CULTURE

JAPAN I was in Shibuya, a Tokyo district familiar to any moviegoer. It’s all the points of the compass compacted into the city’s busiest road crossing. Pedestrians line up like the start of a marathon and take over the road, leaving Bill Murray hangdog in the middle. His foreignness is clear in his stillness for, in a place that’s constantly moving, the most Japanese of experiences are to be found by standing up. full story >>>	FLORIDA You can’t visit Miami without being reminded of the Seminoles, the Miccosukee and the Tequesta, South Florida’s native American ancestors. What better pastime for a rainy Friday afternoon than leaving the glamour of South Beach behind and diving into the exciting history of the Indians with a visit to the Historical Museum of Southern Florida full story >>>
ISRAEL I always wanted to visit the Joe Alon Center - the Museum of Bedouin Culture near Kibbutz Lahav, northeastern Negev Desert (Israel). My wife and I named a date in the middle of the week, avoiding the the Shabbath (Sunday) drivers and off we went. It was a long drive to the center through an area rich in archaeology and scenic beauty with Bedouin encampments along the way. full story >>>	TURKEY I was thrilled, when I was recently invited to a Turkish wedding. The invitation immediately raised an important question: what gift to take? Tradition requires the guests to give money or gold or both. Luckily, every jeweller has a selection of gold coins, adorned with a red silk bow and a pin for just that occasion. That’s it. No wedding list, no towels or toasters. full story >>>
GEORGIA The tamada is not a mere ‘toastmaster’. He is the collective soul of the Georgian people. He is warm and welcoming, a proud father and a dedicated son, a patriot, and an admirer of women. He is an incurable romantic, deeply nostalgic, and he has a kind word for everyone. There is not a feast too informal for him to attend. If there is wine – and there always is – there is a tamada. full story >>>	JAPAN Fireworks illuminate the faces of Americans and locals as glasses are raised and toasts are made to another peaceful year on Okinawa, Japan. While the Americans' New Years celebration is coming to an end, the Okinawans' will continue on through the night until the first sunrise of the new year. full story >>>
SARDINIA “Are you sure this is wise?” he had asked. I was engrossed in reading The Rough Guide: ‘ … bandit capital … between 1901 and 1954, Orgosolo - population 4,000 – clocked up an average of one murder every two months.’ Always the adventurer, I dismissed his worry. “Of course it’s wise,” I reassured him. full story >>>	SAXONY The first Christmas market (Striezemarkt) originated in 1434 in the city of Dresden, which is in Eastern Germany, close to the Polish border. And it’s here in the trendy and artsy Neustadt part of the city that I came across some really wonderful-tasting holiday season sweet bread called stollen. full story >>>