culture

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

Best War Memorials to Visit in the US
War memorials are incredibly common in America, and it's understandable why this is the case. We've fought in a lot of wars, many people have died, and we are a culture that tends to respect our fallen soldiers.
By Cato Conroy9 years ago in Wander
7 Things to Ask Yourself When Emigrating
You’ve got to end something for a beginning to start. I, with my wife, arrived at a demilitarized kind of a border where we faced a decision that we need to make. A decision whether to leave the platform and board the train or just sit on the bench to watch it leave and wait for the next train to which we don’t know if it will come or not, or will it arrive on time or already too late. Will this train be going to the same destination as the previous train is heading or is it going to a different one?
By Reniel Barroso9 years ago in Wander
Paradise: Papua New Guinea
Somewhere along the South-Western part of the Pacific you may find yourself at a loss of everything you thought held dear. The island of Papua New Guinea is as entrancing as it is a mirage of serenity bathed in un-spoilt ideals, where gazing too long can thrust you into its multifaceted allure that has taken so many to the highest peaks of pure exploration—through a twist of bright encounters with traditional tribes, off-the-beaten-track adventure in wildlife-rich jungles, and adrenaline fuelled surfing meters from the pristinus of shores.
By Uly Spitts9 years ago in Wander
Introduction
It’s been a long time since I have had a word limit to reach before a piece of work could be submitted but I will do my best to write a salient piece of text that is at least as long as required while still being relevant and explaining who I am.
By Angela Goodwin9 years ago in Wander
Everything About the Finnish Sauna Culture
As the destination of my first ever Erasmus experience, I chose Finland. I was aware of all the stereotypes about Finns and the country in general. The stereotype of the people being cold and not so talkative, the world-famous Finnish humor, and I was even warned not to sit down on the bus next to anyone if it is possible to avoid that as Finns might feel annoyed by sitting next to a stranger. These are, of course, only stereotypes. The locals I got to know are the most welcoming and warm-hearted people I have ever met—altough there is something to the point that they are usually not that chit-chatting type of guys when they meet strangers. But what I did not know is that all those ideas I gained about Finnish people go totally invalid when it’s sauna time.
By Noémi Árki9 years ago in Wander
Skiing
I've been spoiled my whole life when it comes to the availability of outdoor sports that have always been at my fingertips. Growing up in the mountains of Colorado let me experience everything from the rich mountain rivers to the high mountain peaks. In the summer it was kayaking and in the winter it was skiing. That being said I would say that there is a whole dimension added to skiing when partaking in the activity in Japan.
By Sound And The Messenger9 years ago in Wander
The Pilgrimage
On my last day of travel in Italy, as our group journeyed back to Rome where our adventure had begun, Fabi our tour director shared a story. She directed our attention out the bus windows to a bell tower in the distance.
By Cindy Moore9 years ago in Wander
Tokyo
Right before I had decided to live in the highest skyscraper in Boulder, Colorado I had signed up for the CIEE Program. I saw studying abroad as one choice only and that was to re-visit Japan. If I went it would be my second time to visit the country and so maybe I chose the location as it seemed less scary and intimidating. Perhaps I picked the location out of curiosity of where my ancestors had lived. The trip had already been laid down in my life path in fact, as I did go to Tokyo and that did happen.
By Sound And The Messenger9 years ago in Wander
Kendo
Every time I step into Japan I feel it is the result of some unspoken quest for me to visit a past life. It does fall naturally that I do come from a Japanese background. It was thus that when I did settle into Naraha on the Coast of Fukushima, I found it quite serendipitous that the room adjacent to my place of residence happened to be the local Kendo Dojo. Kendo was the ancient practice of the samurai that populated Japan's islands in the days when my ancestors lived out their days in southern Japan. I have deduced that my family name "Hatanaka" likely comes from the name of a samurai clan. I do not know the accuracy of this, but I have noticed that my life seems to give me hints to this past. It was in this way that Kendo weaved into my life. There is another common preoccupation with my thoughts that notices that my life has also put me in close ties with Native Americans. I have found that both the Native American and Japanese culture share striking resemblances. For instance, very recently I have come to discover that the natives often observed their surrounding and took clues from the animals that they came in contact with to give insight into how to best steer their lives. They also took this from the vegetation in their environment. For instance, there is the Aspen tree, which grows abundantly in my hometown. It is a tree that means discipline as the practice of Kendo similarly embodies.
By Sound And The Messenger9 years ago in Wander
Re-Entry
I'd be lying if I told you that when I arrived in Narita Airport in July of 2009 that it was a new experience. The summer of 2009 marked the third time I had ventured to Japan. The first time was when I was bridging the gap between middle school and high school and the second time was as a Sophomore in college. The experience is always new though, and that is precisely why it always feels new. Ten hours on a plane renders most vegetables less than fresh and humans in this way are very much like vegetables. There was lots of soon to be teachers at the airport that day and we all were filed into a group where we awaited our introduction to life in the JET Program. It was maybe afternoon when we landed in Tokyo and usually, a flight of that length puts everyone into a philosophical state. It was all quite a surreal experience realizing that I would be living in Japan for at least one year, compounded by the reality that I was certain that teaching in this way was as new as new could be. We all were loaded onto buses and then were transported to a nice Tokyo hotel where orientation would take place.
By Sound And The Messenger9 years ago in Wander
10 Things To Do This Summer
1. Read Lots Of Books Summer is the perfect time to sit outside and tuck into a good book. You can also get a nice suntan at the same time which is an extra bonus. Get warped into another world as you turn the pages. If you have an e-reader like a Kindle, take advantage of all of the cheap and free books available. If you walk past a shop selling books, have a browse. Take your mind on vacation with some great poems and stories.
By Chloe Gilholy9 years ago in Wander
Top Ten Castles To Visit. Top Story - June 2017.
Where do you see yourself wanting to travel to on vacation? Perhaps you want to go to a nice hotel and resort, or visit different tourist attractions. Maybe you even want to go see Disneyworld, or travel to Hawaii. If you’re anything like me, then you might have a desire to visit a castle someday. Here are the ten best castles to travel to.
By Joanna White9 years ago in Wander