A couple of decades ago, my wife Susan and I worked as entertainers on cruise ships. Often the entertainers sat together at mealtimes. A common observation was that the job of being a comedian was the most difficult of all the entertainers. Having to be funny for ten or fifteen minutes before a group of elderly strangers (as well as having to avoid any jokes that might be interpreted as obscene, irreligious, or politically incorrect) was difficult indeed...
Chinese opera is a long-established unique Chinese cultural expression. The stage and costumes are over-the-top. The music is stunning...for non-Chinese an acquired taste.
Pandas are China's cultural symbol of its diplomatic efforts to promote peace through cultural exchanges. The US has hosted pandas on loan for many years, as well as pandas loaned to other countries. They are so cute. But we must remember that they are a species of bear. They are not aggressive. But they can be dangerous under certain circumstances.
Following our two weeks in Germany and Sweden, we flew into Oslo, Norway, one day early before the flight to join our Hurtigruten cruise around the Svalbard island chain. Upon the recommendation of my old friend Per (who is Norwegian but lives in Germany), we . . .
Stockholm is one of my favorite cities in the world. It is very beautiful, the historic capital of Sweden. I've visited Stockholm over a dozen times, enough to learn a respectable fluency in the Swedish language (which is much easier than German). It's also home to dear old friends. Seeing them was the goal of this visit. I share insights comparing the Swedish and American healthcare and political systems.
It’s often said that India is a land of contrasts, which I am happy to confirm and illustrate. India has some of the world’s richest people and many of the poorest. It has luxurious high-rise apartment buildings, surrounded by the huts and hovels in which the servants, maids, drivers, cooks, and workmen live who take care of their richer neighbors.
Mount Fuji was an impressive site as our ship approached the Shimizu harbor. Mount Fuji is Japan's highest mountain, an active volcano in a perfect conical form.
I experienced wildlife in India that I had imagined could only be experienced on an African safari.
It has been said that the American healthcare system is not about health, nor is it a system. Rather, it has been described as a pyramid scheme run by insurance companies with government collaboration, in which exorbitant premiums are collected from those who can afford to pay. Profits are maximized by simply paying out less in benefits than what is collected in premiums. The sicker the American population is, the more profits can be made by the insurance companies. Care is withheld from the uninsured...
Susan and I were privileged to spend ten days in Bali. Several days were spent traveling several hours from Ubud, our home base, to famous temples popular with tourists like us. We didn't see all of Bali. But the places we were able to visit yielded many interesting photos.
