Debra Fine

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Conversation

Making International Conversation Without An International Incident

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              Dear Debra, My partner and I travel often for work and pleasure, and while we are great traveling companions, we disagree on how to converse with the people we meet. When traveling internationally, specifically to poorer countries, is it condescending not to ask your taxi driver if he’s ever been to the U.S. (thus […]

She Said WHAT? Ten Things Not to Say at the Thanksgiving Table.

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  Two topics seem to dominate the morning shows during Thanksgiving week: what is the most fattening thing on the table and how to create the most decadent holiday menu. Is it just me, or does it seem counterproductive to dish on the heart-attack-inducing fat and calories in sausage stuffing while also talking about how […]

Ten Tips on How to Take the Fright Out of Stage Fright

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  The statistics about stage fright are, well, frightening. Some people would rather face death than speak publicly. Well, may I suggest you think about what happens when you enter the pearly gates (if you believe in pearly gates)?  I am guessing you are going to have to say something at that point, right? How […]

Dear Debra – How Should I Answer Inappropriate Money Questions?

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  Dear Debra: What do you say when someone asks you how much something costs or how much you make? The question makes me uncomfortable, but I find myself answering because I don’t know what else to do! Sincerely, Money Is Buying Me Unhappiness Dear Unhappiness: Why do so many people want others to show […]