This roundup of posts published by our contributors on their personal blogs is now bi-weekly.  Happy reading!

Mike, our contributor from Japan, brings us an impressive photo essay about a cave called Shimuku Gama, located in Yomitan -Okinawa-, where a thousand villagers took refuge during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. The monument to two local heroes is, indeed, a sobering sight.

“To appreciate what it must feel like being bombed into the Stone Age it’s probably best to show you this cave from the inside, looking out.  Welcome to a cave called Shimuku Gama in Yomitan Okinawa, Japan.”

Anu, our contributor from India, writes about different religious traditions and celebrations in India, especially those which are new to her. She comes across a new festival by chance while visiting a market.

Considering how much I enjoy festivals, and coming from a family obsessed with celebrating not just our own, but every festival we come across, I had thought myself to be fairly well up to the mark when it came to knowledge of festivals celebrated in India…. at least those celebrated in the parts I come from and where I live! It just goes to show you how much I know when I came across a completely new festival today… in the market of all places!”

Jenna, our contributor from Poland, writes about Hungarian paprika and traditional Hungarian dishes. The  photos of food are very tempting.

“Paprika has a kick that’s more savory than spicy. And with a deep red hue that permeates whatever food it touches, it’s instantly recognizable. Paprika is the central spice in Hungarian food, but it actually has roots in Turkish cuisine, when Hungary was part of the Ottoman empire in the 16th century. There are also many different kinds of paprika, from sweet and mild to spicy.”

Ana, our contributor from Argentina, writes about the history of the railways in Argentina.

“I knew that the British had built and operated most railway lines between the 1850s and the 1940s, as this is the kind of thing we learn in history class at school but seeing the similarities really brought it home to me.”

 

 

About the author

Ana Astri-O’Reilly is from Argentina, where she lived until five years ago. She currently lives in Dallas, USA with her British husband, but they move a lot. Previously a translator and English and Spanish teacher, Ana first started writing to share her experiences and adventures with friends and family. She speaks Spanish, English and a smattering of Portuguese.