WHAT? Southeast Asia probably have the greatest cuisine (I'm slanted becuase I love Thai and Indonesian food).

You do have a point in that English is fairly widely spoken, and will get you by in many places. The problem is that some people (usually Americans) just assume that everyone all over the world either speaks English or is stupid. Knowing English also doesn't necessarily help you if you leave the tourist districts.

When I travel, I try to learn a few basic phrases in the local language - things like "please" and "thank you" and "where is the restroom?" (always a good thing to know ;) )

Arya, apparently the food was too spicy and too fishy for them. Probably the closest thing to fish they'd had in their lives was Filet-O-Fish. :rolleyes:

I had a friend (well still have her, but anyhoo)who studied for 7 months in Egypt. She still insisted that everything be just like home. She ate McD's, KFC, etc and rarely strayed into the realm of local food. She even went out in shorts and a T, which is what every guidebook tells you not to do. It's not that you'll be assaulted (like Saudi Arabia) it's just that you will be hit on. She was just appalled when some guy walked over and said "Hey baby, you want a banana??" She generally ignored local customs and completely tried to impose her culture on everyone. Maybe that would have slid by if she was there for only a week, but she was living there for awhile. I'm just glad people thought she was English (instead of American).