A ‘Random Guide to International Behavior’*

Travel Blog  •  Jim Benning  •  05.29.07 | 12:18 PM ET

imageIn his Sunday column, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Thomas Swick has some sage advice for international travelers, ranging from ways to stay out of trouble to simple pronunciation tips. Among them: “In Vietnam, don’t say pho with a long ‘o’ when ordering the popular noodle soup. (It’s pronounced more like ‘fuh’). In Ireland, don’t ask, ‘Are there any good books by local authors?’ In Singapore, don’t do a lot of things.”

 

Follow Swick’s advice and, if you’re a U.S. citizen, you just might help retire “ugly American” from the lexicon of the locals you encounter overseas.

* Update, 4:23 p.m. ET: There’s more. In addition to his column, Swick also collected tips from people around the world. In Lebanon, for example: “One of the more common ones is sitting with legs crossed, heel facing the person beside you. Extremely rude!”

Photo by roland via Flickr, (Creative Commons).