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Summer Rituals in New Zealand

2009-11-09T09:10:49Z

Marie lives in Auckland, New Zealand but was born in the United States and is a dual-national. She has lived in five countries altogether but sees New Zealand as her true home. She loves travel, and living in multi-cultural Auckland is the next best thing to being out there.

As a teacher of English and literacy skills she has met many interesting people and is intrigued by the concept of identity. She explores the relationship between identity and food in her blog Threespoons. She would be happy to hear from anyone interested in New Zealand or who just wants to say Kia ora.

View from a bach in Marble Bay by Justine Sanderson aka Titine

New Zealand cities tend to become ghost towns in the summer. Kiwis have a fondness for the natural environment and they love nothing more than to get out for some sport, tramping (New Zealand English for hiking), barbeques, or just relaxing.

Monday the 26^th of October is Labour Day and it was the first three-day weekend of the warmer months. The motorways were packed with people who just wanted to be out of the cities and at the beach.

Many New Zealanders own or rent a small holiday home called a bach (pronounced like ‘batch’) in the North Island or a crib in the South Island. Some of these basic cabins have been in families for generations and they are almost always located near the beach, a river, a lake, or in the mountains.

Read more:
Peace and freedom in Costa Rica
Every place has a thousand stories: the danger of a single story

Every place has a thousand stories

2009-11-06T16:17:30Z

If you haven’t already seen it, I highly recommend making 20 minutes to listen to this talk by Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on the danger of a single story. It’s funny, articulate and very true.

(Original here)

Our countries and cultures are made up of thousands of lives and stories. We know that, because we grew up with them.

But what about far away places? Sometimes we don’t get to hear all the stories. Sometimes we make generalisations from the ones that reach us.

To really understand another country’s culture go in search of the other stories.

Read the newspapers - find local (national) newspapers as well as international. But don’t stop there.

Talk to people who have been there - and talk to people who grew up there. They will give you different perspectives, which you can use to create your own picture.

I’ve been asked a few times recently what inspired us to create PocketCultures. Well, it was to show alternative points of view - the second, third and (one day) the hundredth story. We collaborate with people who live all over the world, each has a different story to tell.

Sometimes it’s the one you expect, sometimes it’s something else completely.

Read more:
Immigrants: Citizens of the World by a Mexican in Canada
Blogs of the World - life in different countries and cultures
Have stories to tell? We’re looking for regional contributors.

An Ethiopian feast

2009-11-05T19:20:14Z

Thanks again to prondis in kenya for this photo, from an Ethiopian restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya.

If you liked this, check out our Food of the World photo group on Flickr to see more photos posted by PocketCultures readers around the world. We’d love to see yours too! Just join the group and add your photos.

Read more:
Kenyan festive lunch: more Food of the World
An Eritrean village in photos
African blogs on Blogs of the World

Chinese in English

2009-11-04T17:09:34Z

IfGoGo’s theme is Chinese in English. It’s written by a diverse team: Chinese people living in China, Chinese people living abroad, foreigners in China. No single stories here! Each post shows a different point of view.

With so many voices there should be something interesting here for everybody who wants to know more about China.

Start by reading Chinese perspectives on what Chinese viewers think about LOST, orientation week in a US university, memories of an “Intelligent Youth” farming experience in China’s not so distant past.

Read more:
China blogs featured on Blogs of the World
East and West confronted in art by Chinese artist Yang Liu
How difficult is Chinese? Learners of Chinese share their experience

Immigrants: Citizens of the World

2009-11-02T17:47:17Z

This is a guest post from Gina Vazquez, who is a Mexican living in Canada. Her blog Let’s Talk Languages is about languages, diversity and the experience of living abroad.

A few days ago I was writing in my blog how we immigrants are a totally different breed. First of all, we have the courage of leaving our whole lives behind to embark on the adventure of adapting to a totally new environment, which entails a new culture, a new language (in most of the cases), a new currency, etc. And we are so optimistic about this change! However, it doesn’t end there, after all that we have to cope with identity issues and feelings of not belonging to a particular place anymore.

I am at that stage now. It is very small day-to-day things that I experience, that remind me I am not 100% Canadian. For example, language issues, my English is not bad (I have to say), however, no matter how well I speak it, I have a hard time understanding humor or sarcasm, people just stare at me waiting for me to start laughing at something “funny” they have just said and I just can’t get the meaning of it! Sometimes it is not even language related, it is culture related, which makes it even worse. Getting directions is another reminder, when people mention streets or avenues with such familiarity and I have no clue where they are.

Another thing that always comes up in reunions or gatherings is references to old TV shows, as much as I try to participate in the conversation, I just feel completely left out. And these conversations can go on for hours!

The problem now is that when I go back home (to Mexico, that is) and get together with friends, they also start to talk about things they have done these past few years that I haven’t been a part of and I feel just as left out.

Every time I have traveled to Mexico I have experienced different feelings. I remember one of the first times I was so happy to come back, I really felt like I was coming “home”. But what does “home” mean? Of course, coming back from a trip and thinking you will be able to sleep in your bed and see your loved ones makes it feel you are actually coming home… but shouldn’t “home” be more than that? I am convinced that Canada is the place where I want to be (at least for now) and fortunately in my case it was my choice to come here, but will I ever feel truly Canadian? And my son, who was born in Canada and will most probably grow up here, will he ever feel at all Mexican?

As time goes by I will get passed this stage and I will probably start feeling like I belong here, in one month I will be able to apply for the Canadian citizenship and I am sure that will help. For now, I can say that this cross-cultural experience has changed me as a person and the way I see things and I am sure that it will influence the way I raise my child, hopefully, he will be able to understand and be more sensitive to cultural differences.

For all these reasons I started by saying immigrants are a different breed, “home” for us is where our heart is and for some (like me) where our loved ones are. We have such a great capacity to adapt that we end up laughing at humorous comments that in our own culture people would find boring; we do our research before the party to learn about old TV shows, and we spend our weekends traveling through the city to get familiar with streets and avenues. I guess we are the clear example of globalization (and I am just speaking about the positive aspects of it) and we are the ones responsible for cultural exchange. We make the workplace more fun and the lives of others just as rich as they make ours.

It is great privilege to be a citizen of the world.

Read more:
What is a global citizen? Defined by PocketCultures readers
Global goes local: travel like a local
Stories of cross-cultural relationships from My Partner is a Foreigner

Iraqi barbeque

2009-10-30T17:27:02Z

Thanks to Najma for sharing these kebabs on the barbeque from Iraq.

Do you want to share photos of your country’s food? Join our photo group on Flickr and show us your photos.

Read more:
Madrid street food - Spain likes a barbeque, too
Arrosticini - the Italian version
Iraqi blogs on Blogs of the World
Catching a plane in Iraq

Better taste than …sorry

2009-10-28T08:36:51Z

Better taste than sorry is one of the few German lifestyle-blogs written in English. Markus Reuter a.k.a. roitsch blogs about “everything he likes”, which happily for his readers is about a broad range of contemporary music, design, everything 2.0 and last but not least his love for Hamburg, the city he lives in.

And his interest in music also brings us loads of concert-reviews from Hamburg and elsewhere in Germany. Definitively worth a look and an entry in your feedreader.

Read more:
More blogs from Germany recommended on Blogs of the World
Berlin counterculture at Kunsthaus Tacheles
Oktoberfest recipes

Organic recycling in Indonesia

2009-10-26T16:49:06Z

Danamon Peduli’s Danamon Go Green project turns organic waste from Indonesia’s produce markets into fertiliser.

This approach has two benefits: it improves hygiene around marketplaces by getting rid of waste before it starts to rot; and it helps the local farming industry improve yields by up to 30% by providing chemical free fertiliser.

The project is a finalist on the BBC’s World Challenge competition, and you can watch the BBC programme about Danamon Peduli’s work in Indonesia on this site.

Looks like technology the rest of the world could use too.

Read more:
Food of the World: Indonesian breakfast
Space-age vegetables of the future? Japan and the USA plan to grow vegetables in factories
Could flood resistant rice help farmers in Bangladesh?

Pasta Colombiana

2009-10-23T09:26:24Z

Here is more proof that Italians are not the only people who eat pasta. Thanks to progresivo for sharing this Colombian pasta with 5 cheeses (pasta a los 5 quesos).

Do you want to share photos of your country’s food? Join our photo group on Flickr and show us your photos.

Cindy King’s Twitter Interviews

2009-10-22T18:51:51Z

Cindy King is an experienced cross-cultural sales and marketing specialist. She’s also a skilled social media user.

Cindy has come up with an innovative way to exploit the power of social media in a series of cross-cultural Twitter interviews.

We’re honoured that Cindy chose to include PocketCultures in the list of interviewees. If you didn’t catch the interview live on Twitter today you can catch up here on Cindy’s blog. The first half of the post has some introductory questions and the second half contains the transcript of the Twitter interview.

Check out the rest of the interviews too - there are a lot of interesting cross-cultural and international people there.

Looking for cross-cultural couples

2009-10-22T14:10:32Z

Are you in a cross-cultural relationship? We’d like to interview you for My Partner is a Foreigner.

On this part of PocketCultures we have featured some really great stories from people in cross-cultural relationships. And we’ve had fantastic feedback from you (thanks!) that it’s useful to read about other people’s experiences, especially if you have friends or a partner from another culture.

So to change things a bit, over the next few months we’ll be publishing a series of interviews with cross-cultural couples.

If you would like to participate leave a comment or fill in this form (leave the story section blank). We’ll send you some questions, you answer and send them back. Easy as that.

Singapore through the window of a taxi

2009-10-21T13:35:43Z

A Singapore Taxi Driver’s diary is written by a former scientific researcher who for reasons ‘uniquely Singapore’ ended up as a taxi driver.

As a result, I am driving taxi to make a living and writing these real life stories just to make the dull job a little more interesting

Taxi drivers are in the right place to see the life of a city and the variety of its people; Mingjie Cai is a great storyteller with keen skills of observation. This makes an addictive read with some great insights into the lifestyle and people of Singapore.

It’s also a sobering insight into the long hours and low pay of Singapore’s taxi drivers.

Put some time aside for this blog: once you start reading it’s hard to stop.

Read more:
More Singapore blogs from Blogs of the World
Satay in Singapore: Food of the World

Global goes local

2009-10-20T08:59:49Z

At PocketCultures we love to hear it from the locals. That’s why we’re building a team of regional contributors from all over the world to bring you insights into their countries and cultures.

And if you’re into travel, or just like reading about different places, here are two cool projects where you can get your city guide from the locals.

Spotted by Locals

Spotted by Locals is a network of city blogs covering 22 European cities. The regulars like Paris, Rome and Barcelona are there, but they also cover some cities that get less coverage. Ljubljana, Zagreb and even Antwerp are all places where knowing a local would definitely come in handy!

Each city blog is brought to you by a team of ’spotters’ who write about their favourite hangouts and travel tips. Because they’re updated regularly you can be sure of getting up to date information.

Metelkova, Ljubljana by Eva Taucar – Spotted by Locals

This is my City

This is my City is a trip by tv making duo Thomas and Tim. They’ve planned a world tour of 8 cities, and in (almost) each place they have managed to enlist a local who will act as their tour guide. They will be filming their escapades and you can watch the pilot (in Reykjavik, Iceland) here.

One condition of their trip? They will not refuse anything their host suggests:

Exposing yourself to local customs and really getting into the way of life might make you uncomfortable. But being a little uncomfortable is not a bad thing. Our rule isn’t about being stupid or reckless, it’s about being always open. If snorting wasabi naked in a snowstorm is something that the locals actually do, we’re up for it.

they said, in this interview with Matador. Sounds like they will be having some crazy adventures, but that kind of open mind is just what you need to get your head around another country’s culture.

Read more:
Sketching the World, one city at a time
A (photo) tale of 50 states - capturing the spirit of the USA
Favourite online hangouts around the world

Japanese mushrooms

2009-10-16T18:24:42Z

We loved this photo of fresh mushrooms in Osaka, Japan.

Like so many things in Japan, they are beautifully presented. Thanks to seikinsou for sharing this photo.

Read More:
Japan’s space age vegetable plans
Japanese blogs from Blogs of the World
The real Phad Thai: everything you need to know about Thailand’s signature dish

Whisky on Islay

2009-10-14T15:34:19Z

The Islayblog is about the Isle of Islay, an island in the Inner Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. It is run by German expat Armin Grewe, a regular visitor to the Island.

Besides useful information on the island and local whisky specialities in particular it also features (and links to some more) spectacular pictures of the far west of Scotland. And reading it made me start planning my next trip to Scotland immediately.

Read more:
UK blogs from Blogs of the World
On yer bikes! Bike sharing comes to Dublin, Ireland

On yer bikes!

2009-10-13T14:37:16Z

Today we introduce another contributor, Marcel, with a great first post about the Next Big Thing in Dublin. In his own words:

“Marcel is a German expat living in Ireland and working for an online company with a colourful logo. He loves doing stuff with words, and did not go to school to learn this. He likes Heavy Metal and trains and dislikes many other things. He is so old he still buys CD’s, but has not yet caught up with the idea of becoming an adult.

Besides this, he loves travelling, has worked as a promoter for metalbands and a radio-DJ for four years. And has also won the Irish Blog Awards with his fellow writers of the Dublin Community Blog this year”

Find Marcel on his personal blog King of Pain (in German and English) or at Dublin Community Blog where he is a contributor.

Ireland’s capital Dublin has recently joined the list of European cities to have its own bike sharing scheme, including Seville, Brussels, Nice, Paris, Cologne and many more.

Photo credit

There are 40 bicycle stations throughout the city. These are located in close proximity to each other, every station has a minimum of 15 stands and so there are a total of 450 bikes meaning that access to bikes is relatively easy - and it’s also quite easy to get around town. There are no reports about stolen or vandalized bikes yet, and I’ve seen many people using the bikes througout the city. You can find all necessary information on the operator’s website.

Photo credit

I think that theses bike rental initiatives are a really good thing, especially as most bikes are free to use (for a limited time though - the first 30 minutes are free in Dublin) and it’s a healthy way to discover a city. Depending on the local traffic that is - and it’s less exhausting to bike around in flat Dublin in October than in hilly Nice in the August heat.

Read more:
Which countries drive on the left? - it’s not just the UK
Australians get on their bikes
Irish blogs on Blogs of the World

Cheese on toast

2009-10-09T14:18:50Z

Cheese on toast is a favourite snack for anyone who grew up in the UK. Thanks to Orlipix for sharing this one.

Do you want to share photos of your country’s food? Join our photo group on Flickr and show us your photos.

Read more:
Kenyan celebration lunch
The cappuccino rule - Italians and their coffee habits
Food British people cook - the top 10 recipes of British people

Yaroslavl: provincial Russia

2009-10-07T15:43:05Z

Look at Yarfor.me to visit the Russian city of Yaroslavl, a town in North-West Russia.

Yaroslavl is a provincial town with a lively social life including street poetry, rock bands and free wi-fi.

September 1st is a holiday in Russia and also the first day of the new school year. Yaroslavl celebrated with an outdoor festival where every child released a balloon into the air. You can see photos of the event on this post.

Read More:
Moscow in photos on Blogs of the World
Russian tea time
Celebrating independence day in Costa Rica

Quick guide to Afghan pop music

2009-10-06T16:24:23Z

Afghanistan pop music’s heyday was during the 1970’s and the country has gone through a lot since that time. But it still has a thriving music scene. Here’s an introduction to some of the classics as well as the most popular new singers.

If you’re curious about languages, it’s also an opportunity to hear what Afghan languages sound like. The main languages spoken in Afghanistan are Dari (Persian/Farsi) and Pashto.

Ahmad Zahir

Ahmad Zahir is one of the most well-known Afghan singers. He died 30 years ago but his music is still popular.

Listen here to his album ‘Afsoos’ on the music site Mastana.

Nashenas

Another classic, Nashenas is considered by many Afghans to be the best Pashto singer.

Listen to his music here.

Shafiq Mureed

Shafiq Mureed is a young singer who studied in India, and it sounds like some Bollywood influences sneaked into his album ‘Ehsas’. It shows in the language too - although most songs are in Dari, some are sung in Hindi.

What do you think? Listen for yourself.

Farhad Darya

A modern Dari-language singer with an innovative and influential style. Find more on Farhad Darya on his official site.

Aris Parwaz

Another modern singer, with a West-meets-East sound. Listen here.

Learn more about Afghan music from National Geographic.

Like these? Do you have any favourites to add? Let us know in the comments.

Read More:
Roshan on bringing mobile phones to Afghanistan
Tightrope walkers of Xinjiang - where Central Asia meets China
Morlam DJ: Thai folk music remixed
Introduction to Arabic music from singer Reem Kelani

Kenyan festive lunch

2009-10-05T07:23:21Z

We’ve been having some problems which meant we couldn’t post for the last few days. So here is last week’s Food of the World post, a bit late but hopefully not too late!

Thanks very much to prondis_in_Kenya for sharing these photos of a festive lunch to celebrate Mandaraka Day, which is a national holiday in Kenya.

The menu was lentils and chapatis. Prondis wrote: “Kenyan chapatis differ from their Indian forebears and counterparts in that they are much bigger, and are made with fat. It is a lot of work to make chapatis… they are ideal for special occasions!”

Hope you enjoyed this. If you did, check out our Food of the World photo group on Flickr to see more photos posted by PocketCultures readers around the world. We’d love to see yours too! Just join the group and add your photos.