All Hallows E'en

Halloween, primarily celebrated in English-speaking countries, is a bizarre mixture of traditions from different periods of history. Over the last couple of decades, marketers have attempted to spread this Anglo-Saxon tradition to other countries, with varying degrees of success. When we lived in Europe, there was an increasing interest in certain aspects of Halloween, but is has never caught on to the extent to which it is celebrated in the US.

No one knows for sure when the tradition began, but most historians agree it traces its origins to a Celtic celebration called Samhain, whose names roughly means 'summer's end.' It was believed that, at this time of year in particular, there was a thin line between this world and the "otherworld," allowing different kinds of spirits to come and go. Hence the necessity to disguise oneself as a harmful spirit in order to ward off harm.

What is ironic is the origin of the name Halloween -- originally All Hallows E'en -- as in the eve of All Hallows, or All Saints Day. All Saints Day has been celebrated on Nov. 1 by the Catholic church, and more recently, other denominations as well, since the 7th century. This is traditionally a day in which the saints -- known and unknown -- are remembered.

Another great example of the strange juxtaposition in our culture of Christian and pagan elements. On one day, inordinate attention is given to the dark side, the Underworld -- and the very next day the saints are honored. The term "melting pot" could not be more à propos.

Voting in the Streets

People outside France -- and even some French -- shake their heads every time a general strike is announced. It seems it takes very little for malcontents to take to the streets in what is often called the French national pastime. 


At issue this time is the proposed change in the retirement age from 60 to 62. Americans just smirk and mutter something like, "Those lazy French! A 35-hour work week isn't enough?" while millions of French are up in arms, with unions leading the way in the strikes. Strikes are not a new phenomenon in France; as far back as the French Revolution, we see that the French way of expressing dissent is to take to the streets.


Whatever the work ethic of the French, it's more a matter of what one is used to. Chances are, most of us, if used to retirement benefits at age 60, would not be happy when they were taken away. Such austerity measures are being contested all over Europe, as the Old Continent feels the pain of years of social benefits, many of which are being debated in the US. There are those who say, "As Europe goes, so goes the US;" it will be interesting to watch in the next few years whether social benefits in the US are extended, only to have to be withdrawn later.


There was just such a strike while we were there this past summer with the World to the Wise Cultural Tour. Surprisingly, we were still able to get around Paris on public transportation. A friend of mine just posted on Facebook that traffic flows much more smoothly when there is a strike. Perhaps there are more effective means of protest; in the meantime, we can expect many more fists being shaken on the Champs Elysées.

Blessed are the Peacemakers

In my last post, I mentioned the down side of being a people pleaser. The  extreme version is someone who is so eager to be liked that he actually has no sense of self.
Being a peace lover is radically different. A lover of peace is not afraid of conflict; indeed, he will take more than a little criticism in pursuit of what is often the most difficult choice.
Such are Aisam-ul-Haq Kureshi of Pakistan and Rohan Bopanna of India. Against all odds and the will of many of their countrymen, these two professional tennis players teamed up at last month's US Open in the men's doubles competition in a symbolic act that went far, far beyond their excellent level of play. (They went all the way to the finals and lost against two of their admirers, Bob and Mike Bryan of the US.) Their message was so loud and clear that even the UN ambassadors of the two archrival nations sat side by side to watch the historic match.
The two players admittedly didn't have world peace -- or even regional peace -- in mind when they first decided to become doubles partners. They simply thought it would help each other's game. But they soon realized they had become good will ambassadors and gladly stepped into the role, sporting matching track suits at Wimbledon that read, "Stop war, start tennis."
Would to God that their governments would sit up and pay attention.

Oh Would Some Power...

By nature, I have always been a people  pleaser. A fear of conflict drove me to maintain the peace, no matter what the cost. In my old age -- or perhaps I could be bold enough to say, as I've matured -- I've become less afraid to disagree with someone and more willing to express what I feel and believe. I have to admit, however, that to a large degree, I still care what others think of me.
Have you ever wondered what other people think of you as a nation or culture? During my travels this past summer, I spent a good deal of time interviewing Europeans on their impressions of American culture. Some were careful to point out that there is a difference between Americans and American culture.
I've also begun interviewing non-Americans residing in the US about their experience adapting to life in these United States. Their stories are both compelling and diverse.
If you are among those Americans who couldn't care less what other people think, or about the impact -- both positive and negative -- American culture has had in the world over the last century, World to the Wise might not be for you. But if you're among the culturally curious who believe what is projected from this country matters, stay tuned.
To quote the great Scottish poet Robert Burns:
     "O would some power the Giftie gie' us
      To see ourselves as others see us."

"Excuse me, but I'm a stupid American"

I had lunch yesterday with a new friend who used to manage a rock group in the 80's and 90's. We were talking about the subject of cultural intelligence and how it can make a difference in the way we as Americans are accepted when traveling abroad. He shared with me that, on a concert tour of multiple European countries, the band determined to learn at least one phrase in the language of each country they visited:
     
  "Excuse me, but I'm a stupid American. Can you help me?"


These guys were clearly not stupid -- on the contrary, they were wise enough to put themselves in a position of humility vis-à-vis their hosts. As you can imagine, that opening line was nearly always met with a chuckle, followed by a willingness to engage the visitors and provide information that would help them find their way or understand something about local culture. 


This is one example of how we can slowly but surely turn the tide of how we are viewed by the rest of the world -- one disarming chuckle at a time.

The World Is a Book...

WAITING for each of our participants in their London hotel room on our recent tour was a moleskin journal with the following paragraph on the front page:

"The fool wanders; the wise man travels." - Thomas Fuller

These words reflect the philosophy behind the name of our company, World to the Wise. The Proverbs remind us of the importance of seeking wisdom, and much wisdom is to be gained from getting outside one's immediate surroundings. We travel not because we necessarily enjoy lengthy flights or sleeping in strange beds; we travel because we  need to occasionally be shaken from the quasi stupor we can so easily be lulled into in the comfortable familiarity of life in the United States. It is our belief that God has placed something uniquely beautiful in every culture on earth. He loves diversity! And if we don't cultivate curiosity, many riches will pass us by. It is not so much about what we do as how we do it.

Augustine expressed it like this:

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."

We invite you to stay tuned for announcements of upcoming World to the Wise Cultural Tours -- we've only just begun!

Cheap Gas?

The uninitiated could easily be misled by this sign at a Swiss gas station: gas for $1.66 per gallon? Let’s break that down:

First, that’s 1.66 per liter. There are about 3.8 liters in a gallon, so that would be 6.31 per gallon. But then we’re talking Swiss francs, not dollars. 6.31 Swiss francs per gallon would be approximately $5.74 at the current exchange rate – and that rate is more advantageous for the dollar than it’s been in a long time. Gas is one of the very few things that are cheaper in Switzerland than in the rest of Western Europe; for example, in France it’s about $6.68 per gallon right now.

Still wishing you were driving in Europe? This is yet another reason so many Europeans use alternative means of transportation – bicycle, motor scooter, motorcycle, train – and oh yes, feet. Not to mention the near nightmarish difficulty of finding parking in many cities, let alone affordable parking.

Sort of makes us Americans a little slower to complain.