One of the foundation’s newest loan recipients, Wash Cycle Laundry, just won “Best Laundry Service 2012” in the readers’ choice awards through the Philadelphia Magazine. We couldn’t be more proud of this dynamic, start-up company! And how does one run a laundry service on bikes?! Here’s how. We welcome your support of our work. “After…
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“The way we do things around here”…Germany
Today we offer our culture clue — how people might differ in displaying emotion in public in Germany (compared to other cultures) with the benefit of our Cultural Dashboard tool. 1. Can you guess the likely outcome? Do you know why you might guess that way? Is it based on direct experience? Old movies? A…
Foundation Fridays: Shaky Voices
Photo courtesy of Gray Panthers of San Francisco One of my personal heroes is Maggie Kuhn, the feisty founder of the Gray Panthers. I had the delight of befriending Maggie when she was in her 80’s. We went together several times a year to do something that is not in my basic nature: clothes shopping!…
A Cultural Dashboard: figuring out where you’ve landed, in Germany, or elsewhere
To build a “roadmap for a culture” that is useful for the Untourist about to go on a German Untour (or any of our destinations outside the US) is a tricky thing. It is all too easy to stray into stereotypes and oversimplification, especially when we’re way outside our own culture. Things look deceptively simple…
Castle Untourists of the Week: Paula and Sid Rueter
Tell us a little bit about your most recent Untour. Last year we took the Germany Castle Tour. After our experience last year, we will definitely take another Untour vacation and are happy to see them include the new river cruises. Prior to taking our UnTours trip, we had taken one bus tour (which…
Susan Croll: Untourist of the Week…at the Castle in Bavaria
Tell us about your most recent Untour: In August 2011, my daughter and I returned to the German Castle for a week. It felt as if we were coming home. The Baron and Moritz greeted us upon arrival, treating us like old friends stopping for a visit. We stayed in the Carola Apartment, as we…
Foundation Fridays: A Contemporary Abolitionist
When writer Carol Metzker met an 11-year-old girl rescued from slavery, she realized she had two options: to bury the shocking information so it couldn’t cause her greater pain, or to face the monster of child slavery and work to make change. She chose the latter, sending her on a journey into the dark world…
German ‘How are you’s’ and how is a culture like an onion
At UnTours, along with sending you on trips that are especially good for living like a local, we also like to provide you with a handy ‘roadmap of the culture’. We think if we can provide you with a few rules of thumb, we can fast forward you into a place where you understand the…
Jim & Meg Griffin: Rhine Untourists of the Week
Nothing quite whets the appetite for a trip more than memories of a gorgeous cafe with a gorgeous view. Thanks to Jim and Meg for these great pictures, and their great memories of their Rhine Untour, which in turn was a way for them to relive the time they lived in Germany. Tell us a…
Foundation Fridays: TLC
If they can handle it, the UnTours Foundation loan recipients receive as much technical assistance and TLC as we can muster. Frequently, we call on experts for additional help. Today, Media, PA, retailer, Andrew Britton, offered several hours of time to Lucy Lau Bigham, co-owner of Tosheka Designs, producer of beautiful bags and purses made…