One film banned due to censorship was Brokeback Mountain, which was banned because of its storyline of two cowboys forming a relationship in Mid West America. This kind of relationship is highly frowned upon and can be prosecuted which can lead to imprisonment or even flogging.

But it’s not just the storyline that is being censored. The English Patient was also banned because it depicted Islamic morals in a negative light. Syriana – a film about America’s fight against terrorism – was also removed from public viewing, although both these films can now be seen in their entirety.

Bahrain is much more laid back and there are cinemas for people to enjoy the latest blockbuster, but even then these films can’t be licensed unless they can have Arabic subtitles.

Censorship in the Middle East is heavy-handed; in Dubai the authorities can basically ban or restrict whatever media they like. It appears that even though censorship is important, they are now editing the inappropriate scenes and allowing the film still to be seen, rather than just banning the film it in its entirety. This shows that even though the conservative Muslim laws are strict, the mood is changing.

And where else in the world can you have a truly organic mud face mask? It’s widely believed that the mud contains not only cosmetic properties but healing ones as well – could this be Israel’s answer to the fountain of Lourdes, which also is believed to have healing properties? The various treatments are pretty affordable, try an exotic inhalation treatment that is said to sooth headaches.

There are some wonderful hotels in this area and many have great entertainment and a good range of food and drink. Or, simply relax in the lobby and sit and look at the stars. Most of the best hotels are in the Ein Bokek area and this is where you’ll find the best music, atmosphere and the legendary Sammy’s bar. Alcohol is expensive but travel to the nearby towns of Amman, Arad or Masada for the liveliest spots.

It may sound like an unusual location, but after 4000 years and visits from various real-life celebrities of the day (Cleopatra and The Queen of Sheba to name just two), the Dead Sea is still as inviting and mystical now as it was then; after all, the ruler of one of the greatest civilizations to ever live can’t be wrong.

There are a couple of things you need to know before you travel. Firstly, don’t eat with your left hand – food is seen as a holy gift and eating with your left hand is a sign of disrespect. Alcohol is allowed – in some places it’s practically forced on you! I loved the traditional Tej – an unusual honey-flavoured wine, which you can buy in most bars. It has to be said though, the wines in general are not great and personally I’d opt for beer every time.

Ladies, don’t be alarmed if men avoid eye contact when talking to you – this is considered respectful (if a little off-putting!) If you’re travelling with a male companion then expect to be ignored, Ethiopian men will never directly address a foreign female and this is the case when shopping, travelling on buses and in restaurants and bars. Chaps, it’s good manners to keep a reasonable distance from your female travel companions, although this does take some getting used to. Homosexuality is illegal so don’t flaunt it.

Music, singing and dancing are joyous activities for the typical Ethiopian and form a crucial part of daily life. Singing promotes crop growth, dancing is a form of celebration at births, marriages and even deaths and music is traditionally created using stringed instruments; more recently modern Ethiopian jazz music is thriving and is now recognised across the world.

For a country that boasts over 200 different dialects and over 80 different languages, Ethiopians are quite rightly extremely proud of their country – clearly it’s moving with the times and while I was there I was amazed at the optimism of the people and the beauty of the place. Yes, it’s daunting, emotionally draining and sometimes intimidating, but definitely worth a look.

Partying is a no-no due to Saudi Arabia’s strict Islamic laws, where alcohol is banned and meetings between unrelated men and women just ain’t gonna happen (even if you’re clearly married you can still be questioned). The Mutawwa religious police patrol most public spaces looking for such meetings and it’s this intrusion into the personal lives of the Saudi people that’s really resented, particularly amongst the younger people. But, there’s a growing underground revolution amongst the younger people and ex-pats, if you know where to look…

In Saudi recently, a group of 20 men and women were arrested and sentenced to lashes and jail for “drinking, arranging for impudent party, mixed dancing and shooting a video for the party…” Of course, parties take place all the time but the consequences can be dire. If you really want to let your hair down then head instead to the liberal Bahrain, where drinking is legal and the Manama clubbing culture is booming amongst the large foreign population. Get there by car from Saudi via the King Fahd causeway and see the wilder side of a restricted Saudi culture in this party capital of the Middle East.

For Saudi males, Manama is paradise – they can get drunk, chat up women and even pick up a prostitute. Although it’s illegal, the ladies are freely available at a price. Manama offers a liberal, cosmopolitan vibe for the rebellious; getting hammered and getting laid (usually in that order) is easy and comes without fear of arrest or punishment.

There’s no wonder that young Saudi’s are flocking to par-tay in Bahrain.

The religious police (known as the Mutawwa) are always on patrol in most public areas and can question women particularly on their appearance. Dress conservatively at all times and ensure that no skin is exposed – you’re not going to get that perfect, all-over tan here girls. Men – shorts are a no-no too, even at the beach.

In summer, twelve to thirteen hours of sunshine is the norm, so prepare for unbearably hot conditions between May and October. Heat exhaustion and heatstroke are common and if it’s your first visit, the humidity can be relentless. Even in winter, you can expect around seven hours of constant sunshine. In the higher mountain areas though, temperatures can drop low enough to bring frost and snow making winter evenings in the desert surprisingly cold. Strong winds are common at this time too, bringing uncomfortable dust and sand storms.

Ladies, you’ll definitely need an Abaya, which is a traditional long black gown worn over your normal clothes. Make sure you take a scarf to cover your hair (this isn’t required everywhere but it’s worth being prepared). Shoes are really important and DO NOT expose the soles of your feet – it’s a huge insult in Muslim countries. If you don’t want to invest in an Abaya then wear a loose, full length skirt to your ankles along with a long sleeved, loose fitting shirt or blouse. Baggy trousers or a long sleeved loose full-length dress would be ok too but avoid anything that shows off your figure or any part of your body. Go for dark colours to deflect the sun and help you to blend in with the locals; lightweight, flowing clothes are best for covering up and to help you cope with the demanding heat.

Think conservatively at all times and respect the traditions of the local people – causing offense by wearing inappropriate clothing can be a serious crime.

However, take note that we also should not expect everyone to understand English. And if you do find someone who could speak a bit of English, make sure that you modify the way you speak. Do not use slang words/expressions and avoid the common mistake of turning up the volume.

On your next trip to, say, Thailand, check out this handy guide on How to Communicate With a Non Native English Speaker. It may be exactly what you need to save yourself a lot of frustration.

As defined by wikipedia, a superstition is an irrational or invalid belief about the relation between certain actions. The superstitious individual erroneously believes that the future or the outcome of certain events can be caused or influenced by certain specified behaviours, despite the lack of a causal relationship in reality.

In Trinidad and Tobago, they believe that having sex with a virgin can cure AIDS. Stupid! Enough said.

In Switzerland, they say that drinking before a toast is made will lead you to seven years of bad sex. Errmm… that sounds a lot like a joke you make after drinking but, do you really want to risk it?!

Some old ones…

Apparently, to ward off storms at sea, women in Ancient Greece exposed their genitals. Methinks some crafty, dirty old man spent some time spreading that fake info around.

And according to the Kama Sutra, a man’s penis will stay constantly erect if you apply camel’s milk and honey. Errmm… wouldn’t that pre-Viagra solution render the penis useless if, say, the honey hardens?!

Would these help you in your travels? Well, not really. But it does give you the idea of where people from other culture base some of their decisions on. No matter how ridiculous it may sound, be careful how you react.

TIP: Wait for one of the locals to laugh before you do.

sources: Wikipedia, Caribbean Child, Aegis

Chopstick Etiquette #1 will focus on the Japanese way/culture.

Japanese chopsticks (called Ohashi) are normally made of wood. It has a pointed end and of medium length.

The DOs and DONTs of Chopstick use in Japan:

• It may look like the next logical thing to do but do NOT stick your chopsticks in your rice. It’s similar to offerings for the dead, which is understandably inappropriate for dining room tables.
• Yes, it is a stick but you are NOT supposed to use it like you do a BBQ stick.
• Do NOT pass food around, from one chopstick to another.
• “Do set pairs of ohashi at the front, next to the table’s edge, with the pointed ends towards the left: If you have ohashi-oki’s (chopstick holders), place them under the tapered ends.”
• “Do turn your ohashi around when using them to pick up food from a shared dish (family style eating): It’s polite. Your saliva doesn’t get all over the food other people will be eating. From experience I know this simple gesture can earn you major points at the table.”

Remember, when in doubt, ASK!

source: wandco

Your reaction and his/her reaction to your advances may NOT mean that sex is in the offing. Hmmmm… Come to think of it, this could happen back home, too.

Anyway… Do you have any idea how it was back in 1894 back in the old US of A?

To get an idea, here’s a reprint from The Madison Institute Newsletter, Fall Issue, 1894:

INSTRUCTION AND ADVICE FOR THE YOUNG BRIDE

On the Conduct and Procedure of the Intimate and Personal Relationships of the Marriage State for the Greater Spiritual Sanctity of this Blessed Sacrament and the Glory of God by Ruth Smythers. Spiritual Guidance Press New York City

To the sensitive young woman who has had the benefits of proper upbringing, the wedding day is, ironically, both the happiest and most terrifying day of her life. On the positive side, there is the wedding itself, in which the bride is the central attraction in a beautiful and inspiring ceremony, symbolizing her triumph in securing a male to provide for all her needs for the rest of her life. On the negative side, there is the wedding night, during which the bride must pay the piper, so to speak, by facing for the first time the terrible experience of sex.

At this point, dear reader, let me concede one shocking truth. Some young women actually anticipate the wedding night ordeal with curiosity and pleasure! Beware such an attitude! A selfish and sensual husband can easily take advantage of such a bride. One cardinal rule of marriage should never be forgotten: GIVE LITTLE, GIVE SELDOM, AND ABOVE ALL, GIVE GRUDGINGLY. Otherwise what could have been a proper marriage could become an orgy of sexual lust.

On the other hand, the bride’s terror need not be extreme. While sex is at best revolting and at worse rather painful, it has to be endured, and has been by women since the beginning of time, and is compensated for by the monogamous home and by the children produced through it.

It is useless, in most cases, for the bride to prevail upon the groom to forego the sexual initiation. While the ideal husband would be one who would approach his bride only at her request and only for the purpose of begetting offspring, such nobility and unselfishness cannot be expected from the average man.

Most men, if not denied, would demand sex almost every day. The wise bride will permit a maximum of two brief sexual experiences weekly during the first months of marriage. As time goes by she should make every effort to reduce this frequency. Feigned illness, sleepiness, and headaches are among the wife’s best friends in this matter. Arguments, nagging, scolding, and bickering also prove very effective, if used in the late evening about an hour before the husband would normally commence his seduction.

Clever wives are ever on the alert for new and better methods of denying and discouraging the amorous overtures of the husband. A good wife should expect to have reduced sexual contacts to once a week by the end of the first year of marriage and to once a month by the end of the fifth year of marriage.

By their tenth anniversary many wives have managed to complete their child bearing and have achieved the ultimate goal of terminating all sexual contacts with the husband. By this time she can depend upon his love for the children and social pressures to hold the husband in the home.

Just as she should be ever alert to keep the quantity of sex as low as possible, the wise bride will pay equal attention to limiting the kind and degree of sexual contacts. Most men are by nature rather perverted, and if given half a chance, would engage in quite a variety of the most revolting practices. These practices include among others performing the normal act in abnormal positions; mouthing the female body; and offering their own vile bodies to be mouthed in turn.

Nudity, talking about sex, reading stories about sex, viewing photographs and drawings depicting or suggesting sex are the obnoxious habits the male is likely to acquire if permitted. A wise bride will make it the goal never to allow her husband to see her unclothed body, and never allow him to display his unclothed body to her. Sex, when it cannot be prevented, should be practiced only in total darkness. Many women have found it useful to have thick cotton nightgowns for themselves and pajamas for their husbands. These should be donned in separate rooms. They need not be removed during the sex act. Thus, a minimum of flesh is exposed.

Once the bride has donned her gown and turned off all the lights, she should lie quietly upon the bed and await her groom. When he comes groping into the room she should make no sound to guide him in her direction, lest he take this as a sign of encouragement. She should let him grope in the dark. There is always the hope that he will stumble and incur some slight injury which she can use as an excuse to deny him sexual access.

When he finds her, the wife should lie as still as possible. Bodily motion on her part could be interpreted as sexual excitement by the optimistic husband.

If he attempts to kiss her on the lips she should turn her head slightly so that the kiss falls harmlessly on her cheek instead. If he attempts to kiss her hand, she should make a fist. If he lifts her gown and attempts to kiss her anyplace else she should quickly pull the gown back in place, spring from the bed, and announce that nature calls her to the toilet. This will generally dampen his desire to kiss in the forbidden territory.

If the husband attempts to seduce her with lascivious talk, the wise wife will suddenly remember some trivial non-sexual question to ask him. Once he answers she should keep the conversation going, no matter how frivolous it may seem at the time. Eventually, the husband will learn that if he insists on having sexual contact, he must get on with it without amorous embellishment.

The wise wife will allow him to pull the gown up no farther than the waist, and only permit him to open the front of his pajamas to thus make connection. She will be absolutely silent or babble about her housework while he’s huffing and puffing away. Above all, she will lie perfectly still and never under any circumstances grunt or groan while the act is in progress.

As soon as the husband has completed the act, the wise wife will start nagging him about various minor tasks she wishes him to perform on the morrow. Many men obtain a major portion of their sexual satisfaction from the peaceful exhaustion immediately after the act is over. Thus the wife must insure that there is no peace in this period for him to enjoy. Otherwise, he might be encouraged to soon try for more.

One heartening factor for which the wife can be grateful is the fact that the husband’s home, school, church, and social environment have been working together all through his life to instill in him a deep sense of guilt in regards to his sexual feelings, so that he comes to the marriage couch apologetically and filled with shame, already half cowed and subdued. The wise wife seizes upon this advantage and relentlessly pursues her goal first to limit, later to annihilate completely her husband’s desire for sexual expression.”

So when you are gallivanting in other countries, keep the above in mind. Other cultures may still have the same “rules”. Yes, even if it is already 2006.

Source: Dating Fun

Whether you only have a brief fling in mind or something which you might be open to “continuing” after the vacation, I guess I can safely assume that most would be open to some holiday romance.

So you pass the initial getting to know you stage with no cultural faux pas to speak of… ready to go hot and heavy (after all, isn’t that what holiday flings are really made of?) and then you discover that there are some differences in your culture and his, after all. A falter in your step, as you get the first sight of his uncircumcised (or circumcised, depends on who is looking) errmm, manhood.

The facts (girls, take note!):

Circumcision is performed for religious, medical or CULTURAL reasons. Some do and some don’t.

The majority of males are circumcised in the following countries, in most of which the predominant religion is Islam, which endorses circumcision: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Republic of the Congo, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, “Somaliland”, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.

In other countries where circumcision predominates it is endorsed by religion (Israel) or by local custom or tradition: Philippines, Samoa, South Africa, South Korea, Togo, Tonga, The United States and Vanuatu.

And in most European countries, circumcision is NOT performed. Circumcision rate is generally estimated at 10-15% but this rate varies from country to country.

Be prepared for what you might encounter!

Take this advice from someone who married a European!

source: wikipedia