Expat in Manhattan: A Christmas Tipping Dilemma

Tipping is known to be paying a gratuity for services rendered. It is common to restaurants, hotels and establishment that offer services through attendants. This practice has been overly solicited during Christmas, as it is known to be the season of giving. But when exaggeratedly asked, it feels like a catch-22 to people who are not use to it, mostly expats.

“’Among the Christmas cards left by the postman this week was a white envelope entitled Holiday Gratuities. Inside was a letter reminding me of the management’s attitude to tipping the doormen, handymen and superintendent in the high-rise apartment building in which I live in Manhattan.’

Essential fixtures in the lives of many white-collar, professional New Yorkers like me, these workers make living in the city a whole lot easier and the services they offer – holding open doors, receiving packages, controlling the entry of visitors and doing odd jobs – are hard to give up, once experienced. ‘We would like to reassure you that our employees are appropriately compensated for the services they provide to our residents,’ the letter read. ‘However, if in your opinion there are specific employees that have provided services above and beyond your expectations, and you feel a gratuity is deserved, you may provide one on a voluntary basis to either the individual employee or to an employee fund.’

The seven-paragraph letter went on to say that there would be a list of staff names available for perusal at the concierge’s desk, and there would be a locked box in which to place gratuities – cash only, no cheques.

This is my first Christmas for many years in Manhattan, but I had been expecting this. If your building has a doorman, the cost of ancillary staff services is included in the rent or monthly service charge but you still have to dig into your wallet for their year-end tips – or wonder why, when you call to report a plumbing problem, they’re awfully slow to respond.”

Read More From The Telegraph

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Expats Use Christmas to Raise Funds for North

The exchanging of gifts is one of the core aspects of the modern Christmas celebration. For most expats abroad, this season of giving is the best time to go home and spend time with families and friends. But a group of expats in Korea made a difference in celebrating Christmas.

“Laurene Walker imagined what she would be doing if she had stayed at home in Texas this Christmas season: Preparing holiday meals, opening presents, playing board games and sharing love with friends and family.

Instead, Walker celebrated the concept of sharing and hosted a fund raising event for North Koreans on Christmas day.

Around 50 people — expats and Koreans alike - joined Walker at the Yogiga Expression Gallery near Hongik University, Seoul, on Saturday night.

The performances by eight expatriate groups were mostly musical, although Seoul City Improv, an expat theatrical group, specialized in comedy in the vein of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” “

Read More From Korea Joongang Daily

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Christmas on a Budget

Christmas Day is celebrated as a major festival and public holiday in countries around the world, including many whose populations are mostly non-Christian. Part of this Christmas Celebration is the practice of generosity through gift giving. This makes the season the most profitable time of year throughout the world. But how can expats abroad make this season a less costly one?

“When her husband confessed recently that he had been caught speeding a few months ago, Tricia Amora was put off. The Filipina expat had already worked out spending goals for Christmas and the last thing she wanted was an extra expense that could throw the household budget into disarray.

The traffic offence will set the Amoras back by about Dh500. What worries Tricia more is that there are financial commitments to take care of by the time January comes by. The family needs to renew their car registration and set aside a budget for their two children.

“I thought we’re fine until my husband told me he had another traffic violation. That means we’re going to have to pay more when we renew the car’s papers in January. I want to celebrate Christmas, but this creates a problem for us because our budget is limited,” Tricia, an administration officer in Dubai, told Gulf News.

With the latest setback, Tricia will be forced to realign her budget and one of the casualties will be the gift list. “I was generous last year, but this time I might cut the list down to 10 people and lower the budget per person,” she said.

Budgeting during festive periods has never been easy on families who are already struggling to make ends meet with their regular expenditure. The intense social pressure to celebrate and spend, combined with rising cost of living and unexpected expenses, has only multiplied the stress.

Market research shows that people tend to spend more money during Christmas, New Year, Eid or Diwali than at any other time of the year. All these special occasions are associated with large family get-togethers and parties, elaborate decorations and multiple gift purchases. For those whose savings accounts are low, getting carried away by the festive spirit can lead to financial disaster.”

Read More From Gulfnews.com

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Expats Celebrate Christmas on Indian Shores

In 1990 Pune began to attract foreign capital, particularly in the information technology and engineering industries; new businesses like floriculture and food processing started to take root in and around the city. More than these progressive things in Pune, it’s tropical wet and dry climate is what Expats look forward to experience, especially during the Christmas season.

“PUNE: These expatriates would much rather celebrate their Christmas in India than fly across to other parts of the globe. And, one explanation that surfaces time and again is that this country has as much to offer in terms of festivities and merriment as any other in the world.

Rose and Ian Smith would have a cosy Christmas right here, where the weather is just perfect’. The couple has been staying in Pune since four years now and consider it their home. “We have a huge number of friends here and 18 of them would be coming over to our place to celebrate the festival over barbecue and loads of Christmas fun. We really do not feel the need to go back to UK. This city has a great ambience. Everything that we need to celebrate the festival is right here,” said Rose. “

Read More From The Times of India

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Blogging’s Cure for the Expat Blues

If you’re feeling the homesick blues, blog it. If you have a laptop, keep in touch with just about everyone. Create is a special piece of cyberspace to voice your opinions, share a piece of your thoughts, photos and memoirs. And for some American expats, blogging keeps the blues away and eases depression.

“Imagine moving from a midsize U.S. city to a tiny island off the coast of Sweden. In winter, Tjorn, population 20,000, is lucky to get five hours of daylight. What’s more, in this Scandinavian country, neighbors think nothing of dropping in unannounced, even at 11 p.m. And these were just a few of the trials for American Tracey Marshall, who moved there in 2003 with her Swedish boyfriend. It was enough to make her want to just lock herself in a room and…blog.”

Read More From www.businessweek.com

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Where to go this Holiday Season

If you still haven’t figured out where to spend your Christmas, here are some recommended places to ease those holiday blues and make the most of the merriment.

Boston, London, San Juan, Hong Kong, New York City ,Sydney, Salzburg, Pogost, Nuremberg—all offer the best yuletide celebrations; but Reykjavik in Iceland makes it as the number one to go this Christmas where the celebration starts as early as late November.

For a real treat for the tots, take them to Iceland, where local folklore has not one but 13 Santas bearing goodie bags at Christmas parties. The 13 Santas (or jólasveinar, meaning Yule Lads), each with Brothers Grimm-like characteristics such as “the spoon licker” and “the door slammer,” come into town one day at a time starting December 12.

Then there’s the Christmas Village at Hafnarfjördur, a town not far from Reykjavik that is known in Icelandic lore as the home of elves. The Christmas Village is open on every weekend from November 24 until Christmas day. Hafnarfjördur also offers walking tours to supposed elf homesites.”

Read More From CNNGo

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