Archive for December, 2007
Culture and elections
Kenya has erupted into violence after a disputed election. The Pakistani political party of Benazir Bhutto has named her 19-year-old son as the party’s new leader. This post is not meant to judge the politics of other countries. After all, the U.S. faced some problems of its own with a hotly disputed election seven years ago and, as Andrew Sullivan notes, we’re [...]
Tribalism and democracy in Kenya
Tribalism is an inescapable undercurrent of life throughout much of Africa and the Middle East. And, as this Washington Post article notes, one’s tribal loyalties have also played a significant role in democratic elections in Kenya, even though many voters deny it is an issue. Although many issues are at stake in Kenya’s presidential election Thursday [...]
The Australian Tuscany
The Italian region of Tuscany has inspired legions of fans because of the area’s natural beauty, culture, food and wine. Now the region of southeastern Australia around Adelaide is beginning to draw similar raves, according to this travel article in the New York Times. “We searched all over the world for where we could start the kind of [...]
Redesigning the pilgrimage to Mecca
The annual Islamic pilgrimage to the Saudi cities of Mecca and Medina is a huge and often chaotic event. Several million Muslims from around the world make the annual pilgrimage, and the crush of people has resulted in numerous tragedies and thousands of deaths. So this year the government of Saudi Arabia hired a team [...]
The other side of medical tourism
The topic of medical tourism has gained quite a bit of coverage during the past year or so, as the media has become aware of the increasing numbers of Americans who are opting to go overseas for medical care and surgery because they can’t afford the same procedures in the U.S. Now comes a glimpse of the other side [...]
Chinese business schools integrate East and West
Business schools in China are growing by leaps and bounds, with more programs and a significant increase in the number of international students, according to this article in Business Week. The expatriate students are there to gain a better understanding of the Chinese business world, which they gain not only with on-the-ground experience in the country but also [...]
The Mayan temples of Tikal
Most everyone knows about the Mayan temples at Chichén Itzá, Mexico, which aren’t far from the tourist playgrounds of Cancun. But the Mayans left an even more impressive complex at Tikal in Guatemala, which is lesser known only because it is more remote and less touristed. Ethan Todras-Whitehill, however, went to Tikal recently and reported on his experience [...]
Cows and the economy in East Africa
In pastoral areas of Africa, cows are an integral part of the life of communities. Families give cows to children to raise, the animals are used as dowry payments, and a family’s wealth is often measured by the number of cows they own. In Sudan, however, as in other countries in East Africa, the government is now trying [...]
Daughters being welcomed more in Korea
For years now, a growing demographic problem in Asia has resulted from a cultural preference for sons over daughters. Now, however, there are signs that South Korea may finally be bucking this trend, which has caught the attention of other Asian nations looking to rebalance the ratio of women to men in their societies. The Herald [...]
Motorbike fashion vs. safety in Vietnam
Anyone who has traveled in Vietnam has had to deal with the sometimes unsettling need to cross a street amidst a flock of motorbikes. With increasing numbers of motorists, and a chaotic stew of bikes, autos and pedestrians all trying to share the same road space, the Vietnamese penchant for not wearing helmets has become [...]
New freedoms for young women in India
As more young women in India join the workforce and move out of their family’s homes, they are gaining an independence and confronting issues that their mothers could never have imagined. There was an interesting article about this topic recently in the International Herald Tribune. Not long ago, an Indian woman, even a working Indian woman, [...]
Laos, Lisbon and Libya
It’s that time of year again – when newspapers and travel magazines begin proclaiming hot destinations for the following year. Some of it is silly, but it can also be a fun way to add to your own dream destination list. The NY Times published their ’08 story this past weekend, with 43 destinations in [...]
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