Archive for August, 2007
Saying what you don’t mean
There was an interesting cultural snippet in a recent NY Times interview of novelist Dalia Sofer, who was born in Iran but now lives in New York. It came when Sofer discussed the communication style of Iranians.
I would think that Iranian-born women see memoir-writing as a kind of protest against a society that demands so [...]
Arctic tourism
The Arctic climate of Greenland hasn’t traditionally been a big tourist attraction, but interest is growing. Climate change, ironically, is one of the factors behind a rise in tourism to Greenland, as this Associated Press article notes:
Hunting is the central element of the Inuit culture in Greenland, a semiautonomous Danish territory, but that immutable way [...]
Modern life means fewer siestas
In many of the world’s warmer climates, the mid-day siesta is a time-honored tradition. People have always taken time off to rest or nap in the mid-day heat and then tend to keep more active in the cooler hours of evening. But in many of these regions, modern life is causing the decline of the siesta, [...]
Even maps are subjective
Most of us grew up believing that maps and globes were accurate, objective portrayals of reality. At some point, though, we discovered that maps can be as subjective as anything else in the world of politics and diplomacy. That point is explained nicely in a recent article in the International Herald Tribune, about the cartography challenges faced by [...]
A bus trip in Africa
Traveling by bus in developing countries is often a challenge and always an interesting experience, as Henry Homeyer discovered recently when he endured a 19-hour trip from Nairobi, Kenya to Mwanza, Tanzania, which he wrote about for the Christian Science Monitor. An excerpt:
The bus left 3-1/2 hours late, at 12:30 a.m. Like many others, I [...]
Couch surfing around the world
Travel is always interesting, no matter how you do it. But the chance to interact with locals tends to take the experience up a level. So I was interested to read this article in the Boston Globe about an organization called Couch Surfing that connects people around the world by offering free places to stay [...]
The American road trip
The American road trip is a classic journey. Many is the person who has either completed or dreamed of a drive across the United States. The latest such individual is Matt Gross, who reported on his cross-country driving adventures for the NY Times. Here is an excerpt from the tail end of his journey:
“Nothing but sagebrush [...]
Nomadic traditions influence politics
It’s easy to dismiss ancient nomadic traditions as quaint relics of the past. But researchers are now discovering that these tribal traditions are not only the building blocks of Central Asian cultures but are also representative of values that continue to influence contemporary politics. Some of these insights were discussed in a recent article in the International [...]
Colombia attracts tourists once again
Not long ago, Colombia was mostly known for drug cartels, kidnappings and violence. These days, though, the violence has receded and tourists are once again making their way to this South American destination, as Grace Bastidas reported recently for the NY Times.
It was Thursday evening in Medellin and the open-air bars and cafes along fashionable [...]
Ethiopia turns to elders
Sometimes a crisis really can be defused by a few wise elders. At least in cultures that have a tradition of respect for such individuals. That’s what happened in Ethiopia recently when a political crisis was solved through mediation by a newly formed Council of Elders. The Christian Science Monitor has the story:
As the gray-haired man of [...]
Cultural diplomacy, from Pakistan to Britain
There was an interesting profile a few days ago in the NY Times about Maleeha Lodhi, the high commissioner of Pakistan in Britain. What I found particularly intriguing were some of the cultural issues she discussed.
The British are individualistic and private, as are people in many other Western societies, while the Pakistanis are more of a [...]
Japanese career women still battle customs
Despite other changes in Japanese society, women who pursue a career path in Japan still battle ingrained cultural traditions that make it difficult for them to advance on the job, according to this International Herald Tribune story.
Yukako Kurose joined the work force in 1986, a year after Japan passed its first equal opportunity law. Like [...]
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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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