Dear Readers,
We started Stranger’s Guide to reveal the intricacies of locations around the world, bringing awareness to new places and perspectives. Our mission has always been to increase empathy and to foster a sense of global citizenship.
As Coronavirus challenges many of our norms and expectations, as countries close borders and xenophobia raises its head, we are more committed than ever to bringing the world to you. Especially in this time of social distancing, it’s critical that we fight the divisions that arise with fear and distrust, and instead rededicate ourselves to the work of connecting.
Travel can be a great way to learn about new places and cultures. But it’s far from the only way to gain awareness of life in other places.
We urge everyone to join us in recommitting to engage the world around us—whether or not we can leave our homes these days. Some ideas include:
- Bonjour! Hola! Zdravstvuyte! Through apps and computer programs, it’s never been easier to start learning a new language. Brush up your high school French or plunge into Korean so you can watch Parasite without subtitles.
- Speaking of Parasite: From Bollywood to Nollywood, film industries in different countries offer new and entertaining ways to see the world. Whether on Netflix or Hulu or among the Criterion Collection’s classics, stream films that can take you far away.
- Good reads around the world: As we say at Stranger’s Guide, every place has its own storytellers. Pick a spot on the map and find some books and novels from there. Over the coming days, we’ll be sharing some of our favorite reading lists featuring authors from around the world.
And of course, you can keep reading Stranger’s Guide. While our staff has unlimited sick leave and family leave during this time, those who can work are continuing to create our next print edition and to provide newsletters and online stories that give you windows into life across the globe and offer new ideas for connecting.
Stay safe and stay engaged with the world around you. We all need each other, and we are glad we have you in our Stranger’s Guide community.
Abby and Kira
Co-founders, Stranger’s Guide
