Places and stories
Here I am sharing little anecdotes about my trips to various places in the world. Along with some of the pictures I took. I focus on experiences and encounters that have made a lasting impression on me. It is a collection in-the-making. I will add more stories over time as I see fit. Enjoy! To "Read more..." of a particular story you will be taken to my blog website "Culture and Identity" which contains the entire story. Comments welcome!
Monaco: His Moment
My friends and I went to one of those numerous Italian restaurants in town. Right after we entered, I noticed a man with a rather small frame who had a lively, never-ending conversation with some of the guests. Who was he? The owner? A waiter? Another guest? Read more...
Montevideo: Enlightening
The first thing I was told at the family-run hotel I stayed in: be careful when walking outside in the dark! Well, nothing new I thought. In most cities I have travelled to they say that. Being mindful I did venture out at night to explore local eateries. On the way I did notice some people who seemed to be "hiding" in dark corners, which was indeed a little spooky. But why was I noticing that? Read more...
Nagoya: Shoe Capsule
When I first went to Japan I had one big wish: to stay in one of those famous capsule hotels! And I did. My mind was filled with fantasies and movie images of what it must be like. Read more...
New Berlin, Pennsylvania: Trilogy
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Gentle giant. This little adventure began at a hostel in Philadelphia where I met with a group of boy scouts from New Berlin, Pennsylvania. Excited about our Berlin connection, one boy scout invited me to spend a weekend with his family. It was my first trip to America and I was curious about how Americans live. Read more...
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Worldviews. I learned a lot about Americans during my time in New Berlin: Americans love ice cream and movies. Americans need a car for any distance greater than 50m. And American boyscouts may tell you that they dream about becoming President one day. But I also learned something very fundamental about the American mindset. Read more...
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Uncle Yoda. When I stayed in New Berlin I had one big wish: meet some Amish people who lived in the area. I knew that Pennsylvania was historically very open to different religious groups, and I wanted to experience it first-hand. So I asked my host family: Do you know any Amish person? Read more...
Venice: Trilogy
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Sensing the past. For a long time, Venice used to be my favorite city in the world. Whenever I went, I enjoyed getting lost in the maze of tunnels, bridges and stairs in the old town. And I fantasized about doing my own little boat tour wondering about how it must have been like to live there in medieval times. But my most striking memory of Venice is not about bridges and canals. Read more...
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Awaiting the future. It was not by accident that I chose to spend the last few days of the 20th century in Venice. Most of us had mixed feelings about the arrival of the new millennium. Will civilization suddenly collapse when all digital clocks change to zero? Read more...
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Stopping time. Venice may transcend time, but once in a while it can make time stand still. I would have thought that such a moment could occur during my lonely walks in the old city quarters and along the canals. But it happened quite unexpectedly in the middle of New Year’s Eve on Piazza San Marco. Read more...
