Noted in part because the idea has a vaguely Vladiad feel: Some years ago, one Ethan Mollick created the I Can Eat Glass Project, which he described thus: The Project is based on the idea that people in a foreign country have an irresistable urge to try to say something in the indigenous tongue. In most cases, however, the best a person can do is "Where is the bathroom?" a phrase that marks them as a tourist. But, if one says "I can eat glass, it doesn't hurt me," you will be viewed as an insane native, and treated with dignity and respect. http://www.geocities.com/nodotus/hbglass.html