Archive for September, 2006
Shrinking Venice
Interesting but somewhat sad article in the International Herald Tribune about the changing face of Venice. This story has nothing to do with the encroaching sea, and everything to do with rising real estate prices that are driving away lifelong Venetians. The result is a city with a shrinking population where on many days tourists actually [...]
Traveling to learn
The magazine Transitions Abroad is published for travelers who want to learn about the world through their experiences on the road. It focuses not only on independent travel, but also on studying, working and living abroad. The magazine was founded in 1977 by teacher and journalist Clay Hubbs. This month, he is a featured interviewee [...]
India a draw for business school grads
The fast-growing Indian economy is drawing business school graduates to South Asia. Despite the myriad of challenges that come with living in India, a number of young businesspeople are jumping at the chance to work in the country and gain valuable global business experience. Here is an excerpt from a story about this trend in today’s Christian [...]
Singapore’s food paradise
If you’re a traveler who counts culinary adventures as one of your favorite means of exploring new cultures, then Singapore may be an appealing destination. Noted author and chef Anthony Bourdain has a mouth-watering piece in the NY Times Travel Magazine about his experiences with food in Singapore. There’s a fever-dream quality to Singapore, particularly if [...]
Maybe a coup isn’t bad for tourism, after all
Under normal conditions, a military coup against a democratically elected government would seem to be bad for national morale, at the very least, and potentially devastating for tourism. Apparently, though, that is not always true. At least not in Thailand. This is how the Washington Post describes the scene in Bangkok a day after the Thai Army deposed the [...]
Changing politics and culture in Japan
Politics is as much connected to culture as is business, so it was interesting to read this story about how the outgoing Prime Minister of Japan, Junichiro Koizumi, singlehandedly altered the political culture of the nation. In particular, he was notable for exuding charisma in an otherwise bland political climate, and for making decisions on his [...]
Discovering Ethiopia
Although it isn’t on many lists of popular travel destinations, Ethiopia offers an intriguing culture and some of the most spectacular sights in Africa, in particular the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. Joshua Hammer wrote an article for the New York Times about a recent visit to Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, the per capita income is $120 a year; tuberculosis and [...]
Teaching English in Mongolia
Want a bit of insight into what it’s like to be a Peace Corps volunteer, teaching English in Mongolia? Owen Johns wrote a piece for the Arizona Daily Star describing some of his experiences. I am an English teacher in rural Mongolia. My village, Orkhon, has a population of 1,500. We have no Internet, running water [...]
Muslim-American identities
There is an intriguing series of interviews on NPR with two young women from near Chicago who have an Algerian Muslim heritage. Sisters Assia and Iman Boundaoui grew up outside Chicago, their lives straddling what it is to be Muslim and American. Born to Algerian parents, they attended an Islamic school and a Sunni mosque around [...]
Those orderly Germans
I had to chuckle at this brief note buried inside a story about Pope Benedict’s visit to his birthplace of Marktl Am Inn, Germany. Just a bit of anecdotal evidence about the German compulsion for order and rules. Hans Peter Kammerer, a police spokesman, said that at least 70,000 people attended the Mass. He said [...]
Changing our stereotypes about Iran
As the Iran edges closer to becoming the new face of evil for many Americans, it wouldn’t hurt to remind ourselves that there is often a considerable difference between people and government. And the Iranian people, in fact, for the most part tend to be friendly towards America. That is the conclusion drawn by Steven Knipp, who wrote about [...]
Round-the-world travel
Sure, a round-the-world trip can sound daunting. But it can done more cheaply than you might imagine, and a few months (or more) on the road and away from home is a great way to reinvigorate yourself while having a few adventures and discovering a thing or two about our planet. Now, the NY Times seems [...]
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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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