I am a reluctant introvert. I try to resist, but I am easily thrown out of my comfort zone when confronted with new situations and new people. An unfamiliar country, an unfamiliar language, and unfamiliar family therefore would present me with an extraordinary challenge. When I first meet my "Grandpa," he doesn't seem too interested in me. He has a fat hand-rolled cigar positioned in the space where his front teeth and incisors should be. I politely decline when he...