Sun, 22 November 2009
A guide to doing gaffe-free business here.
Includes geography, people, government, economy and transnational issues.
Find an affordable roof over her head.
Heroic Gauls celebrate their half century.
Kimberley uncovers the sacred rituals of Frite Almighty.
Tips for managing a successful relocation back home.
| Index | Last | Var.(%) |
|---|---|---|
| BEL 20 | 2119.3 | 0.50 |
| DAX | 5252.45 | 1.50 |
| IBEX 30 | 10726.8 | 0.59 |
| CAC 40 | 3377.59 | 1.40 |
| FTSE 100 | 4564.5 | 0.79 |
| AEX | 276.85 | 0.95 |
| DJIA | 9096.72 | -0.13 |
| Nasdaq | 1975.51 | 0.39 |
| FTSE MIB | 20341.67 | 1.65 |
| TSX Composite | 10570.54 | -1.74 |
| ASX | 4148.9 | -0.60 |
| Hang seng | 20135.5 | -2.37 |
| Straits Times | 0.00 | |
| ISEQ 20 | 442.48 | 0.27 |
Finance & Business
Financial crisis leaves euro with new popularity
What's in the kitty?
Business writer Ken Belson discusses Hello Kitty, expat life in Japan, and business opportunities during a recession.The New York Times business writer Ken Belson recently presented his book “Hello Kitty: The remarkable story of Sanrio and the billion dollar feline phenomenon” (John Wiley & Sons) at the American Book Center in Amsterdam, and took some time to chat with Expatica editor Danielle Latman about the cartoon cat, expat life in Japan, and business opportunities during a recession.
You’re both a business reporter and a Hello Kitty fan. Which trait was more prominent during the writing of this book?
There’s two parts to the answer: Hello Kitty is the motivator, but at the end of the day it was a business writing job.
I was in love with the topic, but I had to hand in a book that tells a story, and that is both a writing and a research exercise. I spent several months doing interviews and research, so that I had more than enough to start writing.
How does Hello Kitty represent some of the central elements of Japanese pop culture?
One is its graceful, simplistic design. She’s very two-dimensional and minimalist. As I pointed out in the lecture the other day, she’s a Zen cat, very flat and emotionless.
The other is the way she’s packaged on everything. In Japan she’s on all manner of things and I think it speaks to Sanrio’s [the company that created Hello Kitty] success at branding her, but also the Japanese acceptance of characters. Practically everything in Japan has some sort of logo or character.
This handy guide from Expertise in Labour Mobility includes how to write a CV, application procedure, interview dos and don'ts, Belgian management culture.
Belgium’s first alternative directory assistance services - available through the shortcode 14-14 - can now be accessed on the internet.
Moving to Belgium presents a host of challenges to expats, not least of all finding the right home.
The psychological effects of global mobility can be physically painful.
Twitter
LinkedIn
Facebook
Flickr
General rating: Not rated yet
Rate article:
Add my rating