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Travel Music Buzz 4
Travel Music Buzz – The Richest Man in Babylon by Thievery Corporation
What inspires you when you travel? When you return from a travel experience in Costa Rica, do you recall the Samba music? Can you still feel the Apsara music you experienced in Cambodia?
Rob Garza and Eric Hilton, the duo behind Washington, DC world music group Thievery Corporation, find inspiration for their music in every place and everything. In any of the group’s albums or even individual songs, you may hear lyrics in English, Portuguese, French, Spanish or even Persian. Thievery Corporation’s list of guest musicians is a musical melting pot of popular artists such as Perry Farrell and David Byrne, and world musicians from Iceland, Jamaica and France, just to name a few. Rest assured, you can expect to hear a variety of musical styles every time you pop a Thievery Corporation record in, from reggae to bossa nova, Middle Eastern to Brazilian, all with a chill, down-tempo groove.
The Richest Man in Babylon represents Thievery Corporation in all the foot-tapping and booty-shaking glory they’ve become known for. It’s a more accessible version of their previous efforts that combines myriad cultural elements with familiar beats and danceable grooves. Despite its accessibility, Babylon also brings out their DC roots. That is, their music begins to take a more political stance on songs like “State of the Union” as well as on the title track.
Share on Facebook Post to Twitter Posted by Jordy Oleson · September 29, 2011
The Safety of Travel
An article about traveling through Cairo written by Greg Sullivan, founder of Afar Media and partner of Global Explorers, caught my eye this week. Greg talks about his recent visits to Egypt after Mubarak resigned. He points out that more than 2.2 million people have visited Egypt in the second quarter of the year and that none have been attacked. Point being: Egypt is a seemingly dangerous place at this time yet it appears to offer a fairly safe travel experience.
Mr. Sullivan adds “According to the New York Times, 67 people were shot in various incidents in New York over Labor Day weekend; 13 died. When I traveled to New York, nobody emailed me to make sure I was OK. But when things happen in a foreign land -- and let's be honest, particularly in the Middle East -- people are more likely to assume an isolated incident is indicative of much more.” See here for the full story
I have a family and we travel domestically and internationally a lot. I also run an organization that brings students and educators to places all over the world. Travel safety is a concern for me personally and professionally. As an organization, we regularly consult updates and craft policies based on data from national organizations such as the Center for Disease Control and the State Department. We talk to our partners in our host countries where we offer cross-cultural exchange opportunities. We prepare safe itineraries, plan for contingencies, train our staff in dealing with emergencies and much more. In short, we do everything we can to prepare safe travel experience.
Share on Facebook Post to Twitter Posted by David Shurna · September 22, 2011
Coming Soon to Theaters! Jane Goodall LIVE
Global Explorers is pleased to announce that on September 27, NCM Fathom and MDA Productions will be hosting a special one-night presentation of Jane Goodall LIVE, 
in select movie theaters nationwide. This unique theatrical broadcast will highlight Jane Goodall’s extraordinary career, and include rare never-before seen 45-year-old 8mm film footage shot by Goodall herself during her early years in Africa. During the event, Goodall will also answer user submitted questions. This special event includes appearances by Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie, former James Bond Golden Globe nominee Pierce Brosnan and Grammy Award winning musician Dave Matthews.
Global Explorers is a partner with the Jane Goodall Institute in Tanzania through its Roots & Shoots program, where 150 students and 6 teachers in 3 rural communities are provided with the skills, knowledge and practical approaches to help their communities conserve the surrounding Mt. Kilimanjaro Forest Reserve. Roots & Shoots has accomplished this by establishing a permanent two hectare field educational site adjacent to the reserve where they will host monthly field training sessions and create a tree nursery for native seedlings.
Share on Facebook Post to Twitter Posted by Raphael Ruiz · September 16, 2011
Tell Me Your Story
One of my favorite stories to tell over a campfire is an Ojibwe legend about a shape-shifting spirit called the Windigo. It's a harrowing adventure that cleverly explains the origin of mosquitoes. I learned it nearly twenty years ago as a camp counselor.
After finishing Joshua Foer's book, Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything, I thought immediately of the Ojibwe legend..JPG)
Linking vivid images with words literally changes the chemistry of our brains. It enables me to remember how to tell a fifteen-minute story that I heard twenty years ago.
At Global Explorers, we help students and educators create lasting stories of their own. Stories rooted in the multi-sensory experience of immersion travel.
Share on Facebook Post to Twitter Posted by David Shurna · September 9, 2011
Staycation’s All I’ve Ever Wanted
Ed Shurna shares an important, and often overlooked, form of vacation.
It’s currently summer here in the beautiful land of the free and home of the brave and often times that means planning a vacation. Working for a non-profit, student travel company one would think that we all travel to exotic locations during anytime off from work. While this is often the case sometimes it’s just not feasible. So, this year rather than gassing up the mini van for another cross-country ride from hell, forking over hundreds or thousands of dollars on airline tickets and hotels, or visiting the uncle you feel guilty about not seeing for five years I recommend a STAYCATION!! 
This new fad is rapidly gripping the nation and all joking aside is a great and economical way to enjoy all your city or town has to offer while not worrying about many of the pitfalls associated with a standard destination vacation. For those of you that live under a rock, STAYCATION as defined by the Dictionary of Me is: choosing to remain in your home community (STAY) during your time off from work (VACATION) rather than venturing to another city or country. It’s really that simple!
