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Happy Holidays
As a leading relocation services provider in regions ranging from Eastern Europe to China, ERC has a unique window on a world where fortune does not
befall everyone.
This perspective has prompted us to forego our tradition of sending valued clients Christmas cards at this time of the year in favour of what is surely a more meaningful and hopeful gesture, a charitable donation on behalf of our staff and clients.
Our chosen charity is The Terry Fox Foundation, an organization that works to maintain the heroic efforts of Terry Fox by organizing annual runs all over the world to raise money for cancer research. After losing a leg to cancer, Terry Fox set out to run across Canada in 1980 to raise money for cancer research and awareness about the abilities of the disabled. Unfortunately, the cancer returned before he could finish, and Fox died in 1981 at the age of 22. But the fund-raising run he inspired lives on across the world and has raised more than 300 million Canadian dollars worldwide to date.
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ERC Goes Global
With an office network that is no longer limited to Europe, ERC's new web address - www.ercglobal.com - reflects the company's expanded global commitment
 After more than a decade of providing premium relocation services in Central and Eastern Europe, ERC has become too big for its britches. Well, so to speak. ERC's initial decade saw the company branch out from its base in Hungary to establish offices in Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, and the Balkans. However, recent years have seen a growing expansion that has taken the company east of the Urals, the Russian mountains that geographers traditionally use to mark the divide between Europe and Asia.
Indeed, with offices now operating in locations as diverse as Kuwait and China, ERC's website address (formerly www.erceurope.com) was due for a change. Thus, for the sake of accuracy, ERC's new home on the web can now be found at www.ercglobal.com. Likewise, our primary email address has also been updated to info@ercglobal.com. For those of you who find old habits hard to break the old email addresses will continue to function and the domain will automatically direct you to our new portal.
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Homeward Bound? Not So Fast…
For many expats, the holidays is a chance to head for the homeland to spend time with their families, stock up on otherwise hard-to-get consumer goods and get a heavy dose of reverse culture shock. In Prague, Warsaw, and Budapest the exodus is plainly evident. Following the obligatory holiday party season, bars and restaurants normally teeming with expat crowds take on an uncharacteristically quiet atmosphere.
 For those of us who are temporarily jumping ship, there are some things to consider before leaving, not the least of which is the need to secure the house or apartment while away. Of course, home security is not a concern that is exclusive to expats. However, like it or not, there are several reasons that being an expat can make your home a prime target for theft.
Expats are known for sticking to themselves, often residing in neighbourhoods that have gained a reputation as being “foreigner occupied” in the broader community. Of course it's also no secret that many expats leave town over the holidays, making expat homes an alluring prospect for any would-be burglar.
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The Doctor Is In
More and more expat women are opting to have a baby abroad rather than return to their home country. In the below article, Dr. Kinga Jokay of Budapest's Roszakert Medical Clinic translates the general advice on feeding your baby as outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics into the Hungarian milieu.
 One of the most edifying and nurturing of experiences for parents is the feeding of their baby. When the family is far from home, and its support system of family, friends, and well-known grocery items, choosing foods for your baby to enjoy can become a daunting task. This article is meant to translate the general advice as outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics into the Hungarian milieu.
In short, caregivers need to read all labels thoroughly, and abide by a few simple rules. Plain rice cereal is recommended by most authorities as the first solid food for babies to ingest. Thereafter, single ingredient fruits and vegetables may be introduced, one at a time. Meats and chunkier items may be started later. Tea and juice are not essential parts of the infant's diet, but may be added after thoughtful consideration.
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The Chemist's Calendar
If you're in Budapest over the holidays and come down with a case of the sniffles or any other ailment that may require a pharmacist's attention, be aware that most pharmacies (gyógyszertár) will be closed on the designated official holidays.
 Luckily, some chemists remain open over Christmas and New Year's. To help you track your medicine down, we've listed below the pharmacies in Budapest that will be open on the designated holidays (Dec. 25, 26 and Jan. 1).
Óbuda Gyógyszertár
III. Vörösvári út 86. Tel: 368-6430
Szent Margit Gyógyszertár
II. Frankel Leó út 22. Tel.: 212-4311
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Expat Origins - Howard Mills, Vole Inc.
As a newsletter written by expats and for expats, Expat Success regularly shines the spotlight on members of Budapest's colourful and cosmopolitan expat community. This month we feature a Q & A with Howard Mills, CEO of Vole Kft. and veteran Budapest exile.
 When did you first visit Hungary?
My first professional visit to Hungary was on the 1st April (April Fool`s Day) in 1996 working for Motorola on a wireless local loop telephone network (WiLLs).
Your company, Vole Kft., specializes in videophone technology. How did your career path bring you to this point?
For most of my adult working life I have been involved in the mobile telecommunications industry, mainly on contract positions in countries around the world such as the UK, Korea, Portugal, Romania, Egypt, France, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Russia. So, I'm fairly experienced with introducing new technology to both developing and developed markets.
Vole Kft Hungary is a joint venture company in association with Vole Worldwide whose core business is to supply voice and video to residential and company clients utilising an ADSL line.
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The AES family:
Editor: Matt Enticknap
| Design: David McInnes
AES Cargo website
| Move One website |
Expat Relocation Center website
| email
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