Welcome to our monthly recap!
Each month we address different topics that bring into light our members all over the world.

These are the ones covered in October:

• Member Spotlight
• News from members
• Cultural Corner: French vs Locals, French Struggles, Favourite Food, Holidays

Member Spotlight

Inigo Lopez, the founder of BiCortex Languages and BiCortex Translations, provides language and cross-cultural training in 89 countries in the world.

They provide both face-to-face and online courses, for companies as well as individuals. They also provide translation and interpretation services (both normal translations and sworn/certified translations for immigration, visa, and other legal processes), as well as document legalization and apostilles.

Inigo, a networking fan from Burgos, is also known for his own outstanding language skills along with his notable multitasking competence. Check out this post about him.

In October, we also greeted one new relocation member and one partner-member to our French-speaking Network.

Gwladys Tawema, the founder of Malaïka Services in Benin, provides three types of assistance. Firstly, international mobility services for those relocating to Benin. Secondly, concierge services for those already living there, and thirdly, business set-up assistance for companies wishing to invest in the country. With Gwladys joining us, Bienvenue Relocation Network reinforces its presence on the African continent. Check out this post about Gwladys.

Raphaël Le Bars, representing Santexpat.fr, a health insurance comparison website for 3 million French citizens abroad, positions himself as a health partner for French expatriates. They have been in the insurance business since 2012 and launched their fully digital platform in 2020. With Santexpat.fr, our members are able to provide fast and quality health insurance deals for expatriates all over the world. Check out this post about Raphaël.

News From Members

Capital Fr, a French monthly magazine focusing on economics, published an article featuring our partner-member All World Transport-AWT. The article, entitled “International relocation of your employees”, gives us insight into AWT, their core business, transportation method, quality certification and affiliation, and client engagement and follow-up.

Sofime Relocation, our relocation member based in Paris, renewed its Magellan Circle certification with the International Mobility Club, with a score of 4.7 out of 5, and we couldn’t be more proud to have such quality members in our network! Check this post to know more.

We also love seeing our members meet! Sylvie Coursieres from Victoria Relocation and Virginie Deshayes from GAPSMOOV had the chance to meet in Lille.

Resident Vietnam published an article on Vietnam’s work permit regulations, effective as of last September. It is seen as a positive improvement for businesses and expatriates, amending the previously stringent decree 152 implemented less than 3 years ago. Check this post for more information.

Cultural Corner

One of the ways for discovering a new country is participating in their cultural events and traditions. As Wayne Dyer has put it, “Learning from another culture is like collecting treasures from around the world.”

There are approximately 2,5 million French expatriates around the world. Integrating into certain cultures can be easier than into others. The French expatriates in Dubai, for example, struggle with the notion of time being somewhat more flexible than in France. And it doesn’t come as a surprise that many expatriates in China struggle with day-to-day activities, as the locals do not really use English.

One of the common questions among expatriates is, “What’s the most popular dish in your country?”. This is also what we asked all our members. Not sure, if it’s the most popular, but it’s certainly one of the most controversial ones, Vegemite on toast is an Australian icon best eaten with a cup of tea or coffee.

Last, but not least, let’s dive into holiday traditions. Halloween is the favourite holiday of our member in the USA. This holiday is not just about dressing up to scare people, and collect candies, but to immerse into American folklore and spooky camaraderie.