Archive for August, 2006
Islam and capitalism in Turkey
Anyone who likes to argue that Islam cannot exist in conjunction with either capitalism or democracy needs to take a closer look at Turkey. Not only does the country have a functioning democracy, but the region of central Turkey is fast developing into much more than an agricultural economy, as noted by this recent article in the [...]
Hitchhiking around Cuba
There’s a fun story in the Christian Science Monitor about one person’s experiences hitchhiking in Cuba. Because of the scarcity of automobiles and the overcrowded nature of public transportation, Danna Harman explains, hitchhiking is a way of life on the island, with a culture all its own. Outside Trinidad, it became clear that life on [...]
Taking a volunteer vacation
There’s been an upswing in recent years in people using some of their vacation time to do international volunteer work. It seems to be especially popular among families who want to expose their children to the world. Claire Spiegel just wrote an article for the NY Times travel section on a one-week trip her family [...]
Pakistani immigrants in two cultures
Do immigrants have an easier time assimiliating into some countries than into others? Obviously, it’s difficult for anyone to meld into a strongly homogenous nation, such as Japan. But what about cultures that seem equally open and diverse? The NY Times this morning has an article that looks at the experience of Pakistani communities in [...]
Expat entrepreneurs drawn to Argentina
An alluring cosmopolitan lifestyle combined with low costs have drawn a number of expat entrepreneurs to Buenos Aires in recent years, according to this article. There’s more to Argentina these days than tango, tourism and tasty beef. Lured here as tourists, adventuresome foreigners are increasingly deciding to stay – launching businesses that offer everything from [...]
More benefits of travel
What does one gain from travel? Numerous writers over the years have tried their hand at answering that question, and Sophia Dembling adds her name to the list with her recent “Wandering Mind” column in the Chicago Tribune. Here is an excerpt from her piece: Travel is enlightening in so many ways. … I think having traveled informs everything [...]
Using music as a window into Africa
The Boston Globe yesterday ran an article about a man named Solomon Murungu, who teaches Americans about Zimbabwean and African culture partly by utilizing the mbira, “a musical instrument of the Shona people in his home country.” His presentations have been so popular that he formed an organization called Zambuko Projects Unlimited to serve as an umbrella for his educational [...]
Tibetans and technology
NPR recently did a four-part series called “Hacking the Himalayas.” It looks at several interconnected topics, including how the community of Dharamsala, India has been changed by the influx of Tibetan refugees; how Lhasa, Tibet has been affected by the settlement of ethnic Chinese; and how some Tibetans are utilizing technology and the internet to stay connected and [...]
Western values causing Japanese anxiety
Interesting story in the London Times about how Western business practices seem to be a cause of rising anxiety and depression in Japan. The more individualistic practices common to Western business go against the grain of a Japanese society that is traditionally more group-oriented. Other anecdotal stories in recent years seem to indicate that younger workers [...]
Is there hope in educational exchange?
Sometimes, it does seem as if the world has gone mad. Terrorists plot to blow up airliners, no one seems to have a solution for the ongoing conflict and killing in the Middle East, nor to the genocide in Sudan. One does wonder at times if there really is any hope of people finally understanding one another [...]
Exploring silence and the past at a Greek monastery
Need a break from the relentless drumbeat of war stories filling the news these days? There aren’t many places where one can totally disconnect from the world, but Mt. Athos is one of them. This isolated Eastern Orthodox monastic community in Greece has no television, radio or newspapers. It is also in an autonomous region of [...]
Yoga for soldiers in India
Yoga is an ancient tradition with origins in India. Even so, the newest advocates of the practice are a bit surprising. According to this story, the Indian military is now utilizing yoga as a means of reducing stress among troops in hazardous deployments. Embraced by fashionable Westerners as a way to exercise and get in [...]
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Bob Riel is a writer and a traveler. Go here to read more about Bob, his work and the Travels in the Riel World blog.
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My travel memoir - Two Laps Around the World: Tales and Insights from a Life Sabbatical - is about two round-the-world journeys with my wife.
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