A Slice of Home
Shaping Cultural Experiences
Travel has been an integral part of my life since I was a young child. I grew up in a multicultural, bilingual home in the Netherlands with a Polish mother and a Dutch father. My
Update & BBC News Link
A brief update: One interview video will be uploaded tomorrow evening. I believe the BBC News One-Minute World News provides well-balanced reporting of news, hence why I wanted to share it. Top stories on May
From Nigeria to Boston
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VNkCazT_T4&feature=youtu.be
When you first meet Oluwagbeminiyi Osidipe, you encounter a very vibrant, friendly, and unique personality. Oluwagbeminiyi or Niyi – as she shortened her name for simplicity – was named by her mother, who had a “very personal experience” when she had her, Niyi explained. Niyi is a Yoruba Nigerian transplant who arrived in the U.S. in 2006. As one of the most densely populated (West) African countries, Nigeria derives its name from the river that spans its land. To the South, it borders the Gulf of Guinea to the Atlantic Ocean. Originally colonized by the British, Nigeria gained independence in 1960. Its main ethnic groups are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, who speak English and their own respective languages, while major religions include Islam, Christianity and indigenous beliefs. Niyi shares her story, her views on politics, cultural differences she’s embraced with humor, and what we can learn from each other by expressing curiosity. Her message is simple: travel enriches us through its exposure to new cultures, and enables us to grow.
Mark Twain on Travel
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” (American author Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad).
Have you had the opportunity to travel (extensively, within your country, or even once abroad)? Can you relate to Twain’s sentiments? How does travel enrich us?
Pleasing The Taste Palate
Food has the wonderful quality of uniting us no matter where we are. There is nothing partisan or narrow-minded about food. It simply invites us to indulge, create recipes, and share with others. Two of my favorite Polish dishes (included in collage) are pierogies and barszcz czerwony – a beetroot soup – served on Christmas Eve in Poland. How does food bring us together? What are some of your favorite dishes and why? Can food trigger memories?
Stereotypes: Truth or Fiction?
DEFINING STEREOTYPES: “An idea or statement about all of the members of a group or all the instances of a situation.” (Merriam-Webster). Stereotypes enable bias and preconceived notions to perpetuate, but can also reveal valid
Annual Human Rights Report
“The world changed immeasurably over the course of 2011. Across the Middle East, North Africa, and far beyond, citizens stood up to demand respect for human dignity, more promising economic opportunities, greater political liberties, and
Euro Crisis & Emerging Stereotypes
Brief Crisis Breakdown Since the onset of the global financial crisis, or Great Recession, in 2007, the Eurozone has feared impending growing global debt levels, as well as sovereign debt within European countries themselves. In
Remembering Tiananmen
Today marks the 23rd anniversary of Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests in Beijing, China. Inflation, a lack of career prospects, the fall of Eastern European communism, and political corruption, are all said to have fueled anger
Coffee's Uniting Power
A cup of coffee can bridge cultural gaps. At least, that’s what Gizem Salgicil White, founder of Turkayfe.org, believes. Her organization aims to create awareness of Turkish culture, particularly within America. Gizem is a Turkish native,
Hi! I'm the founder of Culture With Travel and #CultureTrav. Please chat with us on social media and contribute in the comments! Follow @Nicolette_O
Comments (9)
Nicolette
04 Jul 2012No one likes to read long-winded rants, or attempt to decipher something illegible, haha!
MamaOrlemans
04 Jul 2012Touché!
MamaOrlemans
04 Jul 2012I wonder, how much of linguist purists we need to be? Go with a flow, or stick to the traditional grammar? Checking various blogs it looks like a turbo language takes over. Good/bad/interesting?
Nicolette
04 Jul 2012From what I gather, museums or musea are both acceptable. As far as grammar goes, I think a blog filled with grammatical errors is not appealing. It’s about writing with a personable, knowledgeable voice.
MamaOrlemans
04 Jul 2012Museums, or musea? Just asking…The story is funny for you to tell but a knick in our traveling record. Sorry for that Q, but as a journalist you need to have an answer…. I’m sure you have… What’s correct?
MamaOrlemans
04 Jul 2012I refrained (so far) from posting any comments as family members writing might be perceived as a “family sponsored” blog. It would take away from the impartiallity of this forum.. But here I am – Mama Orlemans – taking a plunge!
Yes, I do remember our trip to Paris when Nic was a toddler. It was on one of our wedding anniversary trips (with Nic as an integral part of the marriage/family). To make it enjoyable for our daughter we went to the EuroDisney at the outskirts of Paris. Never again!!!!!!
The make believe reality made Nic ask us – when we got to Paris itself – whether the L’arc de Triumph in Paris was a part of Disney….
As much fun as Disney parks can be for some, I would encourage parents to take their children to the real world. Whether they are the local nature reserves, city parks, or beautiful national parks and city sights, the real experience – in my opinion – beats the the commercial reality. Hopefully we exposed our daughter to enough flavors of the world to make her forget about our infamous EuroDisney trip….
Nicolette
04 Jul 2012Hi mom!
Oh EuroDisney…I still tell friends the “L’arc de Triumph being part of EuroDisney” story, haha! I think it’s funny, but agree that there are many, many more cultural sights to explore! I’ve always enjoyed parks, museums, and nature reserves, as each tell its own history or leaves a cultural footprint.
Nicolette
21 Jun 2012Thanks for sharing your impressions! I was really young (a toddler) when I visited Paris. Will need to go back to appreciate the architecture and art museums, like you did! I can imagine it would be very interesting to trace Louisa’s sister as well! As far as London goes, the food is indeed an “acquired” taste, but the history of the city captivates you all-around. It’s also one of my favorites!
Oh House Hunters! I know which episode you’re talking about! Despite the recent news about the show being “staged” (it’s TV), I don’t see its popularity dwindling anytime soon! Hope you had a great trip in California!
susanwbailey
21 Jun 2012Nice pic, reminds me of the House Hunters International episode where the couple was buying a house boat. One of my favorite all-time episodes. 🙂
I haven’t traveled all that much but I have been to London and Paris. I was too young (high school) when I visited Paris but I still loved the architecture and art museums, plus the quarter where the artists sit outside on the streets and paint. Now I wish I could go back knowing about Louisa May Alcott’s sister May, the artist. It would be cool to trace her.
I was older when I went to London. The food was awful! BUT, that city really gave me a sense of history! Goodness, we’re just babes here in the states. Seeing buildings that are 1000 years old really gives you a new perspective. 🙂