International Style and Living

Travel-Real World Dialogue

At Real World Dialogue, we believe travel is more than movement across borders—it is a dialogue with the world. Every journey has the power to stimulate the mind, enrich the soul, and deepen our understanding of cultures beyond our own. My lifelong curiosity to discover new places and perspectives has shaped who I am, and it is this same spirit I hope to share with you.

The goal is simple: that you return from each journey transformed, carrying not only memories but also a renewed awareness of the interconnectedness of our world.

Experience the rich culture of Europe by taking a carefully curated art, wine, or gourmet tour through France, Italy, Spain, or Portugal. River cruising is the ideal way to explore some of the world's most renowned waterways. Travel through Western Europe, or the exotic waterways such as the Nile or the Yangtze.

Discover and explore Africa, whether having the opportunity to visit the rich cultural heritage of the "Cradle of Mankind," or experience the natural wildlife of game-rich parks and reserves, unique lodgings, and one of the continent's natural wonders--Victoria Falls.

The Art of Living is a collection intended to introduce the reader to the distinct and unique living experiences in various countries around the world--

“The richness of an artist is the fusion of influences that have shaped his life and work” (Joy of Museum, 2020). 

My painting, “Perspectives in Fusion,” is a metaphor for my intercultural journey exploring the unique forms of cultural expression that have been inspirational to my personal intercultural development. The theme is inspired by the voyages during the “age of expansionism,” when explorers led an expedition reaching India. This voyage opened the direct trade and exchange of ideas with Asia, influencing and enhancing economic and cultural growth (“Vasco da Gama,” 2023, para.2). 

Cultural fusion theory explains the process of enriching the fabric of national culture and identities into which new information and novel cultural forms are integrated. “It recognizes the world as a churning information environment of cultural legacies, competing and complementing one another, forming novel cultural expressions in all aspects of life, including language, fashion, music, cuisine, pedagogy, legal systems, governance, economic behavior, spirituality, healthcare, norms of personal and interpersonal style and so forth” (Kramer, 2019, para.1).

Belem/Monument to the Discoveries 

This spirit of expansion is powerfully memorialized in Belém in Lisbon, where the Monument to the Discoveries rises on the Tagus River, its stone prow carrying Henry the Navigator and the great figures of exploration forward into the horizon. This exquisite former monastery is one of the most prominent examples of the Portuguese Late Gothic Manueline Style of architecture in Lisbon. Standing alongside the Monument of Belém, both landmarks symbolize Portugal’s maritime wealth and cultural flowering, anchoring the narrative of exploration and intercultural exchange in stone.

Together, these monuments echo the essence of cultural fusion theory, which explains how societies weave novel cultural forms into their identities. As Kramer (2019) observes, cultures continuously interact, blending language, music, cuisine, law, and spirituality into ever-new expressions. My painting reflects this same process: the meeting and merging of traditions across time and space, a dialogue of perspectives that transcends boundaries and finds new meaning in the fusion.”