Books

Lonely Planet will keep you company

Patrick McCue

10 Feb 2009

Norway

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Despite my intention of fitting into Norwegian culture I couldn’t lose my grip on Lonely Planet Norway. I felt like a tourist every time I pulled it out, but the guide led me through Trondheim, Bergen, and Oslo just as well as it provided me with ideas to get out of the bustle. Its tip to visit Kjerringøy, a tiny, gorgeous town north of Bodø, solidified it as my near daily companion for five months.

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Getting Around

How to Take a Taxi in Cairo Part 2: Black Cabs

Ian Bassingthwaighte

14 Apr 2010

Egypt

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Now that you know the types of cabs, it’s important to understand the differences between them, and the related expectations. Since black cabs have no meter, rates are negotiable. Though the standard is to pay after the ride is complete, and not negotiate beforehand. If a driver wants to debate before he drives you, it is because he is trying to take advantage of the situation—i.e. a foreigner who is unaware of protocol. Because of this, these taxis are best suited for locals and frequent visitors who know the fare ahead of time. If in doubt, wait for a metered cab or ask a local, or at your hotel, what the general fare to your destination should be. Be flexible, as the price may change depending on traffic.

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Festivals & Events

Bear witness to mourning ceremonies

Mimi Hanaoka

11 May 2009

Iran

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Iran’s Shia Muslims have so many religious commemorations that you’re likely to be able to witness some ceremony, either major or minor, while you’re in Iran. One of the most important large-scale mourning ceremonies is Ashura, which marks the anniversary of Husayn’s martyrdom at Karbala in 680 AD. Husayn was the son of ‘Ali and the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad; Iranian Shia’ Muslims revere him as the third of their 12 imams. Since this is a very visible and important commemoration, you won’t even need to visit a shrine or mosque to see some of the events – including passion plays, posters, self-flagellation processions, and banners hung on mosques and other buildings – that mourn Husayn’s martyrdom.

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Culture Shock

Laugh at yourself

Kelsey Edwardsen

26 Aug 2009

Bulgaria

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I found that laughing at myself and my home country was a great way to engage Bulgarians in conversation. I made fun of the United States' enormous grocery stores and large cars, and they in turn opened up and shared the idiosyncratic aspects of their culture. These discussions were both enlightening and laughter-filled.

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Must Do

Color Copy of Your Passport

Melissa Sconyers

05 Mar 2010

China

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When you can find a place of safekeeping (preferably a safety deposit box at your hostel/hotel/motel), it's best to keep your passport there rather than on your body. However, you should always have a color copy of your passport (and all relevant visas) with you at all times. The best way to do this is go down to your Kinkos and Kinkos-equivalent and have them do a double-sided print, and fold it so that it looks like an actual real-sized passport -- just paper. E.g., the front and back look like a passport, and when open the folds, you see your personal information and relevant visas.

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Contest

The London Monopoly Challenge and the Circle Line challenge

Marshall Worsham

16 Mar 2010

United Kingdom

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One of London’s most popular weekend activities for the competitive at heart is the London Monopoly Challenge. You have twelve hours. Get a group of friends, a Monopoly board, and a spare liver. Stop at a pub on each of the 26 streets on the board, have a pint, and get the bartender to sign the square you’re on. Again, I really wouldn’t recommend it. But if that’s not enough for you, then also don’t try the Circle Line pub crawl. The Circle Line is a fantastically unreliable London Tube line running in a closed circuit around the center of town. Take 12 hours, get off at each of the 27 stops and have a pint nearby. Last one standing wins. (Disclaimer: Don’t do it. If you must, try it first with half-pints, or orange juice, or water)

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Etiquette

When in doubt, talk about the weather

Saleem Reshamwala

17 Sep 2009

Japan

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Back home, talking about the weather might be seen as the lamest of all possible conversational gambits. But in Japan, it's often used as a way of greeting. Especially in the south, "Atsui desu ne," ("Hot, isn't it?") is a de facto equivalent of "What's up?" Just a little something that you can both agree on while you get your conversation started.

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Food

Fried chicken buttock, anyone?

Austin Y

07 Sep 2009

Taiwan (China)

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One of the strangest (and most exciting) about Taiwan is its peculiar food. Fried chicken butt, fried duck neck, steamed pig's blood, stinky tofu, and of course, salty, slimy, bony chicken feet, talons included. Sure you could always eat PB&J three meals a day in a foreign country, but if you're willing to be adventurous, you'll meet new friends and have stories to laugh about when you get back home. As long as something looks safe to eat, approach it like an adventure, and go for it.

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Film

"Half Blood Prince" is your new holiday flick

Lindsay Myron

23 Nov 2009

Mongolia

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Missed the latest blockbuster in the States? No worries! You can probably catch it in Mongolia a few months later. There are several great theaters in Ulaanbaatar that screen Mongolian, Hollywood, and a few beloved Korean films. The multiplex Tengis Cinema next to Liberty Square is a comfortable theater to watch the latest Mongolian film or catch up on missed American flicks (in English!). You can get an assigned seat for 2500 tugrug, but if it's a hit film it's a good idea to get your ticket early. If the screen time doesn’t fit your schedule, you can also check out Urgoo Cinema in the fourth district; it usually screens similar films at alternate times.

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Packing

When You've Just Got To Pee, And Other Reasons To Carry a Coin Purse

Corielle Heath

20 Jul 2010

France

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Arriving in Paris, I immediately scamper to the nearest exchange counter. I thrust the American cash I carried trans-continentally in a neck-pouch through a slot in bullet-proof glass. The mustached currency man takes my dollars, gives me a wedgie, farts in my general direction, and tosses me a few Euro coins. Offended, I storm off, dumping the coins into the purse I got second-hand from Gulliver after his travels. Besides not pre-ordering my Euros, my biggest mistake was forgetting a coin-purse. Euro coins are deceptive little devils, worth more than we first expect: a one-Euro coin is $1.30. Stretch Euros by keeping coins where you wont need a metal detector to navigate, and use them first when making purchases. (Or paying to pee!)

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Religion

Show your respect by keeping your distance

Gabriel Shaya

25 Sep 2009

Laos

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Luang Prabang is quite a religious city. Each village provides food and funding for its individual temple on a daily basis. It is perfectly acceptable and sometimes even encouraged for foreigners to observe religious activities. However, you should maintain a respectful boundary. You may sit in the back of a temple while the monks are chanting, but do not take pictures from inside the pagoda. You may watch the morning alms-giving ceremony, but do not take part unless you understand the significance of the tradition and it is deeply meaningful for you. This deference will show your respect for religion and its believers.

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Politics

Politics as usual

Matthew Hintsa

10 Feb 2009

Chile

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Chileans are constantly complaining about their political situations and discussing the political situations of the major world players. In the conversations I was a part of, Obama and the promise of change in the US was always a topic. Domestic political issues ranging from healthcare to pension plans to public transportation funding are always making headlines and thereby fueling conversations. There are no major political struggles that directly impact the well-being of visiting foreigners, although during my visit, all public sector workers stopped working for a period of four days, which caused some disruptions.

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Music

Can't stop the pop

Adam Lichtenheld

10 Feb 2009

Jordan

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For some unfathomable reason, Jordanians are in love with Bryan Adams, and a lot of the music played on the radio or blaring throughout the cafes is of the "Now 1: Top 1990s American Hits" variety. Of course, Arabic pop still rules the day, but most of the region’s well-known artists are Egyptian or Lebanese, not Jordanian. To get acclimated, I would recommend listening to two popular Egyptians: the everlasting heartthrob Amr Diab, and the traditional diva Oum Kalthoum.

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Sports

Hike the path less traveled

Greg Alder

05 Dec 2009

Lesotho

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The country of Lesotho was built for hiking. Its mountains are the highest in Southern Africa, there are no fences, and foot paths tattoo the land between every possible destination. Basotho themselves hike to get from one village to the next. But there are some locals you don't want to run into -- you really don't want to run into a group of boys at initiation school. Each year at different times, groups of boys head up high in the mountains to be circumcised and learn to fight with sticks and generally become men. They don't want to be watched. Just ask periodically along the way if there's an initiation school nearby. In Sesotho it is: "Mophato o kae?" Otherwise, as I was once warned, "They'll take you and initiate you."

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TV

You are watching Big Brother

Pete Muller

10 Feb 2009

Uganda

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It seems like people love Big Brother.

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Fashion

Show your respect along with your style

Parimita Barooah Bora

12 Oct 2009

Kuwait

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Kuwait is a friendly country, but you need to respect its traditional culture and be careful about what you wear. Avoid low-cut shirts, tank tops, and skirts or shorts that show your legs.

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Dating

Date smart

Adam Lichtenheld

10 Feb 2009

Jordan

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Maneuvering through the abundance of young, beautiful, well-endowed women in Jordan as a poor, white, non-Muslim foreigner is a bit like walking through a Mercedes-Benz dealership without a dollar to your name. After hearing of one of my futile attempts to court a local woman, an American friend looked at me and laughed. “That’s a dry well man!” Luckily, I took my vow of chastity early. Male-female relationships differ significantly in Jordan; they’re quite patriarchal (so for females planning to date Arab men—be prepared to be “taken care of”) and public displays of affection are haram (forbidden).

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Health

De-carb every once in a while

Courtney Ng

15 Oct 2009

Peru

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If there's one thing that can be hard to adjust to when it comes to Peruvian cuisine, it's the disproportionate amount of carbs. Rice, potatoes, bread, rice, empanadas, alfajores, rice... did I mention rice? Because it's in EVERY dish. Don't get me wrong, I love rice, but at times it seems to dominate meals so much that fruits and vegetables become "treats." The trick to getting your fair share of nutrients is to frequent the fruit carts on corners all over Lima and avoid the rolling "carb carts" that compete with them. Peru has a ton of great fruits (chirimoya, maracuya, avocado) and veggies (tomatoes, corn, rocoto) available, so explore, chow down, and de-carb every once in a while! Your waistline will thank you later.

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Slang

Small words make a big difference

Christina Briscoe

02 Feb 2010

Brazil

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While speaking to a friend back home in Portuguese, he asked me: "Está ficando com alguém lá?" "Ficar" means lots of different things, but its basic meaning is to remain or to stay. So, I replied, "Sim com uma familia." (Yes, with a family.) I had just told him that I was making out with a family. Ficar com (with) is to make out. Ficar em (in) is innocent. If you don't want to make people think rather badly of you, you can say, "Fico na casa de uma familia." (I'm staying at a family's house.)

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Nightlife

London's no Río, but...

Marshall Worsham

06 Jan 2010

United Kingdom

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Most pubs are required by law to close down at midnight or earlier, and good clubs (which stay open later) are hard to come by. Unless you get invited along on a weekend of ultra-cool underground house parties of the camp-burlesque variety, expect early nights. One notable exception, however, is the gay district in Central London, primarily around Soho. Word on the street is that a handful of clubs, including G-A-Y and the Green Carnation, consistently have the best music and most interesting late-night parties anywhere in London. Those two in particular are known to be quite straight-friendly too.

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Being an American

This friend request ain't on Facebook

Rebecca Jacobson

01 Feb 2010

Malawi

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As a foreigner in Malawi, locals will be eager to chat with you. Amusing and even enlightening conversations often result, but you can also expect a number of unusual or uncomfortable requests. “I want you to be my friend” is one particularly common appeal. Though some Malawians may harbor a genuine interest in you, such requests are often entreaties for money, food, or use of your cell phone. Others may assume you can finagle American visas for them, or even ask you for a job (not having one myself, this is an easy question to deflect). Rather than cutting off the conversation or outright rejecting calls for friendship, be friendly and firm. Don’t feel guilty about changing the topic, and remember, laughter does wonders.

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