[ID:0047]People choose to live abroad for a variety of reasons. Some go to improve the quality of their lives while others go to leave the rat race behind.

It's important that you get your cross-cultural learning underway even before you get on the plane.

Read on for some helpful hints on how to get the inside scoop on your new home. (RELATED SECTION AND RESOURCE LISTS: After reading this article, you may also require more practical information on going abroad, in which case we recommend [chapter:28]. And for useful resources, see Country Guides and Expatriate Networking Sites.)

Briefings

It's usually assumed that a country briefing will be provided by your new employer. A briefing can be drawn from in-house experts or from alternative sources, and it usually summarizes the socio-economic conditions of a country, its politics, history, living conditions, culture and customs. But despite their importance, briefings are sometimes crossed off the agenda because of...