Home is Where NPR is

Listening to National Public Radio is one of my greatest pleasures in life. Lucky for me, all of their programs can be accessed over the internet and listened to at any time. I've come across a lot of great stories that I feel are relevant to my experience here, and I thought it would be worthwhile to share them. If you look to the lefthand side of the page, you'll see an "I LOVE NPR" link list. The first piece I have put up is "Iman's Wife A Bridge Between Two Worlds", which recounts the life of a young American woman married to a Muslim leader living in Virginia. She calls herself "a walking anti-stereotype", and I think her experience highlights some the surprising intersections between culture and religion. Some of what she says about the perception and reality of Islam resonated with my experience in Jordan thus far. (Except the parts about actually converting to the religion!)

I also put up "Fortune Cookie Offers New Taste of America", an interview with a Chinese-American food critic about her recent book chronicling Chinese food in America. The discussion focuses on the fact that fortune cookies are exclusive to American take out and not actually Chinese. Like the piece on the Iman's wife, this story discusses the multifaceted nature of cultural identity in modern America. Listening to this was fun, interesting, and delicious!

Please also note my "Side Routes" link list containing other websites of interest. Be sure to check out Stephie's "Exploring the Unreal City" blog about London! It's excellent (and updated much more frequently than mine).