We raise a glass today to our ongoing (and sneakily popular) Sideways Glance segment -- you know, the part of the show where we highlight a story from around the world that makes even our hardened, wizened old newsroom do a double-take. This week's entry: Trappist ale. Now you might associate such a tipple with Belgium, or at least Europe. But it turns out that the International Trappist Association has put its official seal of approval on the first Trappist beer outside of Europe. And it turns out it's not far from us in Spencer, Massachusetts.
Also, what happens when you suddenly find out your first novel is big in Japan? We'll ask author David Gordon, who wrote the "The Serialist" nearly four years ago. He recently discovered his book about a serial killer is not only flying off Japanese shelves, but they're even making a movie version of it.
And finally -- we'll sing the blues in Vietnam with a musician named Nguyen Van Loc, still going strong at the age of 69.