Living abroad I’m enthralled by the fun of small stuff, the funky details, the touching scenes and happenings you find in foreign climes.

As an expat in Africa, I observe the culture shock of a charming high-maintenance beauty just arrived from sterile Singapore. Will a little Zen help?

Are your plans for exotic adventures abroad in ruins? Don’t you dare get on a plane? Won’t the country let you out or in? I once found a bizarre exotic adventure nearby.

I stare at my funky self in the mirror. What to do? Screaming is hard work, so I decide to be Zen about it. It is what it is. Hair will grow back.

You eat with your fingers. Plastic bowls of water, a bit of soap, and small towels are available for the germ-conscious. Clearly this is not the year 2020.