, for Kirsty it’s all about the egg cups in Libya. Our...

How do you pick the right International School for you?

Kirsty opened a can of worms in the Two Fat Expats Facebook group with a question (that with hindsight) was always going to be problematic. “How do we make International Schools more accountable?” So how do we? We discuss in today’s...

No Jab No Job? – Expat Vaccination

In our four fat questions we discuss what will happen to the expats who cannot be vaccinated, those who are highly allergic, is this the end of their expat experience? We talk about the most successful moving stories, and is...

How to stay together when you’re miles apart

Our anonymous question this week is all about staying together when you’re physically miles apart. How do you turn those “admin” phone calls into conversations that will brighten your day rather than leave you feeling flat and discombobulated. Our anonymous...