Home of the Culturally Curious
One of my favorite travel hosts is Rick Steves, mainly because of his infectious passion for discovery and his admiration of cultural diversity. In his latest blog, he talks about being inspired all over again by his daughter’s current travels through Spain — and ‘their unbridled fun — not gumming the culture, but tearing into it with carnivorous teeth and selfish abandon.’
If you value your personal space, you best not be a commuter in Japan. This video was shot a few years ago, and I understand things are not quite so extreme now, but even so….
On May 5, 1862, the underdog Mexican army withstood the onslaught of the powerful French army, undefeated in fifty years, in the southeastern state of Puebla. Even though it was not even a turning point in the war against the French, who completed their invasion a year later, it is remembered and celebrated for the Mexicans’ determination to stand up against great odds.
April 30 is Queen’s Day in the Netherlands. My wife and I have wonderful memories, from our five years in Amsterdam, of the festive atmosphere which not only honors the past and current queen (Queen Beatrix is pictured here), but also coincides with a general relief that spring has arrived. People also take advantage of the occasion to set out on the curb any household items or furniture they’ve been wanting to get rid of — a nationwide flea market.
Today the only relief was that none of the royal family were injured when an unknown Dutchman drove his car through the parade barricades as the royal family passed by in an open bus. Four people were killed, however, and several more injured.
Imagine the hustle and bustle of morning rush hour and the accompanying noise — like any other day — being suddenly interrupted by the wail of a siren. The overpowering sound of the siren then gives way to complete silence, as drivers get out of their cars, pedestrians stop in their tracks, and all that is heard is the wind as everyone stands stone still for two long minutes of silent remembrance.
That’s exactly what happened today as Israelis, joined by other Jews around the world, stopped to remember when the unthinkable happened. Thousands — Holocaust survivors, teenagers, Jews and a few Gentiles, joined in the March of the Living at Auschwitz and Birkenau in Poland, where 1.1 million people, 90% of whom were Jews, were exterminated by the Nazi regime.
Any Jewish parent wants his or her children to know about and remember the Holocaust.
How about you, my Gentile friend?
This week’s WorldQuiz:
What European country is nicknamed the “singing nation”?
In this country, it is unusual to find a single person who has not sung in a choir or some other kind of vocal ensemble. Every few years, all of this country’s choirs gather together for the Song Festival with thousands of singers present.
The daina, or folk song, has defined this nation’s identity for hundreds of years. Dating back well over a millenium, over 1.2 million texts and over 30,000 melodies have been identified.
What country is it?
If you’re considering joining us for the inaugural World to the Wise Cultural Tour, here’s something else to tempt you: step for a day into the magical microworld of Alsace, the region in the northeast corner of France which has gone back and forth between Germany and France for generations.
Alsace is a region like no other: although it is part of France and everyone speaks French, the German influence is everywhere — including the storybook architecture seen in this photo. And even though all Alsatians are French, they have managed to preserve their own language over the years, which actually resembles Swiss German as much as anything.
The largest city in Alsace is Strasbourg, dubbed the Crossroads of Europe. This gem of a city is indeed of crossroads of diplomatic, high-tech, educational and religious communities: it is the seat of the European Parliament, the University of Strasbourg, and, as far as France is concerned, a rare coexistence of the Catholic and Protestant traditions.
And we won’t set foot in Alsace without sampling the famous tarte flambée (flammekueche in Alsatian) — a delicious, thin-crusted pizza with crème fraîche, bacon and onions, baked in a wood-burning oven.
Care to join us? Visit www.worldtothewise.net to find out more!
Perhaps the oldest art form is one that needs to be reclaimed in our generation: storytelling. For years, Melea Brock has been weaving her own stories as well as some borrowed from other times and other places.
For the first time, Melea will be performing a live tele-Storynight tomorrow (Thursday, Feb. 26) at 9:00 pm Eastern time. No matter where you are, you’ll be able to listen in — from your car, your home phone, or your computer. Melea has such an engaging manner about her that adults as well as children are drawn in — and you’ll find her stories charged with meaning.
All you have to do is go here to register.
Make a fire and some hot chocolate, gather the kids or friends, unplug the iPod and tune into Melea instead. It will be one of those moments suspended in time.