http://rielworld.com ...cultivating a global curiosity Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:29:56 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Ladakh is a fascinating place. A Tibetan Buddhist culture in northern India, it has more in common with such neighbors as Bhutan and Nepal than it does with the country to which it belongs. David Desjardins and his family recently discovered that the Ladakhi landscape is also spectacular and the ... http://rielworld.com/2008/12/01/the-wonders-of-ladakh/ Paris, France The Eiffel Tower at sunset. http://rielworld.com/2008/11/26/riel-world-travel-photo-17/ 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 ... http://rielworld.com/2008/11/25/cultural-faux-pas/ On Americans' interest in the world... The majority of the American people in the run-up to this election said they believe that the next president, one of his most important priorities should be restoring America’s position in the world. That to me says it all: That means that there is an ... http://rielworld.com/2008/11/24/quote-to-ponder-2/ 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 ... http://rielworld.com/2008/11/21/exploring-mexico/ 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 ... http://rielworld.com/2008/11/20/out-of-the-box-thinking-in-government/ 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 ... http://rielworld.com/2008/11/18/history-patience-and-fatalism-in-egypt/ 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 ... http://rielworld.com/2008/11/17/more-students-are-studying-abroad-in-china/ 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 ... http://rielworld.com/2008/11/13/philanthropic-travel-gains-popularity/ 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 ... http://rielworld.com/2008/11/11/learning-about-age-and-culture-in-korea/