Posts Tagged ‘family’
A Kashmiri wedding
Ever wondered how wedding celebrations differ among cultures? The Washington Post has a colorful report from a Kashmiri wedding in India. Somehow, the wedding procession — in theory, groom first, then his father, followed by close relatives and friends — makes it to the Cardoba Hotel, where lights strung around bushes and gates make the [...]
Challenges for single women in India
There is an intriguing article in the Christian Science Monitor about some of the challenges faced by single women in India, particularly for those who are independent enough to want to live on their own. It is apparently still somewhat rare for individual females to move out of their family home, so those that do often discover [...]
Indian weddings
Indian weddings are often lavish affairs involving large extended families. When these take place in North America, they can be an interesting blend of cultures and of contemporary and traditional elements. The Arizona Daily Star yesterday ran an interesting, in-depth article on such a wedding that involved families in both Arizona and India. Flowing silk, georgette [...]
Arab marriage crisis
While traveling in Egypt two years ago, Lisa and I met a young man who was spending the summer working at a news stand. He was a university student the rest of the year and hoped to become a teacher. However, he admitted to us that he might have to spend some years working abroad, perhaps in [...]
Year of the pig, year of the baby
China’s medical system is bracing for a wave of newborn babies this year. The reason? It’s the Year of the Pig, which in traditional Chinese beliefs is an auspicious time to be born. As the Washington Post reports: In Chinese tradition, one of 12 animals is assigned as a patron for each year. Besides the [...]
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 perils of childbirth in Iraq
With all of the news reports about car bombings, sectarian violence and politics in Iraq, sometimes what is lost amid the headlines is the simple fact of how difficult daily life has become for many Iraqis. The Washington Post has a heartbreaking story today about the challenges of childbirth in parts of the country. Giving birth [...]
Balancing two cultures as an immigrant
It is always a challenge for immigrants to assimilate into a new culture. The children of immigrants, moreover, often feel torn between two cultures. The Associated Press recently had an interesting article about some of the choices being made by the children of immigrants in Europe. As Europe goes through a wrenching debate over integrating immigrant [...]
AIDS and African cultural traditions
For years now, those on the front lines of the fight against AIDS in Africa have focused on the most traditional means of transmitting the disease. Now, though, there is evidence that AIDS may also be spread through some cultural traditions, such as local healing methods, tribal body markings and even child care practices. The NY Times has a story on [...]
The evolution of the European family
Time Magazine recently had an interesting article on the changing nature of the family in Europe. The nuclear family is less central to life than it used to be, according to the story. Although the traditional structure is still common, many other types of family have arisen, as Europeans choose to have children outside of marriage, to [...]
Mothers and infants in Africa
There are no easy solutions when you’re an African mother who has to care for an infant while simultaneously working in the fields or walking to the market. Well, there is one, age-old tradition. Put the baby on your back. The Christian Science Monitor recently ran a story about the kanga, a piece of cloth that [...]
Saudi society on screen
It’s not every day that a big budget film is produced in a country where movie theaters are still considered illegal (because it promotes the mixing of the sexes). But that is exactly what is happening in Saudi Arabia, with a new movie by Saudi producers examining the conflict within a family when a young girl [...]
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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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