Some might say that going grocery shopping in your host country is so exciting!
There are so many new products to look at and try out. Sometimes you get lucky and discover your new favorite local product.
But it is not always that positive when shopping in your local grocery store. Many times products will only list their ingredients in the local language. If you are not able to read it, then for some that means you probably won’t buy it. It is a shame because it is very possible that you will really love it!
There is also the local ‘expat’ grocery store. Maybe that one is your most favorite. Who wouldn’t love a place that sells products from your home country and from around the world? Of course, you typically pay a high price tag for those products. But expats love to treat themselves every once and awhile, don’t we!?
At ISC, we are really curious to see what grocery stores our members are going to in their host countries. The next time you go grocery shopping, take a picture with your smart phone of what it looks like; maybe of the employees working there or you shopping in your favorite aisle. We’ll chose the top 3 photos that are the most interesting to win the photo contest prizes!
So, what is your favorite local grocery store? Submit your photo to us and enter our photo contest! All participants receive free premium membership to our website!
Photo contest topic:
Your Favorite Local Grocery Store
The PRIZES: 1st prize: 2 YEARS FREE of premium membership
2nd prize: 1 YEAR FREE of premium membership
3rd prize: 6 MONTHS FREE of premium membership
(Those submissions that are not in the top three will receive 1 free week of premium membership just for participating.)
Send your photo to editor @ internationalschoolcommunity.com. Please remember to:
• Write your name and email address
• Attach your picture and write a short description about it
• Enter these words in your subject: International School Community Photo Contest Entry: Your Favorite Local Grocery Store
or Tweet the photo and mention our profile @IS_Community to make sure we will see it. If you are on Instagram, tag us when you post the photo and/or use the official hashtag #iscommunityphoto
(Deadline to submit your photo: Friday, 10 May, 2019. Maximum one photo entry per contestant.)
Occupation: International Teacher Industry: International Education Age: 33 Location: Mersin, Turkey Salary: $36,000 USD Paycheck Amount (Monthly): $3,022
Day 1: Saturday
In the morning, I book a Turkish Hammam for $18, including tip. I messaged for an appointment and was on the table in less than an hour. I enjoyed a 1.5-hour massage, tea before and a coffee afterward. The hammam is within walking distance to my apartment.
For brunch, I make a Turkish breakfast dish at home. The Turkish economy is in a recession, so locals report a significant increase in the price of produce. However, I can purchase a loaf of fresh bread from the bakery for $1, tomatoes, peppers, onions, oranges, lemons and herbs for less than $10 that will last me for the week.
After working at home, I earned a night out so for $2 round I can take a trip train into the next city, the price is reduced when I remember to show my government issued a teacher ID card. The train station is a 10-15 minute walk from my apartment.
$25 dinner out with friends including appetizer, main dish, dessert, and drinks. The restaurant is a 10-minute walk from the train station in the next city so I avoid paying extra cab fare.
Day 2: Sunday
In the morning, I do some professional development and take the Google Educator Recertification Exam for $10. Three years ago I made my first exam and decided to take the exam to keep myself current. Living in a smaller town means there aren’t too many things to do so I find I am reading more, catching up on TV series and films, and taking online courses while working on my future application materials.
In the afternoon I go out for a walk to do my weekly snack run. I visit a local candy and nut store. These shops sell a variety of nuts, dates, corn nuts, and coffee which I take to work and munch on in the evenings and weekends.
I have a busy week that includes late nights this week, so I prepare a vegetable curry that I plan to eat each night after coming home. I use the vegetables I purchased on Saturday, along with some lentils and coconut milk I find in the cupboard.
Day 3: Monday
After work, I visit the gym. For dinner, I check out a new dessert place that recently opened in town. Lokmaci is a sweet fried dough akin to a doughnut hole with toppings, cost $2. For dinner, I eat leftovers from Sunday.
Day 4: Tuesday
For $17, I purchase a belated birthday gift for my mother on Amazon. I was delighted to find I had Amazon card, perhaps from selling some textbooks over the summer. A benefit from living abroad is I don’t shop online often. There are local sites in Turkey where I can buy online, but I’ve chosen not to register because I can find everything I need locally. Again, I eat leftovers for dinner after visiting the gym.
Day 5: Wednesday
After work, I visited a burger joint with a colleague and spent $5.50. We go back and forth paying week to week. This week, but next week it will be on him.
$12 On the way home we stop by a grocery store. My school provides daily lunch, so I benefit from eating healthy salads and fruit. A more significant benefit is that I don’t have to pack and prepare a lunch bag or leak-proof containers. When I visit the grocery store, I stock up on oatmeal, yogurt, and snacks. I buy fresh fruit and vegetables at my neighborhood market on the weekends.
Day 6: Thursday
Nearing the end of the week, and perhaps feeling a bit tired of leftovers for dinner. I spent $3 for flavored coffee and simit toast, basically a Turkish bagel with cheese at the school canteen. Each morning I prepare my coffee or tea, throughout the day I visit the school’s instant coffee and tea area, but every so often I enjoy a coffee with a colleague.
For $2 on the way home I grabbed an ice cream bar with my neighbor and then prepared to visit the gym with a buddy. For dinner, I finished leftovers from Sunday.
Day 7: Friday
After visiting the gym, a friend and I decide to spend Friday night at the local mall.
For $5, I eat American inspired fast food in the food court. After eating I notice a shoe store I like to check out, and the Mango store is gone, possible signs of the recession in Turkey.
The oddest purchase I make this week is a $2 pair of stockings I see near the cash register as I wait for my friend to check out. I can feel warmer humid weather is coming, but some mornings are still a bit chilly. I justify that one more pair of stockings may be necessary.
Before leaving the mall, we hit up a beauty store where I spent $6 for cotton buds, a lip mask, and some face cream. I give the cashier my phone number each time which may result in some discounts, but I don’t speak enough of the language to understand the benefits programs at the various stores. One change in Turkey is a new plastic bag fee to encourage a reduction in plastic consumption. I generally bring my reusable bags with me to the store and if I forget I buy a new one or don’t shop that day.
Monthly Expenses $400/month international travel during holidays $150/month groceries $100/month clothing $90/month virtual counseling $80/month restaurants and meals out $50/month apartment cleaning $33/month retirement fund $16/month gym membership $12/month Audible subscription $12/month beauty supplies $3/month Netflix
This article was submitted by an ISC member. Why not submit your Money Diary article for your area of the world and earn free premium membership to the ISC website? Contact us here if you are interested.
Nobody wants to live in a place where they feel unsafe. It doesn’t matter if you are a man, a woman, a gay or lesbian person, a person of color, a physically challenged person, a senior citizen, etc., you definitely want to live somewhere you can you feel safe in your environment and surroundings.
It is unfortunate, but not every city in the world is considered a safe place for everyone. But I think people would be surprised to find out which cities are making the lists of top 50 safest cities in the world.
If you haven’t been to a certain city in the world before to check it out yourself, then there can be a lot of misunderstandings and misconceptions about that place. People tend to revert to using stereotypes to describe the places that they haven’t been to before. Surely your mom has said this to you before you move to or even travel to a specific country: ‘oh, I’ve heard some bad things about that place. Make sure you are safe there!’, but most likely your mom is just getting her information from her local newspaper, for example. Maybe your mom is just referring to a story she heard about that city 10, 20 even 30 years ago! And of course, some of that information might not actually be true and cities can and do change over time.
After having visited many cities in many countries in the world, people will realize that every place has nice people that live there. Even if there is a small lack of safety at the moment, the fruit seller is still selling her/his fruit. Meaning that life goes on as normal, in most cities in the world, regardless of most recent events.
Besides war, we unforutnately consistently see episodes of terrorist attacks on a number of cities around the world. And they are happening everywhere, any place and any time. It would appear impossible to avoid living in a place where there is a 0% chance of a terrorist attack.
“The political unrest has subsided and feel very safe. However, It seems that many people get frustrated with politics between the National school and the International school. The National school has control of everything and it has a negative impact on day-to-day working conditions at the International school. If the International school was independent of the National school, I feel, it would be a tremendous place to work. Many people, however, simply get tired of trying to work with such limiting parameters imposed by the National school.” – MEF International School Istanbul
In some cities, often found in developing countries, you might find yourself living in a compound or a building with some level of security. Living in a building with a guard can be a new experience for many international school teachers. You might also find yourself living in a city where you will see high walls with barbed wire surrounding each building as you drive to and from your home to work. Not everyone wants to look at that every day. Even though it gives you a feeling a being safer, it doesn’t give the best feeling that you are constantly reminded of the fact that you seem to be living in an unsafe city.
“Many of the buildings, stores and houses will have fences around them with barbed wire. There are also police couples walking around the downtown area of the city all the time. Though these things keep you safe and feeling security, it doesn’t have the most cosiest feeling as you go around the city.” – American International School of Costa Rica
When you live abroad in a new city, you want the freedom to explore and walk around your new city. As you spend more time there, you will find out the ‘right places’ that you can walk around in your new city. Most people would prefer to walk around freely without any worries, but it is always good to aware of your surroundings as you do your exploring.
“Compared to many Latin American cities I have visited or lived in, Santo Domingo is safe. You don’t have to look over your shoulder all of the time if you stay in the right parts of the city. You can exercise in a park without worrying about getting mugged. Of course you shouldn’t flash money and expensive jewelry around but with common sense it’s not hard to stay out of trouble.” – MC School
Many of us are used to having our own car in our home countries. However, a smaller percentage of us own cars while living abroad. It might be that we view cars as an unnecessary expense in our expat lives, but it also might be that it would be unsafe for you to drive there in your host country. Maybe you would be the unsafe person on the road as it might also be that you are unfamiliar with the local way of driving and that the roads are not very well maintained.
“The best way to make the best out of your stay in KL during your contract it to buy a car and drive around. Driving is really safe, roads are well signaled and the quality is very good. Considering that Malaysia is a relatively small country in terms of territory, it is possible to visit all states and major cities during weekends and have fantastic road trips with gorgeous views.” – Fairview International School
In the end, international school teachers want to move abroad and have a goal to start a new life exploring a new country and getting immersed in a new culture. Thinking of all the factors that come into play with regards to feeling safe while living abroad, achieving this goal can prove to be a difficult talk. But with great cities improving and becoming safer all the time, there are more and more good options for us international school teachers for our next move!
