Photo of the day (7.22.10)

by Meg Nesterov on

In addition to making awesome song parodies and being a fun celeb to follow on Twitter, Weird Al Yankovic has been a passionate polka advocate for his entire career. It’s no wonder when you see how much joy this gentleman is experiencing playing the polka, captured by Flickr user Adam Baker in Krakow, Poland. More music could benefit from accordions; they’re portable, fun to play, and make a regular afternoon at the park feel like a party. Dancing monkey optional.

Taken a photo of someone in a moment of pure joy in your travels? Upload it to our Gadling Flickr Pool and we might choose your snapshot to feature as a Photo of a Day.

Afghanistan, an accordion, ‘Elvis’ and Johnny Cash

by Willy Volk on

Some people travel to shop in different stores, or to eat different food, or to drink different beers. Jeff White traveled to immerse himself in a different culture. He believed so strongly in immersion, in fact, that he moved to Germany to live and work. This post of Jeff’s, republished in his honor, demonstrates Jeff’s interest in immersion and passion for connecting with people while traveling. Thanks, Jeff, for reminding us of the most important reason for travel.

A friend of mine just sent me this video from the start-up Web site GlobalPost, and it’s fantastic.

Gregory Warner, a freelance foreign correspondent living in Afghanistan, is an avid accordion player, and he tries to use the instrument as a means to connect with the people he’s covering.

The way Afghans respond to his accordion music is somewhat unexpected and reveals some truths about the country’s development during the last quarter century.

What does Warner do when asked to perform at a concert and realizing he doesn’t know any tunes by Afghanistan’s own pop icon? Well, Johnny Cash to the rescue. Watch and see what I mean…

(Thanks, Ed)