Google Zeitgeist

by Erik Olsen on

It’s been a while since I’ve checked in on the Google
Zeitgeist, so I figured I’d see what the world is thinking about and searching for. The list is usually pretty
predictable, but sometimes there are interesting surprises. Last week, which I’ve pasted below, looks to be on the
predictable side with the Bush leak and Katie Couric’s move to the CBS anchor chair of the topmost importance to folks.

1.       masters
2.      katie couric
3. 
    gospel of judas
4.      palm sunday
5.     
narnia
6.      kim mathers
7.      kenny rogers
8. 
    bush leak  
9.      red hot chili peppers
10. 
    passover
11.      kenzie dalton
12.      gene
pitney
13.      eva longoria
14.      meredith vieira
15. 
    spirit airlines

But even more interesting, I think is the international Zeitgeist page, which lets you see the top
terms in different countries. Here is where you get a true feel for the global Zeitgeist. Here, we learn that
Brazilians are interested in Carnaval, the Canadians and the Norwegians love Britney Spears, the Fins love, um, ystävänpäivä, and lots of
countries seem to be into both Paris Hilton and Harry Potter. Seriously, though, isn’t this fascinating?

World Citizens Guide

by Erik Olsen on

The motto of this
new group should be Be Not Thee an Ugly American. And good for them for saying so. Yes, at a time when we
really, truly need to project the very best image we can overseas, it seems many folks are still heading abroad and
wondering out loud why it is these other durn counties don’t take American dollars. Oh, please.

And so
comes the "World Citizens Guide" published by
Business for Diplomatic Action Inc. The guide offers 16 tips to behave properly when overseas. Among the tips:

  • Try to speak a little of a foreign language and respect local customs. (well, duh)
  • Be safety conscious not fearful (OK, that’s cool)
  • Dress for respect (can’t tell you how many
    dreadlocked, stinky hippie college kids I’ve seen in places like Thailand…clean up your act people!)


Anyway, a good, informative list and you
gotta give some props out to the folks that put this lsit together. Now if we can only get people to download and read
the thing.

Photo of the Day (04/15/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on


With Easter weekend
here the snow begins to thaw a little and even disappear in most places. I’m not sure if such is the case in this
amazing panorama taken by Alby in Urumqi, China, but it was too beautiful to pass up. The red
lanterns look almost as if they are popping off the photo, bursting away from the freezing snow.  Everything from
the person in red strolling towards the lifeless brown tree to the temple to the right makes this a stellar photograph.

Foreign Language Scrabble

by Adrienne Wilson on

This blurb is
going to officially mark me as a foreign language geek, but what do I care. Those who know me well know I love games
and the competitive spirit runs through every vein in my body. My two favorite indoor weekend games happen to be a good
round of Spades and a wordy, hours-long, game of Scrabble. And anyone out there who has played Scrabble in the past
knows how grueling the last few minutes can be when you’ve got only the letters X, B, V, I, and H in your possession.
The board is locked up with the exception of the most unwelcoming tiles jutting out and you’re about ready to scream
"why me?! Why did I get stuck with the X, Y, and Z?" You refrain from doing such as Scrabble is a
sophisticated game so you switch gears promising to place the most incredible, unbelievable, prodigious, and astounding
four letter word known to man down on the board. Everything goes quiet; your tiles hit the board and spell the word
"XINH."

"Xinh?"

Your opponent who isn’t as skilled in Vietnamese as you happen to be raises a
high-brow before telling you to remove that junk from the board, but you plead stating the word’s meaning and use in
Vietnam where you once heard it the streets somewhere. It’s times like these when a little foreign lingo Scrabble board could sure come in handy. For those
multilingual folks out there wanting to slam a huge word in Hebrew down in Scrabble, there is a list you may wish to check out. The list not only tells you some
of the various languages you can purchase Scrabble in, but also
points you to sites online where you can play with other people across the world and other interesting facts.

Working Abroad or Trying…

by Adrienne Wilson on

I don’t know what I was looking for when I
clicked on the work abroad link over at Road Junky. I’m certainly
not searching for work internationally, not now at least. And I confess there have been times where I looked and
applied to teach English in China or Korea without even thinking twice. Strangely enough I didn’t made it too far with
the process considering I never obtained a TEFL to actually make it happen, but
I’m willing to bet I’m not the only one whose applied on a whim.

What I did find were a couple people’s
tales of their failed attempts in landing work overseas. One gentleman calls himself the "Worst Businessman in the World" as he shares the sad
details of his attempts in the export biz in India and blames his failures on the country as a whole. However, the
reality of his poor, comical situation was he didn’t do the market research. Another traveler in Nicaragua tries to find bar work, but ends up being the
stereotypical drunk at the bar spilling his sick, sad, sob stories to the bartender and anyone else who will hear them.
Lastly in one other tale a traveler scores the opportunity to teach English in Taiwan only to find he couldn’t face the
frightening 4 year-olds on a day-to-day basis.

Check out all
three in full for a good laugh or share your own failed job stories right here.