l’Escalade
Some genius (cough) has made some nice pictures of a yearly Genevan tradition called l’Escalade
Nice 
Archive for the ‘culture’ Category
Dec
14
Nov
23
Nov
18
Extreme measures for final examinations in South Korea
Today, across South Korea, 650,000 high school seniors will face the most crucial evaluation of their young lives: the national college entrance examination. And on this day each year, a nation of 48 million holds its collective breath: Grounding airplanes and shushing car horns, noisy vehicular traffic, even loud conversations.
(…)
Efforts to ensure fairness are often mind-boggling.
In Seoul this year, nearly 100 domestic flights at nearby Gimpo Airport will be either delayed or canceled so as not to conflict with the exam at surrounding schools, according to the Korea Airports Assn.
Morning commute hours will also be delayed in most large cities so students won’t get tangled in traffic en route to their test sites. Those who do can request a police escort to make it on time.
Even the national stock market opens an hour later, to account for tardy employees.
At each school where the exam is given, a team of police officers patrols the surrounding neighborhood to ensure quiet. That means no roaring motorcycles or unnecessary horn-blowing.
Nov
12
Nov
9
Oct
26
Oct
4
Mingling in the international community
A friend of mine wrote this:
In international environments, such as Geneva, you will encounter people from many different cultures and backgrounds. Without proper precautions, encounters with people so different from yourself might quickly go awry. Having observed interactions between many people for a while, I was able to compile the following list of tips to ensure smooth sailing in a sea of sensitivities. Note that this list only contains only genuine items - techniques tried in practice. All of them have been observed, not made up, it all really happened, and I was lucky enough to be present to bring you these gems of diplomacy.
Tips for people from …
Check your passport to see if any of these tips apply to you.
China
- Cook and eat like in you’re in China, preferably while other people are trying to eat.
- Explain that Falung Gong members are involved in politics and not just religion. Proceed to say that therefore it’s logical that they’re being persecuted.
Germany
- Ask someone for his or her nationality. Remind them how many days it took the Nazi’s to conquer that country.
USA
- Make sure your presence is noted. Use your accent to alert a whole room or train at once.
- Mix in “y’know”, and “like” when speaking a language other than English to make things clear.
- Act surprised whenever somebody has never heard of something only found in the US.
Upon encountering people from…
Once you’ve figured out the nationality of whomever you’re talking to, use the following tips to get a conversation going.
(more…)
Sep
21
Amazing image
“Worth Enough?” by DeviantArt user Radoxist.
Be sure to view the full version to check all the intricate details. Wow.
Aug
26
Jun
26
Jun
26
Jun
5
You awake as a hamburger
A Cuil is a unit of measurement:
One Cuil = One level of abstraction away from the reality of a situation.
Example: You ask me for a Hamburger.
1 Cuil: if you asked me for a hamburger, and I gave you a raccoon.
2 Cuils: If you asked me for a hamburger, but it turns out I don’t really exist. Where I was originally standing, a picture of a hamburger rests on the ground.
3 Cuils: You awake as a hamburger. You start screaming only to have special sauce fly from your lips. The world is in sepia.
Jun
4
May
31
Google Wave
Google Wave completely obliterates business models and entire verticals of companies left and right. You must watch this right now. At least the first 40 minutes.
This is amazing. Via Seth Godin
May
20
May
12
May
8
Apr
28
Heat maps of the world, according to press coverage
A heat map of the world, according to the press coverage they receive in a number of well-established publications. Above is the Guardian; similar maps were made for The Economist, the New York Times and several other newspapers.
Apr
10
Arthur C. Clarke’s Third Law
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
So true. From Wikipedia
Mar
28
Feb
22
Feb
19
Jan
9
The best stats you’ve ever seen
Hans Rosling debunks myths about third world countries with the best stats you’ve ever seen:
Jan
3
East vs West
I really like these illustrations by Chinese artist Yang Liu, who was born in China but schooled in Germany. They illustrate the differences between East and West.
“opinion”:
The complete set: