An Ordinary Country

An Ordinary Country

Author: Neville Alexander

Publisher: University of Kwazulu Natal Press

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13:

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An Ordinary Country: Issues in the Transition from Apartheid to Democracy in South Africa disputes the notion of a "miracle" transition in this country. It argues that the new South Africa had to happen in the way it did because of the specific history of the country and the players involved. While it identifies some of the turning points at which critical choices were made by local and international forces, it shows why, in retrospect, the known decisions were made rather than other possible ones. Alexander explores a range of issues in post-apartheid South Africa including national identity and the rainbow nation, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the role and status of language, showing the volatility, the tentativeness, and the fluidity of the situation that is evolving. In looking ahead at probable developments, An Ordinary Country predicts that South Africa will develop, or stagnate, as a "normal" bourgeois democratic social formation for the next generation, at least until the inevitable alternatives to the prevailing system of political economy regain their credibility.


Book Synopsis An Ordinary Country by : Neville Alexander

Download or read book An Ordinary Country written by Neville Alexander and published by University of Kwazulu Natal Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An Ordinary Country: Issues in the Transition from Apartheid to Democracy in South Africa disputes the notion of a "miracle" transition in this country. It argues that the new South Africa had to happen in the way it did because of the specific history of the country and the players involved. While it identifies some of the turning points at which critical choices were made by local and international forces, it shows why, in retrospect, the known decisions were made rather than other possible ones. Alexander explores a range of issues in post-apartheid South Africa including national identity and the rainbow nation, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the role and status of language, showing the volatility, the tentativeness, and the fluidity of the situation that is evolving. In looking ahead at probable developments, An Ordinary Country predicts that South Africa will develop, or stagnate, as a "normal" bourgeois democratic social formation for the next generation, at least until the inevitable alternatives to the prevailing system of political economy regain their credibility.


America as an Ordinary Country

America as an Ordinary Country

Author: Richard Rosecrance

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 2019-06-30

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 1501743120

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If the possibilities for peace are to be increased in the next generation, America should change its role in world affairs from dominant superpower to ordinary country. That is the conclusion reached by ten distinguished specialists, five of them writing from abroad, as they reflect on recent U.S. foreign policy and survey its prospects. Ranging over crucial issues in military affairs, in the political sphere, and in the field of economics, their essays point out errors and misjudgments of the past and offer realistic, thought-provoking recommendations for the future.


Book Synopsis America as an Ordinary Country by : Richard Rosecrance

Download or read book America as an Ordinary Country written by Richard Rosecrance and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2019-06-30 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If the possibilities for peace are to be increased in the next generation, America should change its role in world affairs from dominant superpower to ordinary country. That is the conclusion reached by ten distinguished specialists, five of them writing from abroad, as they reflect on recent U.S. foreign policy and survey its prospects. Ranging over crucial issues in military affairs, in the political sphere, and in the field of economics, their essays point out errors and misjudgments of the past and offer realistic, thought-provoking recommendations for the future.


Out of the Ordinary

Out of the Ordinary

Author: Marc Stears

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2021-01-12

Total Pages: 249

ISBN-13: 0674743873

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From a major British political thinker and activist, a passionate case that both the left and right have lost their faith in ordinary people and must learn to find it again. This is an age of polarization. It’s us vs. them. The battle lines are clear, and compromise is surrender. As Out of the Ordinary reminds us, we have been here before. From the 1920s to the 1950s, in a world transformed by revolution and war, extreme ideologies of left and right fueled utopian hopes and dystopian fears. In response, Marc Stears writes, a group of British writers, artists, photographers, and filmmakers showed a way out. These men and women, including J. B. Priestley, George Orwell, Barbara Jones, Dylan Thomas, Laurie Lee, and Bill Brandt, had no formal connection to one another. But they each worked to forge a politics that resisted the empty idealisms and totalizing abstractions of their time. Instead they were convinced that people going about their daily lives possess all the insight, virtue, and determination required to build a good society. In poems, novels, essays, films, paintings, and photographs, they gave witness to everyday people’s ability to overcome the supposedly insoluble contradictions between tradition and progress, patriotism and diversity, rights and duties, nationalism and internationalism, conservatism and radicalism. It was this humble vision that animated the great Festival of Britain in 1951 and put everyday citizens at the heart of a new vision of national regeneration. A leading political theorist and a veteran of British politics, Stears writes with unusual passion and clarity about the achievements of these apostles of the ordinary. They helped Britain through an age of crisis. Their ideas might do so again, in the United Kingdom and beyond.


Book Synopsis Out of the Ordinary by : Marc Stears

Download or read book Out of the Ordinary written by Marc Stears and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2021-01-12 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From a major British political thinker and activist, a passionate case that both the left and right have lost their faith in ordinary people and must learn to find it again. This is an age of polarization. It’s us vs. them. The battle lines are clear, and compromise is surrender. As Out of the Ordinary reminds us, we have been here before. From the 1920s to the 1950s, in a world transformed by revolution and war, extreme ideologies of left and right fueled utopian hopes and dystopian fears. In response, Marc Stears writes, a group of British writers, artists, photographers, and filmmakers showed a way out. These men and women, including J. B. Priestley, George Orwell, Barbara Jones, Dylan Thomas, Laurie Lee, and Bill Brandt, had no formal connection to one another. But they each worked to forge a politics that resisted the empty idealisms and totalizing abstractions of their time. Instead they were convinced that people going about their daily lives possess all the insight, virtue, and determination required to build a good society. In poems, novels, essays, films, paintings, and photographs, they gave witness to everyday people’s ability to overcome the supposedly insoluble contradictions between tradition and progress, patriotism and diversity, rights and duties, nationalism and internationalism, conservatism and radicalism. It was this humble vision that animated the great Festival of Britain in 1951 and put everyday citizens at the heart of a new vision of national regeneration. A leading political theorist and a veteran of British politics, Stears writes with unusual passion and clarity about the achievements of these apostles of the ordinary. They helped Britain through an age of crisis. Their ideas might do so again, in the United Kingdom and beyond.


Country of My Skull

Country of My Skull

Author: Antjie Krog

Publisher: Crown

Published: 2007-12-18

Total Pages: 434

ISBN-13: 0307420507

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Ever since Nelson Mandela dramatically walked out of prison in 1990 after twenty-seven years behind bars, South Africa has been undergoing a radical transformation. In one of the most miraculous events of the century, the oppressive system of apartheid was dismantled. Repressive laws mandating separation of the races were thrown out. The country, which had been carved into a crazy quilt that reserved the most prosperous areas for whites and the most desolate and backward for blacks, was reunited. The dreaded and dangerous security force, which for years had systematically tortured, spied upon, and harassed people of color and their white supporters, was dismantled. But how could this country--one of spectacular beauty and promise--come to terms with its ugly past? How could its people, whom the oppressive white government had pitted against one another, live side by side as friends and neighbors? To begin the healing process, Nelson Mandela created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, headed by the renowned cleric Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Established in 1995, the commission faced the awesome task of hearing the testimony of the victims of apartheid as well as the oppressors. Amnesty was granted to those who offered a full confession of any crimes associated with apartheid. Since the commission began its work, it has been the central player in a drama that has riveted the country. In this book, Antjie Krog, a South African journalist and poet who has covered the work of the commission, recounts the drama, the horrors, the wrenching personal stories of the victims and their families. Through the testimonies of victims of abuse and violence, from the appearance of Winnie Mandela to former South African president P. W. Botha's extraordinary courthouse press conference, this award-winning poet leads us on an amazing journey. Country of My Skull captures the complexity of the Truth Commission's work. The narrative is often traumatic, vivid, and provocative. Krog's powerful prose lures the reader actively and inventively through a mosaic of insights, impressions, and secret themes. This compelling tale is Antjie Krog's profound literary account of the mending of a country that was in colossal need of change.


Book Synopsis Country of My Skull by : Antjie Krog

Download or read book Country of My Skull written by Antjie Krog and published by Crown. This book was released on 2007-12-18 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ever since Nelson Mandela dramatically walked out of prison in 1990 after twenty-seven years behind bars, South Africa has been undergoing a radical transformation. In one of the most miraculous events of the century, the oppressive system of apartheid was dismantled. Repressive laws mandating separation of the races were thrown out. The country, which had been carved into a crazy quilt that reserved the most prosperous areas for whites and the most desolate and backward for blacks, was reunited. The dreaded and dangerous security force, which for years had systematically tortured, spied upon, and harassed people of color and their white supporters, was dismantled. But how could this country--one of spectacular beauty and promise--come to terms with its ugly past? How could its people, whom the oppressive white government had pitted against one another, live side by side as friends and neighbors? To begin the healing process, Nelson Mandela created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, headed by the renowned cleric Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Established in 1995, the commission faced the awesome task of hearing the testimony of the victims of apartheid as well as the oppressors. Amnesty was granted to those who offered a full confession of any crimes associated with apartheid. Since the commission began its work, it has been the central player in a drama that has riveted the country. In this book, Antjie Krog, a South African journalist and poet who has covered the work of the commission, recounts the drama, the horrors, the wrenching personal stories of the victims and their families. Through the testimonies of victims of abuse and violence, from the appearance of Winnie Mandela to former South African president P. W. Botha's extraordinary courthouse press conference, this award-winning poet leads us on an amazing journey. Country of My Skull captures the complexity of the Truth Commission's work. The narrative is often traumatic, vivid, and provocative. Krog's powerful prose lures the reader actively and inventively through a mosaic of insights, impressions, and secret themes. This compelling tale is Antjie Krog's profound literary account of the mending of a country that was in colossal need of change.


My Own Country

My Own Country

Author: Abraham Verghese

Publisher: BookRags

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 42

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis My Own Country by : Abraham Verghese

Download or read book My Own Country written by Abraham Verghese and published by BookRags. This book was released on 1998 with total page 42 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Ordinary Egyptians

Ordinary Egyptians

Author: Ziad Fahmy

Publisher: Stanford University Press

Published: 2011-05-31

Total Pages: 265

ISBN-13: 0804772126

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Examines how popular media and culture provided ordinary Egyptians with a framework to construct and negotiate a modern national identity.


Book Synopsis Ordinary Egyptians by : Ziad Fahmy

Download or read book Ordinary Egyptians written by Ziad Fahmy and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2011-05-31 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examines how popular media and culture provided ordinary Egyptians with a framework to construct and negotiate a modern national identity.


For God and Country (in that order)

For God and Country (in that order)

Author: Logan Mehl-Laituri

Publisher: MennoMedia, Inc.

Published: 2013-11-01

Total Pages: 277

ISBN-13: 0836198905

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The call to arms often thrusts devoted Christians into a dilemma: They want to be responsible citizens who obey the government and love their country. And yet they worship a God who loves all people, including enemies. Throughout history, Christians have responded in various ways-some renouncing violence and military participation, others seeking military service in a godly way. Both politically relevant and theologically provocative, this field manual seeks to recapture the hearts and minds of Christians trapped between conflicting loyalties to faith and citizenship. Filled with compelling stories and photos, Iraq war veteran Logan Mehl-Laituri creates an almanac of soldier saints and patriot pacifists from the front lines of church history.


Book Synopsis For God and Country (in that order) by : Logan Mehl-Laituri

Download or read book For God and Country (in that order) written by Logan Mehl-Laituri and published by MennoMedia, Inc.. This book was released on 2013-11-01 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The call to arms often thrusts devoted Christians into a dilemma: They want to be responsible citizens who obey the government and love their country. And yet they worship a God who loves all people, including enemies. Throughout history, Christians have responded in various ways-some renouncing violence and military participation, others seeking military service in a godly way. Both politically relevant and theologically provocative, this field manual seeks to recapture the hearts and minds of Christians trapped between conflicting loyalties to faith and citizenship. Filled with compelling stories and photos, Iraq war veteran Logan Mehl-Laituri creates an almanac of soldier saints and patriot pacifists from the front lines of church history.


One Day

One Day

Author: Gene Weingarten

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2020-09-08

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 0399185836

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“One of the 50 Best Nonfiction Books of the Last 25 Years”—Slate On New Year’s Day 2013, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Gene Weingarten asked three strangers to, literally, pluck a day, month, and year from a hat. That day—chosen completely at random—turned out to be Sunday, December 28, 1986, by any conventional measure a most ordinary day. Weingarten spent the next six years proving that there is no such thing. That Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s turned out to be filled with comedy, tragedy, implausible irony, cosmic comeuppances, kindness, cruelty, heroism, cowardice, genius, idiocy, prejudice, selflessness, coincidence, and startling moments of human connection, along with evocative foreshadowing of momentous events yet to come. Lives were lost. Lives were saved. Lives were altered in overwhelming ways. Many of these events never made it into the news; they were private dramas in the lives of private people. They were utterly compelling. One Day asks and answers the question of whether there is even such a thing as “ordinary” when we are talking about how we all lurch and stumble our way through the daily, daunting challenge of being human.


Book Synopsis One Day by : Gene Weingarten

Download or read book One Day written by Gene Weingarten and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2020-09-08 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “One of the 50 Best Nonfiction Books of the Last 25 Years”—Slate On New Year’s Day 2013, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Gene Weingarten asked three strangers to, literally, pluck a day, month, and year from a hat. That day—chosen completely at random—turned out to be Sunday, December 28, 1986, by any conventional measure a most ordinary day. Weingarten spent the next six years proving that there is no such thing. That Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s turned out to be filled with comedy, tragedy, implausible irony, cosmic comeuppances, kindness, cruelty, heroism, cowardice, genius, idiocy, prejudice, selflessness, coincidence, and startling moments of human connection, along with evocative foreshadowing of momentous events yet to come. Lives were lost. Lives were saved. Lives were altered in overwhelming ways. Many of these events never made it into the news; they were private dramas in the lives of private people. They were utterly compelling. One Day asks and answers the question of whether there is even such a thing as “ordinary” when we are talking about how we all lurch and stumble our way through the daily, daunting challenge of being human.


2018 Annual Indices For Expatriates And Ordinary Residents On Cost Of Living, Wages And Purchasing Power For World's Major Cities

2018 Annual Indices For Expatriates And Ordinary Residents On Cost Of Living, Wages And Purchasing Power For World's Major Cities

Author: Khee Giap Tan

Publisher: World Scientific

Published: 2019-11-12

Total Pages: 722

ISBN-13: 9811208875

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This book provides the annual update of Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) indices and rankings of the cost of living for ordinary residents and expatriates as well as wages and purchasing power for ordinary residents, covering 105 cities around the world over the period of 2005-2016. These indices reflect the notable differences in the cost of living for expatriates and ordinary residents as expatriates tend to have different consumption patterns than that of their local counterparts. This is important because the cost of living of expatriates is often mistaken for that of ordinary residents. This book is the fourth edition in the series.In addition to providing the annual updates of the cost of living, wages, and purchasing power indices, this book also has a special chapter covering two topics of interest. The first compares the discrepancies between the cost of living indices and rankings between ordinary residents and expatriates in different regions. The second provides a case study on Singapore's HDB resale market and the role that the public sector can play in housing markets.


Book Synopsis 2018 Annual Indices For Expatriates And Ordinary Residents On Cost Of Living, Wages And Purchasing Power For World's Major Cities by : Khee Giap Tan

Download or read book 2018 Annual Indices For Expatriates And Ordinary Residents On Cost Of Living, Wages And Purchasing Power For World's Major Cities written by Khee Giap Tan and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2019-11-12 with total page 722 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides the annual update of Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) indices and rankings of the cost of living for ordinary residents and expatriates as well as wages and purchasing power for ordinary residents, covering 105 cities around the world over the period of 2005-2016. These indices reflect the notable differences in the cost of living for expatriates and ordinary residents as expatriates tend to have different consumption patterns than that of their local counterparts. This is important because the cost of living of expatriates is often mistaken for that of ordinary residents. This book is the fourth edition in the series.In addition to providing the annual updates of the cost of living, wages, and purchasing power indices, this book also has a special chapter covering two topics of interest. The first compares the discrepancies between the cost of living indices and rankings between ordinary residents and expatriates in different regions. The second provides a case study on Singapore's HDB resale market and the role that the public sector can play in housing markets.


2016 Annual Indices For Expatriates And Ordinary Residents On Cost Of Living, Wages And Purchasing Power For World's Major Cities

2016 Annual Indices For Expatriates And Ordinary Residents On Cost Of Living, Wages And Purchasing Power For World's Major Cities

Author: Tan Khee Giap

Publisher: World Scientific

Published: 2017-11-21

Total Pages: 708

ISBN-13: 9813227222

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As cities continue to play an increasingly significant role in driving economic growth in many countries, competition among cities have shifted from the national level to the global arena. In this context, international benchmarks for cities are vital for businesses and individuals to make informed decisions. In particular, cost of living, wages and purchasing power are of great interest to employees, employers, multinational corporations and policy-makers as basic indicators tracking urban living standards. This publication by the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) provides annual indices and rankings for cost of living for expatriates as well as indices and rankings for cost of living, wages and purchasing power for ordinary residents in 103 global cities since 2005. The ACI's study reflects salient differences in costs of living for expatriate and ordinary urban dwellers which arise from variations in their lifestyles and consumption preferences. This is of critical significance as cost of living for the former is usually conflated as that for the latter by the general public. In this book, we also delve into the analysis of the nexus between liveability, cost of living and purchasing power. We outline the trends and patterns of these benchmarks and explore if there are trade-offs between liveability and affordability. The ACI's study has received considerable interest from reputable media outlets such as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the Edge Malaysia. Contents: Understanding and Tracking Cost of Living, Wages and Purchasing Power for Expatriates and Ordinary ResidentsMethodology on Cost of Living for ExpatriatesMethodology on Cost of Living, Wages and Purchasing Power for Ordinary ResidentsFindings on Cost of Living for ExpatriatesFindings on Cost of Living, Wages and Purchasing Power for Ordinary ResidentsConcluding Remarks: Are Liveable Cities Expensive and Unaffordable? Readership: Students; professionals; researchers; think-tanks; and, policy makers interested in developmental economics and surveys on cost of living, wages and purchasing power between residents and expatriates. Keywords: Cost of Living;Purchasing Power;Residents;Expatriates;Wages IndexReview: "The Worldwide Cost of Living Index by the Economist Intelligence Unit was designed for human resources departments to figure out the cost of sending employees on business trips or to work overseas, often in a high-paying job. A group of academics at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Lee Kuan Yew School for Public Policy made their own index, which distinguished between expats and locals. It found that for expats, Singapore was about the fourth most expensive city in the world. But for the 'ordinary residents', it was 48th, wedged between Lisbon and Pittsburgh." Timothy McDonald Journalist, BBC News "The main contribution of the research done by ACI was that it can contribute to public policy as one cannot use expatriates for ordinary residents if public policy is the focus. In addition, though it is important to look at cost, the bigger concern is purchasing power. It does not matter if things are expensive as long as you can afford them. This is another point that I took away from the research and I was very happy to see that the team did purchasing power and not just cost of living." Nicholas Khaw Vice President, Khazanah Research & Investment Strategy, Malaysia Key Features: The ACI's pioneering attempt is the first ever comprehensive study on ordinary residents available todayAs for expatriates, cost of living researches are widely available but these are conducted in a much less ri


Book Synopsis 2016 Annual Indices For Expatriates And Ordinary Residents On Cost Of Living, Wages And Purchasing Power For World's Major Cities by : Tan Khee Giap

Download or read book 2016 Annual Indices For Expatriates And Ordinary Residents On Cost Of Living, Wages And Purchasing Power For World's Major Cities written by Tan Khee Giap and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2017-11-21 with total page 708 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As cities continue to play an increasingly significant role in driving economic growth in many countries, competition among cities have shifted from the national level to the global arena. In this context, international benchmarks for cities are vital for businesses and individuals to make informed decisions. In particular, cost of living, wages and purchasing power are of great interest to employees, employers, multinational corporations and policy-makers as basic indicators tracking urban living standards. This publication by the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) provides annual indices and rankings for cost of living for expatriates as well as indices and rankings for cost of living, wages and purchasing power for ordinary residents in 103 global cities since 2005. The ACI's study reflects salient differences in costs of living for expatriate and ordinary urban dwellers which arise from variations in their lifestyles and consumption preferences. This is of critical significance as cost of living for the former is usually conflated as that for the latter by the general public. In this book, we also delve into the analysis of the nexus between liveability, cost of living and purchasing power. We outline the trends and patterns of these benchmarks and explore if there are trade-offs between liveability and affordability. The ACI's study has received considerable interest from reputable media outlets such as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the Edge Malaysia. Contents: Understanding and Tracking Cost of Living, Wages and Purchasing Power for Expatriates and Ordinary ResidentsMethodology on Cost of Living for ExpatriatesMethodology on Cost of Living, Wages and Purchasing Power for Ordinary ResidentsFindings on Cost of Living for ExpatriatesFindings on Cost of Living, Wages and Purchasing Power for Ordinary ResidentsConcluding Remarks: Are Liveable Cities Expensive and Unaffordable? Readership: Students; professionals; researchers; think-tanks; and, policy makers interested in developmental economics and surveys on cost of living, wages and purchasing power between residents and expatriates. Keywords: Cost of Living;Purchasing Power;Residents;Expatriates;Wages IndexReview: "The Worldwide Cost of Living Index by the Economist Intelligence Unit was designed for human resources departments to figure out the cost of sending employees on business trips or to work overseas, often in a high-paying job. A group of academics at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Lee Kuan Yew School for Public Policy made their own index, which distinguished between expats and locals. It found that for expats, Singapore was about the fourth most expensive city in the world. But for the 'ordinary residents', it was 48th, wedged between Lisbon and Pittsburgh." Timothy McDonald Journalist, BBC News "The main contribution of the research done by ACI was that it can contribute to public policy as one cannot use expatriates for ordinary residents if public policy is the focus. In addition, though it is important to look at cost, the bigger concern is purchasing power. It does not matter if things are expensive as long as you can afford them. This is another point that I took away from the research and I was very happy to see that the team did purchasing power and not just cost of living." Nicholas Khaw Vice President, Khazanah Research & Investment Strategy, Malaysia Key Features: The ACI's pioneering attempt is the first ever comprehensive study on ordinary residents available todayAs for expatriates, cost of living researches are widely available but these are conducted in a much less ri