White marble keeps barefoot visitors cool as they wait to reflect within the Taj Mahal.

The cities of Agra and New Delhi, India, are worlds of brilliant hues. Although they may require you to forgo a few of the more luxurious travel comforts, Agra and New Delhi will leave you with photos and memories bursting with just about every color of the spectrum.

New Delhi: Finding Color in Old and New

According to recent traveler Sarah Cox, the first things you’ll notice when you arrive at New Delhi International Airport are the tremendous heat and the beautiful shades of green found throughout the landscape. Heading towards New Delhi, you’ll quickly notice that in this vibrant country, color is everywhere. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself mesmerized by the women’s beautiful saris and scarves, flowing in bright shades of various colors.

The city of New Delhi displays the unique culture of India by blending modern wonders with ancient architecture. You’ll be missing out if you don’t visit the beautiful Lotus Temple, an alluringly exotic Bahá’í House of Worship built in 1986 in the shape of a budding flower. It is surrounded by nine turquoise pools, and people from any faith can enter its arching walls to enjoy a moment of peace and tranquility.

Another must-see place is the Lodhi Gardens: 90 acres of lush green fields and peaceful gardens dotted with tombs, mosques, and other ancient buildings dating back to the 1500s.

New Delhi is also home to a number of structures built from the region’s red sandstone, including the Red Fort, a seventeenth-century fortress; the eight-hundred-year-old Qutub Minar, one of India’s tallest minarets (towers used to call Muslims to prayer); and Humayun’s Tomb, a sarcophagus built in a 30-acre garden intersected by four azure rivers.

Agra: India’s Colors at a Slower Pace

After spending a few days in New Delhi, hire a driver and take the two-and-a-half-hour trip south to Agra. Here you’ll find colors in every aspect of the local scene, but at a much slower pace than in the busy metropolis of New Delhi.

The outdoor markets are certainly a sight to behold. Brooke Eddington, a recent visitor to Agra explains, “Everything is colorful. Fruit and vegetable stands burst with color, and the people are wearing vibrantly colored clothes, like bright pink, yellow, orange, all colors.” She adds, “Even on a cheap point-and-shoot camera, everything looks like professional photos. The colors are so pretty.”

Agra is the place to experience the most authentic Indian food, so make sure that you delve into the red, green, and orange curries. Try the delicious kormas as well, which are meat and vegetable dishes with bright orange sauces made with spices like white pepper, saffron, and curry leaves mixed with yogurt or cream.

Agra is also the home of the famous Taj Mahal, where sparkling white majesty sets the background for the bold textiles of its visitors. While you’re there, take a break from the crowds and stroll through the emerald Mehtab Bagh, the four-part garden complex located next to the Taj Mahal.

There is certainly an endless list of things you could do as you travel through these two vibrant cities. But no matter where you go, you are guaranteed to have a colorful experience.

—Jason Cronin

Music can make your trips more memorable this year—especially if you check out the local music scene. Whether you’re in London or Liverpool, you’ll find emerging musicians like the Stowaways to provide the perfect soundtrack to that smashing British holiday. The Stowaways, an emerging indie rock band, play the London music scene and have performed at a number of venues, including the 2012 London Olympic Games.

As the Stowaways’ fame spreads, other artists are tuning in to listen. Colin Rivera, the lead singer of the American-British alternative pop rock band the Lovecapades, says, “I like their sound a lot. The British guitar tone is gorgeous, and they certainly have the vocal quality present in a lot of mainstream British rock.”

For this exclusive interview, Stowaway spoke with Rudi Falla, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter of the Stowaways.

How did you come up with the word “Stowaways” for your band name?

We just liked the sound of it. We brainstormed for ages, and that seemed to have kind of a familiar ring to it. That’s the only reason for it really. Why are you called Stowaway magazine?

Because we want our readers to have a fun adventure and just stow away to some place exciting—and enjoy it by reading our magazine.

Awesome—I guess that’s not many miles off the vibes of our music.

What sets the Stowaways apart from other indie bands?

We want our songs to shine through, big and strong. We’re kind of changing our direction right in the minute. We’re just trying to broaden our spectrum on what we write about. And we’re bringing in some other influences from South Africa and listening to American bands like Tori Y Moi or Washed Out. That’s kind of the ambient vibe. 

Is there a reason behind this change in your sound?

We want to have a more defined sound that you can hear and go,
“Oh, that’s the Stowaways.” Something like that where we could have an album, and the songs could sit as a continuous body of work.

What was it like playing for an international audience at the London Olympics in 2012?

It was awesome. It was amazing just to be involved in the whole Olympics and to go into the park and soak up the atmosphere. We had such good times at the Olympics and the Paralympics as well. It was awesome.

With your success at the Olympics, do you think you’ll be traveling to the United States any time soon?

We’d love to. [Chuckles.] Our housemate went there last March. I was playing bass with him, so I got to go over, and it was amazing. So, I’d like to get the Stowaways on it. It’s the next avenue we’ll be working on.

What’s it like to travel with your band?

We love getting out of London because London can be kind of a tough crowd. Sometimes everyone’s quite stoic, you know; they just stand and watch whether they’re enjoying it or not. [Laughs.] They just kind of don’t move at all. 

We love getting out. We’d love to get some gigs in Europe because we love traveling, and we’d love to be on tour in 2013. Generally, that’s a good way to do it, especially if you can get your way paid as well.

Where’s your favorite venue to play at in London?

Favorite venue—probably the KOKO in London. It’s really cool. Just a nice place. It has an old theater-type vibe, but it’s really cool.

So, if our readers were to visit London and wanted to get the best music, where should they go?

For indie music or alternative stuff like that, there’s a venue called XOYO. They’ve got some real cool acts there. That’s near Old Street in central northeast London. 

What advice do you have for musicians who are trying to begin the adventure of starting a band?

What we’ve decided to do is pull back from gigging too much and not worry about chasing management or chasing industry people too much. We’ve just focused on the songs—that should always be the priority, really. So I’d say, “Don’t forget about the songs.”

www.thestowawaysmusic.com

www.koko.uk.com

www.xoyo.co.uk

Aaron Airmet

More travelers these days prefer to get off the beaten path and see the world from a different view. If you don’t mind a bumpy, shaky, sometimes downright frightening ride, hop on—you might just find yourself coming away with not only a cool story but also a new perspective of the world.

Wander across the Desert

Camels provide the classic animal-riding adventure. But before you climb on and become another tourist-trap statistic, be clear on the price of your camel ride. Often you’ll be informed about the price of getting on, but don’t forget to also factor in the price of getting off! From atop these stinky, spit-squirting desert dwellers, take in the sights of the Pyramids in Giza, gaze across the rolling sands of the Sahara in Morocco, or get a bird’s-eye view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.

www.africafreak.com/blog/top-5-camel-safaris-in-africa

Show Off Your Strut

Get a real bird’s-eye view atop a big-eyed ostrich. Though unable to fly, they can run with more than just the feathers on their backs. As you climb on the back of an ostrich, its big eyes are blindfolded to keep the bird calm. Once you’re situated, make sure to hold on tight  as the blindfold is removed because ostriches can reach speeds of 20–30 mph (32–48 kph), even with you on board. The best place to get your avian strut on is at the ostrich capital of the world: Oudtshoorn, South Africa. You’ll be in for one unforgettable ride.

www.oudtshoorn.com

Plod through Paddies

It probably wouldn’t cross your mind to climb up onto the back of a cow, but the idea of riding livestock in Asia is a whole different story. Sometimes called “the living tractors of the East,” water buffalo are extremely useful to local farmers because of their ability to work in wet, muddy conditions. You can plod along on one of these long-horned beasts of burden and observe farmers in ankle-deep water, sporting their conical hats and harvesting rice paddies in southwestern Vietnam. If you start your ride in the Mekong Delta region early in the morning, you can look out over the incredible floating markets and see merchants along the delta loading up their boats with produce and goods.

www.waterbuffalotours.com

Amble to New Altitudes

Real adventure in the Himalayas is found not only in ascending Mount Everest, its highest peak, but also in riding around on top of a 2,200-pound (997 kg), 7’2” (2.2 m) tall, long-haired bovine known as a yak. These pack animals are specifically adapted to high altitudes—generally residing at about 10,000–16,000 feet (about 3,000–5,000 m) above sea level. Despite their alarming size, yaks are actually quite friendly animals. And, as a bonus, their wool is naturally odor resistant. Even if your trip doesn’t include reaching the summit, you can still use a yak for a smaller mountain-trekking adventure, especially when crossing wide streams or rivers. Before arriving at the Himalayas, be sure to stop in at the Bodhnath Stupa, where traders in ancient times would stop to pray for a safe journey through the treacherous mountains with their yaks. Or you can simply climb on a yak to get your picture taken, as long as you’re willing to pay its owner for this once-in-a-lifetime snapshot.

www.caravanistan.com/transport/yak-riding

Stomp through the Jungle

You might need to pray a little before settling onto the seemingly precarious bench perched as a saddle on an elephant’s back. Be warned: moseying along at a rapid 4.5 mph (7.2 kmh) pace and the swaying motions of an elephant’s gait may cause motion sickness. Chiang Mai, Thailand, is one of the best elephant-trekking locations. This city’s villages and surrounding jungles are situated against the backdrop of the arboreal Doi Suthep Mountains, which are graced with a golden, red-roofed Buddhist temple, making this the perfect site for an elephant escapade. But don’t be surprised if you get hit by a stray branch or soaked by a spray from your elephant’s trunk as you cross through the Mae Wang River.

www.chiangmaitotravel.com

Mindy Leavitt

You don’t always have to have a particular destination in mind when you travel. Maybe you just want to get away from your familiar hometown to any city that will take you in. 

No-destination flying can be the perfect way to find anew place to spend the weekend. In this traveling trend, the specifics of destinations are irrelevant: the important part of traveling is escaping the tedious routine of your normal life and getting out of your comfort zone. 

Rather than feeling obligated to see momentous and over–photographed tourist sites, you can focus on connecting with regular people living in regular cities across the world. No-destination flying proves that you can find adventure anywhere—not just at the world’s 100 most popular tourist sites.

Several websites and airlines offer ways to find cheap, last-minute flights to locations all over the world. You need only specify a departure airport, a range of departure dates, and a budget—-and these sites will find airline deals that you can take advantage of. Just know that the best deals often last only a matter of days or even hours.

You can also find deals by asking airlines to notify you personally. Most airlines send out weekly emails of their best deals to those who subscribe. If you don’t want a series of emails clogging up your inbox, some sites, like www.smartertravel.com and www.airfarewatchdog.com, will aggregate the best deals from several airlines. These last-minute flight notifications mean that you won’t have to do all of the searching yourself.

A more personalized option than wading through websites or receiving mass emails is calling travel agencies and airlines directly to ask about available deals. Airlines generally have employees with the title of “revenue manager,” whose job is to fill flights that are already scheduled to leave. Sometimes prices are lowered dramatically as the departure date approaches. Airline employees may know about deals that aren’t available online; their knowledge and expertise can save you time and money.

The next time you find yourself wanting to get away from your everyday life, consider giving no-destination flying a whirl. For as little as $150, you could find yourself with a round-trip ticket to adventure.

Nichole Eck

Today, the terminal, commonly known by its earlier name, Grand Central Station, stands as a celebrated and miraculous union of design and engineering, the first and only of its kind at the time. In essence, the triumphal gateway to New York City was created of the people, by the people, and for the people. This February, Grand Central Terminal, an American legacy, commemorates its one-hundredth anniversary.

In 1899, 14 years before the opening of the new terminal, the New York Times referred to the station as “a cruel disgrace.” Owned by railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt, Grand Central Station occupied 23 acres of railroad tracks; a deluge of steel and steam, creating an environmental nightmare as the trains spewed smoke, cinders, and noise. New Yorkers began to fear the Vanderbilts’ railroad monopoly, feeling it was too powerful and not conducive to public transportation. The speeding iron horses cruised heedlessly through dark tunnels and dangerous passageways. What was meant to facilitate travel became inconvenient and dangerous. Then on January 8, 1902, the public’s fears were confirmed: the worst train crash in New York history occurred ominously close to the dysfunctional station. Fifteen people were killed instantly; many others were burned and wounded. The city was enraged. 

Outcries led New York to ban trains from running in the city. Something had to change. William Wilgus, a brilliant civil engineer, saw a solution: replace the iron trains with electric ones. Electric trains allowed railways to run underground, increasing travel capacity three-fold. The plan was simple, elegant, ingenuous. Wilgus’s $70 million project was self-financed, taking zero money from the already skeptical public. Developers began buying air rights to build businesses above the underground tracks on Park Avenue. Wilgus’s idea changed not only the future of the railway but also the landscape of the American enterprise. From 1903 to 1913, a new terminal housed the most organized and efficient electric train railing known to the world.

What makes Grand Central Terminal so majestic is its incredible architecture—the work of Whitney Warren. The exterior has three grand arches with a 1,500-ton sculpture of Mercury, Hercules, and Minerva. The entrance to Grand Central showcases the perfect balance of stamina, empiricism, and grace: Tennessee marble floors, high-scaling windows, and vaulted ceilings featuring a finely etched and painted mural of the night sky—not to mention the imposing scale.

For years, Grand Central Terminal reliably served Northeast America. During World War II, it acted as the main hub for transporting troops. A top-secret basement known as M-42 lies nine stories below the lowest floor. During the war, a shoot-and-kill order was enforced for anyone who entered the basement, since the M-42 controlled the movements of the trains carrying the troops. Today the location of the M-42 basement still doesn’t appear on maps.

Shortly after the war, airplanes replaced trains for long-distance travel. Although commuters still used the terminal, there were estimated losses of $20 million. Low funds led to a lack of propriety at Grand Central: broken water fountains were used as trashcans; dirty posters covered the walls; and the roof leaked. In 1968, plans to construct a 55-story skyscraper atop Grand Central would demolish either the Main Waiting Room or the palace–like façade. 

New Yorkers got involved in 1975 and formed the Committee to Save Grand Central. News of Grand Central touched Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who dedicated her time to protecting the historic landmark. “Old buildings are important,” she said. “If we don’t care about our past, we cannot hope for our future.” Thanks to the former First Lady’s perseverance and a ruling by the Supreme Court in 1978, Grand Central Terminal was dubbed a historical landmark.

Since then, extensive renovations have transformed the terminal to reflect a city within the city; it features five exquisite restaurants and cocktail lounges, 20 casual international eateries, a Grand Central Market, and 50 specialty shops. 

To commemorate Grand Central’s one-hundredth birthday this February, the city has planned several events throughout the year. A grander entrance to Vanderbilt Hall, the original Main Waiting Room, is underway, celebrating Vanderbilt’s railroad success. In May, a parade of historic trains will honor the terminal’s grand history. This fall, an exhibition called The Next 100 Years will showcase how Grand Central Terminal continues to inspire future travel innovations and improvements.

In 1913, the New York Times rescinded their words from 1899 and instead called Grand Central a “station, a monument, a civic center, or if one will, a city: the greatest station in the United States, but the greatest of any type in the world.” Grand Central Terminal is an echo of the past, of journeys that have been, and of journeys yet to come. So long as this heart of New York City continues to beat, the city truly will never sleep. 

www.grandcentralterminal.com

Audrey E. Blake

When Seid’s grandparents immigrated to New York City from Guangzhou, China, in around 1920, Chinatown covered merely two blocks. It was a place for immigrants to gather for safety and solidarity. Those immigrants’ sacrifices built cultural havens for future generations, and Chinatowns worldwide followed suit, including 40 in the United States. You can discover the essence of these Chinatowns—that is, if you know how to find your way.

www.christinaofchinatown.com

When a finger points to the moon, the imbecile looks at the finger

Just past the iconic Chinatown gates—a Chinatown staple—visitors are greeted by stacks of $3 T-shirts, overpriced jade trinkets, and tacky key chains. If you can get past the hoard of tourists, you may just find the proverbial moon—the true Chinatown.
There’s no secret to Chinatown except to choose your own adventure. Maybe you’ll find juicy, yellow loquats. Maybe you’ll buy some coconut cream buns. If you’re really lucky, maybe you’ll find a Chinese TV drama you didn’t realize was available in the United States.

One thing you can be sure of finding is good prices for good food. Seid says, “They pour their heart and soul into their restaurants.” You can feed eight people for $30 if you find the right restaurant. You don’t have to doubt its authenticity; businesses can’t survive solely off of tourists, and locals demand fresh food for the best price.

You might think if you’ve seen one Chinatown, you’ve seen them all. Not so.

San Francisco’s is known for its historical ambience. The one in Yokohama, Japan, invites visitors through any of its nine gates to revel in its theme-park atmosphere. Toronto’s has almost anything you could ever want to buy, if you can find it: Maoist paraphernalia, herbal medicine, or Japanese comics. All Chinatowns have one thing in common: just by crossing the street, you feel like you’re not just in a different city, but in a different country.

When you say one thing, the clever person understands three

Chinatown may not seem immediately welcoming, as many adult residents don’t speak much English. This supposed barrier can dishearten tourists, but it shouldn’t. Culture shock is normal, but the barriers are only imaginary, especially when it comes to the language.

Residents of Chinatown are accustomed to dealing with foreign languages. Everyone used to speak Cantonese. But now many immigrants speak obscure Chinese dialects like Suzhou and Fujianese. “Basically, nobody can understand each other,” says Seid. “Cantonese and Mandarin—they’re so different already. Fujianese? It’s like if you spoke Swahili.” They’ve learned how to communicate with each other. You can too.

Consider the past and you shall know the future

Today, Chinatowns sprinkle the globe from the first ever in Manila, Philippines, to the recently renovated one in Incheon, South Korea. However, many Chinatowns have faded into the surrounding cities, leaving only about 20 of the original 40 that originated in the United States. Many second- and third-generation immigrants are eager to assimilate into their new cultures.
Chinatown is changing, Seid says. “I feel like it might be spreading out. Chinatown is not just our Chinatown.” Maybe it never was; Chinatowns are never static. You never know what you’re going to find, but one thing’s for sure: it will always be an adventure. All you have to do is reach beyond the gate.

www.chinatownonline.org

Christina Johnson

In keeping with Chinese tradition, participants may give small red envelopes containing money to children or to young, single friends. The amount of money is important, but not just any amount will do. Because certain numbers are considered to be lucky, giving a certain number of coins or bills is considered very auspicious. 

The luckiness of a number usually depends on what other Chinese words the number sounds like. Here are a few fortunate amounts to give to your lucky friends:

3 – In Chinese, the word for “three” reminds people of the word for “birth,” implying happy associations with new life. 

6 – The word for “six” sounds like a word meaning “to do everything easily and smoothly.” This is a favorite number to bring luck to business deals.

8 – The word for the number eight sounds like “prosper” or “wealth.”

9 – Nine is a homophone for “long-lasting,” representing the gift of a long and lucky life.

Clarise Insch

Legends dwell in just about every nook of New Zealand. One such legend tells of a dramatic way that Te Ruinga, a mighty warrior, tested his men’s bravery. To find the bravest men to fight against the tyrant Tapaue, Te Ruinga traveled to Te Wai Heke o Maoa (Maoa’s Waterfall). He dammed up the river at the top of the hill, while his warriors lay on the streambed below. When Te Ruinga released the water full force upon his soldiers, they did not flinch. Their bravery later led them to victory against Tapaue, freeing their people from his tyranny.

It has been many years since the time of Te Ruinga, but visitors still feel an almost supernatural connection-—known as mana—to the land and its history. American Anita Torres, a seven-year resident of New Zealand, felt that connection when she ventured with her daughter, Megan Andrews, on a “bushwalk” through Harker Reserve, home of the Te Wai Heke o Maoa waterfall in the city of Onewhero. 

“When we stepped through the trees into the hidden land of the waterfall,” says Torres, “I felt the mana of the Māori warriors who had come to this place not only to prove their bravery but to draw strength from the power of the water and the land. It is a place outside of time, and the past seemed to be dwelling alongside the present.” 

Nature’s Welcome

The atmosphere quieted as mother and daughter began their trek through the forest. It was as though they had stepped into Mother Nature’s private chamber. Trees rose high into the sky, diminishing the sunlight. “There was a broad path, and then suddenly we saw a little signpost inviting us to go off the trail,” says Torres. As they stepped off the wider trail, the less-traveled path became much wilder and more isolated, providing a more intimate experience and allowing them to lose themselves in the same forest that Te Ruinga’s warriors knew so well ages ago. 

Torres and her daughter were greeted by the local fantails, one of the bird varieties New Zealand is known for. “As we trudged through the bush,” says Torres, “a little fantail danced along the path in front of us, encouraging us onward, chattering all the way like a cassette tape on fast forward.” The more the birds’ prattl-ing filled the air, the more the hikers delved into Nature’s territory, where trees grew close together and roots became their stepping-stones.

Nature’s Power

A powerful mist dowsed the visitors before they could even see the falls. But more astounding was the sight of the falls, cascading down 20 feet onto giant, moss-covered boulders. No barriers separated the hikers from the towering waterfall or from its roaring flow washing past.

Drawn to the power of the falls, Andrews stepped away from her mother toward the slippery rocks, determined to climb close enough to touch the water. “I was nervous that the water could drag me in and carry me away,” she says. “But when I touched it, I just felt so connected with this place.” The thrill coursed through her as she climbed back, soaking wet, to her mother. 

The draw to the New Zealand wilderness is a call difficult to ignore. Just as the legend of Te Ruinga and the power of Te Wai o Maoa enticed these women to have a spiritual experience, New Zealand’s hallowed sanctuaries of time and nature still draw adventurers from around the world. 

Clarise Insch

Her face lit up the room as we walked in. “You came back!” she exclaimed, a look of surprise on her smiling face. 

“We told you we’d be back!” my fellow volunteer replied. 

We sat down across from her and began what proved to be another lovely, entertaining visit with Madame Bienvenu, an 84-year-old French woman who had just moved into the nursing home. Knowing that she didn’t have family or friends, we looked forward to our weekly visits—and so did she.

The Forgotten Generation

When people look into volunteer opportunities abroad, most are initially drawn to humanitarian or child-oriented programs. Katie Nichols, an employee at Cross-Cultural Solutions, a service-abroad organization, notes that the elderly are often “a forgotten generation.”

A mixture of fear, apathy, or unfamiliarity might keep you from volunteering with the elderly. Maybe the prospect of spending time helping children simply seems more fun. But volunteering with the forgotten generation can be just as enjoyable.

The Struggles They Face

Interacting with the elderly “can be a very mutually beneficial experience,” says Melanie McDowell, a program manager for another service-abroad organization, Connect-123. “Older people come with so much history,” she explains. There’s a lot to be learned from them, but unfortunately, so much of that history and knowledge can be lost. 

“A lot of these residents have been abandoned by their families,” says a volunteer. “So their only connection with the outside world is the staff.” However, overworked or understaffed agencies often don’t have enough time for that one-on-one interaction. Without these connections with others, it’s hard for some residents to stave off pangs of loneliness.

Volunteers can serve as lifelines. “By engaging and bringing a little bit of life to the place,” McDowell says, “volunteers can make a huge difference.”

The Difference You Can Make

Elderly people can certainly have their unique quirks—speaking very truthfully, using lingo from their youth, or repeating stories from the good ol’ days. But when you consider the scope of events their generation has witnessed, you can overlook their idiosyncrasies and realize what a goldmine of knowledge they have to offer. But even more important is what you can offer them.

So how do volunteers make a difference? Two volunteers from different corners of the world each came with a unique set of skills and interests, offering something special and finding fulfillment in volunteering abroad with the elderly. Jessica Naval, from New Jersey, brought her recreational therapy education. Miroslav Waidinger, from the Czech Republic, brought his knowledge of cameras and computers.

Naval jumped at the chance to participate in a university program offering a practical use for her education by working with nursing home residents in Atenas, Costa Rica. When the volunteers threw a carnival, Naval organized the fishing activity. “It was a huge hit,” she recalls, especially for one woman who couldn’t participate in other activities but was able to cast her line and catch a whole pile of magnetized plastic fish.

“Recreation is important; games are important; laughing is important,” says Naval. “These games allow them to laugh and have a sense of joy, even if it’s just for a little bit.”

After spending the school year teaching children in a classroom, Waidinger was happy to experience a change of pace for summer break. He left Prague for Toulon, France, where he visited elderly people in their homes, participated in activities at a local group center, and ran weekly technology and photography workshops.

For Waidinger, the experience had a two-fold return. “I decided to combine the useful with the enjoyable,” he says. He wanted to practice his French, and he knew that his professional skills would enrich the lives of people he would serve. Waidinger’s favorite moment was when he saw an elderly woman shed tears of joy at learning how to take photographs. “When her eyes were brimming with tears, for me that was a wonderful emotion,” he explains. “It’s a good feeling when someone rejoices over something.”

The Facts of Life

Volunteers can make a significant difference in the lives of elderly people all around the world. As Nichols from Cross-Cultural Solutions notes, often all they need is “some extra love, extra hugs in the morning, extra smiles—someone to come by and make sure that they’re doing well.” No special skills necessary.

www.connect-123.com

www.crossculturalsolutions.org

www.petitsfreres.asso.fr

Mindy Leavitt