Author: Ms. R.

In early November 2020, as voters in the United States went to the polls in a historic election, people in another part of the world were taking part in a democratic process of their own: 16 assembly seats were on the ballot in the Gwalior-Chambal region of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. For days leading up to the election, long lines slithered outside every police station. It was not for early voting. The men in these lines—and……

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English printmaker Hester Cox knew she didn’t want a traditional white dress for her North Yorkshire wedding in 2016. Her now-husband agreed. So Cox chose something different: a dress made from silk maps of Scandinavia dating back to the 1940s. Working with designer Sara Jane Murray, Cox chose maps of Sweden showing a pale blue sea dotted with small islands. She based the style on a favorite sundress. The unique garment received global media attention, but it’s not as……

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The Venerable Dhammavanna, a former journalist living in Nakhon Pathom province, about 30 miles outside Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, now wakes each morning at 5:30. First, she meditates, then has a breakfast of rice. Dressed in saffron robes, she tackles her morning work—cleaning, welcoming visitors, even attending to IT snafus. She dines again at 11, and then takes classes in Buddhist teachings in the afternoon before completing community service tasks and winding down her day with chanting. She lives at……

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This stocky bronze figure, bearing his charming grin and local tattoo is quite the colorful presence in the town center. With only a sycamore leaf protecting his dignity and a single foot bearing his only piece of clothing, “The Sockman” spends his days, leg outstretched, admiring this zig-zag sock. Not only is this sculpture quirky and unique, it also honors an industry close to the town’s heart. Since the 18th-century, the woolen industry has been a core part of……

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Next to the appropriately named Sheepwash Bridge in Ashford in the Water in Derbyshire, England, is an ancient sheep pen that was used until the 20th-century. It was designed to house sheep while they were being washed. This was done prior to sheering or taking the sheep to market. The tradition continues today, but for tourism purposes. It often occurs on Well Dressing Day, the day of the year when the annual Water Well Dressing is revealed to the……

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While the Camposanto (monumental cemetery) is right next to one of the most recognized buildings in the world, it does not see nearly as many visitors. The silence and stillness when traversing the open-air hallways adds to the sometimes haunting nature of the 14th-15th-century frescoes. These works of art include “The Last Judgement,” “Hell,” and “The Triumph of Death and Thebaid.” The stone floor tiles are all gravestones dating to the late 13th-century and sarcophagi are scattered throughout the……

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The capital of Scotland is not short on its share of monuments. There are some dedicated to the famous, such as The Walter Scott Monument. Others highlight the more nefarious, such as the Melville Monument commemorating Henry Dundas. Dundas was an 18th-century lawyer and politician involved with the slave trade. However, not far from these two towering creations, on one of the city’s most prestigious streets, is a minuscule model of a lighthouse with a working and revolving lantern…….

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The Hollywood sign, which stands on a hill overlooking Los Angeles, is one of the world’s most recognizable sites. A continent away, on a grassy hill overlooking the small town of Rudnik, Serbia, there is a nearly identical sign. Only on close inspection does one notice the differences: The Serbian sign has just one “l,” and reads in full “Serbian Holywood,” although “Serbian” appears in much smaller font.  The creation of local artist Ivan Jakovljević, also known as Ivo……

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