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World Culture

World Culture

Do I have clearance to ask you out on a date?

WARNING - look away now if you are allergic to bad naughty humour. "After being deprived of two of my favorite activities — travel and sex — over the past year, one thing I’m looking forward to as both become more feasible is that inexplicable wave of horniness that reliably overcomes me when I’m on…

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Give peace a chance

We live in an age in which – for obvious reasons – it’s vital to understand how to build peace. Nuclear proliferation, inter-state and civil wars, terrorism and insurgencies, rising extremisms and hate crimes, social polarisation and increasingly vituperate online diction mean that learning how to reconcile enemies has never been more important. This importance is…

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You got Moxy, kid

It's no surprise to anyone paying attention, but China continues to boom.  They're a powerhouse.  And, like many forward-thinking countries, the look to embrace what's new. One example of this is the new Moxy Hotels group - part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio.  It brings fresh styling, attitude and pizazz to not only the hotel offerings…

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As if you need incentives . . . retire here

Are your "sunset years" approaching?  Do you find yourself longing for something completely different?  Do you wake up at night pondering how you will continue to maintain that 8 bedroom house of yours?  Or, do you simply want to "go off the rails" and take a 180 degree turn in your life? What better time…

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Mood IndiGo

If you haven't travelled to India (even recently,) there is a lot going on when it comes to air travel.  Air India has always been the stalwart, and will likely remain that way.  But, with companies like Vistara and GoAir - and now IndiGo, travelers in India are spoiled for choice.  IndiGo is punching above…

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Sky train

Some of the most striking and beautiful terrain in the world can be found in South America.  In particular, Chile and Argentina possess almost untouched mountains that literally stun you with their immense size and colours. One great way to experience this is to take a train, literally into the clouds, and we can get…

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The second most romantic hotel in the world

Second best is not usually where we see ourselves appearing.  We're winners, are we not, even in a small way?  We've got moxie!  Nothing's gonna keep us down.  Chin up.  Pip pip.  So here's a story that will bring a smile to your face. A small hotel in Guadalest has been voted the second most romantic…

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Niagara Falls, slowly I turned

Slowly I turned, step-by-step, inch-by-inch..... Niagara Falls: you can smell the glassy, bottle-green water thundering over the treacherous cliffs, roaring down to the gorge below, clouds of damp spray greeting you every step of the way. Hypnotized by the endless torrent of water that never stops, you can get lost in time gaping and -…

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Can you Canfranc?

War is hell.  There have been too many.  But, humans always find a way to pick themselves up, dust themselves off and start again. After the end of the First World War, during the euphoria following one of the most awful periods of world history, the Pau-Somport rail tunnel had been driven beneath the Pyrenees…

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There’s a place

In his documentary, filmmaker Paul Saltzman retraces his journey of 50 years ago when he spent - almost accidentally - a life-changing time with the Beatles at the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram on the banks of the Ganges River. In 1968, he discovered his own soul, learned meditation, which changed his life, and hung out with…

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Gala Malaga

Nearly 3,000 years old, Málaga, Spain, on the banks of the Mediterranean, offers an intriguing mix of the ancient and modern. Images of Phonecians in long tunics and mantles trading goods at the port have given way to happy locals in brightly colored sundresses and espadrilles. The Phoenicians named it Malaka (meaning salt), but the city is…

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Rumba rumbles

Emerging from the poor districts of Havana and Matanzas in the 19th century, today rumba is one of Cuba’s most popular art forms. Influenced by African and Spanish traditions of music and dance, its distinctive, syncopated sound requires masterful musicianship and fierce passion from its performers. But, despite being born of marginalisation and oppression, modern…

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Who am I? Where am I?

Some people have all the problems.  For example, they live in Paris, not so far from Gare de Nord.  They opt to take a night train.  Luxurious, fast and totally European. But, they wake up suddenly, only to realise that they're in Venice, not three stops down. Tsk.  Such problems. All jokes aside, European rail…

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Star wars

Food fans are aware of where food has gone in the past decade or so.  Between blow-torched puddings to accompaniments made of foam, our ancestors wouldn't know what to make of it all. However, one constant that has always remained with chefs everywhere is the inexhaustible desire to have a Michelin star on the door.  This…

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I know, but I don’t know, y’know?

Does imposing the death penalty lower rates of violent crime? What economic policies will lead to broad prosperity? Which medical treatments should we allow and encourage to treat novel diseases? These questions have a few things in common. They bear important consequences for us all, and so policymakers and the public would like to know the…

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Luvlee!

We periodically write about Wales, the oft-forgotten member of the United Kingdom's family.  The country sits in the background, reinventing itself over and over. Once known only for coal and sheep, Wales has been transforming into a destination, as both of those means of putting food on the table are diminishing. The natural path is…

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Irony Curtain

At its heart, Russia is a fabulous place.  With so much history, expansive terrain and the sheer diversity of its population, its lure as a place to visit is often obscured by politics and other kinds of maneuvering. When we talk about history, we must remember that the Soviet era is now history, too.  And,…

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You see Phou Si

Asia has so many wonders, and so much rich and deep history. One that is well-known, but not always on at the top of everyone's list is Mount Phou Si in Laos.  It is a 100 m high hill in the centre of the old town of Luang Prabang in Laos. It lies in the heart of…

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