Vacations with Unusual Food

Our waiter simply would not take no for an answer. Mom and I were on our vacation in France and we were dining out at this upscale restaurant in our hotel. That dinner is still one of my top three meals, and I still dream about the delicious rose champagne we drank.

This dinner had several courses and our appetizer was this raw salmon tart. My mom doesn't like seafood at all, but during our vacation she had eaten this popular raw salmon appetizer dish several times. That night she wasn't in the mood for it, but our waiter didn't like that. He simply picked up the tart and plopped it onto my mom's plate unceremoniously making it very clear that she needed to eat it. So she did.

Another time in France at a different restaurant my Mom ordered a salad, and it was huge! Well she didn't finish it (plus it wasn't her favorite), and when our waiter came to get our dishes he questioned her about whether she liked the salad and why she didn't finish it. Both of us were taken aback, and she just replied she was full. These instances happened several times on our vacation, and our waiters seemed to take this very personally.

I noticed this same thing when I was on vacation in Cambodia with my friends. Whenever we were eating with our hosts, they always kept an eye on us to make sure we had enough food and if we were eating. One of my friends was always being pushed to get seconds because they thought she didn't eat enough when in fact she just eats really quickly. I was glad to be a slow eater for once!

Through my travels I've learned how important it is to try new foods even when they are kinda gross. How can we expect to grow as individuals if we're not willing to step out of our comfort zone and try these new foods? How can you know you don't like a food if you haven't even tried it?

Sure I haven't tried every new delicacy that comes near me on my vacations, such as the duck embryos in Cambodia or the fried tarantulas. Maybe I should have tried them. I know I would've learned a lot about myself if I had, or if anything else I would have a new story to share. It is a scary thing trying foods we aren't comfortable with or that seem gross, but that's when we need to take the leap of faith and try it. By doing so, you're choosing to be apart of that culture rather than a foreigner who just observes the culture but does not truly experience it.

What's the weirdest or craziest food that you tried once?

Travel Advice: Bathrooms 101

On my trips I've noticed that bathrooms are very different wherever you go. Some toilets have a button to pull to flush, while other times you have to pour a bucket of water into the toilet bowl.

As fun as this could be to list out all the differences, no one really cares. However, we do care about the restroom because it is an essential for all of us, yet we all have preconceived notions of what the bathroom is supposed to be like on our trips because of our own experiences from our own bathrooms. So when we're not prepared for other styles, well this can surprise us.

Public bathrooms abroad tend to be holes in the ground or a clean, well-kept bathroom that costs money. It usually only costs 1-2 dollars in their currency, so make sure you have change on you at all times. It's usually worth it, although this is not a guarantee to cleanliness.

Public bathrooms are not very common as they are in the U.S. where you can generally find one near you at all times (except in NYC!). Sooooo whenever you're getting a meal, use the bathroom because no restaurant will let you use one unless your a customer, and it'll be fairly clean. This was a trick that my Mom and I learned on our trip in France.

Always, always, and always bring kleenex and hand sanitizer with you. There may not be toilet paper or soap.

Don't be alarmed if there are other guests in your stall, and I mean bugs or some lizards. In Cambodia, there were geckos (not Geico) that usually hung out in the bathroom stalls because it was a cool, damp place. If you don't bug them, they won't bug you. **I actually did call the lizards, "Geico" until my friends reminded me while laughing that it was "geckos."**


My last final tip is for the ladies, and that would be knowing how to squat. If you've gone rough camping (not glamour camping with plumbing) then you know what I'm talking about. Many public bathrooms don't have a toilet bowl above ground, but rather it's on the floor. So there is nothing for you to sit on, and you'll have to squat. The best clothes for these occasions is dresses and skirts.

Do you have any other tips or stories to share about bathrooms from your own trips abroad?