Mar

Street “Seen”!

by Joyce McGreevy on March 6, 2018

A mural in a street in Glasgow, Scotland shows why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Street art is big in Glasgow, Scotland.
© Joyce McGreevy

Seeing the World One Step at a Time

When was the last time you took a walk just to see what you could see? What discoveries did you make? Sometimes seeing the world comes down to a stroll around the corner.

French photographer Robert Doisneau wrote, “The marvels of daily life are exciting; no movie director can arrange the unexpected that you find in the street.”

So, put on your favorite walking shoes. Let’s meander from street to street.

Footfall and Snowfall

Here we are in Malta on a sunny Mediterranean spring day. As we wander the narrow, baroque streets of Valletta, we turn a corner onto St. Paul’s Street and . . . What’s this? A snowstorm?

Why, the entire street is covered in—oh I see: confetti! Everyone has come out to play.

A festive street scene in Valletta, Malta shows why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Confetti—and time—fly in St. Paul Street, Valletta, Malta.
© Joyce McGreevy

We wade in up to our knees. A marching band plays, crowds cheer and sing, children lark about, and confetti cascades from balconies. A young man graciously explains what the heck is going on.

This is the grand finale to the Festival of St. Paul—a street-centric celebration. Beyond this street, all is business as usual, so most visitors to Valletta never notice this happy hoopla.

Oh, I see: Wandering leads to wonders.

Perhaps you’d prefer to walk somewhere quiet? I know just the place: the Bath.

Bath, England, that is.

A street sign in Bath, England shows why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Oddly enough, Quiet St has a sound map, the creation of 19 artists.
© Joyce McGreevy

Animal Tracks

Now then, how do you feel about cats? Wherever we wander, we’ll see many a feline local.

Street cats in Greece and Turkey show why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Turkish cats rest on roofs and walls. Greek cats catnap on cars and motorbikes.
© Joyce McGreevy

An inquisitive cat in Howth, Ireland has a way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Irish cats can be very inquisitive.
© Joyce McGreevy

Look out for lions—they’re the “pride” of many major cities.

Statues of lions in cities show why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up.(Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Lions in Vienna (left), Chicago (center top), Bodrum (center bottom), and Athens (right).
© Joyce McGreevy

And on some streets “here be dragons”!

Dragon statues in Aarhus, Denmark and Santa Fe, New Mexico show why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

(Left to right) Dragons are fired up in Aarhus, Denmark and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
© Joyce McGreevy

It’s a Mystery

In beautiful Budapest, we walk from the Jewish Quarter and then cross the River Danube to Margaret Island. Along the way, we admire Art Nouveau architecture and statues of famous poets and politicians. Then, we turn a corner and see…

American TV detective Columbo.

Wait, whaaat?

A statue of Peter Falk as Columbo in Budapest Hungary shows why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

What’s TV detective Columbo doing in Budapest, Hungary?
© Joyce McGreevy

Sure enough, a life-size bronze statue of actor Peter Falk stands before us, complete with rumpled trench coat and cigar. Columbo’s basset hound, “Dog,” is here, too.

Suddenly we’re on the case, Columbo-like, with “just one more question.”

But our best clue turns out to be a red herring. Yes, the street is also named after a Falk. But that Falk was a 19th-century Hungarian author, and no evidence exists that he and Peter Falk are related.

Nevertheless, in 2014 a statue of Falk as Columbo was unveiled to great fuss and fanfare. We question a local witness, who proudly informs us that the canine model for the basset hound attended this event “in person.”

As for Peter Falk? Alas, he was a no-show, having passed away in 2011.

Hmm…Maybe the Columbo and Dog statues should set out for the Big TV in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

A giant TV sculpture in Santa Fe, New Mexico shows why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

David Rudolph’s “Big Picture TV” sculpture invites creative interaction.
© Joyce McGreevy

The Weird . . .

Some statuary we’ve seen is surprisingly animated:

Statues and mannequins in European cities show why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

(Clockwise) Mannequins “rule” in Budapest; a diver demurs in Oslo; a character climbs in Greece.
© Joyce McGreevy

. . . And the Whimsical

And don’t forget these lively knights in Vienna.

A whimsical street scene of statues and a worker in Vienna, Austria shows why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Things are looking up in Vienna, Austria.
© Joyce McGreevy

Scene in the Streets

Who knows what sights we’ll see as our wandering continues?

Ancient streets and modern streets.

Street scenes like Aghia Ekaterini Square, Athens, and the Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublin, Ireland show why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

(Left) Aghia Ekaterini Square, Athens, Greece. (Right) The Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublin, Ireland.
© Joyce McGreevy

Busy streets and quiet streets.

Street scenes in Istanbul, Turkey and Bruges, Belgium show why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

(Left to right) Friday night in Istanbul, Turkey; Sunday morning in Bruges, Belgium.
© Joyce McGreevy

Sunny streets and snowy streets.

Street art in Santa Monica, California and a snowy street scene in Evanston, Illinois show why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

(Left to right) Sunmery street art in Santa Monica, California; a snow-covered street in Evanston, Illinois.
© Joyce McGreevy

Streets by night and streets by day.

Street scenes of Millennium Park, Chicago and Telthusbakken, Oslo, Norway show why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

(Left) Millennium Park, Chicago. (Right) Telthusbakken Street, Oslo, Norway.
© Joyce McGreevy

And always the promise of fascinating street scenes just around the corner.

A street scene of Plovdiv, Bulgaria show why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

An evening stroll in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
© Joyce McGreevy

Tell me, what streets are your favorites for seeing the world on foot? What discoveries have you made?

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Joyce McGreevy Comments

Art of Travel/Discoveries/On Foot/Worldwide Sites

Feb

Cultural Traditions for Valentine’s Day

by Meredith Mullins on February 12, 2018

Valentine's Day wish with paper hearts, showing cultural traditions of the holiday. (Image © Alenaohneva/iStock.)

Hearts abound on Valentine’s Day
© Alenaohneva/iStock

Hedgehog or Cockroach—Which Would Your Valentine Prefer?

Valentine’s Day arrives this week, so there’s no time to lose in selecting the perfect gift for your special someone. In most countries, the gifts of choice are the usual items—flowers or chocolates, all wrapped in Valentine’s red.

But it might be time to challenge the marketing hype and create your own cultural traditions. Oh I See. How about a cockroach or a hedgehog?

Couple on a date on Valentine's Day, showing cultural traditions of the holiday with roses and dinner. (Image © George Rudy/iStock.)

Valentine’s Day can be full of surprises.
© George Rudy/iStock

Love . . . Sealed with a Hiss

This year, one of the Valentine’s Day thoughts getting top buzz (or hiss) is the “Name a Cockroach” program from the Bronx Zoo Wildlife Conservation Society.

You purchase the privilege of naming one of the zoo’s Madagascar hissing cockroaches (certificate included).

Madagascar hissing cockroach, a gift for Valentine's Day that defies cultural traditions. (Image © Lenkusa/iStock.)

Nothing says love like a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach.
© Lenkusa/iStock

“Nothing lasts longer than a roach,” says one of the Wildlife Conservation Society executives. So this gift certainly outlasts flowers or chocolates. Love, like a roach, can be everlasting.

For an extra donation, you can even get a Roach Broach, roach socks, and roach chocolates (no, not chocolate-covered roaches . . . just tasty chocolate shaped like a roach. Yum).

Roach items from the Wildlife Conservation Society of the Bronx Zoo, a gift for Valentine's Day that defies cultural traditions. (Image © Bronx Zoo Wildlife Conservation Society.)

The full array of roach items (called “the works”)
Image courtesy of Wildlife Conservation Society

Hedging Your Bets with a “Wild at Heart” Gift

If a roach doesn’t quite have the ring of “I Love You,” there’s always a hedgehog. England’s Surrey Wildlife Trust offers the opportunity to adopt (virtually) this prickly—but adorable—critter. (Otters and goats are also available.)

A Hedgehog as a possible gift for Valentine's Day, defying the cultural traditions of the holiday. (Image © eve_eve01genesis.)

A cute, but prickly, Valentine’s Day idea
© iStock

The hedgehog gains accolades for its ability to roll into a spiny ball. Their spines point out, their faces are hidden, and it takes a lot of coaxing for them to uncurl once they have felt threatened. What better way to say “I love you.”

The donation for an adoption allows the Wildlife Trust to continue important conservation work.

And, your special someone gets a species fact sheet, a cuddly toy, and an adoption certificate.

Maxim Eiffel Tower candies, a gift for Valentine's Day that is part of the cultural traditions of the holiday. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Eiffel Tower chocolates in Paris
© Meredith Mullins

International Kitsch

Some of the more unconventional gifts around the world include the “Grow a Boyfriend” kit, the “I Love You” toast stamper, the Valentine version of Venus de Milo, and just about everything you could think of transformed into Valentine red.

If you know someone who’s looking for that perfect boyfriend, send a “grow your own” kit. A tiny sponge boyfriend grows to 600% his size when dunked in water . . . and is, well, perfect. He never argues, always listens, always agrees, and doesn’t snore.

Grow a Boyfriend kit, a valentine's day gift that defies cultural traditions. (Image courtesy of Find Me a Gift website.)

The perfect date/mate: “Grow a Boyfriend”
Image courtesy of Find Me a Gift

Alternatively, you can order the “Magic Frog to Prince” kit, where, you guessed it, the frog dunked in water turns into Prince Charming.

If you want to surprise loved ones with breakfast in bed with extra flair on Valentine’s Day, treat them to “I ♥ You” toast with the “I Love You” Toast Stamper.

The I Love You Toast Stamper, a valentine's gift that is part of the cultural traditions of the holiday. (Image courtesy of Amazon.)

A toast to Valentine’s Day
Image courtesy of Amazon

And who wouldn’t want a Venus de Milo statue in red (or two)?

An ad for red Venus de Milo statues, a valentine's day gift that defies cultural traditions. (Image courtesy of Boutiques de Musées.)

Venus de Milo in red (and a discount!)
Image courtesy of Boutiques de Musées

Or a range of other gifts in red, for that matter.

Lingerie window in Paris with red for Valentine's Day, gifts the reflect cultural traditions. (Image © meredith Mullins.)

Paris lingerie: Ooh la la in Valentine’s Day red
© Meredith Mullins

The Rhythm of Gift Giving

Most countries celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14. However, some countries officially extend the gift giving.

In Japan, the women give chocolates on February 14. Giri-choco is “obligation” chocolate, given to friends, bosses, and colleagues. Honmei-choco is given for “true love.” Much of the time, honmei-choco is made at home by the women to make the gift more personal.

Chocolate hearts for valentine's day, part of the cultural traditions in Japan. (Image © Bojsha65/iStock.)

Giri-choco for friends, bosses, and colleagues
© Bojsha65/iStock

One month later, on White Day, the men must reciprocate by giving gifts to the women who gave them chocolates.

A similar rhythm exists in Korea. The women are the gift givers on February 14, with chocolates, candies, and flowers. Then, one month later, the men return the thought (with chocolates, flowers, and an extra added gift).

And, for those who don’t celebrate on Valentine’s Day or White Day, there is a third holiday one month after White Day—called Black Day.

The custom for some on Black Day is to mourn being single by eating dark bowls of jajangmyeon, black bean-paste noodles.

Korean Food Jajangmyeon Bowl, eaten around Valentine's Day to mourn being single, part of the cultural traditions in Korea. (Image © Pius99/iStock.)

If that seems to be one of the sadder cultural traditions, then think hedgehog, cockroach, or “Grow A Boyfriend.” After all, it’s a day to celebrate love in any form.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

For more information about these special Valentine’s Day gifts, visit “Name a Roach” and adopting a hedgehog. “Growing a boyfriend” is available at a variety of sites.

For the “I Love You” toast stamper visit Amazon in your country, and for museum gifts in Paris, visit here.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Meredith Mullins Comments

Cultural Heritage & Traditions/Worldwide Sites

Feb

Don’t Say Goodbye to Saying Hello

by Joyce McGreevy on February 5, 2018

A man and a woman conversing in Ireland shows how saying hello is fundamental across cultures. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Meeting & Greeting Across Cultures

In a New Yorker cartoon entitled “How to Clear a Space at a Crowded Beach,” a man says hello to all and sundry. His cheeriness so horrifies New Yorkers that hundreds collectively retreat.

Oh, I see: Some people like saying hello. Some people give hello the heave-ho.

In Galway, Ireland, (pop. 258,000) passersby often say hello to one another. Nothing fancy, mind you. A quick tap of the second syllable and you’re on your way. In Istanbul, Turkey (pop. 15 million) a local who said hello to passersby would prompt a puzzled reaction.

Yet people in both cities are notably friendly.

Does higher population density = fewer hellos? In New York City, saying hello to your neighbors in just one square mile would take you 2 weeks, 4 days, and 16 hours.

How Do You Hello?

Every culture has numerous ways to say hello, from Hi to Sula manchwanta galunga omugobe. Some greetings translate as questions: “Where are you going?” (Philippines) “Have you eaten?” (China) “Have you slept well?” (central Africa)

A word cloud in many languages shows that saying hello is fundamental across cultures. (Image © annatodica/iStock)

Business greetings vary across cultures, too. Leaving an office in Europe for one in Southern California, I often encountered hugs instead of handshakes. Yet saying hello to my SoCal neighbors elicited wary looks, as if I might be a time-share vendor eager to make a sale.

In Japanese business settings, hugs are unheard of, handshakes uncommon, and elaborate etiquette governs bowing and the exchange of business cards. But it was Japanese psychology that taught me a simple path to resilience during challenging times: maintain the practice of saying hello.

A Belgian cheesemonger saying hello shows that greeting is fundamental across cultures. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

In France, entering a shop without saying Bonjour, Madame (or Monsieur) is considered rude. Ditto Merci, au revoir as you leave. France is also where I’ve seen people say hello on entering elevators or when passing in corridors. It’s no come-on, just good manners.

Hello Kissy

Some cultures kiss hello. Career diplomat Andy Scott has navigated greetings in 60 countries, where the proper number of kisses can vary from one (Colombia) to eight (Afghanistan). In One Kiss or Two? The Art and Science of Saying Hello (The Overlook Press, available March 2018) Scott guides readers through greeting etiquette across cultures in all its air-kissing, high-fiving, nose-rubbing, cheek-sniffing, foot-kissing, floor-spitting, tongue-sticking, hand-clapping variety.

Hello, Fellow Human

Hello goes beyond words and gestures. Think of all the times you make eye contact with strangers—approaching the paper-towel dispenser in a restroom, finding a seat at the doctor’s office. Maybe you’ve shared an empathetic grimace with others in line at the DMV, or traded sheepish grins with a fellow shopper as you negotiated a narrow grocery aisle with oversized shopping carts.

What difference can such fleeting contact make? A lot. In 2011, researchers at Purdue University noted that humans have “evolved systems to detect the slightest cues of inclusion or exclusion. For example, simple eye contact is sufficient to convey inclusion. In contrast, withholding eye contact can signal exclusion” making people feel invisible.

They named their study after a German expression, wie Luft behandeln—“To Be Looked at as Though Air”—and added a telling subtitle: “Civil Attention Matters.”

A waving hand on a winter day shows that saying hello is universal across cultures. (Image © Banepx/iStock)

Hello, Anyone Here?

Eye contact is in shorter supply these days, as staring at smartphones becomes the default pause filler. And not just among the young.

Many of us clamp on headphones the moment we board trains, planes, and buses. But a 2014 study of Chicago commuters by the University of California Berkeley found that those who engaged another passenger in conversation were much happier.

I’m an irrepressible hello-er. Otherwise, I would have missed a wonderful dinner conversation last night with my friends Ann and Caitlin. After all, a few hours earlier, we hadn’t yet met.

To Greet or Not to Greet

Saying hello connects us, yet saying hello is a risk. We love getting out of the house for the social atmosphere of a café. Then we crouch behind our laptops.

Saying hello breaks down barriers. When a toddler says “Hi” in a public space it sparks friendly exchanges among nearby adults.

A baby waving shows that saying hello is fundamental across cultures. (Image © M-image/iStock)

The Power of Saying Hello

Once upon a time, at a college orientation, a young man saw a beautiful fellow student. At a loss for a clever opening line, he opted for “Hello.”

They’re happily married now.

So, don’t say goodbye to saying hello. Greetings vary across cultures, but in every language of the world, saying hello welcomes a world of possibility. Sometimes the sweetest possibility of all.

A couple walking hand in hand in Budapest show the power of saying hello across cultures. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)