Articles
Sonia’s Articles
- Common Sense Rules For Practical Protocol And Diplomacy, The Executive Diplomat’s Code Of Conduct
- What Queen Elizabeth Taught Me
- 5 Tips For Networking Like A Diplomat
Protocol, Etiquette & Cross-cultural News
Attire
- Montana Dress Code Has Female Legislators Sporting New Look
- Hillary Rodham Clinton And The Power Of Style
- India’s New Prime Minister Is The Country’s Latest Fashion Icon
- UT To Nursing Students: No ‘short-shorts, Cleavage’
- Image Consultant Helps Military Transition To Civilian Fashion
- Bikinis Banned! Miss World Contestants Ordered To Cover Up
Cuisine and Dietary Issues
- Dinner At America’s Table: How A White House Rite Evolved
- Murderer Can Get Kosher Meals In Jail: Orthodox Jewish Inmate Wins Court Victory Against State That Denied Him Free Religious Food
- As U.S. Demographics Change, So Does The Menu
- Cadbury Chocolates Pork Free, Says Malaysian Islamic Body
Diplomacy in the News
- Presenting His Excellency
- U.S. Expels Venezuelan Consulate In Houston
- Michelle Obama Snubs Stylish Chinese First Lady By Staying Home In D.C. With Sasha And Malia
Education
Events and Ceremonies
- Komen Organization Apologizes For Houston’s Race’s Yom Kippur Date
- Do You Know Your Inauguration History?
- Fans Defend Young Mariachi After Racist Tweets
Flags
- Nebraska Flag Flew Upside Down At Capitol For 10 Days And Nobody Noticed
- Amazon Yanks Indian Flag Doormats As New Delhi Threatens Punishment
- Rio To Make New Flags For China After Criticism Over Flaws
Flowers, Décor
- Rome Spares Iranian President’s Blushes By Covering Nude Statues
- Who’s Covering Up The Italian Statue Cover-up?
- Stately Decor At Diplomatic Office
- Naked Geneva Sculpture Covered Before Iran Talks
- Wrong Flowers Can Mean Death For Global Business
Gifts
- US President, Officials Showered With Swag They Cannot Keep
- Tim Kaine Faces Criticism For Gifts Received While Virginia Governor
- Austin's Australian Sister City Might Want Its Opal Back
Language & Communication
- Speaking More Than One Language May Delay Dementia
- Direct Approach Best For Bad News In The Office
- Bike Rack Of Babel Is Lost In Translation
- Poles Apart On Spelling As New Devours Old
Names, Titles, & Forms of Address
Networking with Diplomatic Skill
- At Dinner Tables, A Restless Obama Finds An Intellectual Escape
- President Obama Works On Capitol Hill Ties
Religion
- Komen Organization Apologizes For Houston Race’s Yom Kippur Date
- Muslims Around The Globe Mark Beginning Of Ramadan
- Women For First Time Will Recite Quran During Ramadan In Houston-area Mosques
- Cadbury Chocolates Pork Free, Says Malaysian Islamic Body
- Murderer Can Get Kosher Meals In Jail: Orthodox Jewish Inmate Wins Court Victory Against State That Denied Him Free Religious Food
- At Vatican, Day Of Prayer With Focus On Uniting
- Poll Finds Problems Accommodating Religion At Work
- Spanish-language Services Expanding Churches’ Reach
- Perry Celebrates Christmas In June
- Historic Moment For American Hindus
- Pianist’s Posts On Twitter Spur Penalty From Turkey
- Israeli Rabbi Of Western Wall Backs Liberal Prayer Section Proposal, May End Orthodox Monopoly
- What Do You Call a Retired Pope? And Is He Still Infallible?
- Unified Halal Standard Is Recipe For Success
Security
- White House Drone Crashed Described As A U.S. Worker’s Drunken Lark
- First Woman Is Chosen To Lead Secret Service
Africa
- Interpreter At Mandela Memorial A Fake
- Protocol Blunder Nigeria’s Vice President Cancels Trip To Avoid Senate President Acting As President
- EU-Africa Summit 2014: Of Protocol, Platitudes And Promises
- Obamas US Africa Leaders Summit Breaks Tradition
Americas
- Uruguay President Caught Insulting Argentina’s Cristina Fernandez De Kirchner
- Protocol Blunder Nigeria’s Vice President Cancels Trip To Avoid Senate President Acting As President
- U.S. Expels Venezuelan Consulate In Houston
Asia
- Korean Air Chairman Strips Daughter’s Titles After Her ‘foolish’ Behavior
- ‘Unbroken’ striking nerve with Japanese
- Chinese City Sets Up ‘No Cell Phone’ Pedestrian Lanes
- ‘Hunger Games’ Salute Used As Protest In Thailand
- Cadbury Chocolates Pork Free, Says Malaysian Islamic Body
- Bikinis Banned! Miss World Contestants Ordered To Cover Up
- Michelle Obama Snubs Stylish Chinese First Lady By Staying Home In D.C. With Sasha And Malia
- Passing Reference In ‘argo’ Rankles New Zealand
- Officials Voluntarily Give Up 771m Yuan In Questionable Gifts
- Unified Halal Standard Is Recipe For Success
- Decoding Etiquette In China, Handshakes To Meals
South & Central Asia
- U.S., India Reach Agreement On Nuclear Power
- For Afghans, Name And Birthdate Census Questions Are Not So Simple
- India’s New Prime Minister Is The Country’s Latest Fashion Icon
- Mongolian Friendship Brings Houstonian Into Dinosaur Case
- Pakistani Woman Makes Daring Run For Parliament
Europe
- King Felipe Vi Takes Over In Spain After Father’s Abdication
- Spain: King Abdicates For His More Popular Son
- In France, A Move To Limit Off-the-clock Work Emails
- Amid New Storm In U.S.-Europe Relationship, A Call For Talks On Spying
- Indignation Over U.S. Spying Spreads In Europe
- Study: U.S. Drivers More Distracted Than Europeans Behind The Wheel
- Poles Apart On Spelling As New Devours Old
- Breach Of Confidence: Don’t Quote The Queen
Middle East
- Saudi Women Driving Home A Point
- Saudi Arabia Driving Ban: Women To Contravene Ban Saturday
- At Vatican, Day Of Prayer With Focus On Uniting
- Iranians Wowed By Obama’s Effort To Reach Out
- Israeli Rabbi Of Western Wall Backs Liberal Prayer Section Proposal, May End Orthodox Monopoly
- Obama, Rouhani Talk On Phone For 15 Minutes, Breaking 34-year Freeze
U.S.
- Murderer Can Get Kosher Meals In Jail: Orthodox Jewish Inmate Wins Court Victory Against State That Denied Him Free Religious Food
- As U.S. Demographics Change, So Does The Menu
- Doctors Increasingly Are Turning To Acupuncture For Treatment Of Pain
- Words And Meanings Evolve As Times Change
- Fresh Paint, Buried Saint, Whatever It Takes To Sell
- Ailing Midwestern Cities Extend A Welcoming Hand To Immigrants
- Poll Finds Problems Accommodating Religion At Work
- Spanish-language Services Expanding Churches’ Reach
- Perry Celebrates Christmas In June
- Fans Defend Young Mariachi After Racist Tweets
- Historic Moment For American Hindus
- International Travel May Set Summer Record
- U.S. Census Bureau Drops ‘negro’ From Surveys
- Some Hospitals Grant Patients’ Racist Requests
Houston-Related
- Preparing Students For A Global Society
- Komen Organization Apologizes For Houston’s Race’s Yom Kippur Date
- Sensitivity Concerns Nudge Hisd Toward New Mascots
- Mongolian Friendship Brings Houstonian Into Dinosaur Case
- U.S. Expels Venezuelan Consulate In Houston
- Fresh Paint, Buried Saint, Whatever It Takes To Sell
- Spanish-language Services Expanding Churches’ Reach
- Bike Rack Of Babel Is Lost In Translation