LARGEST COUNTRIES (by land mass ( Read more... )

School Lunches in France: Nursery-School GourmetsTIME MAGAZINE ( Read more... )

CATS AND GODS

The fecund cat is often been associated with fertility. The Scandinavian goddess Freyja rode in a chariot drawn by cats so farmers left out offerings for her cats to ensure a good harvest. In parts of Europe, a cat decorated with ribbons was released in the field after harvest-time to appease the gods.

The Peruvian fertility god Ai ( Read more... )

Obesity Rates by Country

Rank  Countries 
( Read more... )

The people of Switzerland
Switzerland has a population of 7.6 million. Foreigners account for around 21% of the resident population. The average age is increasing, as people live longer and have fewer children. Lifestyles are changing as the Swiss adapt to new demands. Religious belief has declined in recent years, but the religious landscape has ( Read more... )

Today is an important day in Germany if you want to know what the summer is going to be like. At least according to folklore and agricultural tradition [Bauernregeln], which holds that the weather on June 27th - Siebenschläfertag - will determine the general meteorological trend for July and August, the next 7 weeks. There are several rhymes of ( Read more... )

the germans' favorite icecream flavors are:

1. vanilla
2. chocolate
3. hazelnut
4. stracciatella
5. latte macchiato
6. cherries & cream
7. yogurt
8. strawberry
9. lemon
10. banana

source: german associates of ice cream makers

The image of  the French in other countries
[Source: Francoscopie 1999]

The Japanese say: sophisticated, conservative, elegant, art de vivre, noisy, brutal and dirty, cheerful and patient

The Americans say: creative, close-minded, cold and wary, conceited, arrogant, communists, anti-American

The Dutch say: cultured, respectful of human rights, ( Read more... )

from a website:

The distance between Italian people in conversation is closer than in English-speaking countries. Italians (and Hispanics) are demonstrative people and are given to do a lot of touching while talking. This is the norm. Many English-speaking people just don't get this because it is not the norm for them. A hug and a kiss on the cheek ( Read more... )

Excess Baggage · May 27, 04:01 PM
Written by James Martin

I’m telling you, it’s culture shock all over again. I’ve only been back in California two days and already I’m pining away for Italy. No, it’s nothing romantic-it’s about bagging groceries.

You see, in Italy, when you go to a supermarket and load your stuff onto the moving belt, the scanner ( Read more... )