# Cultural Appreciation



## Infrarednexus (Aug 21, 2019)

There are a lot of cool and interesting cultures in the world that have contributed to our lives. You might study this culture or live in it yourself. I decided to make a thread where everyone could gather and share them. 

Post art, music, poetry, photos, and anything from any culture you fancy, be it modern or historical, or tell us about the one you live in and what you like about it.

The point is to share, admire, and learn from people around the world.

Be respectful and don't criticize other cultures. This is intended to be a friendly thread free of politics or debate. I want to bring people together.


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## ConorHyena (Aug 21, 2019)

I shall supply an important part of my culture.






Tea!


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## Infrarednexus (Aug 21, 2019)

Some Native American pottery. Very beautiful in design and shape.


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## Deleted member 82554 (Aug 21, 2019)

And I shall supply an important part of mine.






I win.


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## Infrarednexus (Aug 21, 2019)

Some Renaissance art


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## ConorHyena (Aug 21, 2019)

"The Lava Fields of Lanzarote"  by Erika Zimmermann, late 20th Century, Germany






And something arabian - "Market in Marrakesch" - Erika Zimmermann, late 20th Century


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## Infrarednexus (Aug 21, 2019)

I love the architecture from Japan. It has a very artistic style to it.


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## Deleted member 82554 (Aug 21, 2019)

I guess infrarednexus no longer likes the kakapo, so sad.


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## ConorHyena (Aug 21, 2019)

Some bavarian architecture for you to admire






yes, that's a beer garden. of course, bavarian culture at its finest.


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## Infrarednexus (Aug 21, 2019)

Mr. Fox said:


> I guess infrarednexus no longer likes the kakapo, so sad.


I will always love Kakapos. I just want this to be a more serious thread. If you are from New Zealand like the Kakapo then I'm sure there are plenty of things for you to share that aren't memes.


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## Deleted member 82554 (Aug 21, 2019)

Kakapos are memes now? This is news to me.


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## ConorHyena (Aug 21, 2019)

This is from where I've been born, an undeniable part of cornish culture. 

the cornish pasty!






*summons @MetroFox2 with offerings of pasty*


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## Infrarednexus (Aug 21, 2019)

Some Brazilian paintings for @Guifrog OwO


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## Guifrog (Aug 21, 2019)

Here's a somewhat anthro carnaval thing:






We call it La Ursa. It's very common to see kids getting dressed in bear costumes, dancing for your delight, and then asking for money if you got 'em. It derives from some sort of gypsy circus act with tamed bears, and it's spread all over my region, from the big city to the countryside


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## Infrarednexus (Aug 21, 2019)

Kwanzaa, which begins on December 26 and continues through January 1, is a celebration of African-American culture, ancestors and values. The word “Kwanzaa” means first fruits of the harvest in Swahili.


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## Guifrog (Aug 21, 2019)

Infrarednexus said:


> Some Brazilian paintings for @Guifrog OwO


That reminds me of Romero Britto and his disjointed colorful art style:


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## Infrarednexus (Aug 21, 2019)

I have a love for Irish/Celtic art too


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## Kit H. Ruppell (Aug 21, 2019)

I really love Indian music, food, and architecture.
Red Fort, Delhi, completed 1648




Pindi Chana recipe (chickpeas in spicy sauce)
hebbarskitchen.com: pindi chole recipe | pindi chana masala | how to make chole pindi masala
Performance in Raga Charukeshi on Sarod (fretless skin-faced lute with metal fingerboard), accompanied by Tabla (tuned drums) and Tanpura (drone instrument)


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## MetroFox2 (Aug 21, 2019)

ConorHyena said:


> This is from where I've been born, an undeniable part of cornish culture.
> 
> the cornish pasty!
> 
> ...



_Licks chops
_
Speaking of Celtic culture, Conor and Nexus, don’t forget the Welsh and the Manx. I’d share some stuff from them but I’m on the bus.


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## Sealterbloind (Aug 21, 2019)

Hmm, as a Finn my first thought is "_we don't have anything special here_", but after giving it some thought, here's some neat stuff from Finland:

*1.) Sauna*






There's really nothing more Finnish than sauna! The one thing I really miss about living with my parents house was to have your own sauna (I nowadays live in an apartment that only has one public sauna, but I'm not really a fan of public saunas as I value my privacy ^^).


*2.) Summer cottages/houses*






Most Finns love to use their summer vacations in their summer cottages and houses that are often in forests or near the sea or a lake, far away from the busy city areas where people can relax and enjoy the silence of the nature around them.


*3.) Finnish nature*






Everytime Finns tell about Finland to others and especially if they are asked what do they love and value about Finland, one answer most people will probably say is "beautiful nature". We have tons of forests and lakes and we're generally really proud of our nature and we highly value it and try to protect it.


*4.) Salmiakki (salty liquorice)*






Salmiakki is this salty and strong flavored variety of liquorice that you either love or hate with a burning passion. It's something Finns most likely just learn to eat throughout the years as I used to hate salmiakki when I was a kid and eventually just got used to it :')


*5.) Sisu





*
We have this specific concept of "sisu", that's really hard to describe in any other language, but it's basicly is a Finnish concept described as stoic determination, tenacity of purpose, grit, bravery, resilience, and hardiness and is held by Finns themselves to express their national character. If you wish to read more about this state of mind, check out the Wikipedia article about it!


Okay, these were the ones that popped to my mind, my apologies for the big pictures, I don't know how to put them under spoilers .__."


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## AceQuorthon (Aug 21, 2019)

Here are some swedish traditions that I absolutely adore :3

1. Crayfish party





2. Walpurgis Night (Also celebrated in other northern European countries)





3. Midsummer


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## Joeyyy (Aug 21, 2019)

The Banjul Demba Festival of The Gambia.  w i l d


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## Fallowfox (Aug 21, 2019)

I'll pop in now and again to post interesting examples of cultural exchange, or interesting new discoveries.

Swedish burial costumes, with Islamic patterns embroidered into them (As Scandinavians sailed and traded over great distances in the Viking Age, they came into contact with the Muslim world in places like what it is now Spain and Iraq, and sometimes you can see caligraphic patterns in Viking Age Scandinavian artefacts).
www.bbc.co.uk: Why did Vikings have 'Allah' on clothes?

In Scotland, it was recently found that some artificial islands (called crannogs), which were thought to date back to the Iron Age, are actually Neolithic- thousands of years older.
Neolithic crannogs: rethinking settlement, monumentality and deposition in the Outer Hebrides and beyond | Antiquity | Cambridge Core
They're older than Stone Henge.


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## Connor J. Coyote (Aug 21, 2019)

Here ya go....


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## Willow (Aug 21, 2019)

The most Illinoisan food I could think of: The Horseshoe. I actually didn't know this wasn't a universal thing or at the very least a Midwestern thing until I tried describing them to my friends from Ohio and they all thought I was insane


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## WXYZ (Aug 22, 2019)

Toad-in-the-hole from the UK. Delicious!


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## MetroFox2 (Aug 22, 2019)

Manchesterite said:


> Toad-in-the-hole from the UK. Delicious!



I actually haven't had Toad-in-the-hole, despite being very British in my love of... Wales.

Speaking of which, let's see if I can find something of Welsh cultural value... I guess the flag will do. I love the Welsh flag, mainly because it has a dragon on it, or Ddraig if you speak Cymraeg. I believe the dragon is called Idris, unless the TV show Ivor the Engine lied to me as a child. In fact, I'd consider that Welsh culture, there's some great little TV shows that've come out of Wales, such as Ivor.

Also, this isn't actually the Welsh flag, just a plaque I bought at the East Somerset Railway to hang on my wardrobe.


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## Guifrog (Aug 22, 2019)

Manchesterite said:


> Toad-in-the-hole from the UK. Delicious!


*shivers with that name*







 

Dutch architecture in Recife, dating from colonization period. The city was once called Mauritsstad, during Dutch invasion, before the Portuguese would reclaim their territory


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## Godzilla (Aug 22, 2019)

I present chibi Godzilla. An important part of Japanese culture if I do say so myself.


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## Simo (Aug 22, 2019)

ConorHyena said:


> This is from where I've been born, an undeniable part of cornish culture.
> 
> the cornish pasty!
> 
> ...



Ah, those are indeed delicious! And yet, they seem almost unknown in the US, and very hard to find. When I go home, to northern Michigan, one finds them there, somewhat just below the upper peninsula, but they are very common in the upper peninsula, and it's not uncommong to see them sold at little road-side stands. And they can be very, very tasty. There used to be large copper mines up there, and the tradition, as I hear, stems from them being a staple of lunch foods among the workers, many years ago.

Now I want one!!!


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## MetroFox2 (Aug 22, 2019)

Simo said:


> Ah, those are indeed delicious! And yet, they seem almost unknown on the US, and very hard to find. When I go home, to northern Michigan, one finds them there, somewhat just below the upper peninsula, but they are very common in the upper peninsula, and it's not uncommong to see them sold at little road-side stands. And they can be very, very tasty. There used to be large copper mines up there, and the tradition, as I hear, stems from them being a staple of lunch foods among the workers, many years ago.
> 
> Now I want one!!!



Indeed, that's where they come from. Tin miners down in Cornwall ate them, the bit of pastry along the top being used as a handle because back then tin miners would get harmful substances on their hand and, unable to wash them, they just added a bit to hold on to while they ate. They also used to be two meals in one, which you can get over here still, half of it would have apple and bits like that in to serve as a full lunch, and the other half would have beef and onion to serve as their dinner.


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## Deleted member 111470 (Aug 23, 2019)

When I watched the Top Gear special in Burma, I realized that nothing brings people more than food and music. And lately, when it comes to music, I prefer listening to music that doesn't sound like it's made by computers. I'm going to post a bunch of links to youtube videos cos otherwise the thumbnails will clog the thread or whatever. Obviously, there is mixing and other music equipment in them and they are not pure unplugged/acapella but you get the point.

Israeli choir signing around a table. I have no idea what the song is about, but I like the atmosphere.
Highlights of Maria Franz, Heilung - proto-norse folk music. Heilung's performance is out of this world
Heilung Alfadhirhaiti - another song by Heilung. This one is far more aggressive and primal.
Jesse Cook - Closer to Madness. I'm not sure what culture this belongs to. To me, sounds kinda middle-eastern, but not really?
And finally, I'll drop something from my area. Eriney - The Underworld. Description of the tale in the spoiler below:


Spoiler



Heavily inspired by Bulgarian folklore, 'The Underlorld' tells the dark tale of a dead girl locked away in the Underworld, guarded by a great serpent. Her love comes to fight the beast and rescue her, but as the final blow is struck, he is turned into a guardian-serpent himself, for the black gates can never stay unguarded. The girl returns home to her mourning father, who asks why she didn't bring her dead mother as well. She replies that her mother drowned into a deep lake and can never return to the realm of the living.


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## Rusty_Raccoon (Aug 23, 2019)

AceQuorthon said:


> 3. Midsummer


oh no


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## ConorHyena (Aug 23, 2019)

Connor J. Coyote said:


> Here's a real American cultural icon :




Is this the point where I have to point to the obvious heritage of the Hamburger, Hamburg in germany?

*evil german snickers*


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## AceQuorthon (Aug 23, 2019)

Rusty_Raccoon said:


> oh no


J̑ͬ̾͊̃ͦͧͣ͟҉̪̯̳̦Ǫ̛̛͓̘̪̜̜̙̩͙͖̪̻̼͎̠̥̎͋̍̇̍̄̍͐͒̏̉̾ͥ̈̈́̎͝ͅI͋ͮͭ̓͋̾̊ͫ̄͡͏̼͙͉̥̣N̴̢̡̐͒̌̎́҉̱̘̝̜͎̜̱̫ ̸̡̦͍̬͕̪̻̳̰̭̙̙̫̩̥͓̠̥ͬͨ̾͋ͧ̔ͣ̑̑ͪͣ̃ͯ͢ͅU͇̳̯̮̥̟͙̝͎̳̗̝͕̾ͤͣ̈́ͯͧͬ̎̂̍̑̚̚͜Ŝ̛̭̤̫̮̖̫̞̩̗͉̖̠̼̌̑̓̀ͥ͂͛


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## WXYZ (Aug 23, 2019)

British/Irish/Scottish folk music.


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## Infrarednexus (Aug 23, 2019)

A lot of old Roman and Catholic style buildings are kept alive in tradition and design over in Italy. Italian cities like this are often associated with romance and passion, attracting tourists worldwide and thus benefiting the local citizens of the area.


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## Fallowfox (Aug 23, 2019)

A photo I took in Tilting, Fogo, Newfoundland. It's very Irish there.


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## WXYZ (Aug 23, 2019)

Guess where this picture came from. 






Spoiler: Answer



Pre-WWII Manila


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## Rusty_Raccoon (Aug 23, 2019)

AceQuorthon said:


> J̑ͬ̾͊̃ͦͧͣ͟҉̪̯̳̦Ǫ̛̛͓̘̪̜̜̙̩͙͖̪̻̼͎̠̥̎͋̍̇̍̄̍͐͒̏̉̾ͥ̈̈́̎͝ͅI͋ͮͭ̓͋̾̊ͫ̄͡͏̼͙͉̥̣N̴̢̡̐͒̌̎́҉̱̘̝̜͎̜̱̫ ̸̡̦͍̬͕̪̻̳̰̭̙̙̫̩̥͓̠̥ͬͨ̾͋ͧ̔ͣ̑̑ͪͣ̃ͯ͢ͅU͇̳̯̮̥̟͙̝͎̳̗̝͕̾ͤͣ̈́ͯͧͬ̎̂̍̑̚̚͜Ŝ̛̭̤̫̮̖̫̞̩̗͉̖̠̼̌̑̓̀ͥ͂͛


_HEAVY INHALING AND EXHALING_


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## RossTheRottie (Aug 23, 2019)

How about a slice of Florida?
The beach sucks. Its hot, its windy, there's no escape from the sun, and the ocean is salty.
Plus I don't like sand. Its rough, coarse, and irritating. And it gets everywhere.
Many Florida natives prefer the springs that are dotted all over the central part of the state with low seventies water temperature year-round. 





For family outings now that we're all adults, we enjoy going to St. Augustine, which I highly recommend dropping by if you're ever in the neighborhood. Its also an excellent reflection on the Spanish and Latin culture that continues to influence us to this day. Pienso que es un parte muy importante de nuestro cultura regional lo que aprecio muy mucho.


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## Simo (Aug 24, 2019)

Modern art of the UK, 






DAVID HOCKNEY | THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING IN WOLDGATE, EAST YORKSHIRE IN 2011 - 1 APRIL

(LOT SOLD: 68,750GBP, Sotheby's, Aug, 2019)


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## Misha Bordiga Zahradník (Aug 24, 2019)

The US independence day. Even if you aren't particularly pleased with the clusterfuck that is our politics, you still get some beautiful fireworks.


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## Simo (Aug 24, 2019)

Misha Bordiga Zahradník said:


> The US independence day. Even if you aren't particularly pleased with the clusterfuck that is our politics, you still get some beautiful fireworks.



I'll say. Here where the damn anthem of our country was written, some few miles away, Baltimore has some nice fireworks over the harbor.

They launch then from FortMcHenry....we still haven't forgot the war of 1812, here 

Rockets red glare and all


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## Slytherin Umbreon (Aug 24, 2019)

ConorHyena said:


> Is this the point where I have to point to the obvious heritage of the Hamburger, Hamburg in germany?
> 
> *evil german snickers*


-laughs in Ye Olde 'Murican Tradition of taking credit for other countries' work-

Here are some Native tools carved out of deer bones. Because Edge.


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## WXYZ (Aug 24, 2019)

Behold the complexity of Japan Railways:


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## Misha Bordiga Zahradník (Aug 24, 2019)

Manchesterite said:


> Behold the complexity of Japan Railways:


This makes a fair bit of sense to me actually, but I've done a lot of things in Cities Skylines with monorail.


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## Simo (Aug 24, 2019)

oh my here


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## Simo (Aug 24, 2019)




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## Simo (Aug 24, 2019)

And here


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## Simo (Aug 24, 2019)

here​




Go, Baltimore!


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## CrookedCroc (Aug 24, 2019)

In Mexico there's an indigenous tribe called Tarahumara. 
They've been living a minimalistic lifestyles for hundreds of years, they grow corn, beans and sometimes they rise cattle.

But what they are best known for is their ability to run at incredibly high speeds for long periods of time, they are so fast that some of them hunt deers by just catching up with them. How did they achieve this? They live in a pretty harsh environment of rocky mountains and because of this they developed a special running technique that they sometimes teach to outsiders and some athletes


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## ConorHyena (Aug 24, 2019)

Connor J. Coyote said:


> Eh, alright... well, nothin' says culture - like a hot dog and a Slurpee at 3 AM.



*does the snicker again*

All right, this time you're allowed to keep it. It was invented by a german butcher, albeit in Brooklyn.

sorry


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## _Ivory_ (Aug 24, 2019)

Sealterbloind said:


> Hmm, as a Finn my first thought is "_we don't have anything special here_", but after giving it some thought, here's some neat stuff from Finland:
> 
> *1.) Sauna*
> 
> ...


i love finland


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## MetroFox2 (Aug 24, 2019)

_Ivory_ said:


> i love finland



It is a good country to love, my sona and his world have a fair bit of Finnish and Sami inspiration


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## _Ivory_ (Aug 24, 2019)

MetroFox2 said:


> It is a good country to love, my sona and his world have a fair bit of Finnish and Sami inspiration


Interesting uwu


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## Infrarednexus (Aug 25, 2019)

https://nwsisdmrc.wordpress.com/aztec-calendar/

If found this info on the Aztec calendars. They were very advanced as a civilization for their time.


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## WXYZ (Aug 25, 2019)

The post about calendars made me thought about clocks. Behold, the water clocks of ancient Persia!
www.atlasobscura.com: Object of Intrigue: Ancient Persian Water Clocks


> In ancient Persia, the water clock was a bowl placed in a large pot filled with water. A small hole would be made in the bottom of the bowl so that water from the pot would slowly flow in; when the bowl became full, it would sink down into the pot, and a trusty time keeper would dump it out and place it back on top of the water inside the pot.
> Time was thus measured by how many times the bowl sank—a bit like an hourglass with the sand swapped out for water.


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## Infrarednexus (Sep 2, 2019)

Some India and Singapore culture that I found personally pleasing,

Parrot Astrology or Parrot fortune telling is popular among the Tamils in India and Singapore. It involves using green parakeets which are trained to pick up Tarot like fortune cards. The parakeets are trained specifically for this. 






A parrot astrologer/fortune teller typically sits beneath a tree to call or by the side of the road where people congregate. He has a cage which contains one or two trained parrots. The tarot like cards are either spread out or stacked in front of him. They are 27 in number representing the Indian cosmic system. Each card contains the image of a Hindu deity and some cards contain images of Buddha or Virgin Mary with Infant Jesus. When a patron sits before the fortune teller, the latter opens the cage and lets the parrot out. He instructs the parrot to pick a card for the patron. The parrot walks over to the cards, picks one from the stack or the spread with its beak and gives it to the astrologer. It then walks back inside its cage. The astrologer opens the card and based on the image tells the fortune of the patron






If I ever visit India, I will certainly love to have my fortune told by my favorite animal.


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## Ophee (Sep 4, 2019)

Let's go with some spooks.  Picked this up from my Filipino friends.





Source: www.google.com: KAPRE: The Tree Dweller | Philippine Mythology Documentary

Could be called many things: tree demon, tree troll, or spirit.  Otherwise, it's iconic attitude with a burning cigar and as tall/big as a tree is a favorite tale to tell naughty village children to behave.

Don't let it's chill nature fool you.


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## ZeroVoidTime (Sep 4, 2019)

Manchesterite said:


> Behold the complexity of Japan Railways:


This image reminds me about a very important dog by the name Hachiko.
Hachiko / Useful Notes - TV Tropes
Hachikō - Wikipedia

As stated in the two links above Hachiko is a dog well known for loyalty as the dog would wait diligently for its owner even after death. The dog would latter get a statue in Shibuya ward in Tokyo as a dedication to the loyal canine companion.


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## Pipistrele (Sep 4, 2019)

Sealterbloind said:


> Hmm, as a Finn my first thought is "_we don't have anything special here_", but after giving it some thought, here's some neat stuff from Finland:
> 
> *1.) Sauna*
> 
> ...


You know, I have several Finnish penpals, and so far, I absolutely love what you folks have to offer  Actually planning to eventually migrate to Finland, since it makes the most sense from both economic/logistical standpoint (being a Russian citizen, Finland is one of the geographically closest places to move to, and while there are some anti-Russian statements I stumbled upon, the place generally seems to be much friendlier to eastern european foreigners compared to other options), but I would lie if I say my appreciation for Finnish culture doesn't have its part in my decision either. Thank you a lot for both valuable insight and big pictures ^^'


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## Guifrog (Sep 13, 2019)

I was surprised to learn about countries where the price you pay for a product is not the same you see in the tags due to a tax of sorts. I mean, we do tax our products, but when you go to the market it's all already included in the price tags you see so you don't get surprises when you check out.

And another thing that I wonder is, how are installments handled over there? Is it possible to pay for a computer in 6 monthly payments, TVs in 24 ones, phones in 30, etc?


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## Fallowfox (Sep 13, 2019)

Guifrog said:


> I was surprised to learn about countries where the price you pay for a product is not the same you see in the tags due to a tax of sorts. I mean, we do tax our products, but when you go to the market it's all already included in the price tags you see so you don't get surprises when you check out.
> 
> And another thing that I wonder is, how are installments handled over there? Is it possible to pay for a computer in 6 monthly payments, TVs in 24 ones, phones in 30, etc?



They do this in Canada and it was a right pain. You have to calculate VAT in your head to check you have enough money.


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## WXYZ (Sep 13, 2019)

Guifrog said:


> I was surprised to learn about countries where the price you pay for a product is not the same you see in the tags due to a tax of sorts. I mean, we do tax our products, but when you go to the market it's all already included in the price tags you see so you don't get surprises when you check out.


Five states in the US don't have a state sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon.
The circumstances vary, though. For example, municipalities can levy their own sales tax in Alaska.


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## Julen (Sep 15, 2019)

Cutting in half things such as cars, is a staple of basque culture

kid you not


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## CrookedCroc (Oct 2, 2019)

In feudal Japan ninjas developed multiple techniques for sabotage, espionage, camouflage, martial arts and many other things, these techniques were called Ninjutsu.

One of the most interesting ninjutsus I've read about was the "Cat eyes sundial" ninjutsu. This technique was used to determine the time of the day by just looking at the aperture of the cat's eyes. 
Here's a little guide of how it worked


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## Guifrog (Oct 3, 2019)

Apart from Halloween, October 31th is also the National Day of Saci-Pererê, a mischievous folkloric character who enjoys pranking others. He can confuse travelers, who end up lost in the roads; ties knots with animal fur; tangles the sewing threads made by whoever was sewing clothes; and many other things related to domestic activities. So whenever something goes wrong, people may put the blame on Saci. His red cap allows him to appear and disappear whenever he'd like, and he's also able to turn himself into a dust devil.


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