The Korean Exam That Brings The Nation to a Halt
Kaushik Patowary
Nov 17, 2018
Every year in November, more than half a million high school students across South Korea sit for the examination of their life—the infamous ...
Showing posts with the label Culture
Chindōgu: The Japanese Art of Unuseless Inventions
Kaushik Patowary
Oct 18, 2018
You have definitely seen a chindōgu. They are those ridiculous Japanese inventions designed to solve a particular problem but are, in fact, ...
The Horseback Fishermen of Oostduinkerke
Kaushik Patowary
Sep 18, 2018
On the western end of Belgium’s short coastline, about 20 km east of Dunkirk, France, is a place called Oostduinkerke (meaning “East Dunkirk...
Inemuri, The Japanese Art of Sleeping at Work
Kaushik Patowary
Sep 8, 2018
In most countries sleeping at work is not only embarrassing, it might even cost one’s job. But in Japan, sleeping in the office is common an...
The Jingle Trucks of Pakistan
Kaushik Patowary
Apr 4, 2018
A typical Pakistani truck driver spends more time with his truck than he does with his wife. Which explains why he wants his 10-ton six-whee...
Vinegar Valentines: The Victorian Tradition of Sending Anonymous Hate Mail
Kaushik Patowary
Feb 6, 2018
In the late 19th century, Valentine's Day was more than an occasion for lovers to express their love for each other by sending greetings...
Women Who Become Men: The Sworn Virgins of Albania
Kaushik Patowary
Jan 29, 2018
In the remote mountains of northern Albania are villages where there are women who live and act like men. They have short hair, wear baggy p...
The Hairy Secret Behind Indian Temples
Kaushik Patowary
Nov 21, 2017
Where do hairs for fashion wigs and hair extensions come from? The answer is: everywhere, but the majority of them come from China and India...
The Art of Well Dressing
Kaushik Patowary
Nov 2, 2017
Every year throughout summer many villages in Derbyshire and Staffordshire decorate their wells and water sources—a custom known as well dre...
Japanese Milk Delivery Boxes
Kaushik Patowary
Oct 25, 2017
For many western countries, doorstep milk delivery is a thing of the past, but in Japan, millions of people still rely on the milkman for fr...
Rivers of Blood: The Aftermath of Eid al-Adha in Dhaka
Kaushik Patowary
Oct 5, 2017
Early last month, a macabre image of a little girl posing in what appears to be a street flooded with blood-stained rainwater went viral ove...
The Art of Deliberate Imperfection
Kaushik Patowary
Aug 28, 2017
Some people are perfectionists, going great lengths and through punishing routines to achieve the perfect figure, the perfect score, the ini...
The Backstugas of Sweden
Kaushik Patowary
Aug 15, 2017
In a forest in southern Småland, in southern Sweden, there is a small earthen cabin you can rent on Airbnb. The cabin is partially buried in...
The Decorative Birdhouses of Turkey
Kaushik Patowary
Aug 1, 2017
Turkish societies value animals greatly, especially birds which they believe bring good luck. The Turk's great love for the feathered sp...
Kattenstoet: The Cat Throwing Festival
Kaushik Patowary
Jul 25, 2017
For the last sixty years, the city of Ypres in Belgium has held a popular “Cat Parade” that draws visitors from around the country. Kattenst...
Victor Noir’s Mysterious Erection
Kaushik Patowary
Jul 24, 2017
The Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris is home to many famous dead people, including Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison. The grave of Oscar Wilde, in...
The Sourtoe Cocktail: A Drink Garnished With A Human Toe
Kaushik Patowary
Jul 22, 2017
In Dawson City, by the Yukon River, up north in Canada, there is a bar where you can order a shot of whiskey garnished with a real, dehydrat...
Haiti’s Wandering Street Pharmacies
Kaushik Patowary
Jun 10, 2017
In the Haitian capital city of Port-au-Prince, one need not be a pharmacist to sell medicine. All you need is a bucket and the willingness t...
Mudflat Hiking in The Wadden Sea
Kaushik Patowary
Jun 1, 2017
The southeastern edge of the North Sea, along the coast from Denmark through to the Netherlands, is a shallow belt of mudflats and barrier i...
The Handmade Globes of Peter Bellerby
Kaushik Patowary
Apr 17, 2017
When Peter Bellerby couldn’t find the perfect handmade globe for his father’s 80th birthday, he took matters into his own hands. He decided ...
