June 2010: Arriving at the airport in Irbil (also spelled Arbil or Erbil), the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region […]
Archive for ‘Culture’
Cultural Comparisons
Haitham, one of my brightest communications class students, stood in front of my desk nervously fidgeting with his notebook until […]
ME Primer 3: The Ghosts of Bahla
Sometimes, fate gives a traveler time to slowly absorb the intricacies of a new culture, but at other times […]
ME Primer 2: First Impressions
Even as a rabid student of geography, I must admit I had very little knowledge about the cycle of daily […]
A Middle East Primer: Part 1
Following US President Donald Trump’s first visit to the Middle East, it’s a good time to take stock and refresh […]
The Safety Myth
I had just snapped some pics when I heard what sounded like GUNFIRE ring out. As I turned, I saw […]
Being abnormal in a ‘normal’ world
In my zeal to discover myself as I move from place to place around the globe, I often find myself […]
Whose life is more important?
Having been brought up by very humble ‘salt of the Earth’ parents who taught my sisters and I to be […]
Developing cultural awareness
While reading about other cultures is valuable, it has limits as an educational tool and doesn’t fully prepare you for […]
Cultural relativity? What’s that?
Even for those of us who grew up in less traditional cultures where it isn’t unusual for individuals or entire […]
My quest blog 