“The fool wanders; the wise man travels.” - Thomas Fuller

These words reflect the philosophy behind the name of our company, World to the Wise. The Proverbs remind us of the importance of seeking wisdom, and much wisdom is to be gained from getting outside one’s immediate surroundings. We travel not because we necessarily enjoy lengthy flights or sleeping in strange beds; we travel because we  need to occasionally be shaken from the quasi stupor we can so easily be lulled into in the comfortable familiarity of life in the United States. It is our belief that God has placed something uniquely beautiful in every culture on earth. He loves diversity! And if we don’t cultivate curiosity, many riches will pass us by. It is not so much about what we do as how we do it.

Augustine expressed it like this:

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

We invite you to stay tuned for announcements of upcoming World to the Wise Cultural Tours — we’ve only just begun!

We hope you’ll follow along as we chronicle our adventures — either here or at David’s blog.

The excitement is building as we look forward to leaving in just a little over nine weeks! Here are a few updates:

• We’ve made some great connections in all three cities from our network of friends and acquaintances to ensure that you have direct contact with the local population — whether in London, Paris or Amsterdam.
• We’re looking at some great day trip possibilities to give you a taste for what life is like outside the big city.
• Your palette will have as much fun as the rest of you with the food we have planned for you to taste!

Just now hearing about the World to the Wise Cultural Tour? Just scroll down to read the full description — choose just one, two, or all three weeks!

Feed your cultural curiosity!

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

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!)

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

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!

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  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.

Amsterdam – unique architecture & charm, canals, Dutch Masters, Van Gogh, rich history, Anne Frank, Corrie ten Boom and the Hiding Place, world’s largest flower market, the warmth of the Dutch people (who almost all speak English!)

OR:

Paris - the Louvre, the Impressionists, Versailles palace, Eiffel Tower, Latin Quarter, sidewalk cafés, French cuisine, Champs Elysées, Parisian hosts

Please click on the comment link below and add your preference — and if you’re interested in either one, say so! We’ll announce our decision soon and begin taking reservations. In any case, this inaugural Cultural Tour promises to leave a lasting impression!

Nothing could be farther from the truth! If a song is intended to be sung in another language, it must of course be crafted in such a way that the new words fit the rhythm of the melody — all the way down to the number of syllables. This inevitably means that a literal translation is usually impossible when creating a singable translation — which sometimes comes as a bit of a shock to the uninitiated! The goal of the song translator is to create a singable version of the song that has the same musical flow as the original language, while maintaining the integrity of the ideas expressed in the lyric. It therefore takes a good dose of artistic talent and sensitivity to render a worthy song translation.

Let’s take the example of “Are You Sleeping” — as you know, the French words go like this:

Frère Jacques, frère Jacques

Dormez-vous? Dormez-vous?

If we were to translate those lines literally, it would come out like this:

Brother James, brother James

Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping?

Try singing that! (This does not explain why we sing “John” in English, instead of “James”, which is the translation of “Jacques”!)

So whoever translated the first song switched the first two lines in order to fit the rhythm of the melody. This is but a small yet representative example of what song translators deal with on a regular basis.

Our song translators are experienced craftsmen who are poets in their own right, paying careful attention to the vital components mentioned above. The sign of a great translation is that those singing it cannot even tell it’s a translation, just as many people have no idea that “A Mighty Fortress” was initially written in German! This is the goal of all our translators at World to the Wise. We also have them work in teams in order to complement each other’s strengths and thereby produce a better result.

To find out more about our song translation services, e-mail us at admin@worldtothewise.net.