Are "Useful Phrases" really that useful?

Here's a thought...

One thing I always find strange in travel guide books are the "useful" phrases section they have in the back of the book. I mean, while the concept of it is great since they teach you how to say things like "where is the nearest bar?" and "I'm not American, I'm Canadian," to make your trip more enjoyable, I've always wondered how useful it is if you don't speak their language, how the hell are you suppose to understand what they say back to you?

For instance, you may have mastered how to say different things in Finnish, but what good is it if they reply with something like...."sgdtää åjjjjjtääd jsääwäfjää fjååkkk veckoslut!"

That sentence actually sounds quite rude, doesn't it?

(Also, I love Americans and I'll post some photos soon!)

A Practical Guide to Dating Foreigners

Some people travel for the sole purpose of hooking up with as many foreigners as humanly possible. They usually carry around a "to do" list longer than there are countries in the EU and help contribute to the surprisingly high number of daily page views I get from my post about hostel sex.

While fortunately most of us do not have these aspirations in life, somewhere in between complaining about the couple having hostel sex in the bunk below and figuring out the meaning of life, we too, end up falling for a foreigner. Despite some people telling you that love on the road will only end in heartbreak, there are others who make it work and are happier than any of these previously said people will ever be.

Luckily, I've put together a guide to help you avoid any travel dating dilemmas. Whether it's long term or a brief fling, this guide should help you figure out your foreign love interest.

A Practical Guide to Dating Foreigners:

The Canadian 

If you've dated people from a number of different countries, chances are, it's hard to remember the Canadian. While they will probably be the friendliest people you'll ever meet, they also tend to be pretty average. Not that average is a bad thing, since you'll never have to suffer a black eye from a toaster being hurled at you, but at the same time, you may not exactly be the envy of your friends back home. Canadians hate to be confused as Americans, so making this mistake will hinder your chances of dating them. Familiarize yourself with terms like poutine, double double, and Sidney Crosby if you really want to impress them, and remember: hockey is the best sport in the world, not soccer.