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04-06-2012 06:17 An explanation of the MPF system for expats living in HK.

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MPF for expats in HK.mp4 - Video

The second round of voting in the Egyptian presidential election began yesterday at the Egyptian embassy in Doha. The mission announced that voting would go on until next Saturday, from 8am to 8pm daily. Eligible voters should go to embassy in person with their Egyptian ID, and valid Qatari ID. Votes could also be send by mail. The sealed envelope addressed to the embassy in Doha should include copies of the Egyptian ID or passport with valid Qatari residency, the ballot paper and affidavit indicating voting by mail. The only candidates left in the fray are Ahmed Shafiq, the last prime minister of former president Mubaraks regime, and Mohamed Mursi, the candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood that has claimed the majority in the current Egyptian parliament. The situation is really critical and unique, said an Egyptian expatriate. He felt that both the candidates have not been successful in reflecting the aspiration of the majority of the Egyptian people so far. However, people have to deal with the situation at hand. The Islamists performance at the parliament could not come up to the expectations for those who voted for them. It is really disappointing but the other option would be to go back to the old guards of the former regime. This is really conflicting, yet I am still hopeful that things have better chances to improve that is why I came here to vote, said another voter. Yet another said he is sure that his vote would count and it is history being made. So I have brought my children along so that they could see the voting process. The turnout is expected to considerably increase on the afternoons with the embassy officials affirming that they are only providing logistic and administrative support to ensure that the process runs as smoothly as possible. In the first round of the presidential election more than 19,000 Egyptian residents in Qatar voted, out of a total of 32,000 who had registered online at the official website for the elections.

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Egyptian expats vote in second round of presidential election

By Ken Gordon

The Columbus Dispatch Saturday June 2, 2012 5:35 AM

Club members, from left: Sharon Bobel, Lyn Ellsesser, Maureen Flynn and Janet Davies

On a recent weekday afternoon in the Clintonville neighborhood, Lyn Ellsesser parked her Mini in front of a yellow house with a Union Jack flag stirring in the breeze.

Then, within minutes of being welcomed inside by homeowner Maureen Flynn, she joined a half-dozen other members of the Columbus British Expats club who were what else? sipping tea in the kitchen.

Our answer to everything is Ill put the kettle on, Ellsesser, 61, said of the choice of beverage, which true Britons always serve with milk added no questions asked.

They had gathered to plan a party that Flynn will host today, the start of a four-day Diamond Jubilee celebration in Britain marking the 60-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

Since the monarchy was established in 1066, Elizabeth has become just the second leader to reach the milestone. (Queen Victoria held the throne for 63 years and 216 days, from 1837 to 1901.)

So, overseas, the British are celebrating with bonfires, church bells, street parties, a 1,000-ship flotilla on the River Thames and on Tuesday a procession and service of thanksgiving.

At the Flynn house tonight, perhaps 50 central Ohio expats and relatives will toast the occasion eating British foods, drinking Pimms (a British version of sangria), singing traditional songs and playing games such as croquet.

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For expats, club a home away from home

Expats celebrate Queens Diamond Jubilee in Dubai

Chris Hough / 2 June 2012

A diamond occasion

British expats gathered at the Grand Hyatt Dubai on Friday to celebrate the Queens Diamond Jubilee with a traditional street party.

Inside an air-conditioned tent in the hotels garden, fans of the British monarch sat at long tables enjoying authentic food from the UK while listening to classic songs from home in the company of like-minded people. Many of the guests arrived in fancy dress, while children ran around enjoying the festivities.

Graham Wolverson, a British resident of Dubai, attended the event dressed as a knight of the realm. He was enjoying spending the time with friends in a relaxed atmosphere.

He said: I think its very typical of these events, but its well run and in the right spirit. It feels good although its not on the same date as in the UK. Its nice to see that lots of people have made the effort.

Its an expat-friendly family event and its nice to see everyone laughing and the Union Jack flying.

In the UK, the Queens Diamond Jubilee celebrations are taking place for four days from today to June 5. Many people will be organising free street parties in their communities to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth IIs reign. In London on Sunday, The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant will feature 1,000 boats sailing through the capital.

For Mrs Turner from Teeside in the northeast of England, the chance to celebrate the jubilee despite being away from the country was a welcome opportunity.

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Expats celebrate Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in Dubai

Foreigners returning to the home of their ancestors can experience identity issues, Peng Yining reports.

Being an expat in China can be tough if you happen to look Chinese. When John Kung, a 50-year-old Chinese Canadian, first arrived in Beijing in 2002, the only Mandarin phrases he knew were ni hao (hello), and wo e le (I'm hungry).

Chinese-Canadian John Kung interacts with students and a colleague at his school in Beijing. Kung says he will stay in China for at least another five years. Photos by Zhang Wei / China Daily

"When I wanted to order in a restaurant, I had to nudge my friends for help," he said. "Waiters must have been confused, especially when I was having dinner with other foreigners, because I was the one who looked Chinese but couldn't speak the language."

Now, after 10 years in Beijing, Kung can deal with basic conversation, but said he still finds himself at a loss when the topic of his origins arises. If he speaks English, people might think he's strange, he said. If he switches to Chinese, people usually want to know where he's from, because of his accent.

"When they find out, they tell me, 'No, you are not Canadian. You are always Chinese'," Kung said. "It's very hard to explain, so sometimes I tell people I am from South Korea and they're satisfied."

China's surging economy has prompted an increasing number of descendants of Chinese emigrants to return to the home of their ancestors. However, for most, looking Chinese doesn't make them any less foreign. Their background certainly helps, but also brings cultural frictions that other ex-pats don't experience.

"After speaking with me, people in China would say, 'You're not very Chinese'," said Mary Chang, a Chinese-American who studied and traveled in China in the mid-1990s. "I'd sometimes get mini-lectures on how I should be able to speak and write Chinese better."

Chang said her ethnicity and language skills helped her navigate the actual traveling - how to get where, what dishes to order at a restaurant, that sort of thing. But she didn't understand some of the cultural clues - When is it OK to haggle? Is it OK to buy train tickets from a scalper if the ticket window is sold out? She wasn't clued up on how the systems worked and what was expected and what wasn't.

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Expats face question of origin