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    World to the Wise Partners with Golden Rule Travel


    2010 - 02.15

    Tags: , ,
    Posted in Uncategorized, cross-cultural, cultural awareness, cultural curiosity, cultural intelligence, cultural tours, cultural understanding, culture | No Comments »

    World to the Wise Cultural Tours is proud to announce its partnership with Golden Rule Travel, an Ohio-based agency specializing in group travel to Europe and the Middle East. Not only is Golden Rule handling all our hotel accommodations for the upcoming cultural tour, but they are also able to provide the most advantageous airfares we have found, thanks to a special contract with United Airlines.

    If you would like to contact Golden Rule directly, just send an e-mail to Justin at justin@goldrule.net or call him at (800) 950.3599. Golden Rule has also calculated airfares for multiple-city itineraries; for example, flying into London, then returning to the US from Paris.

    Registrations are coming in as we prepare for our inaugural tour this June. In case you’re joining us for the first time on this site, we are hosting a cultural tour to three of Europe’s greatest cities: London, Paris and Amsterdam. We’ll spend one week in each of the three cities, and participants are able to join us for one, two or all three weeks. See other posts on this site for a full description, then e-mail us at admin@worldtothewise.net if you’re interested! The absolute deadline for registration is April 15, but you don’t want to wait till the last minute, as space is limited!

    We are pleased to offer an additional family member discount to our participants, as well as a price break for those coming for more than one week. Below is the breakdown of how this will work. NOTE: “1st week, 2nd week,” etc. does not mean London, Paris, etc., but the number of total weeks a person participates. For example, if Sheila Sharpe comes to Paris and Amsterdam, the first week will cost $1500 and the second $1325.

    1st week           2nd week         3rd week

    One family member                                $1500              $1325               $1125

    2nd family member                                   1325                  1125                  1125

    3rd family member                                    1125                  1125                  1000

    Your refundable deposit* of $200 reserves you a place — and it will be helpful to us to know which city or cities you are most interested in. So please either post a comment on this post or e-mail us at admin@worldtothewise.net.

    * Until April 15

    Quick addendum: Weekly Costs


    2010 - 01.11

    Posted in cross-cultural, cultural awareness, cultural curiosity, cultural intelligence, cultural tours, cultural understanding, culture | No Comments »

    In our last update, we neglected to give the total weekly cost for the tour — a minor detail!

    As mentioned earlier, all participants will be making their own flight arrangements directly with Golden Rule Travel; so apart from your air travel, the total cost per week will be $1500. This includes all hotels (3 star), all meals, ground transportation, all museums and attractions, and gratuities. You will be responsible for any discretionary spending, such as souvenirs, snacks, and travel insurance, should you so choose.

    And don’t forget that contributions toward your trip are tax-deductible — so get those creative juices flowing to come up with your own fundraising ideas. And remember that all participants who sign-up by January 28 will benefit from the proceeds of the Lifesong Theatre Group production of Fiddler on the Roof in Nashville, Jan. 29-31 and Feb. 4-6.

    For a tour description, just scroll down two posts.

    Questions? E-mail us at worldtothewise.net.

    Let the fun (and sign-ups begin!)

    Registration now open for the inaugural World to the Wise Cultural Tour!


    2010 - 01.07

    Tags: , ,
    Posted in Uncategorized, cross-cultural, cultural awareness, cultural curiosity, cultural intelligence, cultural tours, cultural understanding, culture | 1 Comment »

    Dear friends,

    Our anticipation is growing daily as we prepare for the inaugural World to the Wise Cultural Tour. We’re pleased to announce that we’re now taking registrations! But first, some important news:

    All contributions to your costs as a tour participant are TAX-DEDUCTIBLE!

    We have made arrangements for World to the Wise Cultural Tours to be a subsidiary of Crucible International, a nonprofit we started in 2005. The mission of World to the Wise is to feed cultural curiosity and promote cultural intelligence. This dovetails with The Crucible’s mission to equip people with tools to impact and help shape culture. NOTE: Payments will be made directly to World to the Wise Cultural Tours.

    This means, for example, that students whose grandparents, other relatives or friends would like to contribute toward the expenses of this life-shaping experience will receive a tax deduction. Hopefully this will make it easier for any and all of our participants to raise the necessary funds. Please note that the tour is open to people of all ages – not just students!

    Need a reminder of the dates and destinations? For a tour description, see previous post.

    We are partnering with Golden Rule Travel to make travel arrangements. Each participant must contact Golden Rule directly to make his/her flight arrangements. This will allow for anyone desiring to book an alternate itinerary – whether it be going early, staying later, or visiting other European destinations. Through a contract Golden Rule has with United Airlines, we have found some reasonable airfares for that time of year, with no charge for changes made up to a certain date. Golden Rule’s contact info will be included in your registration packet.

    So how do you register? Simply send an e-mail to admin@worldtothewise.net stating your name, address, desired destination(s) and the number of travelers. You will then receive a registration packet, including a simple form to fill out and return, along with a deposit of $200. This deposit will be refundable for a limited time.

    Some thoughts on fundraising:

    You are of course free to raise funds for your trip in any and every way you choose; however, here is one opportunity for all registrants to receive a boost as you consider your own fundraising ideas. Part of the proceeds of the Lifesong Theatre Group’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof” in Nashville Jan. 29-31 and Feb. 4-6, will go towards the travel expenses of all participants who have registered by January 28. Even if you don’t live in the Nashville area, or even if you don’t attend the play (we hope you will!), you will benefit if you have signed up by Jan. 28! Details for the musical can be found on Facebook by typing Fiddler on the Roof into the Facebook search bar.

    We look forward to having you on board our very first adventure together as World to the Wise Cultural Tours! Don’t put off signing up – space is limited! Questions? E-mail us at admin@worldtothewise.net.

    Yours for the culturally curious,

    David Durham

    to the Wise Cultural Tour Update
    Dear friends,
    Our anticipation is growing daily as we prepare for the inaugural World to the Wise Cultural Tour. We’re pleased to announce that we’re now taking registrations! But first, some important news:
    All contributions to your costs as a tour participant are TAX-DEDUCTIBLE!
    We have made arrangements for World to the Wise Cultural Tours to be a subsidiary of Crucible International, a nonprofit we started in 2005. The mission of World to the Wise is to feed cultural curiosity and promote cultural intelligence. This dovetails with The Crucible’s mission to equip people with tools to impact and help shape culture. NOTE: Payments will be made directly to World to the Wise Cultural Tours.
    This means, for example, that students whose grandparents, other relatives or friends would like to contribute toward the expenses of this life-shaping experience will receive a tax deduction. Hopefully this will make it easier for any and all of our participants to raise the necessary funds. Please note that the tour is open to people of all ages – not just students!
    Need a reminder of the dates and destinations? For a tour description, click here.
    We are partnering with Golden Rule Travel to make travel arrangements. Each participant must contact Golden Rule directly to make his/her flight arrangements. This will allow for anyone desiring to book an alternate itinerary – whether it be going early, staying later, or visiting other European destinations. Through a contract Golden Rule has with United Airlines, we have found some reasonable airfares for that time of year, with no charge for changes made up to a certain date. Golden Rule’s contact info will be included in your registration packet.
    So how do you register? Simply send an e-mail to admin@worldtothewise.net stating your name, address, desired destination(s) and the number of travelers. You will then receive a registration packet, including a simple form to fill out and return, along with a deposit of $200. This deposit will be refundable for a limited time.
    Some thoughts on fundraising:
    You are of course free to raise funds for your trip in any and every way you choose; however, here is one opportunity for all registrants to receive a boost as you consider your own fundraising ideas. Part of the proceeds of the Lifesong Theatre Group’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof” in Nashville Jan. 29-31 and Feb. 4-6, will go towards the travel expenses of all participants who have registered by January 28. Even if you don’t live in the Nashville area, or even if you don’t attend the play (we hope you will!), you will benefit if you have signed up by Jan. 28! Details for the musical can be found on Facebook by typing Fiddler on the Roof into the Facebook search bar.
    We look forward to having you on board our very first adventure together as World to the Wise Cultural Tours! Don’t put off signing up – space is limited! Questions? E-mail us at admin@worldtothewise.netWorld to the Wise Cultural Tour Update
    Dear friends,
    Our anticipation is growing daily as we prepare for the inaugural World to the Wise Cultural Tour. We’re pleased to announce that we’re now taking registrations! But first, some important news:
    All contributions to your costs as a tour participant are TAX-DEDUCTIBLE!
    We have made arrangements for World to the Wise Cultural Tours to be a subsidiary of Crucible International, a nonprofit we started in 2005. The mission of World to the Wise is to feed cultural curiosity and promote cultural intelligence. This dovetails with The Crucible’s mission to equip people with tools to impact and help shape culture. NOTE: Payments will be made directly to World to the Wise Cultural Tours.
    This means, for example, that students whose grandparents, other relatives or friends would like to contribute toward the expenses of this life-shaping experience will receive a tax deduction. Hopefully this will make it easier for any and all of our participants to raise the necessary funds. Please note that the tour is open to people of all ages – not just students!
    Need a reminder of the dates and destinations? For a tour description, click here.
    We are partnering with Golden Rule Travel to make travel arrangements. Each participant must contact Golden Rule directly to make his/her flight arrangements. This will allow for anyone desiring to book an alternate itinerary – whether it be going early, staying later, or visiting other European destinations. Through a contract Golden Rule has with United Airlines, we have found some reasonable airfares for that time of year, with no charge for changes made up to a certain date. Golden Rule’s contact info will be included in your registration packet.
    So how do you register? Simply send an e-mail to admin@worldtothewise.net stating your name, address, desired destination(s) and the number of travelers. You will then receive a registration packet, including a simple form to fill out and return, along with a deposit of $200. This deposit will be refundable for a limited time.
    Some thoughts on fundraising:
    You are of course free to raise funds for your trip in any and every way you choose; however, here is one opportunity for all registrants to receive a boost as you consider your own fundraising ideas. Part of the proceeds of the Lifesong Theatre Group’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof” in Nashville Jan. 29-31 and Feb. 4-6, will go towards the travel expenses of all participants who have registered by January 28. Even if you don’t live in the Nashville area, or even if you don’t attend the play (we hope you will!), you will benefit if you have signed up by Jan. 28! Details for the musical can be found on Facebook by typing Fiddler on the Roof into the Facebook search bar.
    We look forward to having you on board our very first adventure together as World to the Wise Cultural Tours! Don’t put off signing up – space is limited! Questions? E-mail us at admin@worldtothewise.net.

    Announcing the 2010 World to the Wise Cultural Tour


    2009 - 11.17

    Posted in cross-cultural, cultural awareness, cultural curiosity, cultural tours, cultural understanding, culture | No Comments »

    We are happy to announce plans to host our first ever World to the Wise Cultural Tour. We have designed it in a modular format so that travelers will be able to choose one, two, or three one-week periods. Here are the details!

    Big Ben LONDON   June 12 – 19, 2010

    Many Americans have the feeling of coming home when they discover this land that is the mother country to  many of our ancestors. Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge, Westminster Abby, Big  Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Globe Theatre, some of the most amazing museums in the world, the Tube, the River  Thames, cream tea, shortbread, meat pies, homes of some of English literature’s greats, and on and on!

    Eiffel Tower PARIS   June 19-26

    Often called the Pearl of Europe and the City of Lights, this gem has probably inspired more songs and literature than any other city. Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay, the Palace of Versailles, the Latin Quarter with its sidewalk artists, the Arche de Triomphe and Champs Elysées…not to mention the obligatory sidewalk cafés, croissants, pastries, baguettes, cheese. (Oops, got a little side-tracked there.…) One evening will be spent with local Parisian friends over dinner, comparing our impressions of each other’s culture, laughing at ourselves, and learning to appreciate the inherent beauty of every culture.

    Amsterdam AMSTERDAM  June 26 – July 3

    One of the most charming cities in all of Europe, Amsterdam has a character all its own. Journey back to the  Golden Age of the Netherlands, when Amsterdam was one of the largest and most powerful commercial cities in  the world. Visit the world-famous Rijksmuseum, home of the Dutch Masters, as well as the amazing Van Gogh  Museum. Take a boat ride on the city’s intricate canal system while admiring the charm of the 17th and 18th  century row houses that line the canals. Visit the historic home of Anne Frank, as well as the Ten Boom house in  Haarlem, made famous in Corrie ten Boom’s moving book, The Hiding Place. Experience the world’s largest tulip fields and greenhouses, as well as the home of the famous Delft Blue China. And spend an evening over dinner with local Amsterdammers and learn the meaning of gezelligheid (hint: coziness to the max).

    As mentioned above, travelers will have the choice of joining us for one, two, or all three consecutive weeks in three of Europe’s greatest cultural capitals.

    It’s time to start planning (and saving) now! To get on our mailing list to receive updates, just fill in your name and e-mail address in the form to the right, and we’ll keep you up to date.

    Registration will begin soon, so let us hear from you and we’ll send you the initial information on costs, passport application, etc.

    The "Singing Nation"


    2009 - 04.20

    Posted in Latvia, choirs, cultural curiosity, cultural intelligence, culture | No Comments »

    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?

    Bonjour from Switzerland


    2009 - 03.16

    Posted in Swiss hospitality, cultural curiosity, cultural understanding, culture, international culture | No Comments »

    You haven’t heard from me in a while because I’m on a two-week concert tour in French-speaking Switzerland with some old friends going back to the time I lived here with my family. Every time I come back, I’m flooded with nostalgia — our youngest son was born here, we developed friendships that continue to this day, and it is arguably the most beautiful spot on the planet.

    I’ll be dividing my photos and videos between my Facebook page and this blog, so feel free to toggle back and forth. For now, here’s a short vid shot just before our first concert:

    Curiosity vs. Fundamentalism


    2009 - 01.17

    Posted in Seth Godin, cultural curiosity, cultural intelligence, cultural tours, cultural understanding, culture, tribes | 2 Comments »

    Not only is Seth Godin a business and marketing genius, he also has an uncanny understanding of human nature. I could talk/type a long time about his latest book, Tribes (click on the title in my book section on the right to check it out) — and very well may write another post or two on my ruminations from the book — but here’s what is churning inside me right now. It can be summed up in this quote from Godin:

    “A fundamentalist is a person who considers whether a fact is acceptable to his religion before he explores it; as opposed to a curious person who explores first and then considers whether or not he wants to accept the ramifications.

    “A curious person embraces the tension between his religion and something new, wrestles with it and through it, and then decides whether to embrace the new idea or reject it.”

    It’s impossible to read this book and not consider the question of what ‘tribe’ I belong to. Seth Godin has helped me articulate it. Yes, I’m of the tribe of faith, I’m of the tribe of art and creativity, I’m of the tribe of entrepreneurship — but I think the best term to succinctly describe the tribe of World to the Wise, it’s this:

    I’m of the tribe of the culturally curious.

    Godin describes curiosity as a desire to understand, a desire to try, a desire to push whatever envelope is interesting. Curiosity has to do with searching for your voice until you find it — very often against great odds. Many times the curious are punished — and, sadly enough, nowhere does that happen more often than in organized religion and education.

    “What we’re seeing is that fundamentalism really has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with an outlook, regardless what your religion is.”

    This blog — and everything that is to come out of World to the Wise — is for the culturally curious. The ones who look at the ‘whys’ as much as the ‘whats’. The ones whose only fear is losing their sense of fascination with this planet and the diversity of the peoples that have been placed on it. The ones who believe that this diveristy is not some great cosmic mistake, but on the contrary, that there is something of the Divine on the face and in the heart of every culture.

    Stay tuned for the announcement of the inaugural World to the Wise Cultural Tour, followed by lots of other exciting developments. We’re just getting started.

    It’s Your Planet — Go See It!


    2008 - 12.07

    Posted in business travel, culture, international culture, travel, travel sites | No Comments »

    If you have been a reader of mine for any length of time, you know at least a couple of things about me: I love this planet we’re on — its beauty, its diversity, its people; and I love the adventure of entrepreneurship and the importance of developing multiple streams of income. So in order to provide YOU with a one-stop travel shop – and to open up an additional stream of income for World to the Wise, I now have my very own TRAVEL PORTAL:

    http://www.worldtothewisetravel.hemitc.com/

    No, I am not a licensed travel agent, nor do I intend to become one. Instead, I have linked arms with Hemisphere Travel, the world’s largest private travel provider, with a search engine twice as large as Expedia, the next largest online travel provider. They are the ones making your travel arrangements for you, and they are the ones you will contact directly with customer services issues; but when you book your travel through this website, not only will you find true concierge service, you’ll be supporting World to the Wise as we develop into a multi-faceted organization.

    Nothing else needs to change for you — simply save this URL in your Favorites and go there instead of the other guys, knowing that you’ll get the same competitive prices and be apprised of some pretty amazing specials from time to time. And when you hear the signal for the first World to the Wise cultural tour, your travel will be booked through this portal.

    Check it out: http://www.worldtothewisetravel.hemitc.com/ — whether it’s to book flights, cruises, rental cars, hotels, group trips, or ski vacations, we’ve got you covered. I’ll tell you about some more cool features in future posts.

    It’s your planet — go see it!

    Thanks for Thanksgiving


    2008 - 11.27

    Posted in Thanksgiving, cultural understanding, culture | No Comments »


    As an American, I’m not always particularly proud of our cultural exports. Halloween, for example, came into vogue in Europe while I was living there; and not all of Hollywood’s values make me want to stand up and say, “That’s us!”

    Thanksgiving is different. And what is ironic is that I don’t know of other countries besides Canada that have instituted this tradition on a national level. (Prove me wrong by posting a comment!)

    On this 4th Thursday of the month of November, we stop to remember how blessed we are. Not that celebrations of thanksgiving have never been held in other cultures; harvest festivals have been a tradition of cultures worldwide since recorded history began. But the feast that has become an annual holiday in the United States is generally attributed to an offering of thanks not for copious material blessings, but for mere survival. The Pilgrims who had come to the New World from England in search of the freedom to practice their religion in the way their convictions dictated were thankful just to have made it through their first winter. And this would not have been possible were it not for the providential help of a Patuxet Native American named Squanto. You should take a moment to read this remarkable story some time.

    The first national declaration of Thanksgiving was made by the Continental Congress in 1777, but it was not declared an annual holiday until 1863, when Abraham Lincoln, in the midst of a civil war that was tearing his nation apart, made the following resolution:

    “… to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union….”

    How radical and completely counter-intuitive. In some of the darkest days of this young nation’s history, a leader urging his people to unite on two principles — gratitude and penitence.

    The tough times we’re facing right now are a cake walk compared to many of the ordeals our ancestors went through. Is it possible that one of the divine laws of the universe might be that gratitude not only comes after deliverance, but also precedes it?

    Here is one thankful heart that a day has been set aside for something that is actually intended to be a way of life for us.

    May we all live lives of gratitude.

    Bathroom Blues


    2008 - 10.30

    Posted in cultural understanding, culture, international culture | 1 Comment »

    Cultural Anecdotes, Part III
    In our ongoing series on cultural faux pas, a young American girl was visiting her German guy-friend’s family. Before sitting down to dinner, she asked where the bathroom was. Following their directions, she indeed found herself in the bathroom — but there was no toilet.
    Too embarrassed to go out and ask where the toilet was, she — you guessed it — decided to just use the sink. No one would have ever known if the sink had not broken loose from the wall under her weight. Embarrassed now?
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