An expatriate (Expat) is someone from one country who resides in another country. for permanently departure his country of origin, a person becomes emigrant. For entering a foreign country, that person becomes immigrant. then by residing in that foreign country, the person becomes expatriate. There are many reasons why someone becomes an expat. The expatriate could be fleeing a trial for a crime or alleged crime that he committed in his country of origin. Or, he or she may hate their country of origin, their family, or their lifestyle, so by uprooting and moving to another country, that person tries to restart their mortal life (a new stage) in another place.
There are also positive reasons why someone will become an expatriate. Little savings or retirement income can support a better lifestyle in a third world country. The new country may be an exotic land, a long-cherished place and lifestyle that finally becomes a reality for them. The new country may be central to a region that the person wishes to travel to and experience, such as Austria, which is central to Europe. Perhaps a job offer in the foreign country, with generous benefits, will become the turning point in a person’s decision to become an expatriate there. Whatever the reason, if the new country has an expat community that welcomes others like them, the temptation to do so often turns into a decision to move there.
My choice as an example of where I might travel to become an expat is Penang, Malaysia. Search the web for “Penang Expats” to find and enjoy a great Expat You Tube video titled “The Expat: Penang, Malaysia”. In the video, watch the producer/storyteller set a financial benchmark (cost of living not to exceed). Then, you immerse yourself in the culture of your target (Penang), to experience the costs of eating, traveling, transporting, staying and having fun, meeting and talking with other expats there, locals and shopkeepers, while tallying up the costs so that you can make the prudent decision to stay within budget.
Why am I interested in Penang? Penang is an island as well as a state in Malaysia, and I’m specifically interested in that state’s capital, George Town, as a location. On the island, south of George Town, Penang International Airport is a gateway to all of Southeast Asia. From that airport, I can fly cheaply with Malaysia Airlines to see about 25% of the world, and the trips will be short. Equally important to me, the story of Penang is convincing. To live there is to have the opportunity to immerse yourself deeply in the exploits of the 15th century Chinese Ming dynasty, which launched naval expeditions to establish a foothold there. In the 18th century, the British East India Company established diplomatic relations with the Penang-based Malay Sultan of Kedah, bringing the company into direct conflict with the Dutch and Portuguese East India Companies. Many trials by diplomacy and by combat between ships and company armies of these three companies happened in the area. The East India Companies, forerunners of modern Corporations, endured a long history before they learned to replace bloody confrontation with political cooperation to do business profitably.
Take a look at Penang on Google Maps. Scan to see the Strait of Malacca, a stretch of constricted water which has been a crossroads of maritime trade since the 15th century and is even more so today. The pirates carried out ambushes in this area. Penang is at one end of the straight; Singapore is at the other extreme. During World War I, a German cruiser sailed towards George Town, sank a Russian cruiser, withdrew, and then sank a pursuing French destroyer. In World War II, the Japanese, who conquered Malaysia, signed a pact with Germany to arrange for a German submarine force (Monsun Gruppe) to operate out of George Town, along with a Japanese submarine group.
Did you know that you can find details about a God-sent Expat? Web search Hebrews 11:8-19. The book of Hebrews is found in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. By traveling and residing in the land of Canaan, Abraham became an expatriate. He went there because God, in whom Abraham had faith (deep trust, rooted in spiritual belief, rather than physical evidence) told him that it was a land that would become the home of his heirs. Expatriates Abraham and Sarah (his wife) had no children and were very old when they went to Canaan, well past childbearing age. However, because of their faith, a new and great people (the Hebrews) and a nation (Israel) arose. Bill Barrick researched his story in depth. His article, “Abraham: An Expatriate from the Bible,” is well written and includes supporting Biblical scripture.