Dust Tea, Dingoes & Dragons

Jet lag, boardrooms, and high-pressure deals.

That's what international business brings to mind.

But R.F. Hemphill makes us think again.

Sharing a series of letters sent to his father during his decade of traveling the world building a billion-dollar company, Hemphill illuminates the always practical, sometimes poignant, and often funny ways we must connect if business is to be done.

"If they served you camel hooves for dinner, and you didn't know it until you asked, what part of the camel did you have for breakfast?"

"In Islamabad hotels, you must sign a form certifying that you are an infidel and will assuredly go to hell, in order to get room service to bring you a drink. Is this form binding if you die outside of Pakistan?"

"Can you really claim to be in the movie industry if you don't dress all in black, have a small pony tail, wear an earring, have an idea for a screen play, and harbor a desire to meet Meryl Streep?"

"Cinemas in the Czech Republic serve bacon-flavored popcorn. Why can't we get that in the US? It's even better than cheese-flavored popcorn. The whole movie theater smells like breakfast."

Millions of people around the world travel for business. But how many of us take the time to truly appreciate what we observe and experience? dust tea, dingoes, & dragons is a lesson in the meshing of cultures, the diplomacy of building business relationships, and, ultimately, of living life to the fullest.