Back to the window, basking in a winter sun blazing through glass, I warm my hands on my cup and inhale the aroma of toasted bagels, hash browns and coffee. Monday morning may take a while to get off the ground in my local Tim Horton’s, but it still effects a steady bustle. I look … Read more
In the back of the Land Cruiser, “Claire” and her husband rolled up to the gate of their apartment complex after a dinner out. The driver flashed the car’s lights. They waited. He tentatively honked. They waited. Finally, a guard opened the gate, zipping up his trousers. Claire was incensed. This is Lagos – it … Read more
I remember the first time I really started to understand weather. I was in New Zealand, on a life-changing round-the-world trip. Before then, I am a bit embarrassed to admit, weather was just something that happened – and then it passed. Perhaps I had just always led the sort of life that didn’t rely on … Read more
If you’ve never been to China (and maybe you never want to) I’m here to convince you to give it a shot, to put it on the bucket list! I’m not promising a picture perfect paradise that will blow your mind but I am pitching a place that is predominantly laced with a fascinating past … Read more
The continuing adventures of June Finnigan, her Man, and Farty Barty the cat. Benvenuti to all my Loyal and New Followers Well, despite the agonising pain in the jaw after a ‘brutto’ time at the dentist, I am writing to you with all my updates in our little bit of Chianti. The first week was … Read more
When you move away from your family and friends to retire or work in another country your relocation plans were probably accompanied by a sense of adventure, and a desire to experience a new way of life. However, if your relocation to foreign shores was a result of a career opportunity and you are a … Read more
It has been stated that during his 27 years of imprisonment, Nelson Mandela was inspired by a powerful phrase from the poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley: “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul”. His leadership qualities prevailed through much ambiguity and uncertainty that he continuously faced during … Read more
My column is late. Actually, it’s more than late but I have an excellent excuse. No, my dog didn’t eat it (I don’t have a dog) and it didn’t get lost in the mail. Instead, I was struck down by one of the most vile experiences known to woman or man: Sweden’s dreaded ‘winter vomiting … Read more
(Welcome! This is my first post here on Expat Focus, so I thought I’d start with a look at some of the things I’ve noticed since being a resident in America.) When I first moved here to St Louis from the United Kingdom almost 3 years ago, I was constantly being asked where I was … Read more
Batool Accad was the only one of the five panellists at the workshop wearing a hijab: coral pink from head to toe that drew attention to her gentle face and striking grey eyes. Though born in Syria, she grew up in Kuwait. Her parents were members of the well-educated Middle Eastern expatriate community giving her … Read more