Living Silent, Norway’s Perfume and Discovering Burma

Join World Footprints as hosts Tonya and Ian explore the world of silence, the power of perfume and a new Burma. Imagine living for 17 years under a personal vow of silence. Our first guest, National Geographic author John Francis, did just that. After witnessing the devastating effects of the 1971 oil spill in San Francisco Bay, John embarked on a period of reflection that involved a 17 year long self-imposed silence and 22 years of walking. John’s incredible journey is chronicled in his book The Ragged Edge of Silence: Finding Peace in a Noisy World. Then, you will hear the extraordinary story of a self-made man from Norway, Geir Ness, and how he is leaving positive footprints through his multi-million dollar Laila Perfume Company. During our interview with Geir we spoke about his dear friend, 9-time New York City Marathon Champion Grete Weitz, with whom he joined forces to raise money for cancer research. We learned that Geir substituted for Grete in the 2009 NYC Marathon and raised nearly $300,000 for the Norway Cancer Society. Sadly, Grete lost her courageous battle with cancer the day immediately following our interview with Geir. We dedicate this show in Grete’s memory and to everyone whose lives have been affected by cancer. Finally, World Footprints welcomes back travel writer Cynthia Dial. Cynthia has recently returned from Burma (Myanmar) and she joins us to share some of her surprising experiences.