Sri Lanka

A Land of Many Wonders ~ In this photographic essay, Lucía Burbano captures the diversity of Sri Lanka, from its ancient temples to its sacred rituals, from its industrious people to a land still struggling with the devestation of the deadly tsunami of 2004.

Israel

Selected Memories of the Desert ~ Johnna Kaplan shares her memories of her time in the Israeli town of Arad just before the outbreak of war.  From trekking through the Negev on a Jewish Tiyul to bomb-shelter drills and learning to put on a gas mask, Kaplan offers insights into her unique cultural encounters.

Lebanon

Beautiful War Zone ~ David Brown spends some time in South Lebanon.  Standing beneath the tattered Hizbollah flag, he gazes over the border at lush green Israel and contemplates the struggles that continue to rage between these two neighboring lands.

Nepal

Crisis in the Himalayas ~ Marie-Louise Olson finds that the political situation in Kathmandu is at odds with the serene and magnificent backdrop of the Himalayas. 

Korea

Festival of Lanterns ~
Erin K. Melvin joins in the traditional celebration of Buddha's birthday--the 2547th anniversary of his enlightenment--in Korea.  Watching monks and women in traditional dress, she finds herself surrounded by huge colored lanterns in honor of the celebration.

Indonesia

Pasola: Ritual War in Indonesia's Wild East ~
Campbell Bridge travels to an island in the east of Indonesia and discovers an elaborate practice called the Pasola, where the inhabitants of the island of Sumba stage a spectacular ritual fight each year. 

China

An Army on the Move ~ Scott Berkland explores the fascinating city of Chongqing through the eyes of some of its poorest workers: the "Bang-bang Army," men who carry loads on bamboo sticks throughout the city.  In a series of fascinating interviews with these bang-bangs, Berkland exposes the personal effects of China's intense overpopulation and the need for better education.

Japan

Reflections on Japanese Reality ~ As Cory Searcy approaches the seventeenth-century tomb of Tokugawa Ieyasu with its elaborately decorated pathway, he reflects on the former shogun's life and the continuity between Japanese history and the modern reality of the country.

India

Meet the Maharaja ~ Erik R. Trinidad sets out the intrepid reporter, planning to gain a true insight into the life of an ordinary man who just happens to be His Highness Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh of Jaipur.  But when Erik meets the Maharaja, things don't go quite according to plan.

Kamshet and the Circus in the Sky ~ Paragliding allows Astrid Rao to see the world from a different viewpoint, especially in the Indian town of Kamshet, where the townspeople welcome this strange circus in the sky.
 

Irula Snake Catchers ~ Led by two native guides, Chris Adams goes in search of snakes in Tamil Nadu, South India. Spurred on by the National Geographic Channel, Adams tracks down the Irula Tribe, experts at catching snakes for their skin, and finds himself face-to-face with a Cobra.

Bangladesh

Hitching Rickshaws and Learning Bengali ~ Mark Abelson experiences life from the inside of Bangladesh, a country plagued by poverty and corruption. Shocked by the suffering around him and also by the generosity of his Bengali hosts, he becomes a member of a Bangladeshi family and experiences life in both the city of Dhaka and the countryside of Bangladesh, where life has a slightly different value.