The Commercial That Got It Right

disclaimer: i have a mastercard but don’t use it.

those “Priceless” ads from mastercard have been around for a decade and a half, but this one called Foodie is the first one i remember as really hitting it on the head. if you haven’t seen it, it’s about travelers enjoying food around the globe thanks to the wonders of modern financial networks. i first saw it several months ago but for some reason i thought about it earlier today and how lucky i have been to have experienced the situations shown in the ad, from the good to the bad. and as i often say, no, i’m not a foodie; i just like to eat.

clueless

ok, this first one is a bit of a stretch since i usually read up on local cuisine dos and don’ts, but this reminded me of the time i went for a traditional Japanese tofu meal and was so clueless i had to watch and see what everyone else did with their food.

Omg I have no idea what I'm doing. pic.twitter.com/gZ6HIKyu

— Jonathan Khoo (@jonk) November 26, 2011

The lady made eating motions. Not sure what else I'd do with tofu on a stick. pic.twitter.com/7T9rGGcH

— Jonathan Khoo (@jonk) November 26, 2011

The meal. Good thing I didn't drink the soup. I think the lady said you have to put it on the rice? pic.twitter.com/trtMaWN5

— Jonathan Khoo (@jonk) November 26, 2011

with this? (i think she says avec ce ça?)

when you have to use something other than a fork and knife (or whatever you’re most familiar with), you know you’re in for a treat!

in my case, it was actually trying to use my hands to eat off of banana leaves (so cool) during a friend’s (multi-day) wedding in southern India. my first time (post-toddler, i guess), i was just pleased more food didn’t end up on my nose and cheeks or the floor. i think i might have gotten it down by the end of the week that i was there, and luckily no one cared that i *gasp* was a southpaw.

(taken from a video i shot over a decade ago)

sorry, try again

for all those times you want to use american express and they only take visa or mastercard. or you want to use a card at all and oops, it’s cash-only.

i remember over the summer i had to run to an ATM to withdraw cash after i placed my order since i had no euros with me on my day trip to Bratislava. i just assumed such a popular place would take card, but remember when you assume, you make an ass…

settling in like a local

luckily too many times to count, especially thanks to foursquare which is a great resource to help you find where locals like to eat.

wow

we’ve all experienced this, whether locally or globally, but the one time that always sticks out is the first meal i had while on safari. wow.

I had no idea safaris were so fancy! I sat down and all this food was brought out just for me. In case you’re wondering, it’s ostrich kebabs.

sigh. i’m getting hungry and it’s time for dinner. unfortunately i don’t plan on being wowed tonight — but i’m anxiously awaiting the next time i am!

enjoying good food around the world? priceless.