So you’re looking to get some questions answered about International Travel. This is perfectly normal. You have thought about Europe and whether that 80’s hair band (with such hits as “The Final Countdown”) was named after it, well, it was! This is a great question so let’s tackle a few more! Along the same musical lines, Greece did NOT inspire the musical “Grease” as some have thought. It’s a real country, and no they don’t throw around discuses like frisbees there. Continuing on, a few people have asked, “When I go to France, is french kissing manditory?” The answer is no, but remember, however, that underpants are.
If you ever travel to Italy, keep in mind that you are on an island shaped like a big boot (it’s the left boot, because it’s pointing left, just look at a map) and they only have Italian food there. The only way to escape Italy is from a Papal decree or by buying a leaning tower of Pisa replica. There are a few islands surrounding Italy that represent all the different varieties of pizza that you could have, the only one missing is the “Isle of Deep Dish”. Moving north from Italy, you encounter a lot of countries that use those two dots over various letters. Apparently you are supposed to pronounce these places with your mouth shaped like a ‘o’ but then say the letter. No one has figured out how to correctly pronounce these countries.
The lands of Asia are mysterious and full of wonder and chopsticks. (Side note: Asia is another 80’s band!) The people there are fascinating, and normally greet you with a bow. Not the kind that’s tied to a gift. That’s bow. These people bow. In Japan, they have perfected the ancient art of “video games”. So now is your time to get one. The Japanese culture has such a high regard for ‘honor’, that they would avoid dishonoring anyone by telling them if they have a bit of soy sauce on their chin, so be sure to have extra napkins on hand, because no one will tell you about the soy sauce. China, on the other hand, is very bold and courageous, to the point that everyone there gets three names! They also get to have the world’s tallest mountain, the world’s oldest people, and the world’s spiciest chicken.
International travel can have it’s ups and downs mainly because you are at different points above or below sea level. But keep in mind, your perception of a certain region or country does not have to be conformed to your pre-concieved ideas. Ask around, get some information, and this doesn’t mean getting on a plane and THEN asking where you are headed! Be like a detective, snooping around and unmasking carnival workers dressed as silly ghosts. Let your destination become your destiny, unless of course, you don’t believe in destiny, then just go somewhere and enjoy.
