2. 1.Cultural diferences
Gestures such as thumbs up can be interpreted differently in different
cultures. It is taken as “Okay” sign in many cultures whereas is taken as a
vulgarism in others like Latin American cultures and in Japan some even
take it as money. Some cultures take snapping fingers to get the attention of
a waiter as alright whereas some take it as disrespect and very offensive.
Showing feet is taken as offensive in some Middle Eastern cultures. Some
cultures take pointing fingers as insulting too. In Polynesia, people stick out
their tongue to greet people which is taken as a sign of mockery in most of
other cultures.
3. 2. Disasters
Also known as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, on December 26, 2004 an
earthquake measuring in with a magnitude 9.15 occurred in the Indian
Ocean. The undersea megathrust earthquake was caused when the Indian
Plate was subducted by the Burma Plate and although the quake only lasted
10 seconds it triggered a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of
most countries bordering the Indian Ocean, killing 230,000 people in 14
countries, and completely destroying coastal communities with waves up to
100 feet high. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded
history. Indonesia was the hardest-hit country, followed by Sri Lanka, India,
and Thailand. It is the third largest earthquake ever recorded on a
seismograph.
4. 3. Technological Mysteries
One long-ago day around 3200 B.C., the farmers and herdsmen on
Scotland’s remote Orkney Islands decided to build something big...They had
Stone Age technology, but their vision was millennia ahead of their time.
Five thousand years ago the ancient inhabitants of Orkney—a fertile, green
archipelago off the northern tip of modern-day Scotland—erected a complex
of monumental buildings unlike anything they had ever attempted before.
They quarried thousands of tons of fine-grained sandstone, trimmed it,
dressed it, then transported it several miles to a grassy promontory with
commanding views of the surrounding countryside.
5. 4. Unusual Museums
While Amsterdam’s Sex Museum is suitable only for an adult audience, the
exhibits at the oldest sex museum are more cultural than raunchy. In a city
known for its booming Red Light district and live sex shows, this museum is
filled with paintings, photos, sculptures and other memorabilia that
celebrate the history of sex through the ages from the early days of Greek
and Roman gods to historic figures like the notorious Italian lover Casanova
and Russia’s Catherine the Great who was considered a nymphomaniac.
6. 5. Endangered Animal
The cross river gorilla is one of two subspecies of western gorilla (the other
being the more numerous western lowland gorilla) found in the jungles on
the African continent. The cross river gorilla is now incredibly rare in the
wild and there are just a handful of cross river gorilla individuals thought to
be in just 11 locations.
The cross river gorilla is found inhabiting the tropical jungles and forests of
western and central Africa, along with lowland swamps and secondary
forests.
7. Home remedies
Swallow 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar. The dry granules stimulate and reset the
irritated nerve that is causing the spasms of the diaphragm. Any coarse
substance, such as salt, can work in a pinch, but sugar tastes best.
9. Trains in Europe
High-speed trains are the fastest way to get around Europe. You can cover
large distances in great luxury, relaxing in a comfortable chair or enjoying a
bite to eat in the dining car. Please note that seat reservations for high-
speed trains are often mandatory.
