Language and Culture with Dr. J

This episode looks at the distinct cultural aspects of Paraguay, from Guaraní to tereré and Paraguayan polka. We look at what sets Paraguay apart from other Latin American countries, how a Paraguayan upbringing compares to growing up or raising kids in Europe, and what cultural similarities exist between various countries. My guest in this episode is Annalia Lenguaza Ullon, a Paraguayan friend fro...

Este episodio les presenta a Bellatrix, uno de los proyectos de arte más emocionantes que conozco. Con Bellatrix, Betina Kühlcke se propuso inmortalizar la fauna y la flora del antiguo campo de su padre y traducirlas en arte. Imaginó un museo por dentro y por fuera que enseñaría e inspiraría. Bellatrix es un homenaje a la naturaleza, la historia y el abolengo de la región. A través de las estatuas...

What does it mean to travel well? What makes an ugly tourist? What are the biggest differences between traveling in Latin America as compared to visiting Scandinavia? These are only some of the questions discussed in this episode, conducted in dialogue with Marcelo Guimaraes, a Brazilian friend from college who happens to also own a travel agency. cultureum.com        @cultureumdrj         LinkedI...

Haber podido conocer a Carol Jones y pasar tiempo con ella y sus caballos en su estancia fue uno de los aspectos más destacados de nuestro viaje de dos meses a Argentina el año pasado. En este episodio, Carol se une a mí a través de Internet. Hablamos sobre la historia de su familia: su viaje al corazón de Argentina, su trabajo con los caballos y su increíble conexión con leyendas como Davy Crocke...

This episode with guest Jane Hermstedt plays a pivotal role in Season 4 of the podcast, dedicated to Latin America and more specifically to Argentina. A US-American who has traveled the world and has recently lived in Argentina for two years, Jane brings an interesting perspective to the conversations I am having this season. On the one hand, we reminisce about our time spent in college in the com...

¿Cómo se comparan las mujeres argentinas con otras mujeres latinoamericanas o con las mujeres europeas o americanas? ¿Cómo ha cambiado la identidad de la mujer argentina desde la generación de nuestras abuelas? ¿Cómo se compara el nivel de educación de las mujeres argentinas con el de los hombres? ¿Cómo se tratan los temas de la sexualidad en Argentina? ¿Qué es lo más importante para la mujer arge...

My guest in this episode reflects back on his childhood in Colombia and compares his upbringing to that of his son who was raised in the US. The episode offers insights into daily life in Colombia and presents some of the hidden marvels of this beautiful country. The episode points to some of the forces that unite Latin Americans around the world, but also touches on some of the animosities that h...

Este episodio presenta los puntos de vista de dos docentes y directores de escuela en Esquel, Argentina. Hablamos de todos los aspectos de la educación, desde las responsabilidades de las escuelas hacia los estudiantes y la sociedad hasta las diferencias del sistema educativo argentino en comparación con otros países de América Latina. Hablamos también de literatura argentina y de libros modernos...

This episode kicks off Season 4 of the podcast and brings you the cultural reflections and stories of Carlos Palmitesta, a dear friend who grew up in Caracas, Venezuela in an Italian family, studied and worked in the US and England, and has now settled down in Madrid, Spain. Carlos and I talk about a Venezuela of the past that both he and I know and feel very nostalgic about. We discuss Venezuela’...

This episode gives you an overview of the US education system while also discussing various educational ideologies. The second part of the episode goes more specifically into education as it pertains to the environment and environmental conservation. My guest in this episode is Bridgett Chapin, a dear friend from college who holds a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and is now a Professor of...

This episode is basically a lesson in jazz, in dialogue with an amazing musician, Clint Ashlock, the artistic director of the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra. Clint is also a trumpeter and a composer and has been featured as a solo artist all over the world. The episode discusses the origins of jazz, how it compares to swing or the blues, goes into New Orleans Jazz vs. Kansas City Jazz, and delves into...

Why have humans placed such importance on the way they cover their bodies? Do clothes make the man? What is the difference between mere clothes and fashion? How has fashion developed throughout history? What are some of the milestones in fashion? What is the difference between clothes, fashion, haute couture, and costumes? – these are some of the questions discussed in this episode.   My guest is...

From addressing issues faced by the police to discussing education, community leadership, housing, transportation, the fire department, and the founding principles of the US in general, the Mayor of Kansas City, Kansas, Tyrone Garner, talks quite candidly about his plans and visions for bettering people's lives through his public service. Mayor Garner is a former police officer and deputy chief of...

What do we eat and why? How do we nourish our families and our communities? How can cultural integration occur through the sharing of food? What is the actual value of our food – the fruits and vegetables we consume, the dairy products we use, the animals we eat… Jennifer Doty from the Lenexa Farmers Market joins me to answer these questions and more. cultureum.com        @cultureumdrj         Lin...

As I grow older, I find myself often preoccupied with trying to achieve a sense of beauty and elegance that I would call ageless grace. My guest in this episode is Michele Hamlett-Weith, a retired Dutch-American ballet dancer and an all-around graceful person. Together, we tackle three main questions: How do we go through life and the many obstacles it throws in our way with grace? How do we age w...

January 15th 2022 marks the great playwright Molière's 400th Birthday as well as the day I turned 50. This episode aires the lecture I held this past November at the Kansas City Museum. The lecture is entitled “Molière and me” and aims to draw parallels between the playwright and myself, and to entertain while informing the audience about Molière’s life and theater. The lecture is also available o...

Gain insight into nursing in the USA from this interview with Leslie Rogers, a surgical nurse with 48 years of experience. Leslie speaks candidly about the nursing profession - the beauty, the difficulties and her hopes for the future. cultureum.com        @cultureumdrj         LinkedIn: Dr. Henriette J. Runte   Please don't forget to leave a rating for the podcast. This really helps others discov...

The sport known in the US as soccer and referred to everywhere else in the world as football has an amazing culturally unifying effect on both the players and the spectators. In this episode I talk to Peter Vermes, the Manager, Director and Head Coach of Sporting KC. Peter is a former professional soccer player and member of the US national soccer team (1988 - 1997). He went to the Olympics with t...

My guest in this episode is István Steve Javorek, my father, who was the National Olympic Weightlifting Coach to Romania and later to South Korea, before becoming a renowned strength and conditioning coach in the United States. He speaks to me very candidly about his life and about his exciting career coaching Olympians and incredible performance athletes around the world.     cultureum.com     Li...

My guest in this episode is my mom. Unlike my famous and highly extroverted father, my mother has always preferred to remain behind the scenes. Nevertheless, she is a fascinating, strong woman, and I really wanted to have her voice heard as well. In this episode, my mom speaks about life in Transylvania, my father’s defection, our ultimate move to the US, and about how my family laid down new root...

Vendégem ebben az epizódban Habala Péter, ötszörös román nemzeti bajnok a vívásban, és az amerikai chicagói Red Star Fencing Club alapítója. Péter a vívóteremben nőtt fel; édesanyja és édesapja mindketten vívóbajnokok és elismert edzők. Péter édesapja az én vívóedzőm is volt Romániában. Nagyszerűen elbeszélgettünk a vívásról, arról, hogy mi kell ahhoz, hogy bajnokká váljon valaki, valamint a Péter...

My guest in this episode is Peter Habala, a 5-time Romanian national champion in fencing, and the founder of the Red Star Fencing Club in Chicago, USA. Peter grew up in fencing rooms; both his mother and father are fencing champions and renown coaches. In fact, Peter’s father was also my fencing coach back in Romania. Peter and I speak about this amazing sport called fencing, about what it takes t...

Dedicated to Mamie, this episode is about what it means to be French, as seen through the example of the Garnier family. I speak with Jean-Luc Garnier about his very large and very international family. We discuss why and how he still feels completely French, and what aspects of the French way of life he sees critically. This episode is completely in French, with a brief introduction and final sum...

Pat Wetzel is a cancer survivor and the host of the award-winning podcasts, “Cancer Road Trip” and “Bump in the Road.” She joined me to speak about her international upbringing and her initial career in finance, as well as about dealing with her illness and embracing the exciting new phase in her life through podcasting.   cultureum.com     LinkedIn: Dr. Henriette J. Runte Instagram @cultureumdrj...

László Barsi is a Hungarian IT specialist originally from the former Czechoslovakia. He was 11 years old at the fall of the iron curtain and witnessed first-hand the development of a new Slovakia. László gives us an intimate view into life in the former Communist Block and the cultural and political issues people faced. We spoke about the difficulties László encountered as a Hungarian minority in...