xanawu » cross-culture

self-service… cash

xanawu — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 08:19:13 +0000

typical norwegian holidays involve going to a “hytte” (cabin) to get as far away from civilization as possible (unless you’re of retiree age, in which case your holidays consist of living in Spain for several months of the year). from what I’ve gathered, there are two types of hytte: (1) the mountain hytte, where you isolate yourself in the wilderness, with nothing to do but (ironically, cross-country) ski in the winter; (2) the sea hytte, where you isolate yourself in a fjord, going boating in the summer or pretending that you’ll actually go for a swim in the freezing water.

this summer we went to G’s parents’ newly renovated sea hytte at Finnøy, spending our time eating, doing yardwork, eating, feeding stray kittens, and eating. but one day we decided to take a drive to the neighbouring island of Talgje:
View larger map

our main purpose was to buy some plants at a nursery there, but then the nursery turned out to be a nearly empty greenhouse with only a few dozen potted flowers. and no one around but a sign with prices and a money jar.

so after buying a couple of pots, we continued down the road until we passed a tomato stand (this region being the source of most of Norway’s hothouse tomatoes). again, no one around but a price list and a money jar. oh, the trustfulness of Norwegians!

I thought these money jars were funny, but self-critical norwegians complain about their society being too trusting / naïve… (a debate which has resurfaced since the massacre, in relation to questions of security.) and yet the stranger question to me, while we drove around Talgje, was how a 10-square-kilometre island with fewer than 300 people managed to get the government to construct an underwater tunnel to the island?

the most famous foreigner in china

xanawu — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:37:41 +0000

…is a Canadian dude from Ottawa?! His name in Chinese is 大山 (‘dashan’ or big mountain), and he’s crazy famous. Hilarious because I would never have heard of him in Canada–but Chinese people tell me he’s more famous than Mao. (How’s that for a benchmark?)

So I guess it’s no surprise that the Canadian embassy in Beijing now has his face plastered on the building, as a publicity thing for the Shanghai expo. They also have a billboard showing Stephen Harper walking with Hu Jintao… It’s kinda weird advertising (I mean, have you ever seen promos on an embassy?), but I guess a little national PR doesn’t hurt. (?)

canada's rep to the world expo

(re) facing mecca

xanawu — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 01:30:51 +0000

article in the economist about re-building and expanding mecca from the current capacity of 900,000 to 1.5 million worshippers.

among those approached for the project are two respected British architects, Norman Foster and Zaha Hadid. a slight controversy arises since Lord Foster is not a muslim; should he win the commission, he would have to implement his plans from a distance, since non-muslims cannot enter the holy city.

on a similar vein, I saw body of lies yesterday. not recommended.

freedom (oslo vs. hanoi)

xanawu — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:20:07 +0000

tilegnet arbeiderbevegelsens-pionerer frihet-solidaritet

(dedicated to the pioneers of the labour movement: freedom solidarity!)

Hà Nội - mùa đông 1946

(“Winter 1946″: in reference to the French re-occupation of Hanoi after Ho Chi Minh had proclaimed independence in 1945)

traditional southern taiwanese wedding

xanawu — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 16:47:27 +0000

“You are not Rukai then?” I said.

“On no!” she replied with a tinkling laugh.

“None of us are. We saw the chance to get married Rukai style on the Taiwanese tourist board website.”