Learn About The CultureTrav Blog
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,
Every country has a (multi)cultural footprint. And, travel encourages open-mindedness about exploring these cultural footprints.
Travel lets us experience new cultures. Sometimes these cultures are similar to ours, and at times they are not at all familiar to our own. Through travel, we observe traditions, experience history, taste new cuisines, take in art forms, meet locals, and appreciate alternative perceptions of life.
About the CultureTrav blog
On this blog, we dig deeper at cultural immersion. We’re interested in hearing stories about how you connect with locals, and embark on new adventures. We appreciate reading stories about hole-in-the-wall cafes, spontaneous moments, and less-than-ideal situations. We enjoy stories that highlight what makes other cultures unique, but also those that look at similarities that connect us as people.
Our founder, Nicolette Orlemans, comes from a multicultural background. She has always been interested in hearing others’ stories. Nicolette also hosts a weekly #CultureTrav Twitter chat bringing travelers together to share impressions and perspectives. We encourage you to share stories of your hometowns, of your local communities, and of your experiences that have enriched you.
How do we do this?
– We share stories and lessons learned by travelers in foreign cultures, and give them a voice to share their recommendations, too.
– In our series with Storytellers, travelers share about their own cultures at home, and what travel has further taught them about our world.
– Through conversations with travel entrepreneurs, we hear about the interesting endeavors they’ve launched in the world of travel.
Our team:
Nicolette Orlemans, Founder/Editor
Nicolette is the founder of Culture With Travel and the weekly Twitter chat, #CultureTrav. She has extensive experience in social media management and communications strategy for various healthcare organizations, an e-commerce site and freelance initiatives specializing in travel. Nicolette lives in New York, NY. Connect with her on Twitter and Instagram, @nicolette_o.
Samuel Calvo, Site Administrator & Graphic Designer
Samuel is a website administrator and graphic designer for Culture with Travel. He has worked as an executive and admin assistant specializing in marketing, social media management, graphic design and more. Sam lives in Ilocos Sur, the Philippines with his wife and their baby boy.
Haley Schwartz, Co-host of #CultureTrav
Haley is a co-host of #CultureTrav, the weekly Twitter chat that connects travelers all over the world. Haley was born and raised in Marietta, Georgia and graduated from the University of Alabama in 2012. Since then, she has lived in Georgia and New York and embarked on many international adventures. She’s constantly seeking to broaden her horizons by visiting and learning from different cultures. Connect with Haley on Twitter and Instagram!
Culture with Travel Blog Correspondents
We’re also excited to have a great group of regular Culture with Travel correspondents who write about their experiences. See how they explore locally and internationally. Follow their adventures and read their stories!
Brian is the founder of I May Roam, and is Culture with Travel’s East Coast correspondent. He resides in Pennsylvania when he’s not traveling, and also leads food tours and The Ramones music tour in NYC! Follow Brian on Twitter!
Aditi was born and raised in Delhi, India, and moved to New York to attend Columbia Journalism School. On her blog, Shifting Centres, Aditi writes about expat life and cultural experiences. She is our Culture Correspondent.
Follow Aditi on Twitter
Valerie Sisco is the founder of Grace with Silk and is Culture with Travel’s Food Correspondent. Valerie is based in Orlando, Florida.
Follow Valerie on Twitter
Kevin Wilkerson is a freelance writer who publishes the travel and nightlife blog PubClub.com. He’s the California correspondent for Culture with Travel living in Hermosa Beach, California.
Follow Kevin on Twitter!
Interested in telling your travel story?
Become a guest blogger or regular contributor. Are you a writer, photographer, vlogger, or other artist? Apply to become a contributor. View our guest blogging page for all the details.
Follow us on social media. Join the weekly #CultureTrav chat on Twitter, follow us on Twitter, contribute a picture for our Instagram page, join our Facebook group. Share your pictures on Twitter or Instagram using the #CultureTrav hashtag to get featured.
Comments (18)
Barney Conall
15 May 2017Hello,
My name is Barney and I work for Media Top online agency.
We would like to commission an article from you for a fixed fee. The piece would be published on https://www.culturetrav.co/ and would be relevant content.
Interested? Contact me and I will give you some more details about our proposal and what we do.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours truly,
Barney Conall
Media-Top Online Services
barney.conall@gmail.com
Mong Marma
29 Oct 2015Hi Nicolette,
Thanks you for shared you link site at twitter.
I had read about your and know, It’s excellent that you shared the experience of you and your wishes.
I appreciate you for it.
I am very interesting to be travel around the world and shared the awesome experience what I have achieved. As I had desire on it, therefore I am working in tourism sector and running a tour operator company in taken license from last year, you can find us if you if search by BLTGBD
Wishing you all the best
The Savvy Senorita
01 Jul 2014Hey Nicolette,
Thanks for stopping by and following The Savvy Senorita, I appreciate it!
I look forward to reading more of your blog, as hopefully you will mine also.
All the best, Bex
Nicolette
01 Jul 2014Hi Bex,
Thanks so much for stopping by and following! 🙂
I’m looking forward to reading more on your blog as well!
Thanks,
Nicolette
The Savvy Senorita
01 Jul 2014Hi Nicolette,
No problem at all, my pleasure 🙂 Same to you, for my blog (thanks for visiting and reading my stuff). I look forward to reading more of your blog, and getting to know you/your work!
Thanks again,
Bex
VisitSiena
04 Jun 2014thank you for following my blog! happy that you like it! 🙂 what an interesting blog you have ! for sure will be back here 🙂
Nicolette
04 Jun 2014Thanks for visiting! I can say the very same for your blog 🙂 looking forward to reading your posts!
fotoeins
25 Feb 2014Nicolette, I just realized months beyond I hadn’t replied to your question. 🙂 I went to Germany (sight unseen) for work, stayed just under 2 years, and the place made a lifelong impression. I continually desire to learn as much as I can about my self-styled adopted country that is the D-land. So, when someone thinks of Germany as “Oktoberfest” and “fairy-tale castles”, that drives me nuts! I become defensive, and although there’s nothing wrong with those impressions, Germany offers so much more. I’ve also become very interested in telling a story through one photo or a set of photos; if I’m lucky, I’ll be okay to do that, and, perhaps, I’ll also wrap a few words around them for good measure.
fotoeins
15 Jun 2012Nicolette, thank you for following my blog. I’ve just read your fascinating background here on “About”. I definitely empathize with the multicultural aspects of your upbringing: I was born in Canada to Chinese immigrants. Two recent years in Germany, however, have left a deep (and I think) positive imprint; there’s a certain “sense of ease or comfort” I feel every time I’ve been back to Europe. I’m very much looking forward to reading your blog! Thanks again for stopping by!
Nicolette
15 Jun 2012Hi Henry! Thank you for dropping by my blog! We both come from very multicultural backgrounds, and equally enjoy travel and photography! I can definitely relate to the ‘ease and comfort’ you mention; Europe will always be home! What inspired you to go to Germany? I’m also looking forward to viewing your posts and love the photography on your main page!
pithyfish
13 Jun 2012Your writing is so clear and engaging! It was a pleasure reading about your multicultural upbringing and your love of travel. I envy your position as a European- being able to easily travel to all those wonderful places! I am just making my way into the world of travel and am always looking for new ways to travel (economically) through Europe. I look forward to reading your posts.
Nicolette
13 Jun 2012Thank you for the lovely comment! I try to be very honest and present memories or ideas as I experienced them. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to travel and living in Europe certainly enables easy travel –it can be economical too, not to worry! I stumbled upon your blog and enjoyed the first few posts I saw with their vivid descriptions and your sense of humor which shined through. I look forward to reading more!
Barb Drummond
04 Jun 2012What an amazing life you’ve had so far. Look forward to reading more of your blog. Thanks for singing up for mine. cheers
Nicolette
04 Jun 2012Thank you for stopping by! I feel quite lucky to have traveled so much – I’m thankful my parents encouraged it. I’m looking forward to reading more of your posts, too!
zoetic * epics
01 Jun 2012what a wonderful journey and adventure you’ve had so far! and what a great place to live! i loved boston – such a pretty city!
Nicolette
01 Jun 2012Thank you! Boston is pretty wonderful. It has a very worldly feel to it. What is your favorite destination so far?!
zoetic * epics
06 Jun 2012Sorry for the delayed response! I replied right away – but my computer froze, and i tried to remember to come back, but you know how it is once you walk away! 😉 In answer to your question, I don’t have a favourite place. I find that each place offers something unique, hence my experiences are different for each. You can’t compare a dance lesson with a painting class, nor a lecture versus a museum visit. All which I love, but different experiences. I have so many varied interests (outdoor adventure / food / art / design / architecture / history) that I find I go to different places for different reasons. Plus, if I make friends where I travel, that becomes a biased opinion because that makes the place THAT much better! 🙂
Nicolette
06 Jun 2012That’s a great perspective to have – every place has its unique attributes! I feel the same way! What’s lovely about travel is the ability to explore all of your favorite interests in a new location!