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URUGUAY: ART AND LITERATURE
Prior to the 19th century, much of the art traditions in Uruguay mimicked that of various European styles, stemming from the waves of immigration that took place during that century. Many of the...
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URUGUAY: MUSIC AND DANCE
Uruguayan music has many similarities with the musical traditions of Argentina. One style Argentina is known for is the tango, but did you know Uruguay also has its own version of tango music? One of...
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URUGUAY: THE FOOD
What an exhausting last couple of weeks. I turned 41 years old and then celebrated my 16th anniversary, and then spent a nail-biting week waiting on election results, which ended in a sigh of relief. I...
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UZBEKISTAN: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE
Back in October of 2011, the late pizza businessman-turned-politician Herman Cain gave an interview on television about what his foreign policy would look like if he were to become president. During...
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UZBEKISTAN: ART AND LITERATURE
Art in Uzbekistan goes back to the ancient tribes that roamed these lands, some leaving behind rock drawings and terracotta sculptures to commemorate hunts and their ways of life. Several religions...
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UZBEKISTAN: MUSIC AND DANCE
Much of the music from Uzbekistan is similar to that of the larger Central Asia region in general. Highly influenced by the music of the Middle East, many of its rhythms and instruments are derived...
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UZBEKISTAN: THE FOOD
As we head into Thanksgiving week here in the US, it’ll look a little different this year. We’ve had a spike in positivity cases and schools are heading back to 100% virtual instruction. My county...
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VANUATU: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE
I’ve never taken much interest in the so-called Reality TV fad, although I did watch a few seasons of different ones. But I will say that there were probably quite a few people (in the US anyway) who...
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VANUATU: ART AND LITERATURE
Vanuatu’s early residents left behind rock drawings depicting animals, life events, and stylized ancestral spirits. These drawings were also decorated with geometric shapes. Another ancient form of art...
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VANUATU: MUSIC AND DANCE
Traditional music in Vanuatu, called kastom singsing or kaston tanis in Bislama, utilizes quite a few different instruments. Some of these instruments and styles may vary from island to island, using...
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VANUATU: THE FOOD
We made it through Thanksgiving, and this year I had to cook everything myself for just my family. And I didn’t get any of my mom’s pumpkin pies, so I wasn’t able to do my “pumpkin pie for breakfast”...
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VENEZUELA: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE
When I was in college, I volunteered as a tutor with an Adult ESL class held at a career center near where I grew up. I became friends with several of the students who came twice a week. One girl who...
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VENEZUELA: ART AND LITERATURE
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a lot of information on pre-Columbian art from this area. It’s reasonable to assume that some existed because some of the indigenous cultures were quite advanced. And...
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VENEZUELA: MUSIC AND DANCE
The music of Venezuela has taken in some of the musical flavors of the Caribbean and Latin America. Some of the most iconic and representative styles in Venezuela come from musicians living in the...
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VENEZUELA: THE FOOD
The final country of 2020. I’m not sorry to see this year become the past. It’s been challenging to be sure, and I think 2021 will be largely the same. But doing this blog has been a nice distraction,...
View ArticleWorldly Rise Year End Stats -- 2020 Edition
If 2019 felt like a decade long, then 2020 was a half century. But we’ve made it through, I suppose, for what it was. I’m sure we all picked up a new quarantine hobby or interest and learned something...
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VIETNAM: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE
When I was in 8th grade (around 1993), my cousin talked me into doing summer marching band. She conveniently left out the “marching” part of that conversation; I wanted to quit so bad. I was sore and...
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VIETNAM: ART AND LITERATURE
The earliest examples of Vietnamese art dates back to the Stone Age, and during the Bronze Age, the Dong Son culture were known for their metal work in creating elaborate metal drums. These drums were...
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VIETNAM: MUSIC AND DANCE
Vietnamese music is closely tied to the musical styles of China, but also influenced by the music of other areas in Asia, namely Japan, Korea, and Mongolia. There were a few styles of court music, with...
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VIETNAM: THE FOOD
Man, what a week. First of all, it was the first week back to work and school after the holidays, so it was already gonna be a struggle. Then halfway through it, we had to deal with an attempted coup....
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