What Not To Do

This story about common U.S. practices that don't go over well elsewhere probably would have been better placed at the beginning of summer, when most people still have their vacations ahead of them (though, for a disconcerting yet somehow not surprising story about Americans and our vacations, see below). So, if you've already been abroad, you can entertain yourself with memories of which of these things you did, and if you haven't yet been abroad, well, try to memorize those rules that apply to your particular destination (story, graphic): http://www.businessinsider.com/american-behaviors-that-are-offensive-abroad-2015-8

   This kind of story pops up every once in a while, not always having to do with vacations but sometimes with sick days or pregnancy leave or just days off in general. The basic idea is always the same, though. Americans get less of all that than the citizens of every other advanced nation. And according to the latest stats, even more us are getting ~ or rather, taking ~ vacations. As in, 10 million fewer people have had a vacation in the last 12 months than a year ago. It comes down to this: “Americans have very low expectations about vacation time when compared with the rest of the world.” So concludes Kathleen Gerson, a sociology professor at New York University: http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-08-19/even-fewer-americans-are-taking-vacation