Monthly Archives: March 2023

Editor's Note: U.S. passports are currently taking up to seven weeks to process using the government's expedited service.  It is possible to get a passport in less time by scheduling an appointment with the Passport Agency by calling 877-487-2778 and appearing in person at their office.

More residents of Gainesville are obtaining U.S. passports as international travel grows, especially for students and faculty at the University of Florida, whose International Center offers a variety of study abroad opportunities and various academic programs around the globe.  Gainesville is also home to over 40,000 retirees, many with active lifestyles who travel internationally for leisure purposes.

Hay muchas escuelas y programas para estudiar inglés en Seattle. Los estudiantes, profesionales y ejecutivos de negocios internacionales pueden mejorar sus habilidades en el idioma inglés para prepararse para la educación, la vida y el trabajo en los Estados Unidos.

Los programas de inglés como segundo idioma (ESL, por sus siglas en inglés) e inglés para hablantes de otros idiomas (ESOL, por sus siglas en inglés) pueden ayudar a los hablantes no nativos de inglés a lograr sus objetivos lingüísticos. Estos programas van desde clases para principiantes hasta cursos avanzados que se adaptan al nivel de los estudiantes. Hay muchas posibilidades, ya sea que necesite lecciones básicas de inglés, que tenga experiencia en inglés y desee ampliar sus habilidades, o que se esté preparando para un examen, el trabajo o la universidad.

Singapore, the modern city-state located just off the Malaysian peninsula, draws leisure and business travelers from Houston and across the globe with its modern amenities and spectacular natural beauty.  The island nation offers travelers amazing beaches, state-of-the-art accommodations, exciting nightlife, and unique culinary experiences.   

Now known as the Republic of Singapore, the tropical archipelago was known for centuries for the marine trading post Temasek.  In the early 1800s, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles of Great Britain established a port of call in Singapore, eventually transforming the island into a major trading center and a British colony.  Occupied by Japan during the World War II, Singapore separated from Britain in 1959 and became a sovereign nation in 1965.  Today the “Switzerland of Asia” is a global financial and corporate center that ranks among the most prosperous nations around the globe.  Despite being one of the most densely populated countries in the world, Singapore boasts clean modern streets, low crime rates, futuristic skyscrapers, and one of the world’s busiest ports.

The Republic of Mali -- a landlocked former French colony in West Africa -- is better known today for its continued civil strife than as a tourist destination.  The U.S., British, and other governments recommend citizens do not travel to Mali because the risks of crime, kidnapping, and terrorism remain high.  While civil unrest has closed some popular tourist destinations to the general public, many other attractions remain open for cautious, adventurous travelers from the Tampa Bay area.

Mali is one of the most remote countries in the world and one of the hottest.  Covering 480,000 square miles, the country stretches from the middle of the Sahara Desert in the north to the more heavily populated Sudanian Savanna to the south.  Drained by the Niger and Senegal rivers, the remote country offers travelers cultural treasures, desert sand dunes, rolling plains, tropical savannahs, and woodlands.  Mali’s largest metropolitan area, the capital city of Bamako, offers a more Westernized alternative to the traditional villages found across the country.  

Tourists have begun returning to the African nation of Gabon as the country once again welcomes visitors following the COVID pandemic.  Located on the equator bordering Central Africa’s Atlantic coast, Gabon allows travelers to explore the broad savannahs, dense rainforests, mountain ranges, thundering waterfalls, and coastal plains of the Congo basin.  The nation is home to some of the most diverse flora and fauna in the world, including gorillas, chimpanzees, hippos, elephants, humpback whales, and more than 400 species of trees.   

While Gabon is not a common destination for the average American tourists, the country has been of interest recently among those in New York’s political circles who work for (or with) the United Nations.  Gabon is the first country in Africa to get paid by international organizations for protecting its forests.  90% of Gabon is covered in dense forests, creating an excellent opportunity for the exportation of timber to industrialized countries that require this commodity to manufacture building materials, furniture, paper products and other consumer goods.  However, Gabon also has an opportunity to protect these forests and use the unharvested land as a product that can be sold as “carbon credits” to wealthier nations (these forests help absorb carbon and therefore have value in the marketplace for those countries needing to offset their “carbon footprint” by purchasing carbon credits).  This mechanism for trading carbon has been developed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The East African nation of Malawi has gained new attention as an emerging tourist destination for residents of the Atlanta area.  Known as the “Warm Heart of Africa”, the landlocked country lies in the Great Rift Valley and borders Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia.  According to The New York Times, “Most tourists come to Malawi to go on safaris among bulbous baobabs in Liwonde National Park or sunbathe on the sparkling yellow beaches of Lake Malawi, which stretches for two-thirds of the country’s length.” (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/15/travel/rock-climbing-malawi.html). 

During the Victorian Era, missionary Dr. David Livingstone led expeditions throughout Malawi and Central Africa.  After decades as the British protectorate of Nyasaland, the Republic of Malawi became an independent nation in the mid-1960s.  English remains the official language of Malawi and almost 90 percent of its residents are Christian.

There are many schools and programs to study English in Seattle.  International students, professionals, and business executives can enhance their English language skills to prepare for education, life, and work in the United States.

English as a Second Language (ESL) and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs can help non-native English speakers achieve language goals.  These programs range from beginner classes to advanced courses to meet students where they are.  There are many possibilities, whether you need basic English lessons, have some background in English and want to expand your skills, or you’re preparing for a test, job, or university.

Turkmenistan – one of the most repressive and isolated countries in the world – is also one of the least visited nations for travelers from Boston.  However, cautious, adventurous travelers who are not deterred by the difficult process for obtaining a Turkmen visa can enjoy historic, cultural and religious sites, as well as ancient Silk Road trading posts, rare desert wildlife, and resorts on the Caspian Sea.

More than 6.5 million people live in the former Soviet republic, making it one of the most sparsely populated countries in Asia.  Turkmenistan is bordered by Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Iran, and Uzbekistan.  For centuries, Turkmenistan has been a trade thoroughfare, as the ancient Silk Road spans the country.  In recent years, its major international trade activities have revolved around its large oil and natural gas reserves.

Chicago area tourists have been allowed to visit Saudi Arabia ever since the kingdom finally opened the door to leisure travelers in 2019, following decades when most visitors were businesspeople, government officials, Islamic pilgrims, and/or expatriates visiting family members.  The largest nation on the Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia’s natural treasures range from the beaches of the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf to its hot dry deserts, mountain ranges, grasslands, and forests (located in the Asir Mountains).

The Republic of Angola – a former Portuguese colony that endured decades of civil strife during the Twentieth Century – has experienced a renaissance over the past 20 years. “Safe and welcoming, this friendly nation transports that laid-back, community-oriented lifestyle of southern Portugal to continental Africa – and travelers are once again discovering its charm,” the World Travel Guide noted (https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/africa/angola).

With 1,000 miles of Atlantic coastline, the southwest African nation beckons Nashville area travelers with tropical beaches, virgin rainforests, vast plains, savannahs, wetlands, and hardwood forests.  The gleaming skyscrapers of the capital city, Luanda, provide a dramatic counterpoint to the traditional villages that dominate a sprawling country that is over eleven times the size of Tennessee.