Storytellers Sarah & Nathan of Live, Dream, Discover
Shaping Cultural Experiences
Travel has been an integral part of my life since I was a young child. I grew up in a multicultural, bilingual home in the Netherlands with a Polish mother and a Dutch father. My
Update & BBC News Link
A brief update: One interview video will be uploaded tomorrow evening. I believe the BBC News One-Minute World News provides well-balanced reporting of news, hence why I wanted to share it. Top stories on May
From Nigeria to Boston
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VNkCazT_T4&feature=youtu.be
When you first meet Oluwagbeminiyi Osidipe, you encounter a very vibrant, friendly, and unique personality. Oluwagbeminiyi or Niyi – as she shortened her name for simplicity – was named by her mother, who had a “very personal experience” when she had her, Niyi explained. Niyi is a Yoruba Nigerian transplant who arrived in the U.S. in 2006. As one of the most densely populated (West) African countries, Nigeria derives its name from the river that spans its land. To the South, it borders the Gulf of Guinea to the Atlantic Ocean. Originally colonized by the British, Nigeria gained independence in 1960. Its main ethnic groups are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, who speak English and their own respective languages, while major religions include Islam, Christianity and indigenous beliefs. Niyi shares her story, her views on politics, cultural differences she’s embraced with humor, and what we can learn from each other by expressing curiosity. Her message is simple: travel enriches us through its exposure to new cultures, and enables us to grow.
Mark Twain on Travel
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” (American author Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad).
Have you had the opportunity to travel (extensively, within your country, or even once abroad)? Can you relate to Twain’s sentiments? How does travel enrich us?
Pleasing The Taste Palate
Food has the wonderful quality of uniting us no matter where we are. There is nothing partisan or narrow-minded about food. It simply invites us to indulge, create recipes, and share with others. Two of my favorite Polish dishes (included in collage) are pierogies and barszcz czerwony – a beetroot soup – served on Christmas Eve in Poland. How does food bring us together? What are some of your favorite dishes and why? Can food trigger memories?
Stereotypes: Truth or Fiction?
DEFINING STEREOTYPES: “An idea or statement about all of the members of a group or all the instances of a situation.” (Merriam-Webster). Stereotypes enable bias and preconceived notions to perpetuate, but can also reveal valid
Annual Human Rights Report
“The world changed immeasurably over the course of 2011. Across the Middle East, North Africa, and far beyond, citizens stood up to demand respect for human dignity, more promising economic opportunities, greater political liberties, and
Euro Crisis & Emerging Stereotypes
Brief Crisis Breakdown Since the onset of the global financial crisis, or Great Recession, in 2007, the Eurozone has feared impending growing global debt levels, as well as sovereign debt within European countries themselves. In
Remembering Tiananmen
Today marks the 23rd anniversary of Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests in Beijing, China. Inflation, a lack of career prospects, the fall of Eastern European communism, and political corruption, are all said to have fueled anger
Coffee's Uniting Power
A cup of coffee can bridge cultural gaps. At least, that’s what Gizem Salgicil White, founder of Turkayfe.org, believes. Her organization aims to create awareness of Turkish culture, particularly within America. Gizem is a Turkish native,
We’re delighted to share our interview with Sarah & Nathan, a couple who believe that balanced living is the key to happiness and well-being.
Tell us a bit about yourself! Why do you love travel? How do you think travel unites us or teaches us more about the world? My parents loved to travel, and so I have been traveling since I was born. It’s in my blood and in my soul thanks to them. When I reached the age of being able to design my own life, traveling was a huge part of how I saw myself living. I always spent any extra money on experiences rather than material things. I feel that traveling is one of the most beneficial things you can do when it comes to growing as a person. Experiencing different cultures, meeting new people, and seeing the amazing natural and man-made wonders of the world opens your mind and your heart in a way that nothing else can.
Can you tell us something about the culture in your country?
I was born and raised in London, England and then moved to Vancouver, Canada as a teenager and I feel blessed to call both of these places home. In many ways the culture is similar in that people are free to pursue their dreams, and essentially live as they choose. For this reason, they are also both big melting pots of cultures from other parts of the world and I love that. Now that I travel most of the time and often fall in love with the countries I visit, I am also reminded of how lucky I am to be from a place that gives me the freedom to do so.
Which dish do you feel best represents where you’re specifically from? Share a picture and tell us why you love it! Vancouver has some of the best and freshest seafood in the world. You can go to any grocery store and find fresh salmon, shellfish and many other types of seafood all year round.
Growing up in your country, what’s something that you believe makes it unlike anywhere else in the world?
I always say that no matter how much I travel, I have yet to see anywhere that beats Vancouver for natural beauty. We have an abundance of mountains, ocean, lakes and forests all within reach. In fact, you could sit on the beach and go snow skiing all in the same day.
Languages not only give us the power to communicate, but also can unite us across cultures. What’s something you love about the multitude of languages spoken in your country? Share a favorite saying you have, or teach us something in your native language.
Vancouver is such a big melting pot that it is normal to hear several different languages spoken on a daily basis, which is pretty unique. The most common, aside from English, is various Asian languages such as Japanese, Korean and Cantonese but you will also likely hear a lot of French, Russian and Spanish.
What local spot in your city/town do you love most? Why is it personally important to you?
My favorite spot in Vancouver is anywhere along the seawall. You can walk or bike for miles along the water and past beaches, parks and residential areas. It’s a great way to spend a few hours, and it really showcases what makes the city so special.
Have you ever met a stranger during your travels who made an impact on your life in a certain way, or maybe it was you who helped someone else? Share the story!
I have met so many wonderful people in my travels, and have many stories I could share, but I think the biggest thing I have learned is that we are all essentially the same. We all want to be happy, healthy and loved, and for the most part, people are good and kind and willing to help others.
One of the things I love the most about traveling is being able to come home with stories that smash stereotypes and embellished negative media headlines. We have traveled to many places that caused our friends and family to be worried for our safety, but in fact we have rarely felt concerned or threatened. Of course, there is crime and corruptness in the world, but in our experience there is far more good than bad.
Despite being full-time travelers, they strive to achieve that balance on a daily basis and they hope to help you to do the same. Live, Dream, Discover was initially created to share their travel stories with friends and family, but they soon realized that they wanted to grow it into something more.
Follow their adventures via Live, Dream, Discover and on social media including Facebook and Twitter!
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Hi! I'm the founder of Culture With Travel and #CultureTrav. Please chat with us on social media and contribute in the comments! Follow @Nicolette_O
