In December, when President Obama discussed ending an outdated foreign policy with Cuba, all my family and friends had an opinion. But not one of them had actually spoken to anyone living in Cuba under Castro’s regime. I spent a week in Cuba with Global Volunteers’ People-to-People program. The group and I had spent hours talking to students […]
Many say Lima is like London. That is, Lima is usually foggy. But during the days after New Year’s celebration, the skies of Lima look even foggier as clouds of smoke and the smell of powder fill the skies. Just as at Christmas, Peruvians celebrate New Year’s with fireworks that start on the evening of […]
In Cuba restored American classic cars – Chevy convertibles from the 50s and 60s – are taxi cabs. Most are relics of the U.S. businesses on the island in the 1950s under the Fulgencio Batista regime before Fidel Castro came to power in 1959. Now in the capital city of Havana friendly men put these […]
A volunteer couple on our December program, Errett and Jack, wrote: On balance, I can’t think of a more memorable international trip that we have taken. While we have certainly enjoyed international “tour-type” trips, the past two weeks have really been unique and special for us. With the help of our team leader, the English teachers and the […]
Christmas Day in Peru, a journal entry from a volunteer serving in Peru: “Fireworks all over the place, like you have never seen before.” That was the consensus for those of us who had never spent a Christmas Eve in Lima before. The previous night, we had all sat together and shared a delicious meal next […]
Christmas in Cuba is very much a family-oriented holiday and gifts are not as important as spending time together. Roasted suckling pig is the traditional dish served for Christmas lunch. Parrandas – parties in the street with fireworks, floats, and dancing – are a common part of Christmas celebrations in Cuba. Christmas in Cuba – and everything […]
For Romanians Christmas is one of the most important holidays of the year and it is celebrated on the 25th of December. People need to prepare themselves for the celebration of Jesus’ birth by purifying their bodies and therefore, according to the Romanian Orthodox Church, they do […]
Message of the Day: Even if one could live 100 years, life would be too short to explore the history and inexhaustible folk customs of Yunnan Province. Team Journal Entry: Today is a free day but one with a plan. After breakfast, we met Mr. Mah, our guide for the day, and began our journey to […]
Following our usual breakfast buffet, we headed to the Flying Tiger Museum, a short cab ride from our hotel. Most interesting snapshot of WW II history which we have all heard about, but knew little. The city of Kunming was the headquarters of the Flying Tigers, who were a volunteer group of U.S. flyers from […]
Thought for the day: ” Whoever is happy will make other happy too.” – Anne Frank Breakfast was filled with the usual mixture of American and Asian food groups and everyone arrived for breakfast at their usual time excited and talking about the planned celebrations or parties at their respective schools. Our original driver, James […]