"These chili peppers make my asshole burn."

One of the few phrases I know in Dzongkha, the language of Bhutan's fortress monasteries, is "Ema Sawachen, Abou Tsaome", or, "These chili peppers make my asshole burn."

This is a very useful phrase to know in Bhutan. Why? Because it makes people laugh and breaks the ice.

Nothing shatters cultural barriers like a good belly laugh.

For more of my practical and easy tips to learn a foreign language, check out my post at BraveNewTraveler, the online travel magazine where I'm now a contributing editor.

Here's the link:


7 Tips to Learn a Foreign Language on the Road.

Thanks for reading :)


Monk photo by Liz Burns, Thimphu, Bhutan. Used with permission.