Books

Maps and Guides of Egypt

Max Nepstad

12 Feb 2010

Egypt

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There's a wide selection of travel guides dedicated to the country. I personally used the Lonely Planet guide while I was in Egypt and it was very helpful. The American University in Cairo Press also has some great resources for travelers going to Egypt. I recommend "Cairo: The Practical Guide" for anyone staying an extended time in the city, as it provides practical information for daily life there as well as more in-depth information about Cairo than the tourist-oriented guides. Another indispensable resource, also from AUC press, is "Cairo: The Practical Guide Map," which includes maps of all the areas of interest in the city.

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Getting Around

Not a one-week country: Take your time!

Andrew Cullen

02 May 2010

Mongolia

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Mongolia is a large country, and a difficult one to travel in if you want to get off the beaten path. Unfortunately the real Mongolia, and the truly gratifying experiences found in it, are largely off the beaten path. Air and bus service to most worthwhile remote destinations, like Hovd and Bayan Ulgii in the west, or the taiga region of Khentii in the east, is only offered a few times a week. Travel by land is slow and, while you'll get there eventually, not very predictable. So give yourself at least 2 weeks in the country- or 3, or a month- get a bus ticket, and head out on an adventure. A little bit of a zen attitude helps too, for those moments when the bus ride seems like it will never end. It will, and it will be entirely worth it.

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Festivals & Events

Carnival in Basel

Chantal Panozzo

02 Apr 2009

Switzerland

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To see Switzerland at its least Swiss (or most Swiss, depending on how you look at it) don’t miss Carnival in Basel, held every winter. Creative costumes and masks. All night music. And a lantern show that’s part political statement, part art exhibition. And then there’s the carpet of confetti that covers the usual spotless Swiss streets. But you’ll have to hurry. The party only lasts 72 hours. And the street sweepers are just waiting to pounce.

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Culture Shock

Dude, where's my car?

Mike Mian

30 Jul 2009

Spain

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While Spain has some great transit networks from city to city, transportation systems aren't always so great within some of the cities. I had great experiences with public transit in Madrid, Barcelona, and Seville (metros and light rails), but Granada was not the same story. Though a metro is now under construction, the public bus system was plagued with frequent strikes and traffic congestion. It took me a long time to adjust to the delays and figure out how to plan for them. Fortunately, the Spanish tend to be a bit more relaxed about schedules, so being late isn't usually a big deal. Eventually, I came to accept the transportation system, though it and I will never exactly be friends.

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Must Do

Wayna Picchu

Michelle Saltis

30 Nov 2009

Peru

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If visiting Machu Picchu, it is truly a magnificent experience to hike the mountain behind it, Wayna Picchu. Catch one of the earliest buses, because they only let a certain number of people hike it every day. Once the top is reached, after a very treacherous trail, the view is simply one of the most gorgeous I have ever seen. It took me above the clouds, and I could see Machu Picchu below me along with the surrounding mountains.

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Contest

Ankle Bone Games

Andrew Cullen

28 Jun 2010

Mongolia

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Mongolia's version of board games is "shagai"- sheep ankle bones. There are dozens of games that can be played with the bones, which have 4 distinct sides: sheep, goat, horse, and camel. The most addictive game is a combination of dice and marbles. Playing with 20 bones or more, one player rolls the bones out on the floor. Then, you use your finger to flick a bone towards another resting with the same side face up. If you hit it, you pick up one bone to keep, if you miss, or hit another bone that doesn't match, your turn is over and the next player rolls. At the end of each round, the player who picked up the last bones takes a few from each player to start the rolling anew, keeping their own. Watch out- Mongolians are shagai sharpshooters.

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Etiquette

Saudi socialization: say salam

Mubarak Alkhatnai

17 Feb 2009

Saudi Arabia

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Saudis love socializing with people from other countries, despite prominent conceptions of Saudi culture as closed and unwelcoming. If you find yourself in Saudi Arabia, try using the word “Salam” (which basically means “peace”) to initiate a conversation.

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Food

Pack a lunch if you're about town in the afternoon

Dawnielle Castledine

23 Jun 2009

Spain

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When traveling in almost any city in Spain, keep in mind that most shops close down shop during midday for Siesta. Even today, you will be hard pressed to find any store open during what Americans consider lunchtime. My tip: pack your lunch if you will be out and about during midday.

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Film

Go for the festivals

Madeline Blount

07 Jan 2010

Cyprus

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There's not a big culture for cinema in Cyprus -- there are only a couple movie theaters per city, and most of them are the expensive big blockbuster-type showing American movies with subtitles a few months after they come out. For something different, check out the small film festivals on the island. There is an International Documentary Festival in spring in Nicosia where I saw Turkish and Greek movies with English subtitles, and in the North a special screening in another festival showed a Turkish movie that had just opened in Ankara. A little harder to find than just the local movie house, but worth it for a much more authentic Cypriot experience!

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Packing

Make sure you're ready to see in the dark

Rebecca Jacobson

19 Oct 2009

Malawi

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Power cuts can occur daily in Malawi, and much of the country isn’t even on the grid. Unless you’ve got remarkable night vision, toss a headlamp into your suitcase. Flashlights work, too, but headlamps will free up your hands during those inevitable blackouts. Plus, reading by headlamp underneath your mosquito net (that romantic, ethereal canopy) is delightfully cozy — and makes you feel a bit like a stealthy kid hiding under the covers.

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Religion

Throwing rocks at pit stops

Lindsay Myron

23 Nov 2009

Mongolia

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Hire a driver and head out of the city and you’ll likely make a few pit-stops along the way. Ovoos are shamanist rock cairns that are erected on mountaintops to praise the spirits of the mountains and skies. Before they depart, the religiously faithful and unfaithful alike typically stop at ovoos to make offerings and ensure a safe journey. If you find yourself at an ovoo, it’s best to circle it three times clockwise, offering milk, vodka, sweets, and/or grains to the monument. If you forgot your sweets at home, pick up a few stones and add them to the pile. And if you’re in a rush or pass multiple ovoos along your way, a honk of the horn while passing will also do the trick.

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Politics

Learn three languages at once

danielle hayes

06 Nov 2009

Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Language, like many things in the former Yugoslavia, is a matter of politics. What was once Serbo-Croatian is now arguably three new languages--Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian. But the division is mostly political, and a matter of pronunciation and vocabulary. Grammatically and structurally, the languages are still vastly the same and can be understood by speakers from any of the former republics. When trying to guess what a Serb living in the Croatian and Muslim dominated part of Bosnia speaks, it's often best to refer to "naš jezik" meaning "your language," as locals do. A PRACTICAL TIP: To order a coffee in Croatia ask for kava, in Serbia for kafa, and in Bosnia for kahva. But in all three places be sure to say Molim vas, meaning "please".

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Music

Tots and senior citizens rumba together

Miguel Torres-Castro

05 Mar 2009

Cuba

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Traditional salsa and rumba music are still very popular in many parts of Cuba. The salsa and rumba dance crowds are generally very diverse, with ages ranging from six-year-olds to senior citizens.

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Sports

Here it's called Kurat el Qadem

Max Nepstad

28 Feb 2010

Egypt

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In Cairo, it's all about El Ahly (ah-Ha-lee). Kurat el Qadem, as soccer is called in Arabic, is by far the most widely watched sport in Egypt. On nights of football matches, the red banner of the El Ahly team can be seen hanging from balconies or out car windows. The street coffee houses become mini sports bars as the usual denizens of the cafes are joined by the owners of nearby shops, even policemen on duty, and often people who just happened to be walking by. After a victory it's common to see parades of cars driving through the city, honking their horns to the same tune. Zamalek is El Ahly's greatest rival; however, it seems the El Ahly fan base overwhelms all competition.

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TV

Lather up with Hindi soaps

Amy Adoyzie Lam

28 Mar 2009

Bangladesh

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The vast majority of non-cable television is made up of two types of programming: Hindi soap operas and religious "talk" shows. The soaps air day and night: The shows with higher production quality are imported from India while the low-budget ones are produced locally in Bangladesh. Both types feature the same story lines of love, loss, and the latest in Deshi fashion. Then there are the shows that feature a man, dressed in all white to show his piety, preaching in a language that I cannot decipher. Included in these channels of religious rhetoric is one that features a camera pointed straight at mecca so you can watch devotees circle the area over and over again. There's not much variety, but at least bootleg DVDs are in abundance!

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Fashion

Pack some class

Adam Lichtenheld

10 Feb 2009

Jordan

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Jordanians tend to dress more formal than the average Westerner, so it’s good to pack some nice attire if you don’t want to feel un-classy when you go out. Fashion trends don’t differ much from the West, except for traditional dress: long galabeyas for men and full black burkas for women. One gem that you’ll find in the downtown markets are loads of warm sweaters—optimal for when the weather gets chilly.

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Dating

Beware of women, and women beware

Mallory Primm

17 Jun 2009

Swaziland

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As a foreign male, you will be approached by many local women who are looking for a Sugar Daddy. Even if you are sincerely courting a Swazi woman, expect to pay for everything, including her airtime for her cell phone. For foreign woman in Swaziland, prepare for a daily barrage of cat calls and “proposals” of love and marriage. One older Swazi man explained that it is considered rude not to pass a woman without making a comment about her appearance.

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Health

Choosing between public and private care

Mike Mian

21 Jun 2009

Spain

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While on study abroad, a friend of mine had an unfortunate skiing accident. He called in sick to school to go skiing with his host brother, but on his first run down the mountain he hit a patch of ice and made a hard landing on his left shoulder. He was taken to the hospital (the school's director met him there). The first diagnosis was that he broke his collar bone and the second that he tore a ligament in his shoulder. The second proved true, and he had to decide to pursue his surgeries and treatment through either the public or private medical systems. While the public system is nearly free, the waits for treatment can be long. If insured, one can go through the private system with greater speed. The caliber of treatment is equivalent.

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Slang

Everything's an -ito (and not because it's small)

Emily Rusca

18 Feb 2009

Ecuador

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In Ecuador, almost everything anyone says ends up with the diminutive -ito or -ita at the end: cafecito, pancito, momentito, etc. When someone says, "aquicito nomás," that doesn't necessarily mean that whatever they're talking about is actually RIGHT THERE. It probably means a couple of blocks away. It's just an Ecuadorian affectionate/cultural thing that everyone makes everything an -ito or an -ita, no matter what the size or distance. It's pretty cute, actually, and is a quintessentially Ecuadorian habit to pick up while you're there. You'll find yourself calling a big doberman "un perrito" even!

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Nightlife

Variety in Amman

Adam Lichtenheld

10 Feb 2009

Jordan

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Amman hosts a healthy assortment of bars and cafes, from seedy, male-only back alley joints to glitzy, expensive nightclubs. Jordanians (at least those who drink alcohol) possess a puzzling affinity for Russian vodka. Many of the Western-style bars and restaurants make a night on the town similar to going out in the States, save the fact that everyone is a human chimney and if you’re not inhaling a cigarette, people are offended. Or just think you’re strange.

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Being an American

Lao people like Americans, despite our past

Gabriel Shaya

01 Oct 2009

Laos

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In the '60s and '70s, the US government dropped over 2 million tons of bombs on Laos, making it the most heavily bombed country in the world. Despite this fact, Lao people do not harbor resentment against individual Americans. You might even receive a great welcome if you say you're American, complete with two thumbs up. So, as hard as it might be, do yourself a favor and leave your American guilt at the airport. There's no need to pin a Canadian flag on your backpack or fake a British accent. You'll see many remnants of the war, and will exhaust yourself apologizing if you're too focused on past. Instead, do your part to correct our government's wrongs--volunteer your time or make a donation to an organization that supports UXO cleanup.

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