by Shauna Billings Arriving at the top of Mt. Vesuvius is like landing on another planet. For a moment, the crushed rust-colored lava path beneath my feet is the soil of Mars. Vents release gases and steam along the paths and within the volcano’s crater; the distinct smell of metal permeates the air. It is…
by Sarah Naimark From the window, Zagreb appeared dreary and blurred. Our train lugged itself through a dingy urban strip into the station and I grimaced: ten minutes ahead of schedule. I nudged Anna, my younger sister and champion sleeper, to wake her after the long trip. She frowned and stretched. Ugh, I thought. Even…
I met my favorite Viking on a fabulous week-long press tour sponsored by the generous Icelandair.We spent our last night of this fantastic trip at the Viking Village twenty-five minutes outside of Reykjavik. Stefán is one of the Vikings who was part of the festivities that night. He’s a charming man, with a heart of…
by Lorraine Godfrey It was well after dark when I arrived in Hanoi late one January evening in 2003. Coming from Bangkok, where temperatures loomed in the nineties (with equal humidity), I was prepared for the heat. I shared a cab from the airport with two locals, who directed me to the old quarter of…
The type of dancing that I do is Israeli Folk Dancing. But the movements are nothing like what you might have seen at a wedding or bar mitzvah. While International Folk Dancing strives to be as authentic and traditional as possible, Israeli Folk Dancing prides itself on generating new dances to contemporary and totally eclectic…
by Peng Ong It all started when my boyfriend received an offer from a relative in Reno to purchase his white Lexus. Considering the long drive from San Francisco, Ricky proposed, why not spend two days in Reno? Soon, Ricky’s sister Anna and his father wanted to go too. I felt relieved; it would be…
by Sherrie Bakshi Although I have known French for nearly twenty years, I have never been to France or truly experienced la vie française. But this past June, while on holiday in Montreal and Quebec City, I was finally was able to immerse myself in the language I have studied since high school. And although…