India Volunteers Erich and Katie recently were recruited by local families to judge a kolam competition outside Global Volunteers’ guest house in Chennai, India. This is their report: Today was a very special day as it started the Pongal celebration. Today is the first day of the festivities and it’s called Bhogi, which is similar […]
There’s more heating up on Pongal weekend than just the weather. In India, where this holiday is celebrated, there is a lot going on. If you don’t know about it already, read on to learn about Pongal, one of the coolest celebrations in India. It’s Pongal weekend! Pongal is one of the most important celebrations for […]
As part of our series on Myths and Legends, India Country Manager Stephen Raja continues talking about Kolam, and explains its relationship to yoga, happiness, and prosperity. On a previous post Stephen explained the legend behind Kolam (beautiful drawings found in the streets of India.) Now Stephen explains why women really choose to make this drawings […]
Continuing with our series on Myths and Legends, India Country Manager Stephen Raja talks about Kolam, a tradition of making beautiful drawings in India. What does yoga have to do with drawing? And what does drawing have to with prosperity? According to the Hinduism, a lot. India Country Manager Stephen Raja explains this: If you walk through […]
Peru Country Manager Daniel Salazar writes about a BBC article that highlights Lima as the most underrated city in South America. With its world renowned gastronomy, ethnic diversity, and gorgeous sites, Lima is a fascinating city. Read on for more details about what you, too, can discover while on a service program in Lima. By […]
Peru country Manager Daniel Salazar talks about the different ways people celebrate New Year’s Eve in Peru as well as some local traditions. That is actually a difficult question to answer as there are many regions with completely different cultures and so various ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Peru. But most people in […]
As part of our series on Christmas traditions worldwide, this is the second part to a Q&A where Baoli Wang, China Country Manager, describes Christmas Eve in China to Peru Country Manager Daniel Salazar. D: What do Chinese people do on Christmas Eve? How is it different from western countries? B: Fun is the theme of […]
Happy Christmas to all! It is 1:17am and a fun and a full Christmas Eve Day has quickly turned into early Christmas morning… Our day began with a first visit for team members Riley and Barbara, and a return visit for Susan, Brookie, and Katie to Assisi Illam where we’ve been working all week. The teen […]
We work with a few Christian organizations in Chennai, India. Country Manager Stephen Raja reports on a very merry Christmas Eve celebration with our holiday volunteer team. Read about a children’s Christmas in the orphanage: This year we’re celebrating Christmas with the children of Assisi Illam. Last evening, all the volunteers joined the children and […]
This is part of our series on Christmas traditions worldwide. Here Baoli Wang, China Country Manager, describes Christmas in China to Peru Country Manager Daniel Salazar. In many countries, Christmas is the most important holiday of the year. For many people in western countries Christmas is a peaceful and joyful occasion for family gatherings. In a previous post we mentioned […]