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Hi Everyone,
And welcome to the Cultural Reads Newsletter with book, music, and movie recommendations from around the world.
In this week’s newsletter: Tea Ceremony, 38 Best Restaurants, Mexican Concerts, Modern Worldwide Authors & Afghani Underground Rock
Last weekend, we organized a family trip to Amsterdam to experience a Chinese tea ceremony at Moychay.
It was great to try a new activity, learn about tea, and drink more mindfully.
An interesting takeaway for me was that black tea in China is what the West calls Pu Erh tea, and what most Americans and Europeans know as black tea is called red tea in China.
If you want to learn more about the world of tea, watch Netflix’s Story of Tea.
Do you like travel and food?
Then you should check out Eater-38, a list with 38 essential restaurants per metropolis.
Most places are fine-dining spots, but each list also includes some budget restaurants.
Thanks for the tip, Daniel Ziv!
A while back, I featured 3 Colombian Tiny Desks. Today it’s time for some Mexican concerts!
Check out:
1. Natalia Lafourcade
2. Carla Morrison
3. Carin Leon
If you’d like to learn more about Mexican music, check out my interview with Mexican musician Leonard Prieto.
Do you want to read more internationally but need help figuring out where to start?
Start with these 3 books featuring short stories from African, Arab, and Latino authors:
1. Africa 39
2. Beirut 39
3. Bogota 39
Once you’ve found a story you love, you can start reading more books from that author.
You can also ask ChatGPT to give you a list with the 39 authors, their best book titles, a one-sentence summary, and a GoodReads rating.
Against the backdrop of the US war in Afghanistan, Australian journalist Travis Beard follows a group of young artists who formed Afghanistan’s first metal band.
As they gain traction with local youths and in the underground ex-pat party scene, they gradually become political targets.
Watch these five young men deal with identity and freedom in a place where both can kill you.
You can watch the documentary for free on Vimeo.
If you’d like to learn more about Afghanistan, check out these top 10 books about Afghanistan.
