I get why people are scared. I often feel very self-conscious and, well, like an idiot. In the foreign language you have a baby’s vocabulary (if they can understand your pronunciation), there are some folks who might try to squeeze as much money from you as possible and you could end up ordering something you can’t eat. (A friend recently told me about a trip she took during which she unwittingly ate pig’s colon. It’s the texture that repelled, she said, not the taste. And a bit of the taste too.)

But when you do venture out and make your own way, you can make the most amazing discoveries.