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6 Items To Pack If You Want To Meet Locals While Traveling
bravenewtraveler.com — Some of the best moments traveling are spent connecting with local people. When you are feeling adventurous and willing to delve deeper into the world around you, there are six essential things to have in your bag that can help break the ice and make an introduction.
HuskyPuzzle- 968 diggs
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- andyboyd, on 06/29/2008, -0/+30I've done a bit of surfing in Indonesia and found that the local kids especially loved getting free t-shirts.
- BOFH2, on 06/30/2008, -0/+4we brought mini-frisbees to Brazil. They liked those.
- KingGorilla, on 06/30/2008, -1/+15Everybody loves free t-shirts. Anyone watch that episode of Pinky and The Brain
- arjie, on 06/30/2008, -0/+2Ha ha, that instantly came to mind. I'm glad there are more people who thought the same thing.
- whorunbartertwn, on 06/30/2008, -0/+2If you smoke... your cigarettes.
We've found people in China/India/Vietnam love to trade smokes to try the American one you have. You end up with relaxed people enjoying each others' company.
- jzuska, on 06/30/2008, -4/+2Here is a better list.
1. Money
2. Slutty clothes
3. Booze
4. Condoms
5. Swimsuit / Bikini
6. Camera- Gudeldar, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1Why did you think this was going to get dugg more up here than farther down where you already posted it?
- greenroom628, on 06/29/2008, -0/+9i've brought post cards from home on surf trips and the kids dug those, too.
- manzplan, on 06/30/2008, -0/+61Leave behind any preconceived notion about the people of the place you are visiting...
- sassyt, on 06/30/2008, -0/+11So true! Travel with an open mind for an optimal experience...
- upick, on 06/30/2008, -2/+283. A Deck Of Playing Cards
Always handy to have some entertainment~- n3demonic, on 06/30/2008, -0/+3In Asia, it's key. We're all gambling fiends.
- dougvfr750, on 06/30/2008, -1/+21Some candy goes a long way too
- evilesttoast, on 06/30/2008, -0/+14I don't know if you should be giving candy to kids who you dont know well, might make you look like a pedophile
- sockpuppets, on 06/30/2008, -6/+5In Soviet Russia joke doesn't even get you.
- DangerMouse9, on 06/30/2008, -1/+0Only if you're in a van with "Free Candy" in the local language spray painted on the side and the windows tinted.
I don't think handing out candy from your native land to kids in another land would make you look like a kiddie diddler. Now, if you try to lure them it may.
- statix, on 06/30/2008, -2/+32why dont you have a seat right over there...
- GothAlice, on 06/30/2008, -1/+15Uh… candy is actually a very useful item. In some locations children flock to travelers, running in the street next alongside a vehicle. Candy for the children will make you an instant hit with /everyone/ in the town.
- KingGorilla, on 06/30/2008, -1/+3Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker
- CedEx, on 06/30/2008, -1/+0Candies for Cuties!
- cathpah, on 06/30/2008, -1/+3giving candy to kids is just stupid. It helps no one...just gives them cavities and reinforces begging. They will then assume/hope/hassle every foreigner from then on hoping they have candy.
try bringing books. paper. pencils. medicine. pictures of your home...but not freaking candy.- Tenlow, on 06/30/2008, -1/+1Actually candy is one of the best things you can bring, along with American cigarettes (Marlboro Reds are the preferred brand as far as I've seen).
You've obviously never been traveling too far outside your comfort zone. - cathpah, on 06/30/2008, -0/+2@ tenlow
did you even read what I said? I said it's a bad idea to give candy. Obviously the kids enjoy the candy, but it's an irresponsible way to travel.
And yeah, I've never travelled outside my comfort zone. That's why at age 27 I've spent more than 2 and a half years of my life travelling outside of the US...most of which was done in third world countries (over 25 in total). I spent all of 2007 travelling through South and Southeast Asia., have travelled throughougt central america, and have also spent time in europe and africa. I'm a professional photographer with travel photography being one of my specialities. If you don't believe me, go check out my website and you'll see a lot of my work from my time in Asia. www.eyeballimaging.com
it helps if you actually read a comment before replying to it, and not judging/guessing about someone elses life/"comfort zone.
I'd be willing to be my comfort zone is a LOT larger and gnarlier than yours.
- Tenlow, on 06/30/2008, -1/+1Actually candy is one of the best things you can bring, along with American cigarettes (Marlboro Reds are the preferred brand as far as I've seen).
- evilesttoast, on 06/30/2008, -0/+14I don't know if you should be giving candy to kids who you dont know well, might make you look like a pedophile
- BillionWishlist, on 06/30/2008, -0/+5wish i had this list when I went to cambodia!
- jezsik, on 06/30/2008, -0/+2Go back! See Laos and Burma, too.
- bosssmiley, on 06/30/2008, -1/+46#1 on the list should be SMOKES.
Seriously, almost anywhere in the world (other than maybe LA) offering a cigarette will break the ice.- jjpertusch, on 06/30/2008, -0/+12too true. i got half off the price of a hotel room in south dakota with a cigarette and a slice of pizza.
- horscategorie, on 06/30/2008, -3/+28isn't that all that a hotel room in south dakota is worth?
- dustinhoffman, on 06/30/2008, -0/+1As a resident that was born and raised in Sioux Falls... I resent that statement... it's worth at least 2 cigarettes and a Little Caesars 4.00 pizza (yes, it's 4... not 5 in SD... unlike Milwaukee where I am now)
Bottom line... you got a deal....
- GothAlice, on 06/30/2008, -1/+10Crazy as it sounds, socialization is exactly why I picked up smoking. Smokers tend to be far more up to interaction than any random sampling of the public.
- jezsik, on 06/30/2008, -0/+10Huh! That's why I took up drinking.
Of course, instead of getting stinker with ever smoke, I get smarter and better looking with every beer. - GothAlice, on 06/30/2008, -0/+5Your logic, as usual, is impeccable. Have you been drinking? :P
- jezsik, on 06/30/2008, -0/+10Huh! That's why I took up drinking.
- bdbr, on 07/01/2008, -0/+2When I was in Korea in the '80s, I would keep a pack cigarettes on me just for that purpose. American cigarettes were immensely better than Korean smokes at the time (I don't know about now), and the Koreans knew it.
I got pulled over on the highway once. The cop walked up to the window, and made the generic "smoking" gesture! We gave him a few cigarettes, and we were off!
- jjpertusch, on 06/30/2008, -0/+12too true. i got half off the price of a hotel room in south dakota with a cigarette and a slice of pizza.
- jshare, on 06/30/2008, -0/+19Just trying to speak a few words of the local language will usually get appreciation, and you can get those at the airport/bus/train station
- GothAlice, on 06/30/2008, -2/+3There are some cases where attempting to speak the local language will get you shot. Unless you are a diminutive and attractive female, speaking Japanese badly will label you as a 'baka gaijin': a stupid foreigner. This is, of course, above the fact that you're already a gaijin.
In oriental cultures that use chop-sticks, chop-stick skill is a major ice-breaker. They often can't believe that a foreigner will have taken the time to learn, and is even capable, of using them properly.
Pro tip: learn to use chop-sticks in either hand, and for double impact, use both simultaneously. ^_^- catesbysimpson, on 06/30/2008, -0/+2The opposite happened to me. I am not diminutive or a girl, but Japanese people flocked to me to trying to ge me to speak Japanese, however badly. Mostly though, they wanted to test out their English. I do agree that using chopsticks well will impress people.
- GothAlice, on 06/30/2008, -2/+3There are some cases where attempting to speak the local language will get you shot. Unless you are a diminutive and attractive female, speaking Japanese badly will label you as a 'baka gaijin': a stupid foreigner. This is, of course, above the fact that you're already a gaijin.
- Latinbaseballer, on 06/30/2008, -1/+4mirror?
- afx1, on 06/30/2008, -0/+19probably wouldn't be much of an ice breaker
- feliks2, on 06/30/2008, -0/+5Yeah, gotta make sure you look good. Oh... wait...what?
- RadioFreeOpium, on 06/30/2008, -0/+571. A Ticket On The Slow Bus
The faster, air conditioned, express bus is always tempting on a hot day, but it will not help you meet the locals.
The easiest way to meet local people when traveling is to surround yourself with them.
The easiest way to meet local people when traveling is to surround yourself with them. There is no better way to do this than taking the absolute cheapest transportation option available.
When you board the overstuffed train or bus, likely you will be seated next to dozens of people eager to have a conversation. Squat down on a bag of rice, stack of rope, or anywhere you can lean, and keep a smile about the whole ordeal.
The people around you will be watching to see how you react to the situation. Staying relaxed and smiling will go a long way towards warming up your new travel companions.
2. Cassette Tapes
Bringing your own music in an MP3 player or portable CD player is a great way to block out the screeching noise of foreign cities, smooth the ride on trying bus or jeep journeys, or pass the time during long transit periods. On the other hand, there is nothing more isolating than a pair of headphones.
Instead, try traveling with one or two classic cassette mix-tapes. When you tire of the cab’s selection of “the coolest American music,” or a jeep driver’s library of Mongolian throat singing tapes, offer the driver one of your own.
You’re not the only one who may be interested in hearing something new.
3. A Deck Of Playing Cards
Every country in the world seems to have at least one game that uses playing cards. Once you claim your spot on the train or in the bus station, instead of hiding behind a book, start to lazily play a game of solitaire. Before you know it there will be a crowd of people eager to join you.
4. Pictures Of Home, Your Friends And Family
P1010238Besides being a great reminder of your friends and family when you are feeling homesick, a few pictures of home are a great way to build a connection with people you meet on the road.
When choosing pictures try to focus on images that capture the relationship you have with the people in the photograph.
Pictures of houses, apartments, cars, and other possessions can appear opulent and ostentatious in other parts of the world, regardless of their status in your hometown or city.
5. A Reservation Through The Hospitality Club.
Organizations like the Hospitality Club, CouchSurfing, the WWOOF program, and forums like the Digihitch Rideboard, are more than just places to find free lodging or a free ride.
The most useful tool for building relationships abroad is language.
These resources are a great way to escape the typical traveler’s circuit and spend an evening, a few days, or even a few weeks with a local, hanging out, sharing an apartment, or even working.
Remember that, in addition to rooms for lodging, the Hospitality Club and CouchSurfing have listings of local people who just want to grab a beer, do some sightseeing, or share their favorite restaurant.
6. A Phrasebook
The most useful tool for building relationships abroad is language - and if you sincerely hope to make friends the few pages at the end of your guidebook will not be enough.
A dedicated phrasebook, with two-way dictionaries and liberal use of native script, can be passed back and forth and be surprisingly useful for conveying meaning.
As a fun challenge, leave the guidebook in the hostel and spend a day navigating with only your phrasebook, or for the dedicated, try to learn a new language in only a few weeks.
Having these six things with you will not magically open a world of friendships, but they are small and light and can make a huge difference when you are trying to break into a foreign social group.
What are your favourite items to pack to share with locals? Share in the comments!
David DeFranza has studied in China, worked in Japan, and wandered all over Asia, Europe and North America. When not traveling he spends his time in New York, or the seacoast of New Hampshire, or where ever his friends offer a couch.- ISIfunded911, on 06/30/2008, -3/+4I tried all those but they were no good to have sex with the locals. So now I simply walk around with a strap on dildo and a death mask, and I always end up invited to have sex the day I land, in bloody orgies usually.
YMMV.
- ISIfunded911, on 06/30/2008, -3/+4I tried all those but they were no good to have sex with the locals. So now I simply walk around with a strap on dildo and a death mask, and I always end up invited to have sex the day I land, in bloody orgies usually.
- aquireworth, on 06/30/2008, -1/+5Cassette Tapes - brilliant idea! There have definitely been a few times when they would have been handy and saved me a headache from the squealing music of the cab driver.
- cathpah, on 06/30/2008, -0/+5reminds me of a time in rural indonesia last year where I heard the same celine dion "greatest hits" (can that even be possible?) tape absolutely BLARING over the half dead speakers for 14 hours.
- aquireworth, on 06/30/2008, -0/+5That sounds like the definition of hell to me ;)
- cathpah, on 06/30/2008, -0/+2haha...you just gotta laugh and roll with it. otherwise you go nuts.
anyways, its those kind of moments that you never forget. and just like with a tattoo...it doesn't hurt anymore, but i sure can brag about surviving it. hahaha (okay, i've got loads of tattoos and never bragged that i survived, but you know what i mean)
- cathpah, on 06/30/2008, -0/+5reminds me of a time in rural indonesia last year where I heard the same celine dion "greatest hits" (can that even be possible?) tape absolutely BLARING over the half dead speakers for 14 hours.
- holysocks, on 06/30/2008, -7/+6a bottle of the local alcohol does wonders too
- unreg, on 06/30/2008, -21/+8I pack 8" of meat for the local ladies
- haikuFU, on 06/30/2008, -1/+0Too bad you only end up getting your own fudge packed by the local dudes.
- usrlocalbin, on 06/30/2008, -4/+41Pot?
- PabloMac, on 06/30/2008, -6/+9Only if you want to risk staying for a really long time.
- Gudeldar, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1I don't know why people are digging you down, when you are completely right. Especially in many Asian countries drug possession carries a very heavy penalty. Dealing drugs in Singapore or China is a great way to get executed.
- variablek, on 06/30/2008, -0/+6agreed, but don't bring pot into a country, buy it there, and from someone you trust. sharing a joint with locals or other travelers in your hostel is one of best ice-breakers ever. hands down.
- BossKey, on 06/30/2008, -1/+12"Joey, have you ever...been to a Turkish prison?"
- GothAlice, on 06/30/2008, -0/+9In Panama marijuana possession, let alone sale, is a serious crime. If caught you will spend some serious time in a very serious prison. Where they feed you maggoty rice and fetid water.
Not /always/ the best ice breaker. Always read up on local laws.- lowmagnet, on 06/30/2008, -5/+1Why the heck would anyone want to go to Panama?
- GothAlice, on 06/30/2008, -1/+3Because everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is dirt fscking cheap. It's tropical. The people are friendly, when they're not trying to run you down. And they have a Wendy's. :P
- mrjhmm, on 07/01/2008, -0/+11: Because a bottle of Heinekin costs 35 cents. (they have a license to brew it there.)
2: They have some good weed available, just be sure to get it from someone at your hostel, not a street dealer that might be working for the police. Also, some cops go undercover and dress like dealers. They ask if you want to buy something, if you do they arrest you. They only let you go after you pay a huge bribe. This happens in most 3rd world countries, too.
3: Beautiful tropical beaches.
4: Magic mushrooms grow in the wild.
5: Coke for 10 dollars a gram.
- CedEx, on 06/30/2008, -3/+2Only if you want to meet the local... prison population.
- passedoutghost, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1Indonesia + Pot = Death Penalty.
- PabloMac, on 06/30/2008, -6/+9Only if you want to risk staying for a really long time.
- Fjosnisse, on 06/30/2008, -1/+4hey this is great, i'm going on my first solo-trip to france in a few days, this will certainly help!
- DuffyDirect, on 06/30/2008, -0/+8No... it won't...
- BossKey, on 06/30/2008, -0/+13Pack a lighter, even if you don't smoke. I can't count how many times in France a cutie walked up to me with a cigarette and asked for a light, and it's just lame to not be able to offer one.
- arjie, on 06/30/2008, -2/+3You should have said, "You're hot enough not to need one."
Hahahaha, sorry. I just thought it would be a funny scene. Sorry. Really. - retral, on 06/30/2008, -2/+3That sounds awesome, but damn.. I can't help but hate when chicks smoke.
- arjie, on 06/30/2008, -2/+3You should have said, "You're hot enough not to need one."
- DuffyDirect, on 06/30/2008, -0/+1better than in french canadi-a where they ask to 'borrow' your cigarette.
- snowbones, on 06/30/2008, -3/+17they forgot "pepper-spray"
- cuevas4711, on 06/30/2008, -10/+6Is it sad that i read this as "6 Items to pack if you want to meet locust while traveling"?
- arjie, on 06/30/2008, -1/+3Probably yes, but I started laughing as soon as I read what you wrote.
1. A Ticket On The Slow Bus
The faster, air conditioned, express bus is always tempting on a hot day, but it will not help you meet the locusts. The easiest way to meet locusts when travelling is to surround yourself with them. There is no better way to do this than taking the absolute cheapest transportation option available. When you board the overstuffed train or bus, likely you will be treated to a swarm of locusts eager to have a conversation. For best results, ride a buggy.
- arjie, on 06/30/2008, -1/+3Probably yes, but I started laughing as soon as I read what you wrote.
- honesttussey, on 06/30/2008, -4/+3A Tazer
- judicar, on 06/30/2008, -1/+17Duh, the international currency: chocolate, cigarettes and nylons.
- jezsik, on 06/30/2008, -1/+2Yeah, just see how far chocolate gets you in a hot climate. I bought some duty-free chocolate on my way to Brazil once. I completely forgot about them until I arrived at my destination, a four hour drive from Rio. A box of hot chocolate syrup does not make an impressionable gift. :-D
- passedoutghost, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1Funny how things never change since WW1
- pagit, on 06/30/2008, -0/+22a pack of smokes, a can of spam, some candy and a sense of humility will get you anywhere in south east Asia.
Ask alot of questions and don't brag- variablek, on 06/30/2008, -0/+16"Ask alot of questions and don't brag..."
Quoted for truth. Words of wisdom any situation. - frequentFlyer, on 06/30/2008, -2/+0why would i EVER want to go to SEA?
- vafada, on 06/30/2008, -0/+1/sigh
I feel sorry for you for being so close-minded or you being just an idiot. - passedoutghost, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1For a frequent flyer you don't get out much do you?
- vafada, on 06/30/2008, -0/+1/sigh
- variablek, on 06/30/2008, -0/+16"Ask alot of questions and don't brag..."
- minorthreat, on 06/30/2008, -0/+4I've always had the best luck meeting people at the local bars.. but hey, maybe thats just me.
- Scopitone, on 06/30/2008, -1/+35No condoms?! Amateurs.
- sockpuppets, on 06/30/2008, -0/+2They call me the international superman.
- arjie, on 06/30/2008, -0/+4Well, real men don't use condoms. This time I went to the Virgin Islands, and...
- earnjam, on 06/30/2008, -2/+8A web server that doesn't collapse under the Digg effect...
- shadowspawn, on 06/30/2008, -2/+25#1:) A database connection.
- kolop1, on 06/30/2008, -2/+7Guns and Ammo.
- bjfewell, on 06/30/2008, -0/+1The magazine, or the actual things themselves?
- ChzPlz, on 06/30/2008, -4/+13A Canadian flag on your backpack still does wonders.
- pagit, on 06/30/2008, -1/+12as long as you are canadian
- duster805, on 06/30/2008, -7/+4If you want to look like a douche, definitely.
No offense to the majority of Canadians, but the rare gems out there covering their bag in Canadian flags (the record I've seen is 8 flags between 2 Canadians including a maple leaf tattoo, stickers, patches on their day bag AND large packs, Roots t-shirt (that would make it 13)), just look like dorks to your fellow travelers.
The point in traveling is to be open minded, positive and welcoming to diversity. Going out of your way to demonstrate you are not American, comes off as offensive and decisive to Americans (exactly what you are espousing to be above).- j.carcinogen, on 06/30/2008, -3/+2Like that dumb looking guy who mocks everyone and Christianity and Judaism (but no other religions) in his show, The Naked Archeologist.
- jezsik, on 06/30/2008, -2/+10I guess you have to be Canadian to understand why it's so important to not be identified as an American.
- CedEx, on 06/30/2008, -0/+5The two you met were probably Americans who were trying desperately not to be identified as American.
Going out of your way to demonstrate that you're not American is advice often given by American travelers as a matter of fact.
http://www.cnn.com/TRAVEL/NEWS/9904/07/travel.conc ...
Even Americans don't want to be Americans when traveling. - gedden, on 06/30/2008, -0/+1He is an orthodox Jew. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simcha_Jacobovici
- protodon, on 06/30/2008, -0/+8How about no flags?
- dougmc, on 06/30/2008, -3/+3Or just wear the first T-shirt on this page --
http://www.dieselsweeties.com/shirts/political.sht ...
`We are not ALL jerks' - AdamSnow, on 06/30/2008, -0/+6I have found in my world travels, that they know I'm Canadian before they would even have a chance to look for a flag, or hear me speak...
The local people will treat you not because of a flag on your shirt but how you act and treat their environment, people and culture...
- DuffyDirect, on 06/30/2008, -5/+5So now we're systematizing how to "make connections" with foreign people? Is the next 10 list on here going to be 10 ways to take a *****?
- jazzguitar18, on 06/30/2008, -1/+310 ways to take a ***** in a foreign country while fingering your grandmothers ass hole. Ah man if only Carlin lived just a little longer so we could see that bit.
- haikuFU, on 06/30/2008, -0/+2Upper decker!
- PrintScrn12, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1That wouldn't be a bad idea. When travelling you might not get the same toilet you have back home. The customs for it's use may also be different.
- DuffyDirect, on 07/02/2008, -0/+11. Bring a bucket.
2. Google map search the nearest wood or marshland.
3. Bring cloth diapers, resuse for TP.
4. Get used to cleaning your bum in water fountains -- learn to enjoy the sensations.
5. "When in Rome" go to the bathouses and be open to new forms of male bonding. Live like Ceasar!
There. Where's my check from Google adsense?
- DuffyDirect, on 07/02/2008, -0/+11. Bring a bucket.
- flocktest, on 06/30/2008, -0/+1Handy info.
- MinervaDreaming, on 06/30/2008, -1/+17How could they forget the most important item? Never leave home without a towel.
- scheibs14, on 06/30/2008, -1/+3Unless there is a Towlie-ban where you are traveling
- kyeetza, on 06/30/2008, -0/+8"A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value - you can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapours; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a mini raft down the slow heavy river Moth; wet it for use in hand-to- hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or to avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (a mindboggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you - daft as a bush, but very ravenous); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.
More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-hitch hiker) discovers that a hitch hiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, face flannel, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitch hiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitch hiker might accidentally have "lost". What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is is clearly a man to be reckoned with."
- DibsOnThePirate, on 06/30/2008, -1/+7and a football! ("soccer ball")
- flocktest, on 06/30/2008, -1/+3gh
- 101phones, on 06/30/2008, -3/+37. Clean Water
- flocktest, on 06/30/2008, -1/+3g
- dattaway, on 06/30/2008, -1/+1rent a motorcycle and you'll be one of the gang
- ASSASSYN360, on 06/30/2008, -5/+2A firearm.
- JohnnyRad, on 06/30/2008, -0/+5we used stickers as currency in costa rica a few times on surf trips. also a good idea if you go to costa rica, is to just pack old shirts you don't really care about - then after you wear em enough, give them to the locals. you're backpack will get lighter and your heart will get fuller. yes fuller.
- jnava121, on 06/30/2008, -0/+2your wallet will get lighter too if you hang out with the drunk homeless people on the beach haha......
- JohnnyRad, on 06/30/2008, -0/+1so true, and watch your sandals - kids will steal em and then try to sell them to other tourists
- jnava121, on 06/30/2008, -0/+2your wallet will get lighter too if you hang out with the drunk homeless people on the beach haha......
- magicalhobo, on 06/30/2008, -6/+1No dildo for the ladies? This list is LAME!
- homesqua, on 06/30/2008, -0/+3Items to pack if want the locals to run away from you:
1.) Dildo
2.) ...
- homesqua, on 06/30/2008, -0/+3Items to pack if want the locals to run away from you:
- CHANNELOCK, on 06/30/2008, -5/+0beads and smallpox blankets worked before.
But seriously...no really.
1.Spam...Ive read that its similar in taste and texture to what cannibals ate ...Samoans especially love it
2.Toothpaste...brand name .
3.Cigs...American brand
4.T-shirts "L.A Lakers" - triggerfinger, on 06/30/2008, -0/+2A "cool" kite always works for me. Everyone sees it and they often ask about it.
- liuite, on 06/30/2008, -1/+2you should have another list for what I called "goodwill tourism" if you are visiting a developing nation; school supplies, sugar-free candy, basic medicines and medical supplies. on my last trip to honduras, I donated some neosporene, bandaids etc to a free clinic. we really need to improve our image in the world after what Dubya has done.
- brickbat, on 06/30/2008, -1/+2I met and bedded more girls in Budapest with a lighter than anything else. I don't even smoke. Man those Eastern European girls smoke a lot.
- jds17j, on 06/30/2008, -0/+2I hope you packed some antibiotics along with that lighter...
- jzuska, on 06/30/2008, -4/+21. Money
2. Slutty clothes
3. Booze
4. Condoms
5. Swimsuit / Bikini
6. Camera- OtterStratton, on 06/30/2008, -1/+1Well there's meeting the locals, and then there's meeting the locals.
IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN - byttle, on 06/30/2008, -0/+1make that last one a video camera, and drop the slutty clothes for a laptop with internet connection..and you're set
- DentThat, on 06/30/2008, -0/+2You already wrote this in an earlier reply. Stop whoring
- pagit, on 06/30/2008, -0/+2...and if your a girl ?
- OtterStratton, on 06/30/2008, -1/+1Well there's meeting the locals, and then there's meeting the locals.
- anthonybruno, on 06/30/2008, -0/+2beer?
- Rudegar, on 06/30/2008, -1/+0a complete klingon outfit?
- jstem1994, on 06/30/2008, -0/+2Zippo lighters.
- passedoutghost, on 07/01/2008, -1/+1lol i've got 3 of those and I don't even smoke. I've learnt some tricks with those and it's pretty useful at impressing chicks who need a light.
- Thekirby45, on 06/30/2008, -2/+1who still uses Cassette Tapes?
- serif69, on 06/30/2008, -0/+4My hovercraft is full of eels.
- byttle, on 06/30/2008, -0/+2ya gotta grab em' by the nads and give em' a good squeeze
- TexasShiv, on 06/30/2008, -0/+1A willingness to try anything once is all you need overseas
- decker12, on 06/30/2008, -0/+2Definitely cigarettes and chocolate. Or hard candy, it can be easier to pack. I rarely smoke, but when I go to Mexico or China or Southeast Asia, I always bring a couple cartons of American cigarettes like Marlboros. Depending on what you plan on doing, it can usually get done faster if you're liberal with the goodies.
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