FIRSTCLASS
TRAVEL TOOLS, GREAT GADGETS & COOL STUFF TO DO
Culture Crib
When you’re traveling abroad, knowing how to speak the language is one
thing. Knowing why you get looks
like that when you flash the American
hand signal for “OK!” in Montmartre
is another. To truly communicate effectively as a stranger in a strange
land, you need the Culture Smart!
guides. Each of the 49 guides ($9.95
each) includes chapters on a country’s
Fam ily Forte
Statistically speaking, a family that subjects each of its
five children to piano lessons will end up with one or two
who can crank out a tune. Imagine how proud the parents
of the 5 Browns must be. This quintet of musically gifted
siblings will release its third album, Brownsin Blue, on
Oct. 2. Each of the five 20-something Browns (Ryan,
Melody, Gregory, Deondra and Desirae) is a virtuoso
concert pianist trained at the legendary Juilliard School—
in fact, for five years all five of them studied there.
The 5 Browns’ eponymous debut album swept the
Billboard charts upon its release in 2005, and the New
York Post calls the Browns the “biggest classical music
sensation in years.” On the new album, they explore mu-
sic’s “blue” mood throughout centuries and across genres,
from Chopin to Gershwin. You can see the 5 Browns live
at these concerts in New Jersey:
• November 2, 8 p.m., New Jersey Performing Arts
Center. One Center Street, Newark. Performing with the
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Visit njpac.org or call
888-466-5722 for tickets or information.
• November 14, 8 p.m., McCarter Theatre. 91 University
Place, Princeton. Visit mccarter.org or call 609-258-2787
for tickets or information.
I CAME,
I SPOKE
The tourist struggling with a cumbersome phrase
book is a cliché
that’s seen its last
days. Savvy travelers opt instead for
iSpeak’s series of
digital phrasebooks.
Download the CD
into your iPod and
then navigate to
the category (
dining, feelings, weather) and phrase you
want. Plus, you get
to hear the phrase,
so no botched pronunciations.
land and people, values and attitudes,
customs and traditions, religions and
festivals, making friends, the people
at home, time out and traveling as
well as a business briefing that outlines customs and etiquette of the
country’s business culture. Should
you shake hands? Should you be five
minutes early to a meeting? Does that
traffic light really mean stop? You’ll
have to read the guide to find out.
But we will tell you this: That “OK”
hand signal? It means “worthless”
in France. Zut! See the complete list
of titles and order the guides at
culturesmartguides.com.
