How to get away with Burping in Public

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC

Here’s a funny story.

It was a bright happy day when we did our walk around Washington DC back on our US Trip last year.

We stopped in front of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, to get some snacks while waiting for its opening hour.

I didn’t eat much. Just a few bites of chips and sandwich and I was good.

But then, it happened.

I burped. And it was loud.

Bad thing was, we were not alone. Someone was there and heard it.

If I were in the Philippines, burping would be totally normal. Although we all know that it’s really bad manners, to some folks here, it’s a sign of gratitude tò the server/host that the food you just eat was perfectly good and filling.

But we were in the US. And Washington DC to be exact. Where there were foreigners everywhere.

Well, I was able to cover my mouth and say excuse me to the stranger who heard me. And fortunately enough, the kind lady just laughed at me, although she was just as surprised as I was.

That opened a short exchange of conversation between her and me. She asked where we are from and what we were doing there.

And to be honest, I wasn’t that embarrassed at all.

But eventually, I did realize a few things about manners in a foreign country.

Do Not Burp Out Loud in a Washington DC Park. Or in any other foreign country for this matter. I can’t stress this enough. Keep burping out loud in your home if you can help it. As simple as burping can be, this could ultimately lead to utter embarrassment if not handled properly. Train yourself to be discreet when it comes to burping. Don’t be like me.

But if you did, cover your mouth and say ‘sorry’ or ‘excuse me’ immediately! It’s not hard, actually. Just a little practice and you could say those words right after you burped. If all things come to worst, hide or cover your face with something. People will know you’re embarrassed with yourself and that you didn’t really mean it.

Or you could do what I did, just smile and apologize. As simple as that, you could totally get away with it.

You could also gain a friend. You never know. Someone else could totally relate.

..or maybe just open a small convo with a stranger. Yes. Smiling and apologizing for a common mistake lightens the air when you’re in a difficult situation.

And you’d be happy you handled it with grace. Yup. It’s that wonderful freeing feeling, not only because you finally burped, but also because you got over an embarrassing moment in a perfectly normal way.

So that’s one of my funny, embarrassing stories. Do you have any suggestions on how to get away with a certain embarrassing moment like this? Share it on the discussion below! I would so love to know!