Tuesday, October 28, 2008

While we weren't looking...

Almost as serious as this blog losing its glorious page rank during our break, since those early summer days the world has changed dramatically while we weren't looking! Whilst we may already have been in the grip of a "credit crunch", few of us had then considered the possibility of a global banking meltdown!

Well, despite an interest in events, and of course hoping that international measures will save us all, one can resist the temptation to add to the global escalation in commenting on the economic situation... except to point to one stunning spin-off for a Brit in France - the sight of a British socialist Prime Minister and a French President from the political right announcing that they are working hand-in-hand to find solutions to the financial crisis. A true sign of the gravity of the situation, given the renowned love-hate relationship between the British and French even, or perhaps particularly, at senior political levels!

However, while our leaders may be suddenly united in mutual objectives, what is the take of the expat, in whatever country, on the international crisis, even if we are now to experience mere recession rather than complete meltdown? If the expat is by circumstance always somewhat in isolation, would a tougher financial environment create more of a sense of being stranded on foreign shores? Perhaps a lot will depend on the individual expat... retired with a secure income, dependent on earning a crust, etc. I have a feeling that we will be returning to this subject as one of our mini-themes in coming months - let's hear your experiences so far...

Monday, October 27, 2008

Apologies...

Well, many apologies to all loyal readers for the absence of 245 and Counting... as occasionally happens, real life intervened with an all consuming project for the entire summer.

What has really shocked the writer is that this blog's prized Google page rank of 4 was lost entirely during this comparatively short period... so, lots of work to be done to make that good - and your support would be much appreciated!