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Apr

OIC’s Greatest Hits: Bridging Cultures

by Your friends at OIC on April 26, 2021

5 Insights on Connecting Across Cultures

Cultures leave unique marks on the world and collectively offer unparalleled richness and variety. While cultural heritage is acquired by birth and influenced by those closest to you as you grow up, people who later cross bridges into other cultures find their lives enriched by the connections. Their horizon is wider, the respect for people is greater, and life is a more fortunate mix of experiences. So say the OIC bloggers in their many stories of connecting across cultures.

Looking back on these stories and in appreciation of our bloggers’ insights, we’ve selected five posts for this edition of our “Greatest Hits.” They’re stories that moved our understanding and appreciation of other cultures, and we hope they’ll do the same for you. Read more...

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Crossing Cultures/Cultural Encounters/Cultural Heritage & Traditions

Apr

OIC’s Greatest Hits: Travel That Left Its Mark

by Your friends at OIC on April 16, 2021

5 Life-Changing Travel Adventures

Travel expands horizons, literally and figuratively. And invariably, some trips leave a lasting imprint. In the last nine years, our OIC bloggers have vividly recounted impactful journeys, capturing their feelings and the significance of their travels. Happy to share, they say, because their life-changing travel adventures left such a mark on their lives.

Looking back on OIC’s unique and rewarding travel stories and in appreciation of our bloggers, we’ve selected five posts for this collection of “Greatest Hits.” They’re the stories that left a mark on us as well. Read more...

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Cultural Encounters/Worldwide Sites

Mar

Around the Wacky World of Sister Cities and Twin Towns

by Meredith Mullins on March 22, 2021

Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, with cherry blossoms, a twin town with Rome and one of many sister cities around the world. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

It’s Not a Dull and Boring World

A story that features the words dull and boring can still show promise. We begin with a tale of two cities. Sister cities—Dull, Scotland, and Boring, Oregon.

This particular familial friendship (also called town twinning in Europe) was based on the humorous pairing of their town names. They even added a third city to the clan, creating a celebratory menage à trois. Bland, Australia was invited into the partnership, launching a possible new trend of town tripleting. Read more...

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