What's rude when dining in one country may be far different in another.
U. of Iowa students studying international business staged etiquette dinners this Spring, featuring dining in India and China.
When in India, for example, and you say you don't want to eat something the host has prepared, you're being rude.
This March students from around the world dined together sharing information on table manners in their various countries.
They learned, for example, such basics as what hand to eat with, how to greet other guests, and how much to tip waiters and chefs.

Chicken stock - homemade.
It's so easy to make.
It's fragrance fills the air as it cooks.
It's multiple uses make it worth the small effort to prepare and simmer.
RECIPE:
Leftover chicken bones & skin, or, use chicken wings, backs - any bony chicken parts.
Cover with water
Add: chopped onion, celery, carrots, parsley, garlic
bay leaf or two
thyme
salt & black pepper
Simmer for 4 to 8 hours uncovered.
Strain, cool and refrigerate or freeze.

Three days off for many workers on this Memorial Day weekend.
Tourists flock to town. Dirt buggies roar through usually quiet streets. Cars with out-state license plates, carrying canoes and kayaks, head to the Marina for launching.
Local residents return from warmer winter places. Business picks up.
Does everyone forget it's Memorial Day weekend, honoring those who fight and die for our precious freedom?
Hopefully not. In fact many of them have friends or relatives who have served in the military and are grateful for their ability to keep our country free and safe.
There have been other fights for freedom, which many bloggers are too young to recall. The sacrifices of those who fought for freedom secured the liberty to live without dictates from those with evil intent.
It is their dedication that makes our freedom possible.

"An educated public is the best servant of democracy," said Thomas Jefferson.
Journalists need education in cultural differences, according to a recent article in the U. of Iowa publication, IOWA JOURNALIST.
"Most journalism (today) is superficial and we want to practice in-depth reporting.
"We also want to gain an appreciation for global journalism," said Assoc. Prof. Lyombe Eko, who leads a group of ten Masters Professional Program students in a study of a change in his Masters Media class.
Eko challenges his students to look beyond the clash of cultures to write appealing, fascinating and informative articles
"Students can practice good, old-fashioned journalism", Eko said.
"This is what journalism was supposed to be."

As news pundits pondered the possibility of gas prices zooming to $4/per gallon, the folks at the local one and only gas station worried.
Their old pumps can count to only $3.99 !
Meanwhile - aside from higher gas prices at the pump, many consumers who buy products brought to their doors, find on their bills, an added item - a freight cost, unheard of in days gone by.
When the bi-weekly ice cream truck came yesterday, $1 was added to the bill for one carton of chocolate brownie frozen yogurt.
Tuesday, when the monthly organic food truck shows up, more than $3 of the bill will be for freight. This is a new wrinkle in billing for that particular company, while the ice cream folks have included the add-on for more than a year.