While service to children and families is the purpose of Global Volunteers programs, working alongside local people is the best way to experience culture and traditions in your host country. Learn more about some of the customs, language and history that comes alive when serving for one, two or three weeks with Global Volunteers.
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 […]
This post is actually a mix between two series. It’s part of our series on Myths and Legends but also part of our series on Christmas traditions worldwide, as it takes place during the holiday season in China, although most people there don’t celebrate Christmas. This is the Chinese legend of Winter Solstice. Today is Dongzhi, or Winter […]
Continuing with our series on Christmas traditions worldwide, Country Director Dorota Wierzbicka describes the age-old customs at her Christmas Eve dinner table. Wigilia is the Polish name for Christmas Eve. The whole family gathers on that night and waits impatiently for the appearance of the first star. With its first gleam, they all approach the dinner table, […]
This is the eighth part to our series on Myths and Legends. Again in China, this is the legend of the invention of Chopsticks. For westerners visiting China, one of the things one must learn in order to survive is to manage the use of chopsticks- a pair of small and thin sticks of the same […]
This is the seventh part to our series on Myths and Legends. Now in China, this the legend behind the Great Wall. What’s the first thing that pops out in your mind when you think about China? Exactly. We all think of Meng Jiangnü. Or perhaps not, but the Great Wall is one of the […]
Internet access in Cuba is relatively new, and it’s limited in several ways. There is only one telecommunications service provider, ETECSA, which is government owned, like most things in Cuba. ETECSA sells Wi-Fi cards which can be used in Wi-Fi hotspot areas in the city. They cost two dollars per hour, which is what an […]
Of the many similarities between the U.S. and Cuba, one of the more serious social problems we share is the historical racial divide between black and white citizens. The Creole, African, and Spanish descendants who have, over six centuries, built a rich and soulful Cuban culture, don’t share the same economic and educational opportunities on the island equally. […]