Aisha Isabel Ashraf is a freelance writer and author of the popular blog EXPATLOG – a collection of irreverent observations from her experiences as a “cultural chameleon”. It’s where you’ll find her, strung out on caffeine, humorously dissecting the peculiarities of expat life for her own amusement and the benefit of future generations.”
She can be contacted via the usual avenues (e-mail, Twitter, Facebook) – just swing by the blog for directions.
Read Aisha’s other Expat Focus articles here.
Canadian and British homes are worlds apart in terms of style and layout. Before moving to Canada, my husband and I renovated and extended our 1930’s UK property, stripping the interior – re-plastering, re-plumbing and re-wiring. It was a major undertaking; six months of dust and noise made possible in equal measure by vast amounts … Read more
However many times you do it, moving to another country is a big deal. We try to wrap our heads around it by learning as much as we can about the new place before we go; climate, currency, language, demographics… but it’s the small stuff that someone once said you shouldn’t sweat, that can make … Read more
A record-breaking start to the year We’ve been experiencing some record-breaking temperatures here in Ontario this year. Our last winter was incredibly mild and spring got off to a flying start with the first record temperature occurring in March, when many parts of Canada saw temperatures in double-digits. The last day of snow was March … Read more
Whenever people travel somewhere new, they talk of “the sights and sounds”, and out come the photos to give us an idea of what they’ve experienced. But without the auditory soundtrack the pictures are static and flat. We can’t feel the atmosphere.It takes sound to flesh out the visual experience and imbue it with life. … Read more
Is it time to pull the plug on Ontario’s government-funded faith schools? There’s a struggle taking place in Ontario that pits Canada’s most cherished freedoms against one another and could potentially change the face of education in the province. Ontario politicians are attempting to amend the province’s Education Act, brought in last November to provide … Read more
As an expat in Canada, finding affordable car insurance can be like trying to shift those last few pounds to reach your target weight. You’ve come so far; found somewhere to live, started in the new job and worked out the recycled waste collection schedule. You’ve decided on the car you want and the monthly … Read more
Ok. Maybe that’s a bit extreme. But have you ever been surprised how much “stuff” you own? Minimalism is easy when you’re a couple, but add children to the mix and your “Stuff Quotient” soars. Strollers, highchairs, stair-gates and outgrown apparel populate the shadows of the basement or gather dust in the attic. With children, … Read more
You could be forgiven for thinking moving to Canada doesn’t entail the same consideration journeying to a third world country might. After all, it has a stable economy, an established infrastructure and an accepting attitude, right? But it’s always the small, innocuous things that lurk below our radar that can make life miserable with their … Read more
Moving to another country with children can be a stressful experience. The tearful confession, “I want to go home,” is the last thing any parent wants to hear. Adults will be going through their own period of adjustment and this, coupled with the logistical matters that lay claim to their time in the early days, … Read more
For us, 2012 will be the Year of the Road Trip, the year we travel to Tadoussac to see the whales swimming in Quebec’s first purely marine national park, where the Saguenay River meets the estuary of the St Lawrence. I’m excited at the thought of the drive and the stops we’ll make en route, … Read more