Archive for February, 2007
Bringing entrepreneurialism to France
We often take for granted certain aspects of life in our own culture. In the U.S., for instance, risk-taking tends to be seen as normal, failure is an accepted part of trying new things, and an abundance of venture capital firms exist to fund intriguing new business ideas. These are not universal traits, however, as [...]
Appreciating the “soundtrack of Cairo”
During my own travels in parts of the Middle East, one of my strongest memories is of the rhythmic beauty of the Islamic call to prayer, which is heard five times each day from the minarets of every mosque in every city and village in the region. So I could appreciate this recent essay in [...]
Mañana, Mañana
There is a famous quote about punctuality in Italy, which goes: “When you are an hour late, you are already half an hour early.” That is less true of northern Italy than of the southern part of the country, and it is perhaps less true in general than it once was. Nevertheless, it speaks to [...]
A sweet tradition from Georgia
There is a nice little essay on NPR’s This I Believe, written by a woman who has created her family’s own “Sweet Friday” tradition based on something she learned while working in the Republic of Georgia. When I finished my work there, I brought home the traditional dolls, daggers and wine, but I also brought home Tkbili [...]
The emergence of Phnom Penh
Wedged between Thailand and Vietnam, Cambodia doesn’t always get a lot of attention as a Southeast Asia hot spot. And when it does, the coverage tends to center on the spectacular, thousand-year-old temples of Angkor Wat. However, as the International Herald Tribune recently reported, the capital city of Phnom Penh now seems to be gaining ground [...]
The work culture of Toyota
There was an informative article in yesterday’s NY Times about the unique work culture at Toyota and the automaker’s challenge now as it tries to transfer that culture to plants and offices in other countries. For example: It does not occupy much space on the office wall, but Latondra Newton calls it the hardest thing for [...]
Traveling with a significant other
O.K., so Valentine’s Day was yesterday, but love is still in the air, right? Is anyone considering traveling with a significant other in the near future? Rolf Potts had a column a few days ago about the benefits and challenges of being on such an adventure. He considers a list of ten factors to keep [...]
Those rule-bending Italians
People in Latin societies tend to be rule-breakers, or at least rule-benders. Not in a malicious way, of course. It’s just that their cultures tend to be hierarchical and bureaucratic, yet the people are individuals who value close family relationships more than any abstract notion of law and order. It’s a clash waiting to happen. So, [...]
Bread and business in France
There is a unique story in Business Week about the bread that is made by Paris’ Poilane bakery and the circumstances that led 23-year-old Apollonia Poilane to become the company’s chief executive while still an undergraduate at Harvard. Ms. Poilane was thrust into a management position when her parents were killed more than four years ago in a [...]
Visiting Muslim China
When most of us think of China, we conjure images of Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Or the Great Wall, the Yangtze River and the Xian warriors. We rarely think of Muslims in China. But as Howard French shows in a travel article he wrote for the NY Times, there is indeed a flourishing Muslim region [...]
German work culture may be influencing exodus
Interesting story a few days ago about the angst that some in Germany are feeling over an apparent exodus of professionals to other countries. Many of these emigrants, though, are not leaving for the usual reasons of lack of jobs. Some are attracted to the warmer climes of nearby European Union countries, such as Spain. But a surprising number of [...]
More destinations for 2007
It’s not January anymore, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still consider new travel destinations for 2007. The Los Angeles Times ran an article this past weekend about “don’t-miss destinations” for the coming year. China tops the paper’s list, which includes Nepal, Guatemala, Dubai and six other locales. Interestingly, China is also atop Lonely Planet’s previously released [...]
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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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