Tomorrow, Sept. 20, is Respect for the Aged Day in Japan. Activities are organized to help the elderly living in the community. Do we have something to learn from our Eastern friends?
R-E-S-P-E-C-T for the elderly
But it's your NAME
Traveling Bonds
On this Labor Day weekend in the US, I won't lie -- I wish I were traveling. But then again, when do I not wish that? Fortunately, I have an entire library of travel memories to savor at any given moment, and lately I've been thinking about the way travel can be such a bonding experience with fellow travelers.
Grateful Lepers
Amazability
Since the fall of Kabul one week ago today, the drama in Afghanistan has continued to unfold, with heart-wrenching stories of attempts -- some successful, some failed -- to leave the country in the face of a new future under the Taliban. How do we, for the most part comfortable and with our basic needs provided for, process bad news on such a massive scale?
The Fall of a Nation
Basketball Diplomacy
In spite of competing before practically empty stadiums (stadia, for you Latin students) and arenas, and braving the hassles that come with Covid caution, the Olympic athletes performed admirably. One particular story caught my attention: the US and Iran facing off on the basketball court.
A Reflection on the Olympics Opening Ceremony
So this week, one year later than planned, the Tokyo Olympics kicked off. If you want to see David Durham turn into a total softy -- if you want to see my heart warmed and my spirit energized -- show me a combination of the beauty of nations and cultures coming together expressed through creativity and innovation.
Traveling Curiously
As I write this, my wife and I are at Dallas Love Field on a layover, headed back home to Nashville from our adventure to the Northwest. (I wrote about our first ever Amtrak trip here.) We feel full, sated -- and yet wanting more. The trip was so full of discovery, of learning about a part of the country where we had never spent any time to speak of, and of reconnecting with friends that are now dearer than ever.
An American Train Adventure
My wife and I are in the midst of an adventure we’ve been looking forward to for a long time. Unable to show people some of our favorite spots in Europe this summer with World to the Wise Cultural Tours, we are taking advantage of an opportunity to see a part of the US we’ve been wanting to visit: the Northwest.
How Father(hood) Shaped Me
A Taste of Home -- or Not
On Being a Chameleon
Her name is Emily.
A very English name, although her father is Chinese. And in spite of dad's nationality, in spite of the fact that he was standing right there when she was born, Emily's birth certificate says she is white.
Who Is My Enemy?
Got the cockroach?
Protein that crawls?
Most of us in the West are aware that humans have been eating insects for thousands of years. And we know that they are still eaten in many parts of the world today. In fact, about 2,000 insect species are eaten worldwide. So why are we still so squeamish about the idea of ingesting creepy crawlers ourselves?
Happy ANZAC Day
The Korean Art of Nunchi
Omar: The Rest of the Story
A couple of weeks ago, I told you about my Syrian friend Omar, who escaped with his life from the Assad regime some time in 2017. To refresh your memory, we met Omar and his then girlfriend on a trip to Athens, which Becky and I took with a team hosted by Servant Group International to better acquaint ourselves with the crisis caused largely by the Syrian civil war.
What makes a country "happy"?
In case you missed it, March 20 was the annual International Day of Happiness. This little-publicized event was established by the UN in 2006, but the first International Day of happiness was first celebrated in 2013. It coincides with the World Happiness report…and guess which country came out on top…again.