What Was New: May 2006

5 May

Best bar none?

"Buy two crumbling old farmhouses in a remote, rural part of Spain and open up as a British bar/restaurant? Are you mad? - These were just the thoughts running through the minds of John and Trish when a friend (and property developer) asked them to take time away from their well established busy, thriving bar/restaurant in the bustling town of Torrevieja, Alicante and drive out into the countryside of Murcia to view these properties." Find out how they got on in Elaine Ablett's article.
Opening a bar in rural Spain

6 May

Kids under stress?

Moving overseas with children can be stressful for child and parent alike. British Expat is glad to offer help, through the kind co-operation of child psychologist Ruth Coppard of HelpMeHelpMyChild.com. You can get in touch with Ruth about your problems through our pages.
Help Me Help My Child

7 May

Tasty, tasty, very very tasty...

"I think if I had known the ingredients I might never have tried this wonderful dish. Give it a try - you won't be disappointed. It is so succulent it melts in your mouth. It also has a bit of a spicy kick, which you would expect, it coming from Zanzibar." Ian Williamson takes us through the recipe for this spicy meat dish.
Zanzibar recipes: Sorpotel

8 May

Pic of the Week

Rain beats down on Woody Lake in northern Georgia, USA.
Rainy Day in Georgia

9 May

Peace of mind at last!

Expats have been asking for ages how to insure their UK home while it's unoccupied. Now Intasure are offering a new product, underwritten by Norwich Union, for people who live overseas but also have homes in the UK. Get your free no-obligation quotation here!
Insure your UK home
Intasure do insurance for holiday homes in seven other popular EU holiday destination countries too...
Insure your EU holiday home
And if your home happens to be in Spain, France or Portugal for more than half the year they can insure that too. Good, eh?

15 May

More than just oil...

"The fascination of Abu Dhabi for me is a simple one – wander through the back streets where the perfume shops, gold shops, crafts and spices all mingle together. Visit the clothing shops with material from all over the world made up into exotic gowns for local women. Try the local foods – fatayer, which are pastries made with cheese, tomatoes, honey and chicken, or shwarmas, chicken or lamb roasted on a spit and served in pitta bread." Di Miller takes us on a lightning tour of the attractions of the largest of the Emirates, Abu Dhabi.
Never Mind Bahrain... Here comes Abu Dhabi

Pic of the Week

A saffron-robed Buddha statue guards the North Gate of the Bayon Temple at Angkor Thom in Cambodia.
Bayon Temple, Angkor Thom

19 May

"Can I count on your vote?"

"Candidates and their supporters do not canvass door to door here in the DR as they do in the UK. Instead they have 'caravans' – motorcades with the candidate sitting on the roof of an SUV via the sun roof, surrounded by supporters in a procession of vehicles. Some vehicles will be trucks with 20 or 30 enthusiastic supporters waving and yelling at the crowds. Plus the ubiquitous mobile ghetto-blaster, of course." Ginnie Bedggood takes a wry look at election campaigning DR style!
Glitz, Bling and Merengue

22 May

Pic of the Week

A flowering branch on a Scots pine tree.
Scots pine

29 May

Pic of the Week

A self-portrait by British Expat Forum regular and ex-professional photographer CustomStrat.
CustomStrat: self-portrait

30 May

An unexpected treat!

"We'd never been to Cambodia before, let alone Siem Reap, so we were a little apprehensive about what to expect of the cuisine. Kay's visit to Vietnam in the dim and distant past had been promising – the lingering French influence meant that it was still possible to buy good bread, and even cheese – but would the same be true of Cambodia, after the poverty and suffering of the last forty years?" Find out how we got on during our April 2006 visit to Siem Reap. . .
Siem Reap – Where to Eat