#hshqtask021

the language.

there are only 24 characters/letters in the korean language. korean is a phonetic language, meaning you can sound out the individual letters to make words. there’s no other way to pronounce words. each letter break is through individual syllables. for example (i’ll use the words that are same in the english and korean language for context):

바나나 = ba-na-na 콜라 = co-la

while there is one official language spoken in south korea, there are five dialects. the seoul dialect is the standard dialect. what you hear on the news, train stations and on the radio. this is said to be the “proper dialect”. the other dialects are regional and more commonly used in their respective areas. some regions have such strong dialects, like the kyungsando dialect. it’s entirely a different language in itself. seoul people have a hard time understanding this dialect.

how the language is spoken can be categorized into two different sections. there is an informal way to speak and a formal way to speak. the formal way to speak is always used when talking to people you don’t know, elders, acquaintances. it really depends on the level of closeness you have with someone. the formal to informal transition is usually done when someone initiates it and suggests it by saying “should we speak casually?”. if it’s between two friends (there’s this korean social thing where to consider someone as your “friend” they have to be born in the same year as you), either party can initiate, if it’s between someone older and younger, the older person has to initiate (it’s a respect thing). however if it’s someone way older than you, like by twenty years you can either say “oh, please speak casually!” or they say “i’m going to start speaking casually if thats okay” while you continue speaking formally.

there are two number systems in korea. it’s not that one is solely used for one type of thing, it’s more of a grammar issue. one just makes more sense than the other in context.

naming.

a korean name usually consists of three syllables. one syllable for your last name and two for your first name. however, it is not uncommon to have a one syllable first name. most korean families will choose matching names for their children. for example, the yi’s: dahye, gahye, jihye, seonhye. if there’s no fem or masc option for the name, they’ll usually have matching names for the girls and matching names for the guys. 

korea has a total of 286 last names. it’s not many and it’s very common to share the same last name as someone else. however just because someone shares the same last name, the origin can be different. it all depends what clan their last name originated from. there are 4179 different clans in korea. within the last name kim, there are 40-50 different clans recorded in history. it’s common for people with the same last name to ask what clan your last name originated from.

before the 90s it was frowned upon to date someone with the same last name as you. It appeared incestuous when in fact it wasn’t. you would be looked down upon in society if you were to go through with it, however it wasn’t illegal. what was illegal was if your last name and your partner's last name came from the same clan. it was illegal to get married even if it dates back to hundreds of years ago since that could be viewed as actual incest. by 2005 the law was changed and you are allowed to marry as long as the blood relatives between the two parties do not exist within the eighth degree.

age.

the age numbering system is different in korea. koreans consider a year in the womb as counting towards their age. so you’re one years old when you come out of the womb. this is where it gets a little bit confusing. birthdays and age have no correlation with each other. your birthday is when you celebrate your birth date if that makes sense. you're not necessarily celebrating the age you turn (you can, some people do), you’re celebrating the day you were born. where you do celebrate your age is on january 1st, new year's day. on new years, everyone turns a year older. so if you’re a newborn baby born in june, you're already one years old and then on january you turn two. then the january after that you’re three. to avoid further confusion, koreans usually ask what year you're born as opposed to asking how old you are.

military service.

since 1957, all male citizens are required to perform compulsory military service. women are not required to, but may voluntarily join the military. between the ages of 18-28 you must complete the military service of your choosing. it used to be longer, but laws have decreased it by a month or two. if you have dual citizenship, you will need to enlist in the military to keep it. if you don’t want to enlist, you’ll have to let go of your korean citizenship. you’re highly regarded if you choose and qualify for the marine corps since the training is the most brutal and physically demanding. 

— army, marine corps = 18 months — navy = 20 months — air force = 21 months

exemptions are possible if you have diabetes or other conditions that may affect you during service. if you’re a violinist, pianist, ballet performer, you may have the chance of being exempt. athletes who have won gold medals in the olympics or the asia games are exempt. celebrities are not exempt, but they get a lot of special treatment.

bloodtypes.

the best way i can explain this is that bloodtypes are kind of used in the way western society uses astrology. instead of asking “what’s your sign?” koreans ask “what’s your bloodtype?” which quite literally means they’re asking you what your bloodtype is. koreans believe each blood type has it’s own unique personality.

you don’t have to read the descriptions for all the bloodtypes, i thought i would write it below in case people want to know what personality trait goes with their blood type!

BLOOD TYPE A: people with blood type A are known to be diplomatic and friendly. however due to their sensitive nature they prefer staying alone opposed to being in a group. they may feel uncomfortable in crowded areas or parties. they are fragile-hearted and easily get hurt. it takes time for them to open up to people. others may take this negatively and view them as snobs, since people with blood type A are good at hiding their feelings and do not express themselves a lot, but once you get to know them you will find that they are very friendly and down to earth. they are punctual and always expect the best results in everything they do, therefore others see them as perfectionists.

main traits: earnest, cautious, stubborn, sensitive most compatible blood type for: O, A the worst blood type compatibility: B

BLOOD TYPE B: people with blood type B are the most outgoing compared to other blood types. they are independent and are passionate about the things that they are interested in. Bs always seek stimulation and they’re not afraid of speaking their minds. they can be seen as self-centered because they express their opinion, regardless of what the other person might feel. in korea, men with blood type B have a negative reputation for being fuckboys and for not being suitable for a stable relationship. when men reveal they’re type b, you’ll often hear “oh… you’re B?” in a judging tone. Other than being a fuckboy, type b’s can be curious, honest and they particularly enjoy attention. people with blood type B can easily make friends.

main traits: creative, optimistic, selfish, irresponsible most compatible blood type for: AB, O the worst blood type compatibility: A

BLOOD TYPE O: people with blood type O are known to be energetic, practical and friendly. they’re labelled as “natural leaders”. they are experts at expressing their opinions in a constructive way, making sure that everyone listens to them, while still being friendly. they know how to control their emotions very well, giving others a great impression of being stable and under control. research in south korea indicates that blood type O is the most preferred blood type by CEOs and coworkers because of the traits mentioned above. although they might have a reputation of being strong on the outside, they are very sensitive inside. people with blood type O have some difficulties expressing their feelings due to a fear of rejection and also they tend to burn themselves out trying to get things done perfectly.

main traits: outgoing, natural leader, arrogant, jealous most compatible blood type for: A, B the worst blood type compatibility: AB

BLOOD TYPE AB: they are the most interesting type compared to the others because this blood type is labelled as either being a genius or a psycho. they are unpredictable because they often jump around from one activity to the next and their temperament is a mixture of blood type A and B, therefore their personalities change quickly depending on their mood and the situation. and sometimes they don’t have control over it. ABs are rational thinkers. they cannot stand irrational people and irrational situations. as a result, they may have some difficulties interacting with people, giving others the wrong impression of being moody or two-faced.

main traits: rational, talented, critical, eccentric most compatible blood type for: AB, B the worst blood type compatibility: O

drinking culture/nightlife.

legal drinking age is 19, but everyone drinks before then (obvs). koreans ususally drink every day of the week. considering soju (korean vodka) is quite literally cheaper than a bottle of water, it’s not surprising. work culture and drinking culture are very embedded. it’s normal to get food after work with your coworkers and drink until you black out, go to work hungover and repeat the cycle. it sounds miserable, but unfortunately if your boss or someone in a more senior position than you asks you to go, you have to. if you decline, it’s disrespectful and there’s a very big chance you’ll be ostracized in the work place and treated poorly for it.

if you’re drinking with a group of people that’s not all the same age, if you’re the youngest you’re usually the one pouring the drinks. however, when someone older than you offers you a drink, you have to accept it. it’s rude to say no. you accept the drink by holding the glass with both hands and when you take the shot or take the drink, you have to face away from the elders. there’s a lot of rules that goes into drinking.

holidays.

christmas is a holiday you spend with friends or to go on a date. thanksgiving and lunar new year is when you spend with family. and as mentioned in the age section, birthdays are to celebrate your birth date, and new years is to celebrate the new year and your age.

lunar new year is a family oriented holiday that lasts over three days. the day before lunar new year, lunar new year and the day after lunar new year. many people travel back home during this time to celebrate this national holiday. usually, everyone dresses in traditional clothes (not as common anymore since traditional clothing is expensive) as they do a deep bow to the elders and say something along the lines of “have lots of luck in the new year” after the bow, they’ll receive money. it’s often in an envelope (not to be confused with the red envelopes) or placed in your pouch for you. however, when you reach a certain age, like mid 20s-30s you’re expected to give money to the elders. another tradition that’s practised is setting food on a table as a gift to your ancestors. people perform deep bows to pay their respects. not everyone does this, but it’s still practised.

chuseok, korean thanksgiving, competes with lunar new year as the most important holiday of the year. it lasts three days. in modern times, families use this as an opportunity to make a small trip together, family reunions or visit the graves of their ancestors.

halloween is something that’s only being celebrated recently due to western influence. 

there are two valentine’s days. the actual valentine’s day february 14th and then a month after, march 14th. the one in march is called white day. there are two because valentine’s day is usually the day for girls to give a gift to the person they like or to confess their feelings. white day is for the boys to give a gift to the person they like or to confess their feelings.

okay, i lied there’s another valentines day called peppero day on november 11th. If you know what pocky is, it’s essentially the same thing. the reason why koreans call it peppero is because the korean brand that makes it is called peppero. on this day you either make your own peppero or buy it and gift it to friends and family or to the person you like.

AND the last unofficial holiday i’ll talk about is black day. this takes place on april 14th. this is pretty much a day for single people. to celebrate how single and lonely you are. people who received nothing on valentines day or white day “celebrate” this holiday. you celebrate it by eating black bean noodles and dressing in all black to cry about how single you are. to make it less depressing you can spend it with your other friends who also received nothing.

superstitions.

writing someones name in red ink is saying you want them dead. 

whistling at night will attract snakes and bad spirits.

four is an extremely lucky number and in a lot of buildings (especially hospitals) they skip over the fourth level to avoid bad luck. if buildings do happen to use the fourth floor, on the elevator it won’t have a number, it’ll have the letter F. 

dreaming of pigs will give you wealth. not necessarily in money, but in fertility and success. overall they’re a really good omen. this was so wildly believed that back in the 70s or 60s, people would sell their own pigs and would be able to pay for their college tuition.

                                                     18th & 19th century 

                                     awakening of the estonian national romanticism

Estonia becomes part of the Russian empire when Sweden loses The Great Northern War. Estonian civil rights improve with time, enlightenment swept through Estonia, estophilia dwelt in the hearts of the people. When Estonian nationalism became too big of a movement, the russification period began in the late 1800s. Newspapers were censored, art was controlled, university of Tartu began teaching in Russian. 

                                                     early 20th century

                                                   occupation & the treaty of tartu

Estonia declares independence at the end of the First World War. The hold the Russian empire had on Estonia has weakened. The Red army however tries to occupy Estonia and the Estonian War of Independence is fought. USSR recognizes the independence in 1920 and the Treaty of Tartu was signed.

                                                 era of independence

                                         the road from democracy to a dictatorship

The first decade of independence is spent on improving the Estonian society. Education is made more accessible, Estonian language flourishes, and the economy grows. The political situation changes and slowly Estonia transforms into an authoritarian state. 

                                                  second world war 

                                       how the soviet state of estonia came to be

Despite signing a non-aggression pact with both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, Estonia gets occupied. The reason for this is the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. Estonia fell under the rule of USSR in 1940 but was occupied by the Nazis from 1941 to 1944.

                                                         post war era

                                         what life was like in the soviet estonia

A big considerable amount of ethnic Estonians are deported to Siberia. It’s a good demonstration of the way Estonians are scared into compliance. While culture begins to thrive in Estonia after the war, carefree life is rather unattainable. Not even money kept you safe, if anything it put a target on your back. Espionage was a common thing, you had to watch what you said.

                                                         free estonia

                                    the fall of the soviet union brought changes 

Estonia regains its de facto independence after the fall of the Soviet Union. Laws are edited to fit the current state. Russian immigrants are forced to choose a nationality.

                                                      basics of estonia

population: 1.3M area: 45,227 km2  currency: euro official language: estonian

                                                              fun facts !

Most people can speak Estonian and Russian, and majority of the younger generation Estonian, Russian and English. Important: Estonian is not a Slavic language. Don’t get it mixed, people will get offended. Skype was developed by Estonians. Estonia is the least religious country, only 20% of the population practice a religion. Has a sport called ‘kiiking’ where people do a 360o on a swing:

1. COLD HARD FACTS

population: 9,80M area:  93,030 km2  / 35,920 sq mi offical language: hungarian currency: forint ( HUF / Ft )

2. NATIONAL PRIDE

With a relatively small population, when someone makes it internationally, the whole country stans. Rubik’s cube? Hungarian. Hungarians have won a pretty impressive amount of Olympic medals considering their size. Hungary is an old country. Really old. Were talking about being its own kingdom in the middle ages. Hungary’s culture goes back centuries and it’s something to be proud of. There’s sanctity in the old ways. 

3. VALUES

Family. Family comes first. Always. Grandparents aren’t simply cast aside, they are part of the core family. Cousins, aunts and uncles are seen often. Friendships are intimate but rare. Hungarians may call their good acquaintances friends but that’s usually when it’s socially inappropriate to just call them acquaintances. Good friends are a different thing though --- there’s a bond that isn’t easily broken and there aren’t many topics that are not talked about. 

4. SOCIETAL NORMS

Hungarians are quiet. They talk when it’s necessary and they pick their words carefully. While people are friendly and polite, they may not be very easily approachable. Acquainting Hungarians may prove to be difficult because it’s just not in their nature to blabber on and on. Hungarians are a no-frills kind of people. If something is not up to their standards they’ll bring it up. It’s not about being demanding or having unreasonable requirements, it’s just that problems should be dealt with in an appropriate manner. No point in gently trying to hint at an issue --- just bring it up and it will be resolved. Simple. Especially older generations are more reserved. Be punctual! Being late more than 5 mins is not acceptable, in fact, be 15 mins early to a meeting!

5. LANGUAGE

Hungarian or Magyar is a Finno-Ugric language, which means that it’s a relative of Finnish and Estonian! I looked into it but I couldn’t find many similarities in vocabulary and I didn’t understand a thing about the grammar but apparently grammar and very old words are what makes the relation clear. Grammar makes Hungarian a bit difficult to learn. Prepositions aren’t as common as they are in English: Hungarian has suffixes. Verbs are modified according to the doer. Nouns can turn into complicated things depending on the context.

6. ARTS

Hungary is proud of their cultural inheritance. They aren’t as obsessed with accomplishments in the way the English or the Americans are. Traditions are something they have immense respect for. Hungarians respect people who can play folk music or are skilled at folk dancing. It’s a niche hobby but those who are invested in it, are invested in it. The traditional costumes of Hungary are all about embroidery as it is a highly-valued skill in Hungarian culture and definitely something that is considered as part of Hungarian heritage. 

7. FOOD & DRINKS

Hungarian wine is a Thing, and they are proud of it! Wine as a gift isn’t all that appreciated actually because Hungarians, first of all, prefer to drink their own wines and consider themselves as experts on them. So don’t bring a bottle of Italian, it’s not appreciated. Hungarians eat quite a lot of meat. Paprika and sour cream are key ingredients in most dishes and they are universally loved in the country. 

8. MISCELLANEOUS

RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR

In 1917 the Bolsheviks took control of the Russian government and forced the czar to give up his crown. This was the October Revolution. The first Romanov dynasty ended there. From there on Russia began heading towards being a socialist state. The revolution is one of the key major events of the Russian revolution that only ended in 1922. It was fought between The Red Army and The White Army, the former being the socialist who won the war, and the latter a group whose values were diverse but very different from the Reds’. During the civil war most of the former soviet states gained their independence. States such as Finland, Poland, the Baltic countries. The Romanov family had fled to Central Europe seeking asylum. 

THE RISE OF THE SOVIET UNION

At the end of the civil war, Russia became the Soviet Union. Lenin lead the new state until his death in 1924. After his death Josif Stalin took his place as the leader of the Soviet Union. Throughout the 30s Stalin concentrated on improving his country’s economy that had gone south during the civil war. He has become infamous for his tyranny. 

THE SOVIET UNION’S AND THE WWII

The Soviet Union mainly fought against Nazi Germany. 1939. The Winter War against Finland --- the Soviet Union’s goal was to conquer the whole country but ended up only taking an area southeast of Finland: the infamous Karelia. 1940. The Soviet Union conquered the Baltic countries. The countries became Soviet states. Later, at the end of the Soviet Union, these countries restored their independence. It’s up to the interpretation whether they ever lost their independence or not.  1941. The Continuation War with Finland. Finland attempted to regain the lost areas but ended up losing more. 1941. Germany attacked the USSR and the Great Patriotic War began. The Soviet Union held against German forces with great success and compared to their enemy, their defeats weren’t that extensive. The war ended when the WWII ended with Germany’s defeat. 

THE COLD WAR

The Cold War happened. If you want to know more, read the Wikipedia page on it.

THE DISSOLUTION OF THE SOVIET UNION

As nationalism swept through the Soviet Union, more and more of the states began demanding their independence. The instability lead to the fall of the Soviet Union. The idea of monarchy gained popularity as people began to believe that the  hardships the country had faced had been due to poor leadership and a poor ideology. 

REINSTATEMENT OF MONARCHIST RUSSIA

Alexei’s grandfather, Aleksandr, took advantage of the situation in his former home country and placed himself as the ruler of the country. His private army did most of the dirty work but he had enough people who supported him for his plan to work. And there was simply not enough people who opposed him. Aleksandr acted as the czar for only three years before passing. Alexei’s father, Mikhail, took over from there. 

RUSSIA IN THE 21ST CENTURY

The modern independent country of Russia is young --- it was established in 1991 after all. The Romanovs have concentrated on undoing the damage communism caused to the society’s structure. Mainly the weight it placed on Russia’s economy. The Romanovs’ policies worked quite well and it kept Russians happy. The economic growth in the beginning of the 2000s was whopping 7% a year. It showed, it made people believe in the royal family. Russia is far from being perfect: some problems prevail. Wage gaps, poverty, the dependency on agriculture, human rights violations. The Romanovs have placed many laws but getting people to follow them is another thing. Mikhail Romanov’s approach to ruling was soft at first but when it proved to be inefficient, he became stricter and harsher. More people ended up in prisons and people were very quickly filled with a feeling that was a mixture of both admiration and fear. When Alexei stepped into power in 2016, he didn’t have a clear vision. He simply thought that temperance would get him far. Alexei’s lack of aggression divides opinions but it hasn’t made him unpopular per say. Some just think that he isn’t efficient enough --- these are the people whose favourite royal is Anya. Alexei’s Russia is still made of propaganda and control: The Romanovs are the greatest thing that has happened to Russia. The Romanovs are the only ones who can lead Russia to a better tomorrow. The Romanovs are fair and just --- whoever opposes them is mislead.

STATISTICS

Population: 147 Million Area:  17 075 400 km² ( the biggest country in the world ) Currency: Russian ruble Capital: Saint Petersburg (Moscow irl)

VALUES

Sense of community is important in Russia. Whether it’s your family, village, neighbourhood, knitting group, Russia itself. Loyalty brings happiness. Knowing someone will have your back is comforting. Mothers are respected. Mothers have an important role in the Russian culture, they are the more important parent. Grandmothers are generally well loved and it’s not uncommon for grandparents to live with their children. Honesty is gold. Obviously, everyone appreciates honesty but in Russia it means sincerity too. There’s no good reason to waste time on small talk if neither wants to do it. If there’s an issue, bring it up. Don’t spare feelings at the cost of candor. Perseverance is part of Russian identity. Russians live hard lives and their ability to survive it makes them proud. 

SOCIETY

There’s only one way to describe Russian society: unequal. Wage gaps are huge, money really belongs to the one percent and they are not sharing it. Reason why communities and families are so important is because people have to look after each other otherwise they’ll perish in the unfairness. Gender roles are strict. Men take care of their families and they are the ones who sit at the end of the table. Women are beautiful and expected to take care of the family and keep the house looking spotless. 

TRADITIONS

Russia is mainly an Orthodox country so most of the important calendar dates have something to do with Christianity. Easter is a big thing in Russia. Another important celebration is the Ivan Kupala. It can be compared to the Nordic Midsummer. It’s a pagan holiday which celebrates fertility. Women wear white, wear wreaths, people dance around a bonfire, leap over it. There’s plenty of rituals. It’s a nice big celebration of summer. Maslenitsa week is a week that celebrates the end of winter. It starts on Monday and ends on a Monday. Each day of the week has a special function. Children play games, mothers cook blinis, people come together. 

LANGUAGE

Russian is the official language of Russia but being such a big country, there are over 100 regional languages. Russian uses the Cyrillic letters. The alphabet has 33 letters. One of the problems is that when the letters are transliterated into the Latin alphabet, the little nuances of the sound disappear or are hard to grasp. Russian has seven different s-sounds, which foreigners have difficulties differentiating between. Russian uses three genders. Both nouns and verbs are affected by genders. 

NAMES

                                                        Wer rastet, der rostet

                                                                who rests, rusts

VALUES: punctuality! honesty! reliability! professionalism is appreciated among germans --- it’s probably where the “germans don’t laugh” stereotype comes from. if you have some kind of a project to do, some kind of a deal to strike --- get it done. the ideal is to not waste anyone’s time because it serves no purpose. showing the right amount of respect is important. for example if someone has a doctorate, the correct way to address them is doctor [name]. neither herr nor frau are acceptable if it’s a professional meeting. it’s about acknowledging the other’s accomplishment and expertise. if they happen to  have two doctorates, yes, you may call them doctor doctor [surname] --- some might even correct you if you don’t say it twice! unlike english, the distinction between a normal singular you and a formal singular You is clear. if you are speaking to someone above you, you would want to use Sie instead of du. the use of the right pronoun is a very conscious decision because verbs work differently depending on the pronoun. for example “you have”= “Sie haben.” or “du hast”. family, like in any culture, is important but compared to other countries, family doesn’t matter that much in germany. 

                                                          Schwein haben 

                                              to have a pig / to have a stroke of luck

CUSTOMS: shoes off when you enter a home! don’t expect to hear germans praising you excessively if they are pleased/impressed with you. when someone says “good work” / “well done” / “that is beautiful”, they mean it and that’s it. just because germans don’t exaggerate their excitement doesn’t mean it’s not there. it may make them come off as aloof but it’s just unnatural to say more than needs to be said. this is a bit of a repetition of the previous paragraph but germans call their coworkers by their surname even if they have worked together for years and are close. it’s just part of workplace etiquette. 

                                                 Aller Anfang ist schwer

                                           all beginnings are difficult

THE STATES: like stated earlier, it really does matter which part of germany you come from. the division between north and south is much more prevalent than between east and west. north germans are stuck up, too serious and liberal, while south germans are hillibillies who speak funny. some might go as far as to say that you find more similarities between north germany and scandinavian countries than with south germany, or more similarities with south germany and italy than north germany. the south is mainly catholic while the north is protestant. each state has their own national costume --- the basis is pretty much the same in every state but the colours, decorations and accessories differ from state to state.

                                                 Seinen Senf dazugeben.  

                                       to add their mustard  /  to put their two cents in

FOOD & DRINKS: meat and beer. it’s not a joke. the beer consumption in germany is the second highest in europe only second to the czech republic’s. sausages are a big thing as are different kind of pastries. 

                               Anfangen ist leicht, beharren eine Kunst

                                               to begin is easy, to persist is an art.

EDUCATION: let’s start with kindergarten which is a german word ! kinder = children, garten = garden. children attend kindergarten until they are six years old. elementary is the years 1-4. so when they are about 10 years old they get are made to decide if they want to take an educational route that eventually takes them to uni or if they wanna go to a vocational school :) so after elementary you have five options. gymnasium is recommended for academically gifted students. the exit exam is what you need if you want to apply to a uni. then there’s realschule which is a vocational school. it is possible to attend gymnasium after graduation but it’s not the norm. hauptschule, gesamtschule and berufsschule are all kinda combinations of the two previous schools. what kind of a certificate you get upon graduation and what it’s worth are just a bit different. but to put it very bluntly, at the age of 10 kids are made to decide if they want to have a chance at becoming a doctor or a hairdresser. education is pretty much free in germany. even unis.

               Fünf Minuten vor der Zeit, ist des Deutschen Pünktlichkeit

                                       five minutes early is the german punctuality

RELIGION: when it come to religion, you can pretty much divide germany into three groups: protestants ( 34% ), catholics ( 32% ) and not religious ( 29% ). the northwest part of germany is mainly evangelic lutheran, the northeast non-religious and south catholic. religion doesn’t play a very prevalent role in german society. if you practice, you practice and that’s your business. people rarely bring up religion, you don’t hear much about it in politics for example. the bible isn’t a good excuse for anything.

                                               Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof

                                i only got ‘train station’.  /   it’s all greek to me.  

1. COLD HARD FACTS

population: 54,8M area:  130,279 km2  / 50,301 sq mi  offical language: english currency: pound sterling ( GBP / £ )

2. SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

This is what everything boils down to. Doesn’t matter what kind of a person you make out of yourself, you are what you were born as. Usually, if a person isn’t hellbent on rising through ranks, they are proud to be what they are. If you come from a slightly poorer family? Oh you won’t hide the accent, you like footie --- the posh kids can have their rugby, Sainsbury’s all good, Poundland too. Rich and happy? Horses, rugby, sailing... that good received pronunciation aka “english accent”. Middle-class will divide between the two extremes, middle-class people also are more concerned about their image than the two other groups. Perhaps it’s the notion that perhaps, just perhaps, if they are lucky they could become something better, nicer. But like I mentioned before, you are what you were born as, the harsh truth remains. Self-made men, nouveau riche... they are try-hards, or they don’t know their place. Depends on whom you ask. The English tend to categorize people and then decide how to treat them. Where is their accent from? Which part of the town/county are they from? What school did they go/do their children go? The more facts you know about a person, the better guess you can make about their family. England is obsessed with its socioeconomic hierarchy.

3. VOCABULARY

Oh the confusion! Tea doesn’t always refer to the drink. Tea can also mean supper, lunch, in some cases even some snack. Pants mean underwear, trousers is a more appropriate word. Chips = french fries; crisps = potato chips. Trainers = sneakers, rubber = eraser. There’s of course more words that are mainly used in Britain but listing them all would be unnecessary. 

4. EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

First of all, to simplify it, there are two types of schools: state-funded & private. State-funded schools are free of charge. Private schools, for day students, cost around 10K per annum, and for boarders 20K. Getting into a private school isn’t just about the money. The schools handpick their students and you may need to “prove your worth” to get in. So having connections helps a lot. The connection doesn’t even need to have anything to do with the school board --- if you know someone with a nice name or even better, someone with a title, and you get them to write a letter on your behalf, your chances of getting accepted are once again higher than some random chap’s. Most famous private school ( more specifically, public school ) is Eton. Alumni include William & Harry. Eton has produced a good number of prime ministers. It’s an all-boys school.

You know... the houses in Hogwarts, it’s not a made up concept. In more traditional schools, in majority of boarding schools, the students belong to houses. The houses are sometimes named after a founder or a person who has supported the school in some manner ( £££ ). 

Kids start school around the time they turn five. Some go to nursery before that. Primary school is the years 1-6. Nothing that important happens through years 1-11. At the end of year 11, students take GCSEs. There’s a lot of subjects to choose from, but it really depends on what subjects your school even offers. The GCSE grades are important and cause a lot of stress for students. After GCSEs students start college / sixth form that lasts for two years. At the end of college / sixth form, are the A-levels. A-levels are the hardcore version of GCSEs. Once you finish college / sixth form, you go to uni. There’s more terminology and it’s possible to get very specific but that would be a waste of time.

5. DRINKING

Legal drinking age is 18. You can usually enter most pubs even when you aren’t of age; they are just places to hang out at. Some places are stricter than others. If you’re with an adult, you’ll get in. After 16 it’s legal to have mild alcoholic drinks with dinner if you’re accompanied by an adult. Most parents aren’t that chill though. You can’t buy alcohol from stores after 11pm. Most pubs / clubs have to stop serving around 3-4am. Most places close around that time for that reason.

6. FOOD & DRINKS

Yes, fish and chips is a thing and so is tea, but they aren’t all people eat and drink. Being a tea person is playing into a stereotype, which some people do happily. There are people who have a cuppa every two hours. The palate is pretty bland. Steamed vegetables, fish or meat, and maybe some gravy to go with it. Every day food isn’t special. Beans on toast is an acquired taste. 

Beer is pretty popular and main reason for it is pub culture. Beer is cheap and there’s plenty to choose from, and when you spend a lot of time at pubs you kind of learn to appreciate those facts. 

Fast food? America has more chains, that’s for sure. You can find the most popular ones in the UK. Chains such as McDonald’s, Subway, Burger King, Taco Bell & KFC. But you won’t find Denny’s, Wendy’s or Applebee’s in the UK. Five Guys is the most popular one according to a survey ( and I am not surprised ;)  )

7. TV

What’s on the telly? Most people are familiar with BBC hit shows such as Doctor Who, Sherlock and... I don’t know what’s good, you get my point. That stuff is easy to like, it’s so universal. But then there’s that famous British humour. Monty Python is pretty famous, most people find it funny. But then there are other cult classics like Fawlty Towers and Blackadder. They are old but they are gold ( perhaps not my personal opinion but that’s beside the point ). You can never forget shows like EastEnders and Emmerdale. They just keep producing the shows, it’s crazy. They are the Brits’ The Bold and the Beautiful. 

8. LONDON

London is, well, huge. The underground zones go up to 9, though zones 7-9 aren’t that relevant. Most people use this thing called an Oyster card to move around the city, it’s basically just a London version of MetroCard or whatever you have in your city. The city center of London isn’t that big though, you can see the main attractions in a day --- and you can walk! But the minute you venture away from zones 1 and 2, you realize just how big it is. The area of London is roughly two times NYC’s. Locals avoid Oxford Street --- sure it’s cool to have all of the shops in one place but... you can just take the tube to Westfield and enjoy a less hectic atmosphere. East London has a slightly bad reputation while West London is rather posh: nice houses with big gardens, private schools, that sweet life. Each borough has its own stereotype if you want to get even more specific. London is also expensive as heck! Hell, England is expensive. The prices for apartments within zones 1 and 2 start at a million --- and they go up up up. It’s one of the reason why people who work in London might actually commute from a bit further away. There are a lot of smaller towns surrounding London and even though they aren’t part of the City of London, they are said to be part of Greater London. For example towns in northeast of Surrey are a good example for commuter towns. Real estate prices are lower in these towns but I wouldn’t call them cheap.

9. MISCELLANEOUS

we want you to find out what kind of things the countries value? 

Some important values and aspects are family and spending time with them, religion and maintaining Catholic traditions, and the pleasure of eating good meals prepared with love and dedication. Gestures and body language are important in the language as to emphasize certain ideas.

what’s the society like? 

Family: Very family-centered. Family is an extremely important value within Italian culture. The family solidarity is focused on extended family rather than the West’s ideals of a ‘nuclear family’ i.e. mom, dad, kids. Italians are known to have frequent family gatherings and kids are reared to remain close to the family. Many Italians never really leave their city. So if a family is raised in Rome, you can almost find their entire lineage within Rome. 

Business: Italy’s official currency is the euro. There are a number of small & mid-sized businesses. Even many of the larger companies such as Fiat & Benetton are still primarily controlled by single families. So ‘keeping the family close’ is quite literally a real thing. Meeting are typically less formal than in countries such as Germany and Russia, and the familial structure can give way to a bit of chaos & animated exchanges. Italian business people tend to view information from outsides with a bit of wariness, & prefer verbal exchanges with people that they know well.

Cuisine: Our food has influenced food culture around the world & is viewed as a form of art by many.  Wine, cheese, and pasta are important parts of a meal. As you probably know, pasta comes in a variety of shapes, widths, and lengths, including penne, spaghetti, linguine, fusilli (personal fave) & lasagna. No one area of Italy eats the same things as the next. Each region has its own spin on food. For example, most Americans view foods such as pizza, spaghetti, and sausages as coming from central Italy (somewhat true). But in North Italy, the primary food is fish, potatoes, rice, sausages, pork, & different types of cheeses as the most common ingredients. Pasta dishes with tomatoes are popular, as are many kinds of stuffed pasta, polenta, and risotto. In the South, tomatoes dominate dishes, & they are either served fresh or cooked into a sauce. Southern foods also include capers (literally vinegary green peas), peppers, olives, & olive oil, garlic, artichokes, eggplant, & ricotta cheese.

Art & Architecture: Italy is known for its number of architectural styles. Often giving rise to classical Roman, Renaissance, Baroque, & neoclassical. Italy is home to some of the most world-famous structures including the Colosseum and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The concept of a basilica –– originally used in to describe an open public court building –– originated in Italy. That would be the Greek-ish style of most major law buildings. Also home to many castles: Valle d’Aosta Fort Bard, the Verrès Castle, Ussel Castle, etc.

Bonus Art:  Home to major fashion houses: Armani, Gucci, Benetton,        Versace & Prada

Music: Opera has roots here, some famous ones including: ‘Aida’ & ‘La Traviata,’ both by Giuseppe Verdi and ‘Paglicci’ by Ruggero Leoncavallo. A lot of folk-based/ inspirations. No real ‘R&B’ genre, which is funny, I didn’t notice until a friend pointed it out. Rap is largely influenced by US rap artists. If you listen to Italian rap, it’s kind of funny because the lyrics are vastly different. It focuses more on social themes which are unique to Italy (definitely recommend checking it out.) Obviously classical, opera and folk are still very popular. Oh, and rock is popular too! But it doesn’t chart in English speaking countries but enjoys a ton of success in Italy & other European neighboring countries.

Religion: The major religion is Roman Catholicism. Not surprising considering Vatican City is located in the heart of Rome & is the hub for the Pope.  Roman Catholics & Christians make up 80 percent of the population. The Muslim immigrant community is also growing. 

are there countries they don’t get along with for one reason or another? 

Italy v. Italy. They don’t have full on ‘enemies’ but there are common problems that can be found in most nations:

An aging population and skyrocketing retirement costs

 systematic waste of resources for infrastructures that are useless//overkill//never completed

Too many public employees generating a suffocating bureaucracy capable of everything but good for nothing

an excessive level of taxation for the middle and lower classes

legislation intrusive, excessive, confusing, and contradictory

a level of unsustainable wild lobbying that now borders rogue trade

Geopolitically, the Italian visa is on the list of most powerful passports, #4, tied with some others. If you want to delve into Italian relations with, let’s say, Germany, Spain, Finland, & France, then yeah, they are sort of enemies but not how you may view North//South Korea or India// Pakistan. 

EDIT: I lied. Here are some *soft* enemies

Italy v France: Italy’s slight political distaste for France comes from Libya. Italy was the first economic partner of Libya & France damaged their relations by attacking & taking control of the majority of oil facilities in the country owned by Italy post WWII. Before 2011, Italy controlled almost all of them. Since then, Italy has suffered an incoming Libyan immigrant crisis because of displacements created by France. It costs Italy 5B a year. This has led to a *small* proxy war in Libyan politics.

Italy v Germany: This one is very complicated? There are international sanctions in place against Russia over the crisis in Ukraine. Italy is dependent on Russia for energy supplies. Germany is trying to instill a Nord Strem pipeline project with Russia while criticizing & pressuring other countries to back economic sanctions against Moscow. Germany has also led a ‘mini- Schegen’ which plans to cut back borderless travel to only: Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, and the Netherlands in order to teach Italy & Greece a lesson. The two have a high rate of immigration in the Med & Germany is *trying* to force the two to begin fingerprinting many new arrivals because they usually pass through Italy & Greece but claim asylum in other places such as Germany. This would essentially limit new imigrants to the country in which they are I.D.

Italy v Africa: This one is also very complicated & the African continent, as a whole,  is a MAJOR problem for immigration, trade, and loans.  Quote from the DM: “The African continent is at the centre of Italy’s interests,” and a cause for concern. Costs them billions a year. (Read more)  Side note, Italy used to own a large sum of Africa’s horn so there’s some disdain after wars there too.

are there friendly rivalries? 

 Italy & France. It’s like a brother or cousin relationship (outside of politics). I’ve mostly heard: ‘counsins from the other side of the Alps.’

 Italians, have Prosecco and Spumante, the French have Champagne. We have Prada and Armani, they have Hermes and Louis Vuitton. We have San Pellegrino, they have Perrier and Evian. We have Porto Cervo, they have Cannes. We have Rome, they have Paris. We have “Reggia di Caserta” they have Versailles…and so on.

I could go on & on about this (food, fashion, art, etc.)

bonus: France’s main attraction is actually ITALIAN & you can guess what it is.

what do the countrymen think of each other? 

This is a little dicey & difficult to answer. The North v. South is real but they don’t hate each other or anything of the sort.  Long story short, Northerners are ‘colder,’ more respectful of rules, and more efficent than those residing in the south. Northern weather tends to suck. The ‘average’ Southener probably pictures Milan as a place filled with fog and rain, using english terms as if using them makes you cool. There’s countless jokes about how the average Milanese behaves and speaks. But food in the south is accepeted as ‘better’ and definetly cheaper. The north has better universities as well as is home to the major companies discussed earlier. (you know, fashion.)

what kind of traditions do they have? 

O there’s a ton. Here are the weird ones (except Carnevale):

La Befana: Known as Epiphany Eve, its similar to the Reyes Magos of Spain & Santa Claus. Except it’s a witch, same concept tho. (Watch Here)

Carnevale: Prep for Lent, indulging in treats & throwing a lively party. (Nowhere near the extravagance of Brazil or Barbados) but still plenty of lavish costumes & masks/decorations. Held in Venice. A woman once jumped off the bell tower in Piazza San Marco with nothing between her and the ground but a harness strapped onto her dress.

Ballo della pupa: ‘The dance of the Pupa,’ is a sight to behold. People make a mannequin of a woman, supposedly fire resistant, a dancer gets in & starts dancing. Watch this lol.

Il volo dell’Angelo: This is part of Carnevale festivities. It’s an iconic flying angel. Each year, a different woman is selected to be the ‘angel,’ strapped to a harness and flys down from across thePiazza San Marco.

Calcio Fiorentino: Soccer fan? Football fanatic? Love a good hocket fight? This is a bizarre sport. It originated in Florence during the renaissance. It’s like Hunger Games of Football.  

La coppa dell’amicizia: A ‘friendship’ cup, everytime you drink, you have to do cheers to something random or vulgar.  Usually four or more spouts for you & friends to share.