Archive for November, 2008
Cultural faux pas
Virgin Media has an online feature about cultural faux pas to avoid in different countries and regions of the world. A sample: * The “a-ok” sign has positive meaning in Britain and in the USA. It’s also the internationally-recognised way that scuba divers say to each other “I’m just dandy, thanks for asking.” But in [...]
Exploring Mexico
Mexico seems to have caught the attention of the New York Times. In the past week, the newspaper has published two in-depth feature stories about the country. Luckily, this enables us to vicariously explore two distinct regions of that nation. First, the travel section published a story on travel in Chiapas as part of its [...]
Out of the box thinking in government
I’m a fan of out of the box thinking. Too often, when we go off in search of a solution to some challenge, we find ourselves hamstrung by old presumptions and structures. We and the world would be better off if, instead, we were able to look at issues and problems with fresh eyes. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a [...]
History, patience and fatalism in Egypt
Egypt has a history that stretches back thousands of years. It’s a boon for the tourist industry, which draws millions of annual visitors to the Pyramids, the Valley of the Kings and other such sites, but the country’s long past also has an interesting cultural influence as it seems to induce a sense of fatalism in the [...]
More students are studying abroad in China
Not only are more American students participating in study abroad programs, but now China is the fifth most popular destination, after the more traditional destinations of Britain, Italy, Spain and France. Record numbers of American students are studying abroad, with especially strong growth in educational exchanges with China, the annual report by the Institute on [...]
“Philanthropic travel” gains popularity
A new travel niche, called “philanthropic travel,” is gaining in popularity. The goal of this movement is to enable travelers to have a worthwhile experience while simultaneously providing assistance to a people or country. The NY Times has a report: Nadine Rubin wanted to give her daughter the trip of a lifetime for her 21st [...]
Learning about age and culture in Korea
Students who take advantage of study abroad programs have a wide variety of experiences. In the best scenarios, they not only have a fun and enriching life experience, but also come away with nuggets of insight into the culture of a new country. That’s what happened for Laura Corser, who was recently profiled in the [...]
Captivated by Lamu
For most Westerners, any mention of Kenya as a tourist destination will spark images of safaris. But for those who know of Lamu, Kenya is a very different place. A small island off the Kenyan coast, Lamu contains a quaint old town and miles of deserted beaches that have enchanted many a traveler. In this article, Sophie Lam writes of [...]
Reality beats tv for Indonesian educators
Here is another small example of the value of educational exchange programs. Several teachers from Indonesia had the opportunity to spend some time at a school in the United States and, according to this story, they came away from the experience with a much different view of the U.S. than they had expected. Three Indonesian educators entered [...]
A new leader, a new era
What an election night! When was the last time that we saw spontaneous electoral celebrations breaking out in city streets, with horns honking and people dancing, hugging, and high-fiving strangers? Part of the celebration was due to the historic nature of yesterday’s election, but I also think part of it was a national release of [...]
2008 = 1980, 1948 or 1932?
A few months ago, I was of the opinion that this presidential election would shape up like the one in 1980. That year, voters wanted change but weren’t sure they were comfortable with the change they were being offered – that is, Ronald Reagan. Consequently, Reagan and Jimmy Carter ran close in the polls until near the [...]
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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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