There is a common belief that a bitter rivalry exists between French people and Americans. Having spent a significant amount of time in France, I know this is vastly overblown—sure, there are a few folks here and there who don’t like each other—but generally speaking if either party approaches the other respectfully, they will be treated respectfully in turn.

In cases where this is true, however, it is highly likely that an American visitor approached the French person, in France, addressing them immediately in English. While this is acceptable (and in some cases even desirable) behavior in some parts of Europe, making no effort to learn even a few basic pleasantries is probably the average French person’s No. 1 beef against Americans.

It’s not hard to learn your pleases, thank yous, excuse mes and good mornings. So if you want to make your time in France more enjoyable, commit a few to memory, practice some pronunciation, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised how easily it is to interact with locals here. They may not like to admit it, but many French people speak at least basic English, which makes sense given the importance of tourism to the country’s economy and it’s close economic links to England. But you’ll probably never learn the extent of their English skills unless you can start your approach with a word in French.

That Italy is a culture of proud machismo is well established. That Italian food is one of the most popular around the world is also fact. Put those together, and you have an extreme sense of nationalistic pride in the country’s culinary offerings—pride that can be so over the top as to create some opportunities for humor at the Italians’ expense.

Spend enough time with Italians, and it can be a great joy to watch their reaction to any creative alterations to Italy’s staple dishes; you will never see any kind of “Italian fusion” being embraced by Italians. You want to try to make lasagna with a cheese other than ricotta? Not here, you won’t. You want to add something fancy like turkey or mushrooms to spaghetti al pomodoro (simple spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce)? That’s just blasphemous. And don’t even think about using a cheese-based sauce with seafood.

Secondly, it can provide a laugh when you erroneously pair ingredients that you are genetically supposed to know don’t go together. For example, if you prefer a seafood-based sauce with your pasta, you use long noodles. If you want meat sauce, that’s when you need short noodles. Get it mixed up, and your Italian friends will have a (comical) fit. While you’re at it, try cutting your pasta with a  knife, or cooking your pasta too long so it’s soft and mushy as opposed to the preferred al dente. You may not have friends anymore.

Finally, because Italians are so proud of their cuisine—and indeed, it is the only suitable cuisine on earth—you are likely to get humorously defensive reactions when you suggest that while Italian food is good, you prefer Peruvian, or Thai, or Japanese, or Lebanese. Just rubbish. Have they actually tried those other cuisines? Doesn’t matter…you’re not only wrong, but silly for even suggesting such foolishness.

And when you do encounter this, it’s only fitting to laugh, given that over-the-top pride exemplified even from the country’s leadership—among his many other blunders, Silvio Berlusconi managed to offend an entire country (Finland) by knocking their cuisine while serving as Italy’s Prime Minister.

Make sure you treat your Italian food wisely…

Nicaragua is the poorest country in Central America and one of the poorest in the entire world. But it is also one of the most culturally-rich, and subsequently, one of the happiest. With a population consisting primarily of mestizos, or mixed-race people, the fact that a surprising number of people here can communicate in broken English (despite Spanish being, obviously, the vastly dominant language) is a testament to their diverse heritage.

What is particularly interesting about Nicaragua’s cultural mix is the physical divide: the country is less than 500 kilometers across, and yet East and West are vastly different here. The West, which includes the capital Managua and a majority of the population, was originally colonized by Spain. As such, it has maintained a similar heritage to most other Latin American countries, deeply influenced by Iberian culture.

The East, however, has a vastly different history. Once a British protectorate, it is more culturally similar to the islands of the Caribbean, many of which were once or are still today British-ruled. English is still widely spoken amongst these people, although continued immigration by Spanish speakers has tipped the scales in favor of that language. Still, the large population of mixed African colonists from the Caribbean, as well as the indigenous Garifuna (similar to Belize to the north), Miskito, Rama and Sumo people, have ensured that while small, the people from the East have kept Nicaragua’s cultural heritage diverse.

From Cheung Chau…

You surely known the usual suspects like Ibiza and Mykonos by now, but let the record show that Kusadasi, along the Mediterranean Coast in Southwest Turkey, boasts one of the most vibrant nightlife offerings in the world.

Kusadasi’s Location in Turkey

When two of the most popular nightlife spots are called Barlar Sokagi (“The Street of Bars”) and Asagi Barlar Sokagi (“The Lower Street of Bars”), you know you’re in for a memorable time (or perhaps you’ll remember nothing, and not because you were bored). The countless options, ranging from Irish bars to stone houses-turned-clubs, are packed year round, and feature internationally-renowned DJ’s during the summer peak season.

The video below offers a quick glimpse into a stroll down The Street of Bars. Enjoy!

Catholic or Muslim, rich or poor, tall or short, or light-skinned or Moreno-skinned, there is one thing virtually all Filipino households have in common: A home karaoke machine.

Often regarded as the most musical country in Asia, it seems as though everyone here likes to sing (that doesn’t mean everyone is good at it, by the way). That isn’t surprising given how happy and festive Filipinos are generally known for being. As Filipinos are also known for their collectivism, karaoke is a perfect activity to be shared amongst family and friends. It doesn’t matter if you can sing or not—what is important are the bonds that are formed and the laughs that are shared.

While the origins of karaoke are still debated today (some argue that it came from the Philippines, others that it came from Japan), there is no question that home karaoke systems are an essential staple in Filipino culture. Japan, and even more so Korea, have karaoke bars lining the streets of any nightlife area, but here it is more a form of home entertainment. You’ll have a hard time finding any home gathering of a group of Filipinos anywhere in the world that doesn’t feature karaoke, which should leave you entertained into the early morning hours.

Enter the home of any Filipino family and you’re likely to find something like this…