Around 16% of the world’s adults would like to move to another country. Most of them would like to move to the USA or Canada. Europe and Saudi Arabia are also popular would-be destinations.

This is good news for Europe, whose population is shrinking:

“Europe’s population is, right now, peaking, after more than six centuries of continuous growth. With each generation reproducing only half its number, this looks like the start of a ­continent-wide collapse in numbers. Some predict wipeout by 2100.”

If you already live abroad, you’re one of the lucky ones. Many cannot move to another country because they cannot get a visa, or they cannot get permission to work.

Immigration is nothing new. In fact one hundred years ago global migration was much higher than it is today.

Source

Countries and cities who welcome immigrants can become hubs of creativity and innovation. This makes sense, because recent studies show that living abroad makes you more creative. Mobile people are well equipped to deal with the challenges of globalisation in other ways, too.

But apart from these advantages, Europe’s looming population decline means there is room for more.

What do you think?

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Catalunya is in the north-east part of Spain and has a distinct language, culture and traditions of its own. Whereas in Spain Christmas is celebrated with a big family meal on the evening of 24th December, in Catalunya Christmas is celebrated on the 25th with a big lunch.

Tió the magic log. Credit

But before lunch, generally in the morning, (although some families make it on Christmas eve), we have a particular Catalan tradition, where children and not so children make “cagar el Tió”, which as a literal translation would be to make “the log poop”.

OK forget the translation, better I explain it! So you get a log and children feed it starting a couple of weeks before Christmas (usually Santa Llúcia on the 13th december). During the night parents remove the food and next day the child thinks that the log has eaten it, and it’s good because the more it eats the more presents it will “poop” or give.

On Christmas day, children go to the kitchen and pray, then they get a stick and while singing a song which can change from area to area in the differents parts of Catalonia but all about the “Tió”, they hit the log which is covered with a blanket.

caga tió,
tió de Nadal,
no caguis arengades,
que són massa salades
caga torrons
que són més bons!”

(poop log, christmas log, don’t poop salty sardines; they are too salty. poop nougats, which are nicer!)

“Tio” under his blanket. Credit

When the children finish the song, they remove the blanket and underneath they find the presents! (which while praying in the kitchen the parents have hidden under the log and covered with the blanket) and really, children are so happy they don’t think how come the log “poops” presents.

If the child has been not behaving properly during the last year at some point the “Tió” will give coal, which usually is a candy with the aspect of coal. At my home however, as we were good children (of course!) the coal was put at the last try to indicate that the “Tió” didn’t have anything else to poop.

Unfortunately like other traditions this one was fading with the omnipresent Santa Claus, however, recently it seems it’s beginning to be “trendy” again.

This was a guest post by Meritxell in Catalunya. Thanks Meritxell!

Visit again tomorrow for Christmas in New Zealand, by Marie.

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‘A perfect lunch’ from seikinsou, from the Cercle des Voyageurs cafe in Brussels. Thanks for sharing it!

Seikinsou writes: “I enjoyed my tagliatelle with a creamy and delicious Madras curry sauce (very mild… it could have been a lot hotter for me), some brown bread and a pot of masala tea, followed by the very best Dame Noire ice cream (chocolate ice cream with a hot chocolate sauce) I have ever had”

I think we would all like to try it…

And if you liked this, check out our Food of the World photo group on Flickr to see more photos posted by PocketCultures readers around the world. We’d love to see yours too! Just join the group and add your photos.

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The Italian guide to drinking cappuccino: our Italian friends shed light on the famous cappuccino rule

This is the first post from Carmen, who is writing from Romania.

Also find Carmen on her blog Bucharest Daily Colours.

A legend says that the Dacians (Romanians’ ancestors), considered death just a passing to a better life and celebrated it instead of mourning.

In Maramures (a region in Romania never conquered by the Roman legions) the merry attitude towards death has been preserved.

And what better example than “The Merry Cemetery of Sapanta”. A place where death is welcomed with a smile.

Back in the 1930’s, Stan Ioan Patras, a folk wood artist, painter and poet, made the first merry cross in the world. And then, during more than 50 years, he had created hundreds of them.

All having in the background the famous “Sapanta Blue” and using also other vibrant vegetal colours, like yellow and green.

And all with the same characteristics.

In the upper part of the cross – a painted scene that describes best the dead person’s life & activity.

Then, an epitaph (a 10-17 rhymes amusing or satirical poem, addressed by the dead person to the ones who live). 

A famous epitaph: 

Underneath this heavy cross
Lies my mother-in-law poor
Had she lived three days more
I would be here and she would read
You that are passing by
Try not to wake her up
For if she comes back home
She’ll bite my head off
But I will act in the way
That she will not return
Stay here my dear
Mother-in-law.

(Images and poem with permission from: Romanian Monasteries.org)

Find out how to get there with this post from Captivating Romania.

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If you’re visiting Italy sooner or later you’re bound to come accross one piece of advice: do not order a cappuccino after 11am and definitely not after midday.

Coffee break. Image credit: ::..LK..:: on Flickr

But is this really true or is it another travellers’ legend? We asked a selection of real life Italians about their coffee drinking habits.

Here’s what they said (names have been changed):

Massimino, Rimini: “I don’t drink cappuccino. I prefer latte macchiato and I would order it in a bar at any time of day. But in a restaurant, never”

Giuseppe, Lecce: “I would have no problem ordering cappuccino in the afternoon. In fact, I will have one now” (at 6pm)

Laura, Genoa: “The worst is when foreigners order cappuccino in the restaurant”

Luca, Naples: “Cappuccino is seen as breakfast mainly, this is why it is ordered in the morning. I think I have never ordered a cappuccino in the afternoon in Italy.

So my answer is NO, there are lots of other thing to choose … like coffee alla nocciola (coffee with hazlenut paste) etc., then Cappuccino is very warming and in Napoli (where I’m from) it is warm enough!”

Paola, Rimini: “Only foreigners drink cappuccino at all hours of the day. The average Italian (including me) only orders it in the morning: cornetto cappuccino e quotidiano (pastry, cappuccino and a newspaper) makes a perfect breakfast”

Giandaniele, Rome: “Cappuccino is only meant for the morning but nobody should be offended if you have one whenever”

Not your everyday cappuccino. Image credit: Andy Wade

The verdict? Looks like opinions are mixed.

The hard and fast rule is that you should never order cappuccino in the restaurant at the end of a meal. After a meal you will look out of place drinking anything but espresso.

In a bar? Some people might think it’s an unusual choice but it seems others won’t mind at all. If you really want one, why deprive yourself? You’re in the country of la bella vita, after all.

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Italian blogs on Blogs of the World

Thanks to the internet you don’t need to travel to see what people are wearing in other parts of the world. Here are five sites to take in the different street styles on five continents.

North America: New York, USA

The king of street fashion blogs for many people is The Sartorialist. He has been photographing stylish New Yorkers since 2005, and The Sartorialist is now a design influence in its own right.

Europe: Poland

Pretty and stylish Lula Street shows that Poles have plenty of individuality when it comes to dressing.

Africa: Johannesburg, South Africa

Nontsikelelo ‘Lolo’ Veleko lives and works in Johannesburg. She featured young South Africans from the streets of Johannesburg in her series “Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder”. See some of the portraits on Afronova.

Asia: Tokyo, Japan

We’ve written before about the original fashions on display in Tokyo. But different districts of Tokyo have a distinctive style of their own. On Tokyo street style you can find fashions from Harajuku, Shibuya, Omotesando, Daikanyama and Ginza.

South America: Buenos Aires, Argentina

On the Corner shows colourful and alternative fashion found on the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Agostina, a 23 year old cook, from On the Corner

Do you have a favourite site for street fashion that we haven’t included here? Share it with us in the comments.

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Last week we saw street food from Italy, and this week’s Food of the World photo is of street food in Madrid, Spain.

Thanks to cassell_chris for sharing this photo. If you have photos to share please join our Food of the World photo group on Flickr. Each week we choose a favourite to post on PocketCultures.

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Street food from Italy
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All about the typical Costa Rican breakfast