culture

Get the authentic cultural experience on your next foreign jaunt. Wander like a local; here, there, and everywhere.

Differences
Two years ago, my mom decided she wanted to move back to Poland for "retirement." I remember just hanging out in my room and hearing my parents argue over it. "We were lucky to have won a green card, to have found work, this home..." My dad was saying. "If I would've known you wanted to go back, I would've never put in all these thousands into this house."
By K B7 years ago in Wander
What Is Hawaiian Literature
What is Hawaiian Literature? Being someone who has very little background on the topic, I entered my Hawaiian literature class with little to no knowledge on the topic. I didn't even know the English class I had enrolled in was for Hawaiian lit. But curious to learn, I thought about what constitutes as literature. The dictionary defines literature as “written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit.” But in the beginning, Hawaiian literature is mostly verbal stories. The stories tell a history of the land, the people, and the culture. Stories are an important part of the culture. Highly educated writer Thomas King discusses the importance and intimacy of a story, and how once you hear a story it becomes yours to tell. The way you tell it will never be the same as how you heard it before. Sometimes the details will changed or be seen differently. However with Hawaiian literature, they tell their stories with the same details as the person before them. It's a part of their culture and history. They started their literature off orally, which is why it is so important that the facts stay the same way, to preserve their history. Later when the missionaries came, written Hawaiian literature started to become more prevalent. They had many newspapers that were made to teach the Hawaiian people of stories. But what is the importance of Hawaiian literature, and who has the authority to create Hawaiian literature, or deem it to be proper and authentic Hawaiian literature?
By Bailey Clarke7 years ago in Wander
The Art of the French Insult
As a boy, I loved a film called National Lampoon’s European Vacation. I rented it on VHS from the local Blockbuster a dozen times before I entered the age of teenage indifference to feel-good comedies.
By Nick J Wood7 years ago in Wander
Fika, Lagom, & Hygge
Denmark and Sweden both have very rich and overlapping histories. As countries, when you take a look at them from the outside it would seem that they are similar. Both Scandanavian and neighbors, maybe Vikings pop into your head. The views we have can be very skewed until we have our boots on the ground.
By Steven Altman7 years ago in Wander
A New York Yankee in Georgia
Cultural whiplash! Don't let the pictures of New York City and Atlanta fool you. They may both be bustling cities and represent the best each area has to offer, but living in the south for a New York Yankee is very different. We are a family of four extremely diverse people who, looking for a less expensive lifestyle, chose to move a little north of Atlanta. Among us, we encompass the Caucasian, Hispanic, and African American races, but one thing we have in common is a distinctly northern ideology. Don't get me wrong. We like it here. But there are differences.
By Monica Bennett7 years ago in Wander
Thoughts of an Immigrant...
After sixteen years of being away from a place I had once considered my oasis, being reunited with one of my long-esteemed childhood friends in Chicago had been like a breath of fresh air. After being disconnected for years from my culture, my home, my friends, and family, I had started to perceive my heart as a separate entity. A lot of people raised in two different cultures can attest to the fact that sometimes it feels like the mind is one place and the heart is in another.
By Paulina Pachel7 years ago in Wander
Walls Jumped, Bridges Made
What if your parents decided to move to another country? More importantly, moving to another country without asking you for permission? When we crossed the border I was scared out of my mind. I felt like I was yanked from my clothes and kicked overboard in the dark Arctic waters. I felt exposed and deprived of parts of my identity. That was 10 years ago when I was in fourth grade, but today I feel much different. Now that my family and I live here, in “el otro lado,” as we call it where I come from. I realize something heart-warming and soul-fulfilling as freshly made tortillas. I am a man of two nations and I am prideful to claim that I have two places to call home.
By Salvador Bravado7 years ago in Wander
Madeira
Madeira is a popular holiday destination. The Portuguese island offers a mixture of luxury villas, holiday complexes, and wild wilderness. As we flew into the airport it seemed like a maze of holiday houses, swimming pools, and restaurants... Not my cup of tea! We spent the first night in a villa in Canico. If luxury is your thing, this place would suit you perfectly. Palm trees and swimming pools adorned the whitewashed glass-sided pads. All sat proudly in a row overlooking the terquoise water. The interior was dotted with designer furniture and lighting. Each room with its own luxury bathroom, and the cherry on the cake was a large infinity pool overlooking the sea. Just a short walk up the road and we were spoilt for choice with five star resturaunts and top seafood menus. Classy bars and cafes. It was the perfect millionaire's paradise. As for us, we crave adventure! Not relaxation. So we caught the next bus into Funchal, the main city on the island.
By Kader Folles8 years ago in Wander
How to Speak Brooklyn
In this article, world renowned linguist (and suspected serial killer) Don Aska Donatelli shares his expertise on how to correctly pronounce some of the most popular phrases tourists or visitors may want to ask when communicating with the quaint inhabitants of Brooklyn, New York.
By Reid Moore8 years ago in Wander
Campfire Culture
Fire has been man’s lifeline since the beginning of time. Food, warmth, and light are what fire gives to man. In many cultures, fire is the symbol for life, and anywhere you go today, fire is still used in a powerful way. The campfire to many that live for an outdoor, dirt bag lifestyle, a campfire is a sign of community. Never are you alone when around a campfire, no one has the feeling of depression in a campsite around a campfire. There is something that draws us to a fire, like mosquitos to a light.
By SF Adahy8 years ago in Wander
Virtual Tour of Cabbage Town - Atlanta
Krog Street Tunnel - Cabbage Town I am a geek for walkable neighborhoods. Anything that allows me to feel like I’m part of a community—local eateries, galleries, gathering spaces—draw me in like a moth to a flame. Atlanta in my opinion is not the most walkable city, but it has its enclaves; it’s little nooks and neighborhoods within the city.
By The Musings Of Moses Ukoh8 years ago in Wander
Puerto Rico After Maria
From mid-September to early October of 2017, Puerto Rico suffered from a category 5 hurricane that left the country devastated. Since then, the community has had to band together to restore the damage caused by the relentless hurricane Maria. Despite being a United States Territory, Puerto Rico received very minimal support from the US government in the restoration process. Donations from overseas have spearheaded the reconstruction of the beautiful country.
By Syd Glisan8 years ago in Wander