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Dallas Smith's Blog

Nude Statues: ISIS's Worst Nightmare

July, 2017

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Norway has more nude statues than any place I’ve ever visited.  This is, in large part, due to the life work of Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland.  For the last twenty years of his life (he died in 1943), Vigeland worked in an Oslo park, creating 212 sculptures[…]

Old & New Europe: Italy & Sweden in 2019

June, 2019

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Spending only two weeks in Europe is very short when considering all that can be seen and done.  Yet my recent two-week European trip was so intensely filled, that the day two weeks ago when we began this trip seems like some time in the[…]

One Night in San Francisco

September, 2014

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I lived in the San Francisco area from 1975-85, specifically in Marin County, the beautiful landscape north of the city over the Golden Gate Bridge. During my last five years in Marin, I lived in the rural community of Woodacre, which satisfied the country boy in me, while I was only a forty-five minute drive from the big city of San Francisco. I loved it.

Opera and Pandas

Shenzhen and Chengdu

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Chinese opera is a long-established unique Chinese cultural expression.  The stage and costumes are over-the-top.  The music is stunning...for non-Chinese an acquired taste.  

Pandas are China's cultural symbol of its diplomatic efforts to promote peace through cultural exchanges.  The US has hosted pandas on loan for many years, as well as pandas loaned to other countries.  They are so cute.  But we must remember that they are a species of bear.  They are not aggressive.  But they can be dangerous under certain circumstances.

Our Seventh Week in India

From Mumbai to Khajurajo to New Delhi

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Susan and I had such a good time in our six weeks in Mumbai, that we plan to come again in November for another six weeks. Following a description of our time in Mumbai, this blog introduces the amazing sculptures of Khajuraho...erotic sculptures unique in the world.

Paradise Near Seattle: Whidbey Island

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Perspectives on Swedish Culture

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This blog post was written in April 2009, while on tour with my Swedish-Indian band, Mynta.

Photos from the River Cruise through Germany and the Netherlands

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Playing Music in India

February, 2015

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February 2015: If I am counting correctly, this is my fourteenth visit to India, starting the first time in 1971, again in 1982 & 1983, again in 2002, and finally practically every years since 2005 on tour with Mynta. It is very gratifying to have made so many great friends here, that my social calendar is filled with trying to connect with everybody. . .

Prepare to be impressed by the Architecture of Abu Dhabi

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Welcome to a quick visual tour of Abu Dhabi. All of the photos below were taken in the course of a two hour bus tour of downtown Abu Dhabi, which is the capital of the seven member confederation, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).