Teaching English, Indonesia
Shinto Water Cleansing Ritual, Japan
Helping Rice Farmers, Myanmar
“This yearlong journey profoundly changed me. I admit I had no idea where my singing would take me; it has opened my eyes to a world — full of kindness and smiles — that sang right back at me.”
HOW THE WORLD CAN TEACH US ALL MUCH: A YEAR OF A GLOBAL CULTURAL IMMERSION
World Cultures In 57 Photos?
On this page, you will find John’s snapshots and vignettes from his gap year of singing and service between June 2019 and June 2020. Deeper analysis and information can be found in his book Small Countries, Big Cultures, now available on Amazon.
During this year, John delved into local cultures, societal structures, religions, traditions, histories and governments of places he visited. To this end, he logged in over 1,200 hours of local cultural experiences including visiting a dozen Indigenous People’s villages, taking cultural tours, visiting places of worship across all faiths and interacting with locals on his journey. These experiences deepened his personal passion for exploring and researching different world cultures.
Cross Cultural Powwow, Canada
This annual Powwow in Banff attracts dozens of local Indigenous Peoples’ communities living in and around the Canadian Rockies. Events like this celebrate and help cultures thrive through the generations.
Buddhist Monastery, Myanmar
This peaceful Buddhist monk shared his temple and lifestyle while leading a small group mediation. While 90% of the population of Myanmar follow Theravada Buddhism, the military-led government is accused of restricting freedom of religion, as evidenced by the 2017 Rohingya crisis where more than 700,000 Muslim and Hindu refugees fled the country fearful for their safety.
Jewish Cultural Tour, Hungary
Professor Zoltan leads our group through the Jewish Quarter of Budapest, which includes several incredible synagogues and the former Jewish ghetto where Hungarian Jews were essentially held against their will awaiting deportation to camps. In 1944, over 434,000 Jews were deported on 147 trains, most of them to Auschwitz in Poland.
CULTURAL EXPERIENCES
Visiting 73 UNESCO World Heritage Sites offered an understanding of the cultural and historical significance that merits the UNESCO designation. In addition, John visited over 90 museums, 170 religious places of worship, over 126 historical places of significance and 25 national parks.
Kyoto Cultural Exchange, Japan
Japanese students welcome American students in a fun cultural exchange.
Maaori Village, New Zealand
This thriving geo-thermal Indigenous village has been welcoming visitors for over 200 years.
Russian Folk Show, Russia
Folk dancing like Barynya and Karmarinskaya are particularly culturally significant in Russia as citizens hold this art form in the highest regards.
FESTIVALS
Festivals included the Gion Festival (Kyoto, Japan), The Street Life Festival (Munich, Germany), Princes’ Day (Hague, Netherlands), China’s 70th Anniversary Celebration (Tibet, China), Dashain Festival (Katmandu, Nepal), Light Festival on the Irrawaddy River (Bagan, Myanmar), Water Festival (Siem Reap, Cambodia), and Annual Festival for Prosperity (Bali, Indonesia).
Kitchwa Village,
Amazon Rainforest
This Amazonian mother shared this versatile plant, which grows in abundance in the Amazon, demonstrating its many uses in cooking, storing food, and sewing.
Tibetan Monks, Sera Monastery, Tibet, China
At 13,000 ft elevation, Sera Monastery is one of the best places to witness student monks debating and is one of the “great three” Gelug university monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism.
Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
With its eight domes and six minarets, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (better known as the Blue Mosque) was built between 1609 and 1616 during the Ottoman-era.
CULTURAL SHOWS
Cross-Cultural Powwow (Banff, Canada), Hungarian Folk Show (Budapest, Hungary), Russian Folk Show (St. Petersburg, Russia), Legend of Kung Fu (Beijing, China), Face Changing Opera (Chengdu, China), Nepalese Dance Show (Katmandu, Nepal), Thang Luong Water Puppet Show (Hanoi, Vietnam), Burmese Dance and Folk Show (Yangon, Myanmar), Cambodian Cultural Show (Siem Reap, Cambodia) and Sarawak Village Indigenous People Show (Kuching, Malaysia).
Dachau Concentration Camp, Germany
We must never forget the heinous crimes against humanity waged at places like Dachau. More than 32,000 Jews were documented perishing here during WWII - it is suspected thousands more died here as well by the brutal hands of the Nazis.
Volunteering at the Bangla Sahib Gurudwara Sikh Temple, India
Prior to COVID, this community kitchen Bangla Sahib Gurudwara Sikh Temple in New Delhi served over 10,000 meals a day to any and all who came. By May 2020, LA Times reports the temple is now serving between 100,000 to 300,000 meals a day from its 24/7 staffed kitchen as more and more impoverished need access to meals in India. Rooted in community service, Sikhism is the fifth largest organized religion in the world.
Quechuan Village, Peru
Did you know that over 10 million people speak Quechua, the largest Indigenous language of South America? Peru has the most speakers (4 million). In the Andes, this traditional outfit is commonplace for women of the Sacred Valley. Peru is also home to dozens of Incan sites— like Machu Picchu — easy to explore by foot.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
During his travels, John was exposed to the significance and plight of various Indigenous Peoples’ cultures through the visiting Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal tribe (Daintree Rainforest, Australia), the Maori tribe of Whakarewarewa Thermal Village (Rotorua, New Zealand), the Tharu tribe (Chitwan, Nepal), the Sarawak Cultural Village (Kuching, Malaysia), the Quechuan people (Sacred Valley, Peru) and the Kitchwa Pilchi Village (Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador).
In addition, John also lived in a Balinese multi-generational compound while teaching English, experienced Tibetan monastery life with two former nomadic shepherds (aka pasturalists), meditated with Buddhist monks in Myanmar, studied the unique living practices of now-extinct Yamana indigenous people displayed at Tierra del Fuego National Park in Argentina, attended Banff Iniskim Cross-Cultural Powwow during Indigenous People’s Day in Canada and met descendants of the Mayan people in Mexico and Incan people in Peru.
Dumpling Making, China
Dumpling making is a Chinese tradition passed down through the generations. Especially important for Chinese New Year, dumplings are thought to have started 1,800 years ago by a doctor as a remedy for an epidemic.
Museum of Occupation and Freedom, Estonia
This museum helps Estonians and visitors not to forget the years of occupation it endured under the Soviets prior to its winning its full independence in 1991.
Pol Pot’s Killing Fields, Cambodia
In the 1970s, more than 25% of Cambodia’s population died under Pol Pot’s brutal regime in fields where firing squads would allegedly murder dissenters of Pol Pot’s Communist/Marxism leanings. This destruction of human life impacts many areas of Cambodian life today from a population imbalance to extreme levels of poverty and lack of safety nets to assist its population to human trafficking.
CULTURAL VOLUNTEERING
John’s cultural volunteer experiences included helping on an organic rice farm (Bagan, Myanmar), helping feed the hungry at the Gurudwara Sikh Temple (New Delhi, India), helping locals make Bamboo furniture (Bagan, Myanmar), helping feed Giant Pandas and clean their pens (Chengdu, China) and experiencing day-to-day life in a Balinese village while teaching English to rural third-graders (Ubud, Indonesia).
United Church of Bogota Fundraiser, Colombia
This multi-generational church supports the international community in Bogota, including some of the 1.5 million Venezuelan refugees that fled to Colombia and now live there for better lives — representing one of the biggest refugee crisis in the world today.
Irish Heritage Museum, Ireland
The Potato Blight of the 1860s started one of the largest migrations the world had seen up until that point. More than 1 million left Ireland and this award-winning museum tracks that emigration and the Irish diaspora around the world.
Lecture on Climate Change, Antarctica
Over the last year, Antarctica clocked in its highest temperature days since reporting began, and melting ancient ice shelfs. 90% of the world’s available fresh water lies in the Antartica’s ice sheet. Any questions that our Earth is at risk?
DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF WAR, OPPRESSION AND GENOCIDE
In Europe and Asia, John was exposed to the impact of major wars such as World War I & II, Korean War, Vietnam War and Soviet-era Cold War and their impact on culture. He specifically studied the devastating effects of genocide and oppression from visiting Dachau Concentration Camp (Dachau, Germany), the Museum of Occupation and Freedom (Tallinn, Estonia), the Museum of Occupation (Riga, Latvia), the Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Hiroshima, Japan), the Hanoi Prison (Hanoi, Vietnam) and Camp Greaves (Demilitarized Zone, Korea).
Sarawak Cultural Village, Malaysia
Borneo celebrates its Indigenous Peoples through this well-maintained cultural village with regular demonstrations of dance, traditions, art and food of the 7 Indigenous communities.
Ancient Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
The only Wonder of the Ancient World remaining largely in tact, the Pyramids of Giza were built over 4,500 years ago. The pyramids are believed to have been built to house the remains of deceased pharaohs who ruled over Ancient Egypt.
Tua Pek Kong Taoist Temple, Malaysia
The Chinese have had an incredible influence over the riverside city of Kuching, Malaysia on the island of Borneo where this Taoist Temple can be found.
RELIGIOUS PLACES OF WORSHIP
John’s interest in theology and other cultures led him to seek deeper knowledge in religious faiths including Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Bahai, Shintoism, Daoism, Taoism and Confucianism by visiting temples, shrines, pagodas, stupas, mosques, Buddhist monasteries and synagogues. In all, he visited more than 170 places of worship. His own Christian faith was deepened visiting churches including Catholic, Baptist, Russian Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant and Lutheran.
Hindu Water Purification at Holy Water Temple, Indonesia
This water temple is visited by locals on a regular basis as part of a water purification ceremony.
1600’s Turkish Home,
Bosnia & Herzegovina
This well-maintained Turkish home harkens the days of Ottoman rule in capital city Mostar.
Doheny Street Synagogue, Hungary
Also known as the Great Synagogue, Doheny Street Synagogue is the largest in Europe holding up to 3,000. As the border of the Budapest Ghetto, Doheny Street holds a deeper meaning as home to this historical building. 147 trains took Jews from this section to Auschwitz, where 80% perished immediately.
LOCAL FOOD
Food is a key to culture! How about dumpling making lessons (Beijing, China), Thai cooking class (Krabi, Thailand), Costa Rican cooking class (La Fortuna, Costa Rica), making cup noodles (Yokohama, Japan) and local meal lesson (Ubud, Indonesia)?
Rio Cultural Tour, Brazil
The world-famous Selaron Steps in Rio de Janiero represent a life’s passion of the Chilean Artist Escardaria Selaron. Risking financial ruin to do so, he worked tirelessly until the end of his life in this public art project to beautify the crumbling stairs adjacent to his home.
Chinese Heritage Museum, Singapore
This museum displays artifacts collected from more than 200 Chinese Singaporeans. It showcases a typical-sized living space in Singapore’s Chinatown from the 1950s when Chinese migrated to help build the Singapore economy. In some cases, an entire family would have lived in this tight space shown in the photo above, demonstrating the level of sacrifice these individuals made.
Sidewalk Art, Uruguay
Founded in 1680 by the Portuguese, the historic quarters of Colonia del Sacramento were declared a World Heritage City by UNESCO.
LOCAL WORKSHOPS
Another way to experience culture is through participating in cultural demonstrations like silk making (Beijing, China), carpet making (Delhi, India), sand painting lesson (Bagan, Myanmar), Chinese Calligraphy lesson (Xi’an, China), fabric dying (Sacred Valley, Peru), gem cutting demo (Delhi, India), wool weaving at Alpaca farm (Ollantaytambo, Peru), ceramics making (Cappadocia, Turkey), hieroglyphics lesson (Cairo, Egypt), silver making (Ollantaytambo, Peru) and jade carving (Beijing, China). What cultures make and why they make gives deep insights into how they have lived for generations.
Todaiji Buddhist Temple, Japan
Located in Nara, Japan, Tōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples. Opened in the year 752, it houses the world’s large bronze Buddha Vairocana.
Yamana Tribe Exhibit, Argentina
The Yamana, a now-extinct seafaring tribe, were known for its unbelievable ability to live without clothes in a frigid climate through keeping fires mobile. Settlers pushed tribes off their ancestral lands in late 1800s and early 1900s, lands that sustained their existence for generations; ultimately such acts contributed to the now-extinction of the Tierra del Fuego Indigenous. In the early 1900s, an Austrian missionary documented their existence after he earned their trust.
St Isaac’s Russian Orthodox Church, Russia
Completed in 1858, this beautifully-maintained church now serves as a museum. Throughout the history of Soviet Union (1917–1991), there were periods when Soviet authorities brutally suppressed Christianity to different extents. Soviet Marxist-Leninist policy consistently advocated the control, suppression, and ultimately, the elimination of religious beliefs. While Soviets actively encouraged atheism, most religions were never officially outlawed
RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES
Another way to experience a culture is through their religious ceremonies. John witnessed and / or participated in a wide array of religious ceremonies and rituals including incense burning and bowing ritual at Buddhist temples, water cleansing ritual at Shinto Shrines, hanging prayer flags in Tibet, bread offering and holy water purification at Sikh Temple, fasting for Karva Chauth Hindu holiday, meditating with Buddhist monks in Myanmar, holy water purification at the Holy Water Temple in Indonesia and a Shaman ceremony in Mexico. Learn through doing.
Hill of Crosses, Lithuania
Even though Soviets tried to destroy it multiple times, this important pilgrimage site is where one will find thousands of crosses placed for sick loved ones.
Public Hindi Cremation, Nepal
This UNESCO-site operates 24/7 preparing remains of Nepalese loved ones to be released into the adjoining River.
United Nations, New York
In 2016, the United Nations in conjunction with its 193 member nations established 17 Sustainable Development Goals worthy of your perusal.
MUSEUMS
Museums are a most direct and beneficial way to immerse in cultures and histories.
Top Ten Museum List: 10. British Museum (London, England); 9. Irish Heritage Museum (Dublin, Ireland); 8. Hospital in the Rock (Budapest, Hungary); 7. Hermitage Museum (St. Petersburg, Russia); 6. Plantin-Moreus Museum (Antwerp, Belgium); 5. Art Science Museum (Singapore, Singapore); 4. Goreme Open Air Museum (Cappadocia, Turkey); 3. National Folk Museum of Korea (Seoul, Korea); 2. Living Museum of the Maori indigenous people (Rotorua, New Zealand) and 1. (Tie) Museum of Occupations (both in Riga, Latvia and Tallinn, Estonia)
Rock Cave Church, Cappadocia, Turkey
History can even be found inside these special soft rocks that were the result of a volcanic eruption 2.6 million years ago. Inside you will find some of the best preserved 10th century frescos painted from the Early Christianity Era which are among the oldest such artworks in the world.
Kuku Yalanji Tribe, Daintree Rainforest, Australia
Altogether, there are 18 Rainforest Aboriginal tribal groups in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. When visitors come to the Daintree, one of the largest and oldest rainforests in the world, you may be greeted by the Eastern Kuku Yalanji Aborigional People who host a fire ceremony so that visitors are officially announced and presented to Kuku Yalanji ancestors before these visitors enter the Daintree. Indigenous have sustainably lived in the Daintree for thousands of years.
Thai Cooking Class, Thailand
One of the best ways to get to know a culture is know a culture’s food - even better take a local cooking class. In Thai cooking, a dish isn’t considered satisfying unless it combines five flavors of salty, spicy, sweet, bitter and sour. A great way when not traveling to get to know a culture is to try new foods.
ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES
John could see the influence of early history on the development of a region by visiting archeological and prehistoric sites including Diocletian’s Palace (Split, Croatia), Stonehenge (Wiltshire, England), Incan roads and temples (Sacred Valley, Peru), Myazedi Quadrilingual Stone (Yangon, Myanmar), Roman wall (Cavtat, Croatia), Terracotta Warriors (Xi’an, China), Valongo Whart (Rio, Brazil), Mayan temples (Chichen Itza, Mexico), Roman baths (Bath, England), Roman Hippodrome of Constantinople (Istanbul,Turkey), Basillica Cistern (Istanbul, Turkey) and King Tutankhamen (Cairo, Egypt)
Military History Museum, Vietnam
Downed U.S. planes are on display in this Hanoi museum that offers an alternative view of the late 20th-centrury long-standing conflict that split Vietnam and costed 1.3 million lives.
Picking Coffee Beans, Costa Rica
Costa Rica is one of the world’s most environmentally-friendly countries with its “Pura Vida” philosophy. Wind and solar power as well as sustainable practices in everyday life are commonplace.
Musee D’Orsay, France
When Impressionist artists first entered the French art science in the late 1800s, the Salon, the then-gatekeepers of French art circles, considered this new art form vulgar and strange. Today, Impressionist paintings are a huge draw to France.
HISTORICAL SITES (CASTLES & PALACES)
Visiting castles that have survived time give you a sense of shifting power struggles of monarchs in times past. John’s travels included Blarney Castle (Blarney, Ireland), Edinburg Castle (Edinburg, Scotland), Niji-jo Castle (Kyoto, Japan), Gyeongbokgung Palace (Seoul, S Korea), Buda Castle (Budapest, Hungary), Peterhof Palace (St. Petersburg, Russia), Forbidden City (Beijing, China), Patola Palace (Lhasa, Tibet), Fatehpur Sikri Palace (Agra, India), Topkani Palace (Istanbul, Turkey) and Rundale Palace (Lithuania).
Roman Ruins, Croatia
Some of the world’s best perserved Roman ruins can be found in Croatia — especially in Split, Croatia, home of Diocletian’s Palace from 305 A.D.
Dashain Festival, Nepal
The Dashain Festival is one of the most important Hindu festivals in Nepal and beyond. It focuses on family reunions and the renewal of community ties. The 2019 festival marked a return of this local Kathmandu cultural dance event in Kathmandu where local elders advocated for its revival in order to pass down this beloved childhood traditions to the next generation.
Terra Cotta Warriors, China
Uncovered in 1974 by Chinese farmers, the Terra Cotta Army is a collection of more than 8,000 terra-cotta sculptures depicting armies of Qin She Huang, the first Emperor of China. These warriors were buried with the emperor in 210-209 BCE to protect the Qin in his afterlife.
UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES
Some favorites UNESCO sites included the city of Bath (England), historic monuments of Ancient Kyoto and Nara (Japan), Mount Fuji (Japan), old bridge area of the old city of Mostar (Bosnia), historic center of St. Petersburg (Russian), Cathedral of Notre Dame (France), imperial palaces of the Ming and Qing dynasties (China), mausoleum of first Emperor Qin (China), Katmandu Valley (Nepal), Jantar Mantar (India) and the historic quarter of Colonia Del Sacramento (Uruguay).
Antwerp Cathedral, Belgium
Bringing in central elements of Christianity, Javier Pérez’s Corona, the glass crown of thorns on the red cushion represents Jesus’ suffering and the creation of light with his resurrection.
Lecture on Mayan Culture, Mexico
Known for its art, architecture, and math, this Mesoamerican civilization is particularly known for having the most sophisticated writing system in the pre-Columbian Americas.
Freedom Monument, Latvia
This important monument withstood the Soviet occupation and continued to serve as a symbol of national independence to Latvians.
WONDERS OF THE WORLD
There are several versions of the Wonders of the World, including Wonders of the Ancient World and Wonders of the Natural World. John visited the following (1) Wonders of the Modern World: Great Wall of China (China), Taj Mahal (India), Chichen Itza (Mexico), Machu Picchu (Peru), Christ the Redeemer Statue (Brazil) (2) Wonders of the Ancient World: Pyramids of Giza (Egypt) (3) Wonders of the Natural World: Great Barrier Reef (Australia), Mount Everest (Tibet) and Rio Harbor (Brazil).
The King on Prinsjesdag, Netherlands
Every year the King of Netherlands on Prinsjesdag (Princes’ Day) takes to the streets of The Hague for the opening of the government’s first legislative session. This popular event fills the streets with Dutch citizens seeking to get a peak at their reigning monarch.
Helsinki Lutheran Cathedral, Finland
This church, originally built from 1830–1852 as a tribute to the Grand Duke of Finland, Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, was first known as St. Nicholas' Church until 1917 independence of Finland. Today it is a major Helsinki landmark.
70th Anniversary, China
2019 marked the 70th year since the beginning of the People’s Republic of China. PRC spared no expense to celebrate this big achievement; flowers, banners, parades, and fireworks blanketed across the country during the September 2019 celebrations.
CITY SITES
John found that exploring cities on foot provides the best insights into their history and culture. Armed with iPhones and apps, many days were spent visiting marketplaces, parks and gardens, government buildings, squares and plazas, bridges, theaters, harbors, ports, waterfronts, bazaars, street food vendors and opera houses.
Buckingham Palace, England
Ever since King Alfred styled himself King of the Anglo-Saxons from about 886, England has had a long, storied history of reigning monarchs. While today its authority over the United Kingdom is largely symbolic, House of Windsor under its current monarch Queen Elizabeth plays an ever-changing yet consistent role over society within the country and (less so) over the association of 54 countries in the British Commonwealth.
Camp Greaves,
Demilitarized Zone, Korea
The most heavily guarded border in the world, the DMZ includes Camp Greaves, a key former base where U.S. troops were once stationed during the Korean War.
Confuscist Temple of Literature, Vietnam
Built at the time of Emperor Lý Thánh Tông, this place of learning was established in 1070 is one of several temples in Vietnam dedicated to the teachings of Confucius. This site also houses Vietnam’s oldest national university, Imperial Academy.
LECTURES
Lectures are an excellent way to tie learning with one’s travel. For instance, John attended lectures taught by local experts on Inca history, the Antartica Treaty, climate change, Amazon Rainforest, visual arts, Humpback Whale migration patterns, responsible social media, the Spanish Inquisition among others. However, one tip is to augment in-person lectures with video content readily available - some of John’s favorite video series to learn about the world are “Extra History” series and Geography Now Series. John’s travels took him to a wide range of places including Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, China, Tibet, Nepal, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia, Borneo, Indonesia, Singapore, Argentina, Antarctica, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Belize, Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, Egypt and Antigua.
El Muro de las Lágrimas, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
The Wall of Tears was built by prisoners who were sent to the Galapagos after WWII to establish a penal colony. Prisoners were once housed here in an open air prison until 1959. Under the extremely harsh conditions, many did not survive and died in building the lava black stone wall.
Local Chocolate Factory, Belize
Sometimes referred the “Cradle of Chocolate”, it is believed the Mayans invented chocolate more than 2,600 years ago as a Maya chocolate pot was found dating then. Maya kings consumed large amounts of chocolate as did the average Maya citizen thousands of years ago. Here they make it straight from the bean.
Alpaca Wool Products, Chile
Often found in colorful scarves, ponchos and sweaters, alpaca is a very fine and soft wool that comes from a smaller relative of the Chilean lama, bred specifically for its fleece. The alpaca’s fleece is well adapted to the cold Chilean Andes mountainous climate.