BEEGE: ‘Sir, This Is a Wendy’s’: Activists In Egypt Dissolve in Tears When March to Gaza Denied.

There were the well-to-do parents of friends in North Carolina in the 90s who’d waited their whole lives for their dream trip to Brazil – two weeks or so exploring the Amazon and the delights of Rio, etc.

And were home after four days because of the frustration that ‘no one spoke English.’

Almost as if it were a foreign country.

The rocket scientist fiancée of a Marine 1stLt in our squadron bought a plane ticket, flew to Tokyo in the 80s to surprise him, and got stuck there. Never anticipating one needed visas or such things. She thought a ticket was enough to go where you wanted to go. She never thought to check.

There was the illuminating conversation I had with the black cab driver who took me from the train station in Virginia (after a long haul up from Savannah) to Naval Station Norfolk. He had a magical accent and, after we dropped a girl off I had split that part of the fare with, I asked him where he was originally from.

He asked me if I could guess. I took a stab at South Africa and turned out to be right.

One of these days I’ll tell you all his whole story – he was a wise, wonderful man to talk to. But the one line he left me with I’ve always remembered, because it’s true in so many cases.

You Americans never bother to look further than your front doorstep.

Read the whole thing.

UPDATE: Link was bad before — sorry! All fixed now.