Culture and Caveat

[dizzydoll]

The world is made up of many diverse cultures and it would be fun to find out more about yours. Each country offers something unique, pray tell, things that perhaps even travel agents don’t know. To make it more interesting you can include what your town/city has that is special. Be it the arts, sports, theatre, music, whatever… it will be fun to learn more. Tell a juicy tale. Maybe you’ve lived in other countries/towns/cities and there are things you’d like to share there.

And then to make it more fun… give us your worst at the same time, shock us if you can.! Don’t be shy now. Spill. lol

Enough from me now, but I will be back for sure.

:grouphug:
For all the worlds children.

[dizzydoll]

Okay I will start but I hope you add your piece too. Its fun to discover peoples perspective of things.

Here goes: South Africa has the best rugby and cricket teams in the whole wide world. lol. :thumbsup:

The hottest months in Durban are Jan, Feb, and Mar. Thank God we've just got over that.

[Niamh]

Here goes: South Africa has the best rugby and cricket teams in the whole wide world. lol. :thumbsup:


Oh Dear! I think the All Blacks would be in disagreement with that one! :D

Dublin: Has some amazing stretches of beaches and coastline that the average tourist doesnt even realise is there!

[Lulim]

Kitzingen, the ugliest town you can possibly think of.

There used to be beautiful old trees alongside the river, but they cut them off, most of them. The riverside is teeming with machinery, the ducks have taken flight, and it's very noisy from dawn until well after sunset.

There is no cinema, no theatre, and no library or bookstore worth mentioning.

[Lokasenna]

The United Kingdom has an incredible amount of history and culture crammed into a very small geographic area. The scenery is wonderful and varied as well.

As I flit between the two places, I'll go with both towns:

Llandudno - has the world's oldest copper mine, the wonderful scenery of the Great Orme's Head, and far too many hotels. Oh, and goats. Lots and lots of goats.

http://www.limestone-pavements.org.uk/gallery/Land%20Management/album/slides/Great%20Orme%20goats.jpg

Durham - is a teeny-tiny village with a whacking great Anglo-Norman Cathedral and top-notch university, as well as beautiful scenery.

http://www.freefoto.com/images/1008/06/1008_06_5---Durham-Cathedral_web.jpg

[dizzydoll]

Kitzingen, the ugliest town you can possibly think of.

There used to be beautiful old trees alongside the river, but they cut them off, most of them. The riverside is teeming with machinery, the ducks have taken flight, and it's very noisy from dawn until well after sunset.

There is no cinema, no theatre, and no library or bookstore worth mentioning.

Shame that is sad, you should plant some flowers along the roadside to brighten it up.

..


Oh Dear! I think the All Blacks would be in disagreement with that one! :D

Dublin: Has some amazing stretches of beaches and coastline that the average tourist doesnt even realise is there!

Well there are many who would debate that lol :smile5:

My mother is Irish but I've not been there.

..

Your pictures are beautiful Lok :thumbs_up



Tell us more, tell us more.

[Niamh]

I remember studying about that mine in Archaeology in College. :nod: Thats the part of Wales you are from Lok?
I only discovered recently that the Ll is pronounced cl! Was quite funny in Cardiff Central Station asking for a ticket to Llanelli! :D She was saying "Clanecli?"
i was like "no lanelli."
"Just after swansea?"
"Yes" "Thats Clanecli."
"You Serious?"
"The double L is pronounced Cl."
"Oh!"Cue blushing red face. Oops.

[kiki1982]

Ok, so I'm a Belgian.

Belgium is mostly known for its cities like Ghent and Bruges, and that's probably where it stops in terms of places. Horrible counry. I don't think there is any place in that country where you can stand, look at the horizon and not see a house or a tarmacked road. Brussels is a dump left over from the 60s and 70s with still a few nice places fortunately like the Grand' Place, but other than that there is not much left. Apart from maybe horribly pompous buildings from the first half of the 19th century when Belgium became independent. Shame.

And on top of that the language groups keep on arguing and are slowly tearing the country apart.

Now, I live in Germany, the border between Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland. A-ma-zing. One can cylce here without even seeing a car, one can look at the horizon and not see a house, one can walk and hear the birds, one can enjoy the scenery. Building in this country has not got out of hand so there are actually villages with empty roads (not built next to it) between them! And, cities where possible (because they were bombed by the allied) have been kept as they were or at least almost (allowing for some ridculous building in the 60s and 70s). Efficiency, friendliness, customer service! It is new to me.

edit

By the way, Niamh, shouldn't one aspire (?) the 'c' in one's cheeks as if one had a speech deficiency (sorry Welsh people)? Or am I confused? I want to be able to read those things at least...

[Lokasenna]

Don't worry - most people struggle with Welsh! The double 'L' is indeed pronounced as a forceful 'cl'. 'U' is also pronouced as 'I' - which means that my town of Llandudno is pronounced as 'clandidno'.

And, of course, about a half-hour's drive from me you have the lovely village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysilio gogogoch - try pronouncing that, if you dare! It would be spoken something like this:

"Clan-vire-pooll-guin-gill-go-ger-u-chwurn-drob-ooll-clandus-ilio-gogo-goch"

[dizzydoll]

Oh Dear! I think the All Blacks would be in disagreement with that one! :D

Dublin: Has some amazing stretches of beaches and coastline that the average tourist doesnt even realise is there!

Please could you post a few pictures for me to see! I'd like to imagine... :smile5:

[Niamh]

Please could you post a few pictures for me to see! I'd like to imagine... :smile5:


This is part of the beach on Bull Island, which stretches from Clontarf to sutton on the north city coastline. Its also a nature reserve and located near a park called St Annes, the ancestral home of the Guinness family. :)

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q268/niamhking/dollymount%20and%20coastal%20cycle/stuff026.jpg

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q268/niamhking/dollymount%20and%20coastal%20cycle/stuff031.jpg

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q268/niamhking/dollymount%20and%20coastal%20cycle/stuff030.jpg

If you have ever seen the movie Once, its featured in it when they are playing frisbee.

[kasie]

Niamh - you came to Llanelli and you didn't mention it!!! We could have had a coffee or something....

[dizzydoll]

That looks really beautiful and peaceful Niamh. And so much empty space its fabulous. I love watching cloud formations, it must look quite a treat when the sun plays coloured tricks with the clouds there. :smile5:

Of course we own the sun and loan it to you guys for a bit each year. lol.

[kiki1982]

Haha, Lokasenna.

That village is my hubby's party joke. We did it with Polish people once! Hilarious.

Is that village a nice place, though?

[OrphanPip]

Hmm, well I live in Quebec.

The place is pretty much an amalgam of French culture heavily influenced by British and American culture.

Here are some pictures I guess

The Chateau Frontenac in Quebec city:

http://www.dam.brown.edu/people/glin/Trip_in_Canada/postcards/Quebec-city/Chateau-Frontenac-Hotel.jpg

Interesting factoid, Quebec city is the only remaining walled city in the Americas.

My old alma mater McGill:

http://www.mcgill.ca/files/senate/P1010024.jpg

And the Montreal skyline:

http://flykingsland.net/media/Charters/montreal_skyline.jpg

[Hurricane]

Worcester (pronounced "Wister," of course) Massachusetts, home of barbed wire, the monkey wrench, and the infamous "Turtle Boy" statue seen below.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XU9x8G7khv0/SomlEZmWmAI/AAAAAAAAIeY/h3ghVdDZDN8/s400/small_i%2520heart%2520turtles.jpg


However, we do have one thing going for us, that being our proximity to Boston, which has the best baseball, basketball, and football teams in the business (also, a hockey team that's decidedly not the best in the business), as well as actual culture and lots of historical significance.

[dizzydoll]

Those pictures are so cool with a touch of personal pride to add. Thanks for sharing.

Well the good news is we will have the 2010 World Cup Soccer in South Africa pretty soon. Here's a picture of the stadium in Durban. I can see it to the left of my windows but it is shielded by another building so here is Google pictures of the stadium.

http://www.worldcupblog.org/files/2009/02/king-senzangakhona-stadium-durban-south-africa.jpg

The bad news is our guys dont know how to play soccer/football and they will surely loose the first match. haha.

More bad news is they are selling thousands of these noisy horns that make the most horrible sound.
Due to this, I'd better leave the country before the games begin. To be frank, I dont care for soccer. :auto:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/Moses_Mabhida_World_Cup_Stadium.jpg/800px-Moses_Mabhida_World_Cup_Stadium.jpg

[Lokasenna]

Haha, Lokasenna.

That village is my hubby's party joke. We did it with Polish people once! Hilarious.

Is that village a nice place, though?

It's two shops and a garage... I don't think it even classifies as a village..? I get my car repaired there, so its alright I suppose..?

[Niamh]

Niamh - you came to Llanelli and you didn't mention it!!! We could have had a coffee or something....


:eek: you live in Llanelli? No way!! If i'd only known!


Hmm, well I live in Quebec.

The place is pretty much an amalgam of French culture heavily influenced by British and American culture.

Here are some pictures I guess

The Chateau Frontenac in Quebec city:

http://www.dam.brown.edu/people/glin/Trip_in_Canada/postcards/Quebec-city/Chateau-Frontenac-Hotel.jpg


:eek:

[1n50mn14]

I'm from Guelph, Ontario, Canada... and we home the children's author, Robert Munsch, a whole bunch of hideous pretentious art, a really awesome arboretum, two incredibly polluted rivers, and lots of places to get sloshed. =) Oh, also, a cool downtown in the process of being totally destroyed by the City Council, and a church that was meant to be a replica of Notre Dame- they gave up halfway or so. We have... a theatre, lots of music and a decent Indie scene, an awesome second hand bookshop run by a total madman, an awesome thrift store run by a total mad man, a freak show, lots of burlesque/gay/fetish nights at the University, open to the public, and I'm sure much more...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2109/1603052654_a763a15f9d.jpg

http://pg.webring.com/members/blog/bishopjtlewis/image/guelph.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2144/1636159748_4ff625ce65.jpg

[Niamh]

Guelph looks so pretty Becs!

[Katy North]

The town in Virginia that I live in has the first strip mall ever built in the USA.

Right now it consists of a few ramshackle old buildings in a horseshoe around a post office, a fire department, and a library with an extremely disappointing selection of books.

It's splendiferous. :rolleyes5:

[OrphanPip]

I almost went to Guelph for university before choosing McGill, it is a nice place.

We have one of those pesky Notre Dame replicas in Montreal two, I think it's 1/4 the size or something.

http://www.pgscanada.com/bbs/data/montreal/Montreal_Notre_Dame.jpg

Although, we also have the largest church in Canada, Saint-Joseph's Oratory, but I think it's hideous looking.

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/media/0473_74.JPG

You can see the monstrosity from all around too, because they built it on the top of the frigging hill in the middle of the city.

There's also a giant hideous neon cross lit up year round on the top of the mountain to commemorate the wooden cross placed there by the original colonist at the founding of Montreal.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Mount-royal-cross.jpg

[1n50mn14]

.....

[dizzydoll]

This is such beautiful, fun thread... so cool to read your descriptions too. :hurray:

Perhaps we can include our dreams of where we wish to visit too. I'm going to Alaska in July 2011, on a cruise to be exact.

[Niamh]

I'm with Becs. that Cross is tacky!

[JuniperWoolf]

Seriously, small town Canada goes balls-to-the-wall crazy when it comes to hockey. I guess the nearest comparison would be a football riot in Manchester or something. It's absolutley nuts, some people would slit their own throat if they thought it would help their team win.

[OrphanPip]

Seriously, small town Canada goes balls-to-the-wall crazy when it comes to hockey. I guess the nearest comparison would be a football riot in Manchester or something. It's absolutley nuts, some people would slit their own throat if it would help their team win.

Just small town Canada? Haha, we had a riot after Montreal made it through the first round of the playoffs two years ago.

Playoff games pretty much shut down the entire downtown core

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJfeU4HrRyg&feature=related

[JuniperWoolf]

Haha yeah, when the Oilers were in the final playoff game I think like two people were trampled on Whyte Ave. I just said "small town" because that's my culture. Hockey's huge all over Canada.

We take pride in being helpful and not bothersome (for example, if the waitress brings you the wrong food item, you usually say "don't worry about it" or you don't even mention it in the first place).

We DO NOT honk our horns unless somebody actually does something dangerous and illigal and they need to see us in order to not crash into us. When I was in California, people were honking their horns all over the place for no reason at all. If you did that in Canada, someone would probably either follow you to the parking lot of the 7-11 and beat the crap out of you or call the cops because they think you're drunk.

Hard work and a cold beer afterwards are highly valued.

We actually like the sport of curling.

Weed is not a big deal, everyone's pretty cool with it (even the cops).

Girls in my town get into fistfights with each other and sometimes with guys too, and I've said that before to people that aren't from Canada. They always seem to think that's weird. It's not a hate thing, it's just "I have an issue with you, you have an issue with me, we fight and it's settled" then everything's fine (usually).

[dizzydoll]

Girls in my town get into fistfights with each other and sometimes with guys too, and I've said that before to people that aren't from Canada. They always seem to think that's weird. It's not a hate thing, it's just "I have an issue with you, you have an issue with me, we fight and it's settled" then everything's fine (usually).

LOL, thats radical. Even by Africa's standards that would be considered radical.

[JuniperWoolf]

^^I used to spend a lot of time in Montreal, and that cross is the tackiest thing :D. I kinda like it... Guelph is a nice place, probably nicer if you're a student.

When I was there, I loved their strip club in the valley. It looks like a mansion.


LOL, thats radical. Even by Africa's standards that would be considered radical.

Once in the alley behind my house my next door neighbor got the hell beaten out of him by a big girl named Christina because he cheated on her sister.

There's this HUGE chick in our town named Sonia. She's beaten up many a guy. I once saw her mount this dude and smash his face into the ground, it was pretty epic.

We also have these two groups of sisters in town. I was there one time when they had this massive battle with each other. There was kicking and punching and hair-pulling and textbooks flying, it was a thing of beauty right on the front lawn of the highschool.

I myself have been in two un-regulated fights that went all the way (a lot of regulated ones, since I used to be a taekwondo competitor, and a lot of little scuffles that ended quickly ), both with girls. One called my friend a "dirty native" (a common racial slur in my town, we're about 15% native) and the other jumped me in a parking lot (I'm still not sure why).

The guys in my town fight each other ALL THE TIME. It's not even a big deal to anyone. Must be a hockey thing (fighting is an accepted part of the game). In fact, Nax (the forum member that I know irl) once pushed a guy named Ray down a flight of stairs. Haha, THAT level of violence doesn't happen very often.

*shrug* Fighting's fun. There's no reason to deny it, everyone likes a good bit of violence. It's primal, very "in the blood." I sort of think of it as a spiritual experience. The feeling that you get after a good scrap is fantastic.

[dizzydoll]

I sort of think of it as a spiritual experience.

No way, thats not true!! :lol: LOL, lol, :lol: I cant help laughing at your description, I never see fights, only seen one in my life and I wasnt born yesterday. To be honest I would get more afraid of seeing two chicks fighting than watching two guys scrap.... altho I cant be sure as I dont witness physical violence ever. I am just so happy about that. :biggrin5:

edited to add:

I lie, I watch "Disorder in the Court" and I cant believe what I see. LOL. Its funny and crazy at the same time. :crazy:


Court room beating (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0ecvsHzlfk&feature=related) 1.45min

Disorder in the Court-Our Town (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tiNALqCbxg&feature=related) 2.08. This one is so funny.

or
Funny Moment on the People's Court (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqdT4R00rW8&feature=related) 1.48min

Wonder how thats working for them. :dupe:

[Paulclem]

I went to a rough school in Yorkshire and managed to get into fights - despite trying to avoid them. (This continued into my twenties - I must have a punchable face - though my Dad's last fight was in his late 50's, so perhaps it is the face) - But no-one would fight the rough girls for fear of losing. We just avoided them.

[Scheherazade]

*shrug* Fighting's fun. There's no reason to deny it, everyone likes a good bit of violence. It's primal, very "in the blood." I sort of think of it as a spiritual experience. The feeling that you get after a good scrap is fantastic.Very interesting. Is this a teaching of some religious cult? "The Church of Holy Punch" perhaps?

Are there any popular teachings? Like:

Thou shalt beat the living daylights out of thy neighbour.

If thou strike someone on the right cheek, thou shalt make sure to strike them on the left one also.

:p

I personally abhor violence and cannot understand why it would be championed under the cloak of "in the blood" and "fun".

However, I don't want to hijack this thread so I think I will start another thread on this issue.

[JuniperWoolf]

I personally abhor violence and cannot understand why it would be championed under the cloak of "in the blood" and "fun".


*shrug* It just is fun. When you're fighting, everything kind of fades away (that's I meant by "spiritual"... more in the proverbial sense). It's all just physical reaction, things happen too quickly for your brain to conciously keep up. Afterwards, even if you lose or it's just for sport (say, a sanctioned fight with a referee) every inch of you feels just fantastic. I think it's because you've giving in to your "animal instinct" (and I'm trying really hard not to sound cliche). People have been beating the crap out of each other for survival for millions of years, our brains have developed to crave violence (at least, that's my opinion).

[Niamh]

We were kind of like that as kids in dodgy Dublin, but it was more of a survival of the fittist in the rougher parts. You had to prove how tough your were. We'd have some organised fights around the back of the schools. If you didnt you got picked on. I hated it and avoided it as much as possible. I've seen a lot of kids get hurt. But we were all about 8,9,10 and as it got closer to our entrance exams for secondary school we would stop and let the younger kids take over. By the time we got to secondary school and then to college, the only people who kept fighting were bullies and a few that went on to be... the type of people you wouldnt cross.
They still do it today except theres more of a thuggery about it. Kids hitting kids with bricks? Not good. Culturally i think its shameful. Nobody should grow up, disadvantaged or not, encouraged to battle it out. I think its even worse of an example when kids grow up looking at adults doing this.

[dizzydoll]

Originally Posted by dizzydoll
South Africa has the best rugby and cricket teams in the whole wide world. lol.


Oh Dear! I think the All Blacks would be in disagreement with that one! :D

Well we have to give a dog a bone, the All Blacks Haka is pretty intimidating I would say but during this display the Springboks are watching the cheerleader dolls. lol.

Haka - New Zealand All Blacks Rugby (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4LNjNXt1yM&feature=fvst) YouTube - 0.50mins.

:biggrin5:

[TurquoiseSunset]

LOL, thats radical. Even by Africa's standards that would be considered radical.

Eh? What do you mean Africa's standards?

[dizzydoll]

Well, lets see JW posted this:


Originally Posted by JuniperWoolf
Girls in my town get into fistfights with each other and sometimes with guys too, and I've said that before to people that aren't from Canada. They always seem to think that's weird. It's not a hate thing, it's just "I have an issue with you, you have an issue with me, we fight and it's settled" then everything's fine (usually).

I feel girls getting into fistfights is rather radical.. even for Africa.. well I lived in Jo'burg for 20 odd years and if youve been to Jo'burg youve seen everything, mainly because its so cosmopolitan... but I have never seen girls fighting. Jo'burg is definitely like the wild west. I asked Shane if it happens in schools today and his answer: "no way!". Now in the Cape, I have no clue whats-up in the Cape. LOL. I just hope you dont have gals fistfighting there. LOL. I cant believe I am speaking about stuff like this.

Durban, RSA -- Indian Ocean

http://k41.pbase.com/o6/69/678569/1/76015036.UMZ98jqD.loneumbrella.jpg

>>>More Pix<<< (http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&gbv=2&tbs=isch:1&q=durban+beachfront&sa=N&start=0&ndsp=18)

:coolgleamA:

[country doctor]

the doc is from lake culture...a superior culture...piney woods and beautiful fresh water lakes that harbor many of the doc's meals...

remember this chatters...culture trumps everything...

culture > economics

culture > politics

the doc wishes that all the chatters could experience his lake culture...he's sure you'd enjoy...

[motherhubbard]

I live in the Arkansas Ozarks. It is the most beautiful area in the world. Everywhere looks like this
http://www.ozarkmountains.org/images/fall3.jpg

Caveat: If you are hiking or kayaking and something goes wrong, don't expect to be able to call for help. You can't get a signal.