Cultural Diversity

Sauna, a small room used as a hot-air or steam bath for cleaning and refreshing the body, is now popular all over the world. Have you ever thought that sauna is a Finnish word and it originates from Finland?  Many Finns may think you can not grasp Finland or its culture without bathing in a sauna. Today we will talk to Amir Degheidy, a Finnish builder who is visiting Vietnam for a vacation, to know more about this kind of bath. A Finnish modern sauna (Photo: wikipedia) 

-Have you done any community service? Do you think that community service should be compulsory especially for students? Whether you agree or disagree, let’s listen to Preston Simmons, an English teacher from West Virginia talking about Community service in the US.

- Taking afternoon tea is a quintessential British pastime and has been part of the UK’s culture for centuries. Scones with lashings of jam and butter, cucumber sandwiches, and lots of tea is truly heaven for a Brit. In this week’s “Culture Rendezvous”, we’ll talk to Abby Chitty, a UK student, about why the British love afternoon tea, the best places to enjoy it, and useful tips on tea etiquette. 

- Obesity, a major health issue in the US, leads to numerous diseases. While many industrialized countries are in a similar situation, obesity rates in the US are the highest in the world. In this week’s “Culture Rendezvous”, we’ll talk to Andrew Diatroptoff of California about American fad diets and why Americans gain so much weight. 

- Belgium, which has more comic strip artists per square kilometer than anywhere else in the world, is the birthplace of the famous comic book series “The Smurfs” and “The Adventures of Tintin”. This year Belgium is celebrating the 60th birthday of the Smurfs. In this week’s edition of “Culture Rendezvous”, we’ll talk to Anke Van Lacker, Deputy Head of Mission at the Belgian Embassy in Vietnam, to find out more about the famous blue-skinned creatures. Smurfette, the first-ever female Smurfs, ends up saving all of the Smurfs from Gargamel, earning her place in their village and hearts forever after (Photo: costumewall.com) 

- Like many other European countries, Belgium is famous for numerous festivals that take place all year round, some of which are the biggest in the world. Aside from Majorette, stilt walking is one of popular activities in Belgian festivals. VOV interviewed Anke Van Lacker, Deputy Head of Mission at the Belgian Embassy in Vietnam, to find out more.  The Royal Stilt Walkers of Merchtem (Photo: focusonbelgium.be)

- “A touch of Belgium” cultural event took place on Saturday afternoon at Ly Thai To Garden, Hanoi, to celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Belgium and Vietnam. 11 members of the Brussels-based Majoretteketet performed some of their best parade routines around Hoan Kiem Lake. Today, VOV24/7’s Culture Rendezvous will talk to Anke Van Lancker, Deputy Head of Mission at the Belgian Embassy in Vietnam, to learn more about her country’s baton twirling performance.  

The Majorettes wear black and white costume and a marine hat when performing

(Photo: Embassy of Belgium in Vietnam) 

- If you found yourself completely lost in a Sydney bar yarn, looking like a stunned mullet when invited to a cuppa in the arvo, or simply, just wondering what on earth do my last 24 words meant, it’s time to fill up your vocabulary with Straya’s iconic slang culture. For foreign backpackers, sometimes they’re survival languages. Zachary Fitzpatrick will accompany us on VOV 24/7’s Cultural Rendesvous today to lead us through the dazing world of Australian English. 50-dollar notes are sometimes called "pineapple" in Australia (Photo: abc.com.au )

- Sometimes people don’t fall in love with a country until they discover its fantastic culinary culture. If fish and chips are among the must-tries when visiting the British Isles, and American cuisine is defined by the worldwide success of KFC and MacDonald’s, then it is cheese and beer that brings the Netherlands closer to foreigners. Peter de Fretes is back with us on VOV24/7’s Cultural Rendezvous today to rustle up some uniquely Dutch cuisines.  Alkmaar Cheese Market  (Photo: bestofamsterdam.com)

- Scotland is well-known for bagpipe, kilt, whitsky, golf, and the Loch Ness Monster. The legend of Loch Ness has inspired many film makers and is important to the region’s tourism industry. In this week’s Culture Rendezvous edition, Raymond McRobbie of Scotland will tell us some facts that you may not know about the Loch Ness mystery.

- Edinburgh Castle is the most iconic of all Scottish landmarks, where more than 14 million people attend the Royal Military Tattoo every year.  The castle, one of Scotland’s leading tourist attractions, is also thought to be one of the most haunted places in the world. Let’s hear more from Ray McRobbie, who has previously talked to us about the Loch Ness monster, in this week’s edition of Culture Rendezvous. Royal Military Tattoo is taken place in Edinburgh annually in August (Photo: getyourguide.com)

– American history began with waves of immigrants, bringing their own cultures and traditions to a vast new country.  With such a diverse population, some people compared the US culture to a melting pot while others said it was a salad bowl. What do those metaphors mean and which comparison is more accurate? Today we’ll talk once again with Charles Jensen, an English teacher, to learn more about the cultural diversity of the US.

According to Charles, the cultural diversity in the US has impacted his life greatly. (Photo: onlyinus.wordpress.com)

- Ramadan - the ninth month of the Islamic calendar is considered as one of the most important annual event of Muslims all over the world. While fasting from dawn until sunset during the Ramadan month, Muslims refrain from consuming food, drinking liquids and smoking. They are also instructed to refrain from sinful behavior that may negate the reward of fasting, such as false speech and fighting except in self-defense. The month lasts 29–30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon, according to numerous biographical accounts compiled in the hadiths. Fasting is obligatory for adult Muslims, except those who are suffering from an illness, traveling, elderly, pregnant, or breastfeeding.

Today, we will have a talk with Mr. Andi Dirgahayu, Minister Counsellor of the Indonesian Embassy in Vietnam to explore more about the Ramadan month.

Ramadan Prayers at Jama Masjid New Delhi (Photo:abudhabi2.com)