Sunday Edition | September 21, 2025
- Olga Nesterova
- 11 minutes ago
- 8 min read
Because life is more than politics — and kindness still matters.
This week, let’s focus on CULTURE.
Why does it matter?
We often think of culture as something grand — art, music, paintings, masterpieces. But culture begins at home: your favorite family meal at the kitchen table, the stories your grandparents and parents told you, the music you grew up with, the traditions and values you carry forward. Culture lives in our roots, our rituals, and even in our DNA — the pieces that make you uniquely YOU.
There’s no contest about whose culture is “best.” What makes us great is the way we embrace our uniqueness — and in our diversity lies our true strength.
This week, let’s celebrate our differences, spark curiosity, and lean into discovery.
🎥 PREMIERE
This week on Curating Culture, I invite you inside the United Nations Headquarters in New York City — the very place where world leaders will gather in the coming days for the 80th UN General Assembly, known as UNGA.
We’ll take a virtual walk through the halls, admire gifts presented by nations from around the world, and spend a quiet moment in the UN rose garden — a personal favorite of mine, and a surprisingly peaceful setting for high-level diplomatic talks.
📺 Premiere: Sunday, 8pm ET on YouTube. Don’t miss it!
🎭 CULTURE SNAPSHOT
The Pitt & The Studio sweep the Emmys
Image: CBS Apple TV+’s The Studio picked up 13 awards, including Seth Rogen’s first Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy and Best Comedy Series. HBO Max’s The Pitt took home five, including Best Drama. Both shows reflect the rise of “chaotic workplace dramas” — stories that feel a little too real.
Remembering Robert Redford (1936–2025)
Photo: Gray/AFP/Getty Images The world is mourning the loss of Robert Redford, who passed away at 89. Redford wasn’t just a Hollywood icon — he was a man who constantly reinvented himself. As an actor, he became a household name with classics like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men, embodying a mix of charm, wit, and quiet strength that defined an era of American cinema. As a director, he won an Academy Award for Ordinary People and brought us the deeply human A River Runs Through It.
Beyond Hollywood, Redford shaped culture in lasting ways. Moving to Utah in the 1960s, he became a passionate environmentalist and preservationist, devoting his energy to protecting the landscapes of the American West. In 1981, he founded the Sundance Institute and later the Sundance Film Festival, creating a global platform for independent filmmakers. That single move shifted the film industry, amplifying new voices and stories that would otherwise have gone unheard.
As President Obama said when awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, Redford was “an actor, director, environmentalist, and champion of independent voices who reshaped American film and inspired generations.” His legacy is not only on screen but in the way he expanded the boundaries of storytelling itself.
France Submits Iranian Film to the Oscars
In a bold move, France is submitting It Was Just an Accident for Best International Feature, bypassing Iran’s government, which had rejected the film.
Jane Austen at 250
Image: Celebrating Jane Austen at The Gainsborough Bath Spa, credit The Gainsborough Bath Spa Hotel Fans gathered in Bath, England to honor the beloved author with period costumes and celebrations.
MoMA’s Farewell to Glenn Lowry
Image: Glenn D. Lowry (© 2021 The Museum of Modern Art, New York; photo by Peter Ross) Glenn Lowry, who has led New York’s Museum of Modern Art for 30 years, stepped down this summer, leaving a transformative legacy. Under his tenure, MoMA doubled its gallery space, expanded its collection dramatically, and redefined the role of a modern art museum in the 21st century.
In his farewell address at the museum’s Party in the Garden, Lowry urged cultural institutions to do more than display art — to defend it. “Museums must actively fight for their artists, for pluralism, and for freedom of expression,” he said, a statement seen as both a call to action and a warning against rising political and social pressures.
Colleagues describe Lowry as a quiet but firm advocate for contemporary voices, often championing artists who challenged convention or politics. His departure marks the end of an era — and a reminder that museums are not passive archives, but living institutions with a duty to reflect and protect the world we live in.
HeidiFest in Munich
Image: Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty Heidi Klum hosted her own Oktoberfest-themed party at the Hofbräuhaus, drawing 800 guests in full Bavarian attire, including her family and celebrity friends.
Weird Science: Ant Queens Rewrite Biology
Scientists studying Iberian harvester ants have discovered one of the strangest reproductive strategies in the animal kingdom. These queens can clone sperm from another species — effectively hijacking male genetic material while erasing their own DNA in the process. The result? They produce offspring without ever needing mates.
What makes it stranger: at some point in their evolution, Iberian harvester ants lost the ability to produce their own female worker ants. To survive, they partnered with a related species. But over time, the queens figured out how to bypass those males altogether, preserving their lineage by cloning borrowed DNA.
Researchers say no other animal has ever been observed doing this. It’s a biological puzzle that challenges everything we thought we knew about reproduction — and a reminder that nature is often several steps ahead of us in the innovation game.
🧘 FOR THE BODY
Staying active is a cultural tradition, too.
Around the world, people keep fit in ways that reflect their history and lifestyle:
Denmark, the Netherlands & Sweden – Cycling isn’t just transport; it’s a way of life. In Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Malmö, bikes outnumber cars, with safe lanes and city planning designed around two wheels.
France – The promenade — unhurried walks through town — balances indulgent meals.
Japan – Rajio taisō (radio calisthenics) are practiced by students and workers every morning.
Brazil – Beach volleyball and soccer double as social and fitness rituals.
India – Yoga, blending body and spirit, remains a cornerstone of wellness.
🍲 LET’S COOK
September sits at the crossroads of seasons — late-summer sunshine and early-autumn harvests. It’s the perfect month for comforting yet fresh recipes.
Featured Recipe: German Zwetschgenkuchen (Plum Cake)
This classic German treat appears every September, when plums (Zwetschgen) are in season. It’s light, fruity, and not too sweet — perfect with an afternoon coffee.
Ingredients (for a 9x13 inch pan):
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 packet (2 ¼ tsp) instant yeast
1 cup warm milk
1 egg
6 tbsp butter, softened
2 lbs ripe plums, pitted and quartered
3 tbsp sugar (for topping)
1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and yeast. Add warm milk, egg, and butter. Mix and knead into a soft dough (about 5–7 minutes).
Cover the dough and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a baking pan.
Roll out the dough to fit the pan, pressing it slightly up the sides.
Arrange plum quarters skin-side down in overlapping rows across the dough.
Mix sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle over the plums.
Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the edges are golden and the plums are bubbling.
Let cool slightly before slicing. Traditionally served with whipped cream.
☕ Pro tip: The cake tastes even better the next day, after the plum juices soak into the dough.
Cultural Note: In Germany, Zwetschgenkuchen is often enjoyed as part of Kaffee und Kuchen — the afternoon tradition of gathering with family or friends over coffee and cake. It’s less about the food itself and more about slowing down, sharing stories, and savoring time together — proof that culture can be as simple (and sweet) as a slice of pie.
🌿 DID YOU KNOW?
Meditation has roots stretching back thousands of years, originating in India through Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain practices. Once centered on spiritual growth, it is now embraced worldwide for stress relief, focus, and inner calm.
Try this simple method:
Sit comfortably with your back straight.
Close your eyes or gaze softly downward.
Focus on your breath — inhale, exhale, repeat.
When your mind wanders (it will!), gently return to the breath.
Even five minutes a day can restore calm and clarity.
💭 FOR THE MIND
Meeting new people — whether in your hometown or abroad — can feel intimidating. But curiosity is the antidote to nerves.
Here are five ways to ease anxiety and open up:
Reframe it – See new encounters as discovery, not performance.
Breathe deeply – Slow breaths calm your body’s “fight or flight” response.
Lead with questions – Curiosity is the easiest conversation starter.
Use culture as a bridge – Ask about food, music, or traditions.
Start small – A smile or a greeting builds confidence step by step.
🌎 FOR THE SOUL
Food is one of the most beautiful ways to discover the world. Each recipe carries the story of its people, its land, and its celebrations. Through cooking, you can explore cultures without leaving your kitchen.
📚 BOOK RECOMMENDATION: The World Central Kitchen Cookbook: Feeding Humanity, Feeding Hope
Why this book matters: The World Central Kitchen Cookbook is more than a collection of recipes — it’s a celebration of resilience, community, and hope. It features contributions from chefs and home cooks who have been part of major humanitarian foodresponse efforts around the world — stories born out of crises, compassion, and the belief that sharing a meal can heal. For example, it includes recipes like Lahmajoun flatbread made after Beirut’s explosion in 2020 and Ukrainian borsch served as comfort in times of conflict.
Everything about it — the food, the people, the places — ties back to the idea that even in hard times, food connects and restores. Plus, the proceeds from the book support World Central Kitchen’s ongoing emergency-response efforts.
🌍 WHAT IS WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN (WCK) & THEIR MISSION
WCK is a nonprofit (founded by Chef José Andrés in 2010) that moves fast to serve fresh meals to people facing humanitarian, climate, and community crises.
Their guiding values are being first to the frontlines, responding with urgency, partnering with local communities, and providing more than just food — comfort, dignity, and hope in moments when they’re most needed.
They also emphasize working with local chefs, sourcing ingredients locally when possible (which helps support local farmers and economies), and adapting their operations quickly depending on the situation.
Sample Recipe Highlight:
One of the cookbook’s featured dishes is a hearty Ukrainian borsch, served by WCK volunteers to families displaced by the war. It’s not just a meal, but a reminder of home, resilience, and the way food carries culture through even the hardest times.
👉 Share your favorite recipe from your country in the comments! We’ll feature reader picks in the next edition.
3 Great Travel Films
Tracks (2013) – A woman’s 1,700-mile trek across the Australian desert with camels and a dog — a moving story of solitude, resilience, and connection with nature.
A Map for Saturday (2007) – A heartfelt documentary following long-term travelers around the globe, showing the joys and challenges of life on the road.
The Way (2010) – Starring Martin Sheen, this film follows a grieving father who walks Spain’s Camino de Santiago, discovering healing, friendship, and meaning along the journey.
😀 HAPPY MOMENTS
Videos guaranteed to make you smile.
🕊️ CLOSING WORDS
Culture begins with us — in our homes, our families, our traditions. By embracing our differences, learning from one another, and staying curious, we open ourselves to deeper understanding and joy.
📺 Don’t forget: Curating Culture premieres this Sunday at 8pm ET on YouTube. We’re proud to now be a YouTube Partner — every view, like, and share helps keep our work going.
Here’s to curiosity, culture, and connection.
As always—Stay ONEST.
O.N.
Happy Sunday—And remember, life is more than politics.
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