A ‘Random Guide to International Behavior’*
Travel Blog • Jim Benning • 05.29.07 | 12:18 PM ET
In 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).
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Jim Benning is the editor and co-founder of World Hum.
Javier 05.30.07 | 12:49 AM ET
Phong is definitively the highlight of your trip to Vietnam. Anywhere in this country you could have this delicious soup
Lucky 06.04.07 | 3:52 AM ET
Yep, anywhere in Vietnam you could enjoy the food, but the famous brand name is Pho24, it has many branches abroad including Japan, USA..ect.
Travel watch 06.18.07 | 3:10 AM ET
Ask someone to name a Vietnamese dish, and he or she will most likely say pho (rhymes with “duh’‘). Twenty-nine years ago, who would have dreamed that the national soup of Vietnam would be so well embraced in America?
Craig of Travelvice.com 11.18.07 | 1:57 PM ET
Too bad I found better PHO in the U.S. than in Vietnam itself… IMHO
Also:
A list of faux pas from different cultures around the world. “In German business dealings, scooting your chair closer to the host is considered an insult.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_faux_pas
Nha Trang 07.14.08 | 6:31 PM ET
Pho better in the US than in Vietnam? Surely not.. though I guess it depends where you bought it!
There is the whole North Vs South debate in Vietnam - among other differences Hanoi is said to be the home of pho, where pho is one of the most important dishes and people have great pride in it…
Sadly, they’re much mistaken. In the south it is spicier, tastier, more herbs, more mmm! Northern Pho is great if you like your beef, as it is nothing but. Down south Pho is lighter, fresh, and full of flavour.