Introducing Globlogs

Some of you may have noticed that there’s been a new addition to the blog over the last couple of weeks.  You have to look to notice it, but it’s there, down at the bottom of the column on the right side of the page.  Did you find it?  It’s called Globlogs.   Globlogs (global + blogs) is an effort to bring you great blogs from other people, countries, and cultures all over the world. 

The idea behind globlogs is simple:  I wanted to find people with interesting voices who live in interesting places and who blog about what interests them.

In some ways, I’m looking for versions of what I hope thunderstrokes is, but originating from a variety of far-flung writers and locations.  I have always been fascinated by the way people of different backgrounds can look at the same things, and have such varied thoughts, perceptions and beliefs regarding them.  In addition, I am genuinely interested to know what someone who lives in, let’s say China, thinks is important or worth writing about.  I want to know what life is like for someone living in Russia, for instance, or Australia, or Chile, or Tanzania, or Iraq.  If it’s interesting, if it’s well-written, and if it’s in English (that last one turned out to be a bigger problem than I expected), I want to read it.  I thought you might too, so I started Globlogs as a subsection of this blog. 

The thing is, what I didn’t want is to simply provide a list of travel blogs of people who venture from country to country, even if they were staying for an extended time in one place.  Don’t get me wrong, travel blogs can be wonderfully entertaining and enlightening, and I hope one day to do one myself, but that’s not what I’m after here.  In traveling I’ve noticed, and maybe you have too, that when you go to a new place and either stay with or meet someone who lives there, someone who really knows that place, it immeasurably deepens and enriches the experience.  That’s the feeling I’m trying to replicate with Globlogs.  I want an insider’s perspective, and I want local flavor.  I want to be able to get a sense of what life is like, not for someone who’s just passing through, but for those who call that place home, who have a vested interest in what happens there.  I want to know what they are thinking about, what matters to them.  I want to know what their priorities are, from the trivial to the profound, and what they see when they look around their world.  Not that I expect or even want one blog to represent an entire country or culture.  These are individuals writing these blogs, and so their thoughts, feelings, and attitudes cannot be extrapolated into anything more than what they are:  one person’s viewpoint.  In the end, what I want are authentic, passionate voices talking about life; their lives in their place and their time. 

So, to this purpose, I respectfully present Globlogs to you. Go, explore, click on the place you’d most like to visit, or the one you didn’t know existed, or the one that looks the most interesting.  There are so many amazing people, and amazing places to discover on this planet.  Collectively, these blogs are intended to stand as a reflection of this on a very small scale.  As I continue searching and discovering great international blogs, I’ll continue adding to the list.  Who knows, maybe someday we’ll have the whole world covered by Globlogs.  As time permits, I will spotlight each one of the blogs and explain why I chose it and what I like the most about it.  Blogs that aren’t updated with some regularity, or which I feel no longer fulfill the criteria I have just outlined will be dropped or replaced.   If you know of a great international blog that you think fits the description offered here, please email me or leave a comment. I’d love to check it out.

So go ahead, take a few minutes and see what somebody on the other side of the globe wants you to see.  Dare to visit with a complete stranger, and come away acquainted.  Wander into the exotic, global bazaar of ideas and perspectives with an open mind, and see what happens.  I promise your purse or wallet will not be stolen. Go on, turn your coffee break into a safari.  I’ll be here when you get back.