Humor

Integrate? After years of living in the US, I still have trouble subduing my inner Dutch girl. Here’s why.

Does the garden of your mind bloom with the weeds of clichés, stereotypes, and generalizations? No? Mine does. And in my expat life this has led to lots of surprises, problems and fun. While living the expat life in Ghana, West Africa, I was once invited to visit the village of a big-time Ashanti chief and have lunch at his palace. I could not wait!

As a traveler or an expat you discover the idiosyncrasies of other cultures and countries, but you also learn to see your own homeland with new eyes. (A shocking experience this can be, not?) It’s interesting as well to learn how foreigners see your culture and your people.

If you’ve taken careful notes, you will know that Miss Footloose, in her expat travels around the world, has developed a mania for mannequins. Not just any mannequins, mind you;…