India Mega Weddings Go Global

Forget your ID in Japan, and end up in the pokey

(NEWSER) - An African safari is likely to be a bit more exciting than a day at Disney Land, but there comes a point where enough is enough. Turner Wright, writing in Vagabondish , runs down seven travel ideas that'll get you killed—or at least some quality time in the local clink:

• Running drugs, southeast Asia: Getting caught can put you on the wrong end of a firing squad or noose in places like China, Laos, and Singapore.
• Forgetting ID, Japan: Foreign residents who fail to carry their gaijin card at all times can get 23 days in the pokey.

Popularity of Slumdog Millionaire made way for successors on TV

(NEWSER) - Bollywood is coming to Hollywood, with more Indian actors and TV shows about Indians and Indian Americans coming to the small screen. The interest in all things Indian “was boiling, hovering there, with the increasing popularity of Indian clothing, food, and Bollywood movies”—and then Slumdog Millionaire came along last year and pushed the growing trend “over the tipping point,” one studio exec tells the Hollywood Reporter . More»

Potential brides' families worry about recession

(NEWSER) - Indian guys who return home from the US to scout for brides are being met with skepticism instead of open arms, reports the Wall Street Journal. Eying the recession abroad, would-be brides and their parents are giving preference to local matches and even demanding to see tax returns from US-based suitors, says one bachelor whose potential in-laws took his "consultant" title to mean "unemployed." More»

With gratuity varying by country, it's important not to offend

(NEWSER) - Knowing the appropriate level of gratuity can be tricky, and it gets even more difficult abroad, where tipping practices widely vary. Forbes offers some help, noting, for instance, that for a cab ride in South America, rounding up the fare to the next dollar is an acceptable tip, while in Europe or an African city 10% is expected. More»