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MOZAMBIQUE: ART AND LITERATURE
Wood carving is one art form going back centuries, and it’s used for a variety of purposes. Of all the ethnic groups on Mozambique, the Makonde are probably the most known for their intricate skills in...
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MOZAMBIQUE: MUSIC AND DANCE
The music of Mozambique comes from a variety of influences and has influenced other styles as well. Much of what has become their traditional music is a combination of African and Portuguese musical...
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MOZAMBIQUE: THE FOOD
Well, it’s been an emotional week. First, my son turned 8 years old yesterday, and we are always grateful since we almost lost him 7 years ago. Who would’ve thought seven years later, we’d be going to...
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MYANMAR: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE
After we moved to the neighborhood we live in now, I noticed the population here is fairly divided between working class whites, blacks, and Hispanics. However, there is one group I’ve noticed growing...
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MYANMAR: ART AND LITERATURE
Myanmar’s neighbors had quite a lot to do with Myanmar’s arts with China, India, and Thailand contributing the most influence. Much of their early arts were tied to Buddhism (and some to Hindu) with...
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MYANMAR: MUSIC AND DANCE
Myanmar’s music, like its art, is influenced mainly by China and Thailand. For the most part, their music is based on the melody rather than the harmony. Most of their music is based on a 4/4 time...
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MYANMAR: THE FOOD
Ah, the holidays are upon us. Unfortunately, it’s not one of my favorite times of the year. If it were less about presents and more about just getting together to eat, drink, play cards, and watch...
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NAMIBIA: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE
There’s a corner of Africa where deserts blow across ancient roads. Trod on only by a few, much of this land is as it has been for centuries: untouched. Ancient languages intertwine with languages that...
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NAMIBIA: ART AND LITERATURE
Namibian art goes back to the earliest days of antiquity. Rock art has been found in caves and shelters that were close to where these nomadic tribes had set up temporary settlements. Evidence of early...
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NAMIBIA: MUSIC AND DANCE
Namibian musicians have borrowed and utilized the musical styles of many different cultures. Because Namibia is such a multiethnic country, each ethnic group has their own musical styles. And on top of...
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NAMIBIA: THE FOOD
So, the Christmas season is upon us. And with only a week to go, I’m about halfway done with my shopping. I’m just glad I had a nice bonus check so I can get this all done. I lucked out this year. Even...
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NAURU: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE
I’m going to bet most people have never heard of the third smallest country in the world. In fact, I’ll admit that even I wasn’t exactly sure of the correct pronunciation of this tiny island in the...
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NAURU: ART AND LITERATURE
Many of the arts and crafts on the island of Nauru have been lost over time. As the islanders moved toward modernity, the traditional arts unfortunately fell to the wayside. And since Nauru is one of...
View ArticleWorldly Rise Year End Stats 2016 Edition
Once again I thought it’d be fun to take a look at some of my stats. Because stats are fun and don’t let anyone tell you different. So, I’m essentially following on the mold of last year’s statistics....
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NAURU: MUSIC AND DANCE
The musical traditions of Nauru are similar to that of other Micronesian traditions. However, many of these traditions have been lost over the centuries, and few songs have been recorded. Radio Nauru...
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NAURU: THE FOOD
Happy New Year! We can finally say that 2016 is behind us. We spent New Years Eve like we do every year: sitting at home, having a good meal (except this year, we didn’t do Brazilian feijoada since I’m...
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NEPAL: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE
Four main things come to mind when I think about Nepal: 1) Mt. Everest, 2) Sherpa guides, 3) they have an odd-shaped flag, and 4) the Bob Seger song “Katmandu,” named after the city Kathmandu. However,...
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NEPAL: ART AND LITERATURE
Because Nepal sits in between two major Asian cultures—Indian and Tibetan—it would make sense that Nepal’s cultural arts share many of these cultural identifications along with new styles that merge...
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NEPAL: MUSIC AND DANCE
Nepal has quite a diverse culture, and its music reflects that. And because of its location between Tibet and India, their styles reflect these similarities. The larger ethnic groups have their own...
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NEPAL: THE FOOD
Well, today didn’t turn out like I imagined it would. I know sometimes there are days like that, but when they happen, it still throws me in a completely opposite direction. It was just a whole series...
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