http://pocketcultures.com the world in your pocket Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:43:23 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://pocketcultures.com/2012/02/03/5-interesting-facts-about-australia/ http://pocketcultures.com/2012/02/03/5-interesting-facts-about-australia/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:43:23 +0000 Liz http://pocketcultures.com/?p=15416 1.  Australia is now the most obese country in the world, just pipping the US at the post with a 26% obesity rate to their 25%. Despite Australia being a sport loving nation there’s obviously a whole lot of armchair sport loving going on, with beer, soft drink or greasy takeaway [...]]]> http://pocketcultures.com/2012/02/03/5-interesting-facts-about-australia/feed/ 0 http://pocketcultures.com/2012/02/02/bryan-philippines/ http://pocketcultures.com/2012/02/02/bryan-philippines/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 01:19:21 +0000 carrie http://pocketcultures.com/?p=15304 Bryan, our regional Pocket Cultures contributor from the Philippines tells us a bit about the best parts of his country, including videoke, San Miguel beer and Weng Weng. Don’t know who Weng Weng is? Read on! Tell us a bit about yourself My name is Bryan Ocampo. I guide tourists [...]]]> http://pocketcultures.com/2012/02/02/bryan-philippines/feed/ 0 http://pocketcultures.com/2012/02/01/the-etiquette-of-visiting-around-the-world/ http://pocketcultures.com/2012/02/01/the-etiquette-of-visiting-around-the-world/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:19:59 +0000 Ana http://pocketcultures.com/?p=15320 Leave shoes on or take them off? Bring flowers or wine? Call in advance or drop in? What to do? Some of our contributors got their heads together and came up with a very useful guide on how to avoid social blunders when visiting these countries: Canada, Spain, France, Costa [...]]]> http://pocketcultures.com/2012/02/01/the-etiquette-of-visiting-around-the-world/feed/ 13 http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/31/us-russia-the-flying-balalaika-brothers-bridge-cultural-gaps-in-texas/ http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/31/us-russia-the-flying-balalaika-brothers-bridge-cultural-gaps-in-texas/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:37:29 +0000 Ana http://pocketcultures.com/?p=15260 Like many of their compatriots, musicians Zhenya Kolykhanov and Sergey Vaschenko emigrated from Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. They have since established themselves in Texas, USA, and through the formation of a band called the Flying Balalaika Brothers and a non-profit called Musical [...]]]> http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/31/us-russia-the-flying-balalaika-brothers-bridge-cultural-gaps-in-texas/feed/ 0 http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/29/hong-kong-transport/ http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/29/hong-kong-transport/#comments Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:01:32 +0000 marie http://pocketcultures.com/?p=15168 We’ve got three lovely photos today! Our contributor, Ski, has sent in these snaps of some of the variety of transport options there are in Hong Kong. She’s also given us some great commentary! Tram: These historical trams (since year 1904) certainly deserve a ride (or even more)! To get [...]]]> http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/29/hong-kong-transport/feed/ 2 http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/27/the-french-and-their-bread/ http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/27/the-french-and-their-bread/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:54:16 +0000 deebee http://pocketcultures.com/?p=14916 As you most likely know, the French could not have a proper meal without bread! How would they eat their cheese, wipe off their plates or make the tartines they dunk in their café au lait? Bread was discovered by our hunter-gatherer ancestors some 30,000 years ago! No need to [...]]]> http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/27/the-french-and-their-bread/feed/ 2 http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/26/nuria-from-costa-rica-living-la-pura-vida/ http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/26/nuria-from-costa-rica-living-la-pura-vida/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:24:30 +0000 carrie http://pocketcultures.com/?p=15115 Nuria, our regional Pocket Cultures contributor from Costa Rica, shares why she joined the Pocket Cultures team. “It is simply wonderful to be able to share my culture because I learn more about it and become more aware of it, which makes me value it even more.” Such an excellent [...]]]> http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/26/nuria-from-costa-rica-living-la-pura-vida/feed/ 9 http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/25/argentinean-customs-have-your-soda-water-delivered-to-your-door/ http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/25/argentinean-customs-have-your-soda-water-delivered-to-your-door/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:59:28 +0000 Ana http://pocketcultures.com/?p=14900 It used to be milk that was delivered door to door. In most places around the world, the milkman is a thing of the past. But this tradition is still alive and well in Argentina, although it’s soda water and not milk that is delivered. Many Argentineans are fond of [...]]]> http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/25/argentinean-customs-have-your-soda-water-delivered-to-your-door/feed/ 16 http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/24/from-our-contributors-week-of-january-23/ http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/24/from-our-contributors-week-of-january-23/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:29:28 +0000 Ana http://pocketcultures.com/?p=14888 http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/24/from-our-contributors-week-of-january-23/feed/ 0 http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/22/picture-postcards-bucharest-carriage/ http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/22/picture-postcards-bucharest-carriage/#comments Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:00:24 +0000 marie http://pocketcultures.com/?p=14587 Have a gander at this beautiful carriage photo taken by our contributor, Carmen Cristal, in Romania. She says, “This little carriage decorated with flowers is not a normal means of transport in Romania (we can find carriages only in small villages or they are used for tourism purposes) . The [...]]]> http://pocketcultures.com/2012/01/22/picture-postcards-bucharest-carriage/feed/ 0