Expat Challenge

I'm safe and sound, back in Rado with my lovely hubby and stinky dog, and the weather has certainly changed to Autumn (Herbst in Deutsch) since I've been gone.  I managed to pick up a flu bug on the way home and am feeling fairly average, but am hoping I can get back into a normal routine next week (horse riding here I come!).

Anyway, I know there are a few expat wives (and hubbies!) who read my blog and I thought I'd touch on one of the first problems that us expats have when we move to a new country to live.

If you're anything like me, you've just managed to assemble your "expat team" of a good doctor, dentist, (ahem) lady doctor and hairdresser by the time you start packing your boxes and moving again.  I find that it takes about 12-18 months of living in a new place to get that stuff sorted out again.  It's not so difficult if you're in an English speaking country, but in many countries it's hard to find people that speak enough English to make you feel comfortable - and, trust me, you want to feel comfortable!

Here in Rado I've been lucky enough to have good recommendations from friends and colleagues of my hubby and I've got a decent doctor (a Tibetan who lives in Germany and speaks English!), a great dentist (my lovely dog walking friend Petra who understands my fear of dentists and always has one of her nurses hold my hand) and a lovely lady doctor as well.

Us girls know that a bad hair-do can make you feel very low, and it's easy enough to feel low when you've just moved to a new place anyway, so a hairdresser is a crucial member of any new "expat team".  My gorgeous friend Elke1 recommended Haar Moden in Singen to me, as they speak English and are quite lovely.

The Haar Moden posse - Dominic & Julia to the right

I loved Haar Moden from the first time I went.  Dominic, the son of the owners, speaks good English and did great cuts and colours (he's since moved into management).  He was the one that was so excited when I said I wanted to cut my shoulder length hair into a boyish crop (which I loved for a few months, but then wanted to grow it back again - I know, never happy!).  Now I see his utterly stunning girlfriend Julia (again, speaks great English), who does exceptional work.

Haar Moden have been awarded Germany's Top Salon of the Year for 2011 - an incredible achievement for a salon in a small town.  They certainly deserve it, they do great hair, and they don't charge a bomb.  So, if you're a new expat (male or female, my hubby goes there too) in the Baden Wurtemberg area, and you're looking for a hairdresser to make you feel great, check them out.

Haar Moden - German Salon of the Year 2011

(Whilst I love this salon, they don't know I'm writing this and it's not an advertisement for them - they're not paying me, neither am I getting free treatments - I just think they're great.  Though, if they read this and want to pony up a discount, they're more than welcome to!).