2014 World to the Wise Cultural Tour

Announcing the 2014 World to the Wise Cultural Tour! Ask any of the wonderful people who have joined us in the past, and they will tell you this educational tour left an indelible mark on them. The mission of World to the Wise is to educate and inspire Americans with the cultural riches of the world around us. It has been said that "the fool wanders, but the wise man travels;" our goal is to  become wiser by exposing ourselves to other cultural perspectives in order to gain more perspective on our own culture. The exact dates for the 2014 tour have not yet been set, but chances are we will be looking at the first three weeks in June. The tour is designed in such a way as to allow participants to come for all or part of the adventure. Our itinerary generally includes, Rome, Florence and surrounding area (Tuscany), possibly Venice, Paris, and London. Whether you are a history buff, an art aficionado, a foodie, or simply an adventurer, there is something for you!

If you are interested in staying informed of developments for the June '14 tour, please fill in your name and email address in the form to the right. We must meet a certain minimum in order for the tour to make, so help us spread the word! The tour is open to everyone of all ages, but students under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Also, look for us on Facebook at World to the Wise to see photos of past tours. "Like" us in order to catch any and all updates.

Let the adventure begin!

A Giant Has Left Us

A giant left us today. Rarely has there been such a potent example of the non-violent protest of injustice as that of Nelson Mandela. During 27 years of unjust imprisonment, long after most of us would have succumbed to irreversible bitterness, he stayed the course and thereby maintained his voice. That voice continues to reverberate and must not be silenced.I'm reminded of the words of another giant: "This is a cause for which I am willing to die; but there is no cause for which I am willing to kill." - Gandhi

Jack, Clive and Aldous

While the world rightly remembers an icon American hero today, the deaths of two other culture shapers on the same day in 1963 are practically eclipsed.

November 22, while John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline, were riding in an open convertible through the streets of downtown Dallas, I was headed to school as a 2nd grade student in Perth, Western Australia. The same day, Clive Staples Lewis was in his last hours in Oxford, England, having been in and out of the hospital for two years after kidney failure and a heart attack. Exactly one week before his 65th birthday, CS Lewis collapsed in his home and died a few minutes later. Lewis was arguably the greatest Christian thinker of the 20th century. What sets him apart from other literary and theological giants is that his impact on culture was multidimensional: his fictional series, The Chronicles of Narnia, has captivated adults and children alike the world over. Lewis's nonfiction on the Christian faith was an unusual blend of head and heart, melting the hearts of cynics and expanding the depth of understanding of the faithful. His life cast a very long shadow, both in his generation and those to come; unfortunately, his death went largely unnoticed.

A few hours earlier the same day in Los Angeles, another intellectual giant of his generation, unable to speak, asked his wife for an injection of LSD as he lay on his deathbed. His legacy stands in sharp contrast to that of Kennedy and Lewis, but perhaps no less impacting. Aldous Huxley's existential questions caught the attention of millions of readers, but as 20th century angst began to take hold in the Western world, it was his landmark novel, Brave New World, that became required reading for an entire generation of high school students throughout the English-speaking world.

What Makes a City Great

I lost count a long time ago of the number of times  I've been to Paris. Having lived in Europe for 12 years, then made regular visits back to the Old Continent since moving back to the US, they all start to run together -- to a certain extent. The wonderful thing about a world class city like Paris, however, is that there are limitless new things to discover with every visit.

For example, I had never been inside the fabled Opéra Garnier, home of the national ballet and opera companies. The opulent decor is reminiscent of the Versailles palace, and my friends and I relished the thought of kings, queens and emperors  for generations sitting in those seats and witnessing some of the world's greatest performances.

Every time in Paris, or Rome, or London (among others), I find myself asking what makes a city great. The afore-mentioned cities are indisputably three of the world's greatest, and arguably THE greatest in Europe. Why is it that tourists flock to these cities by the thousands? Having spent time in all three of these, with the full intention of further visits, I see a common thread:

Creativity.

Hanging out at "Les Berges"

Cities the size and age of Paris, London and Rome must continuously reinvent themselves, not only for the obvious reason that the infrastructure must be able to bear the staggering growth rate, but also in order to maintain a sense of vitality, a collective sense of bien-être. Otherwise, any city could virtually collapse under the weight and strain, as indeed some seem close to.

Every time I'm in these cities, most recently Paris, I marvel at the creative energy that goes into maintaining this collective sense of well-being, this je ne sais quoi that makes people proud to call the city home. This was my first time in recent memory to be in Paris in the month of August. For several years now, the city of Paris has been hauling in thousands of tons of sand and creating a small beach on the right bank of the Seine, complete with palm trees, chaises longues, snack bars and music. Weather permitting, every night sees a beach party with dancing, crêpes and plenty of camaraderie. And it's not a drunken, out of control fête; the feel was downright family friendly.

Modern art at La Défense

A little farther west, in front of the Musée d'Orsay, an area called "Les Berges" has been created for outdoor relaxation and togetherness. Hundreds of square beams, not unlike railroad ties, have been used to create various kinds of sitting areas, platforms and picnic areas, along with fun and creative activities such as monkey bars, mazes painted on the spongy asphalt-like surface, or giant chalkboards actually inviting grafitti. People of all ages could be seen, from family birthday parties to friends enjoying a leisurely picnic with a bottle of wine, from lovers taking a stroll to cyclists, skateboarders and roller bladers taking advantage of the open space.

In front of the famous Hôtel de Ville in the 1st arrondissement, beach volleyball courts occupy the large square, and players by the hundreds sign up for a time slot.

It is no secret that Paris is a great patron of the arts; but creativity goes far beyond art, and from this writer's perspective, it is heartwarming to see a city government that continuously works to create an inviting place to be -- not only for its millions of annual visitors, but also for its residents who, for whatever reason, can't be at the Côte d'Azur in August.

The Debate Continues in France

Sacré Coeur

It is no secret that the French have always been fiercely proud of their language -- and rightly so. It is truly one of the most beautiful languages spoken. Sometimes the debate has reached comical levels, as when the purists refused to call Sony's groundbreaking Walkman by its English name and instead invented the word balladeur (literally "walker"). Now there is a move among certain elements to offer more university courses in English in order to attract more bright scholars from emerging countries such as India and Brazil. This does not go down well with those who are concerned that, taken to its extreme, English might actually take over as the lingua franca of the French Parliament itself. Not likely, but it will be interesting to see the outcome of this latest episode in the battle to preserve la langue française. 

Fall Break in Italy!

Colosseum-4

The World to the Wise Cultural Tour will not be happening this June, but this will give us -- and you! -- time to plan toward joining us for a more abbreviated visit to ITALY in October 2013! October is a wonderful time of the year to be in Italy. We were there with some dear friends of ours in October 2011. The weather was perfect, and there were not nearly as many tourists around as in June.

Our visit will start with Rome, the Eternal City. Walk where the Roman emperors and generals made their triumphal entry into the city. Marvel at the masterpieces at the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. And you'll see how a stop for a tasty gelato can quickly become a habit!

Then we'll train to the fabled region of Tuscany, where we'll be hosted by our good friends the Ammirabbile family. Our studio apartments overlook a fertile valley of olive orchards and vineyards. We'll take in the Renaissance wonders of Florence, the medieval walled towns of the Tuscan hill country, and sample the simple yet exquisite cuisine of our host, Caterina.

Our final stop will be the timeless city of Venice, with its legendary canals, winding alleys and the 1,000-year-old Basilica of St. Mark.

This will doubtless be an unforgettable experience in a land that continues to call us back.

DATES: Oct. 11-20, 2013

COSTS: $1900 per person plus airfare

Minimum number of participants for tour to make: 10

If interested, just enter your name and email address in the form to the right, and we'll see that you receive regular updates. If you're ready to sign up, just download the following forms, fill them out and mail them to us!

Registration Form

2013 Tour info sheet

Liability Release Form

Senioritis of a Different Sort

Old Chinese man

I've been musing a lot lately on the way we view aging and the elderly. Perhaps this is because I've been in a number of conversations lately where I was the oldest person present; at one time or another comments were made implying either pity or embarrassment for me, as if my age were a disfiguring disease.

This is something that varies from one culture to another. Most of us are aware that in Eastern cultures the elderly are treated with more respect than in the West. Their life experiences and lessons learned along the way are considered, of all things, an asset and not a liability. It is a given in Asia, as well as in most African cultures, that a family will care for aging family members in return for having been raised by them. In the West, this is so often absent that the death of several French senior citizens due to neglect during a heat wave a number of years ago brought it painfully to the light.

I'm not naive enough to believe, however, that the grass is COMPLETELY greener on the other side. Many families, while providing food and shelter for their aging parents, secretly resent that their resources are being drained or that their parents are ungrateful. That said, it would not hurt us, in the West, to learn something about honoring our elders and the road they have walked. For my part, I've resolved to wear what is left of my gray hair as a badge of honor.

Bilingual Benefits

A recent study shows that bilingual people are able to switch tasks more quickly than monolinguals. This actually comes as no surprise. The ability to switch gears and refocus on another subject or task at hand seems an almost indispensable skill these days -- certainly in my world. What I find tragic is the fact that thousands, if not millions, of immigrants to the US, Britain, Australasia and other English-speaking countries ceased speaking their mother tongue with their children once they arrived on new shores. So many children of immigrants I've met are now monolingual because their parents wanted (them) to fit in in their new host culture. As a result, these children have been robbed not only of a valuable asset in today's world, bilingualism, but also much of the cultural heritage of their home country.

The good news is that it's not too late! Whether it's going back and relearning the old language or learning a new one, anyone can develop a second language that will benefit them in oh so many ways -- including the ability to multi-task!

Musings from a Museum

Steenwijk Christ Martha and Mary

In his book, Windows of the Soul, Ken Gire talks of how the most ordinary circumstances and the most mundane experiences can become extraordinary if we are paying attention. I had such an experience last Saturday, when I visited one of our local art museums with my wife, two sons and grandson. Following are some random musings:

• I have been to many of the finest museums in the world, and still find myself in awe of the fact that I really am looking at the original painting, or the real object, that was created by hands just like mine hundreds or even thousands of years ago. This time I was marveling at some of the masters from the Dutch Golden Age, including the master himself, Rembrandt van Rijn. What struck me in particular was their uncanny understanding of light; it's as if they were able to capture in time something so ethereal and transient (perhaps evasive is a better word) that it's like stardust. The reproduction above does next to nothing to convey the astounding depiction of light in van Steenwijk's Christ in the House of Martha and Mary. And hardly a brushstroke to be seen. One thing that also sets the Dutch Masters apart from other Renaissance and Baroque painters is their portrayal of ordinary scenes and people, shedding the obligation to paint Biblical scenes or portraits of monarchs and nobles. This is likely due to the Protestant Reformation, having firmly taken root in the Netherlands, which taught the sanctity of all aspects of life, not only what is deemed religious. (The flip side of this is that Protestant churches were stripped of countless priceless works of art under the austere interpretation of the Calvinists.)
• I love to people watch at museums. Some snapshots that caught my eye: a young father and his barely-teenage son remarking on the art, the son sharing some of what he had learned in school about the techniques used here; a 40-ish man joining an elderly gentleman (easily 80 by my estimation) for a morning at the museum. There was an obvious bond of friendship between the two men, and it reminded me that souls need not know the limitations of age difference. I am fortunate enough to foster deep friendships between people much older and much younger than I, and believe we are only enriched by transgenerational relationships.
• The innovative work of Camille Utterback was a source of wonder for all of us, including my almost-two-year-old grandson. Her use of interactive technology, combined with whimsical creativity, is not only entertaining but a reminder that we are constantly interacting with our surroundings.

I came away feeling a rich man, probably because I was awake enough to be paying attention -- which, I must confess, is not always the case.

We’re pleased to announce the 2013 World to the Wise Cultural Tours!

Colosseum-4

Purpose: to broaden our perspective and deepen our understanding of the world we live in by discovering the peoples, cultures and histories of other lands. Dates:

Italy June 5-14 (depart US on Tuesday, June 4) Paris June 15-19 (*depart US on Friday, June 14) London June 20-25 (*depart US on Wednesday, June 19)

* It is an option to join us for individual locations. We will begin in Rome and end up in London. We promise you won’t forget this trek through three of the most enchanting countries in Europe!

ITALY – Who hasn’t dreamed of roaming the Tuscan countryside, marveling at Michelangelo’s David, the famous Duomo (cathedral) and the other treasures of Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance? Or relaxing on a Roman terrazzo, imagining the days of the gladiators while standing in the Coliseum, and gazing up at the Creation of Adam in the Sistine Chapel? Or sampling a different gelato flavor every day? Or making such fast friends with the Italians that you won’t want to leave? Ten days in Italy

PARIS – 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, Montmartre with its sidewalk artists, the Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysées…not to mention the obligatory sidewalk cafés, croissants, pastries, baguettes, cheese… (Oops, got a little side-tracked there.…) We’ll include a day trip to Monet’s gardens in Giverny. And we’ll enjoy a meal with some Parisians who might surprise you with their openness and friendliness! Five full days in Paris

LONDON – 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 Abbey, 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 an unforgettable day trip to Oxford, including a meal at the pub where Lewis, Tolkien and the other Inklings spent so many hours!

Four full days plus a travel day.

Click here for complete information on registration, costs, etc. We would love for you to join us — and help us spread the word!

We Have Lift Off!

Lift Off

In a mere three days from this writing, a dozen curious souls will take off for the adventure of a lifetime, discovering new sights, people, tastes, cultures, stories — and themselves! This year’s World to the Wise Cultural Tour will take us to Rome, in and around Florence, Venice, Paris, and London. A couple of participants will join us in Venice and be with us the rest of the trip, and a few will leave us at the end of the Paris stay. We have designed this experience in a modular format in order to facilitate doing just one or two legs of the three-week adventure.

We trust you’ll consider joining us for the next cultural tour, likely summer 2013. In the meantime, follow our journey on my blog, or “like” our Facebook page at World to the Wise.

The Richer For It!

Treasure Chest

My youngest son is writing a paper for his college writing class. He chose as his topic the value of travel abroad. I suppose he came by it honestly — he was born in Switzerland, raised by multilingual parents with an international outlook, and spent five months in China after high school. Although he is an art major, he is continuing his study of Chinese at his university in the US, with a native speaker as his main professor. Totally without any prompting on my part, he chose to quote from my e-book, How to Learn a Foreign Language: 7 Tips for Making the Daunting Doable:

“When you learn a language, you gain access to a key that unlocks untold treasures.”

In my son’s case, some of those treasures are insights into Chinese culture and relationships with Chinese people whom he wouldn’t have met had he not undertaken the study of this fascinating language. He does not consider himself superior to those who only speak one language; he considers himself richer. His life now has an entirely new dimension and holds whole new levels of experience and opportunity.

The same can be true for you!

WOW Moments

Coliseum w Riley

Our lives are marked by many different kinds of milestones. Among the ones I look back on -- including some very recent ones -- are      what I like to call "WOW moments." Often the most memorable ones are the unexpected ones, the ones that sneak up on us. One of the most rewarding aspects of what we do at World to the Wise is providing multiple "WOW moments" for our participants. I chose this particular photo to post because Riley, the young lady pictured, always had such an expression of awe on her face when seeing a notable sight for the first time. I'll never forget her face when stepping out into the Roman sunshine from the subway station and looking up to see the 2,000-year-old Coliseum towering above us. It truly is difficult to attach words to the impact on the senses and the soul that the Roman Forum has. It is so much more than so many stones and columns that have survived the ages -- it is a journey back in time, to the very place where senators deliberated, Romans worshiped, gladiators fought, and Julius Caesar himself was assassinated. All within a couple of square miles. Yet these words do not even come close -- you have to experience it for yourself.

Plans are underway even now for the 2013 World to the Wise Cultural Tour. Stay tuned -- another unforgettable series of "WOW moments" could be awaiting you!