And while we're on the subject of foreign food -- my grandmother's parents owned a restaurant in Germany before the war. They lived in the apartment above the restaurant. My sister is visiting Germany now, and she found the building where the restaurant was. The outside of the building still looks exactly the same as in the pictures we have from 1910 or so. The part that used to be the restaurant is now a gelato place.

When I was in New Zealand, the food was pretty lame. I ended up eating at a lot of Thai and Malaysian places.

I think my sister did too, now that I think about it.

I encourage you all not to eat at Mickey D's in Jamaica. They went all out, litigation-wise, to shut down a McDonald's restaurant there that preceded their first franchise opening on the premise that no one anywhere should be able to have a restaurant with that name. It wasn't even a burger joint, and it was run by a guy named McDonald.

For a while, the little guy won, and US McDonald's had to have restaurants with no name, just the golden arches.

I will never forget the sleepless night I spent listening to Canadians bitch loudly about being mistaken for "obnoxious Americans." When I pointed out that it worked both ways, he denied his Canadianness. Ah, but the whole boat heard you, asshole.

Tonight we are going to the Bacchanal, as recommended by smonster!

OMG! I hope I didn't oversell! But I do love it, deeply.

Bella is on her summer hunger strike. Dammit.

smonster, I had a very similar experience when I was staying in a hotel in Kunming, in Yunnan Province. I was sitting in the business alcove using the computer, and a guy came up to the front desk and asked about a map or something. The very shy clerk, who spoke extremely limited English said something about "American" (I guess she assumed he was American) and he loudly and obnoxiously exclaimed that he was not to be confused with "embarrassing Americans - that [he] was Canadian!"

And there was absolutely no point for him to declare this - the clerk didn't care, and she was the only person in the entire room (other than myself, and I don't think he saw me).

Not foreign, but there used to be a fabulous veggie takeout in Santa Cruz called McDarma's. They had the most spectacular veggie Reuben I have ever had. Mikey D forced them to change the name...with the force of litigators taking down felons. Lame!

When I was in the UK with a tour group we stopped a pub and had fish and chips.

There were complaints that the fish and chips weren't like fried fish back home and so it wasn't as good.

It was frustrating.

So I may not have a UTI--they sent my sample out to be cultured. A new theory is maybe I have Interstitial cystitis and so now have dietary recommendations to try out. Also told that stress can make it worse, my life has not been stress free lately.

I need to avoid - acidic foods, aged foods, processed meats, caffiene in all forms, artificial sweeteners, most fruits and other things.

I get the culture results back on Monday.

Oh and I lost my keys in my house, I did something with them on Sunday, and I haven't found them. I 've looked every wehre. Literally moved furniture.

Tomorrow I get to go talk to my boss about how I don't have a key to the front door. Or my desk, which is the only key. I may get in trouble for losing that one.

(((Askye))) I'm sorry this has been such a frustrating process for you.

I've been known to occasionally have some sort of American chain food while in a foreign country. I lump it into comfort food. I don't typically eat it but sometimes it is nice. Consider that much of my travel is also for business which can get lonely and boring.

For me it's more comforting to have something I know I won't be able to get when I go home, but I can see that it would be different if I traveled as much as you do and for work rather than pleasure.

McDonald's was always one of the pricer places to eat. And I understand that need to eat something familiar. but not Starbucks in Italy.

ION, i planned to do very little today . I finished a book, I watched some tv , I took a nap and I've run out of internet. I might have to do something productive

Where are you now, ND?

I'm in Southampton tonight.

For me it's more comforting to have something I know I won't be able to get when I go home, but I can see that it would be different if I traveled as much as you do and for work rather than pleasure.

My typical pattern when I'm out of country is to be very adventuresome with food. I love having the local cuisine. However, once I've been gone for a few weeks and living out of hotels, and eating out all the time, I eventually will hit the point where I just want comfort food for a night, so I'll either order something vaguely American off the menu, or I will track down an American chain.