Learn a little about the birth of an iconic American product in 1940s San Francisco… If you suspected from the title that the San Francisco treat was rice-a-roni, well then you’d be right. Today’s featured podcast is a little shorter than normal, but still a lot of fun. It’s from NPR Morning Edition’s series called…
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Utter Darkness Every Night in North Korea
The sky fades to black. No, it’s not some cheesy opening line to a play, but the truth each night for a nation of approximately 23 million people. This unbelievable NASA satellite image shows the almost complete darkness that envelopes North Korea each night. The contrast from neighboring South Korea is dramatic, to say the…
The Allegory of California by Diego Rivera in San Francisco
This is the second post in a series where I’ll be visiting all four Diego Rivera frescos located in the Bay area. The first fresco I visited is located maybe a mile or so from my apartment, and as a long time fan of Rivera’s work, I was very excited to discover it right around the…
Next Time in Medellin, Colombia
A friend recently asked me to describe the most beautiful place I’ve visited… It’s such a hard question, but I completely understand the desire to ask it because I love to know the answer to the same question from fellow travelers. But, there are so many beautiful places in the world! Southern Europe, especially the…
The Curated Commute – Breaking News from Easter Island
The Curated Commute is a series where I pick interesting podcasts or other audio treats to accompany you on your commute. Hopefully they’ll entertain you and maybe even help you learn a little something while you’re en route… *** You might be surprised to hear that new things are being discovered (and theorized) about the moai…
Johannesburg’s Not-So-Scary Central Business District
Last month I visited Johannesburg, South Africa with AFAR Experiences. It was interesting ahead of the trip to tell people that I was going to South Africa, to Joburg specificially and not Capetown. To be fair, I also wanted to see Capetown, but I only had so many vacation days and safari won out over…
The Making of a Fresco by Diego Rivera in San Francisco
There are four murals painted by famed Mexican artist Diego Rivera in the Bay area. Seeing a mural by Rivera has been on my bucket list of life experiences to accomplish since I studied his work in college. I love the storytelling nature and accessibility of his art so I’ve set out to see them…
The Curated Commute — South Africa After Mandela
The Curated Commute is a series where I pick interesting podcasts or other audio treats to accompany you on your commute. Hopefully they’ll entertain you and maybe even help you learn a little something while you’re en route… *** Today’s featured podcast is a conversation with Douglas Foster, author of the new book After Mandela: The Struggle…
Guess Which City This Is…
Can you guess which city this is just by looking at the photograph above? I couldn’t until I visited it very recently. Here are a couple of hints to help you out… It’s one of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the world and home to more than 4 million people. It’s located in the…
Feeling Faceless Under the Veil
The veil is considered an external symbol of a Muslim women’s internal religious belief. As a Western women, I confess that it’s a completely foreign concept to me. My travels over the past couple of years have brought me to Egypt and to India and have prompted me to learn much more about why Muslim…
