Did you know that...? Fun Facts from all over the world

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Did you know that....

...the Australians don't take anything serious? This super spikey, painful and annoying thing (I don't even know, what it is, see picture to the left...) which lays everywhere on the ground and holds on to your shoes, socks, pullovers, fingers.. everything, is lovingly called "gentle herb"

Picture source: wikipedia

...the two animals that represent Australia (kangaroo and emu, see coat of arms to the right) can only move forward, symbolizing the progress? In fact they can move backwards but only infrequently. This symbolic goes together with the slogan "Advance Australia"

...that figs can have loveheart forms?

...the Aussies invented the "Selfie"?

...you can litterally shorten every world as long as you do it in Australia?

...every second backpacker sees a dead or injured kangoroo before he sees a happy one when roadtrippin' through Australia?

...the sun in Australia is really that much more intense and dangerous?

...you need to do 88 days of farmwork to expire a working holiday visa in Australia?

...you are not allowed to bring your surfboard or bicycle into a bus in Victoria, Melbourne?

...buildings in Nepal often have 3 colors (red = wisdom, white = compassion, black = protection)

...vultures in Nepal can get a wingspread of 3 meters (yes I meet one of them! It was scary!)

...there are sparkling stones everywhere in the Annapurnas?

...the Indian nodding looks exactly like head shaking but with eyes up (yes) instead of eyes down (no)?

...the nose-ring in India is worn on the left side to benefit a healthy birth/baby?

...cairns (human-made stack of stones) have a second meaning in Buddhist countries (not only a guidepost but also offering for ghosts and spirits)

...it is not allowed to go around around a Stupa anti-clockwise?

...Tibetan monks have a special debating game which they are playing several times a day?

...foot chains in Tanzania were mainly worn by prostitutes?

...the tibetan prayerflags have the colors of the elements (white = air, blue = water, red = fire, yellow = earth and green = gras)

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