culture

Traveling the World Getting One Million Hugs Helped Me Heal After Losing My Brother on 9/11

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Traveling the World Getting One Million Hugs Helped Me Heal After Losing My Brother on 9/11

David Sylvester gives a hug in Oklahoma City – Courtesy of ‘Big Dave’ [By David Sylvester] My friend Kevin died at his desk on September 11, 2001, on the 99th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. I was in Philadelphia watching the Twin Towers fall on TV like everyone else, except … Read more

Western Tatami Mat Mania Keeping Alive Japan’s Traditional Woven Grass Flooring Industry

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Western Tatami Mat Mania Keeping Alive Japan’s Traditional Woven Grass Flooring Industry

A modern tatami room – credit, Filiz Elaerts on Unsplash Western admirers of Japanese aesthetic are keeping afloat tatami craftsmen in Japan, where modernity and maintenance requirements are driving down interest in this artisanal form of flooring. From Europe to the US and even in the Middle East, eager importers of tatami mats now account … Read more