#中国

[michaelcerasofficial]

The Hanging Temple near Datong, Shanxi, China

[rodenbeard]

Entrance to the underground caves of Jiuxiang Diehong Bridge Scenic Area, Kunming, China

[lifeinredshades]

by `James Wheeler on Flickr.Step Falls scenic point at the Yulong snow mountain park in Yunnan, China.

[francoisbautista]

by `James Wheeler on Flickr.Step Falls scenic point at the Yulong snow mountain park in Yunnan, China.

[seulpeuninyeon]

The Hanging Temple near Datong, Shanxi, China

[the-adam-driver-files]

by `James Wheeler on Flickr.Step Falls scenic point at the Yulong snow mountain park in Yunnan, China.

[thedorkmark]

by `James Wheeler on Flickr.Step Falls scenic point at the Yulong snow mountain park in Yunnan, China.

[pipartuuli]

scene redraw (s1e19)! their grasp on English is uhhhh not needed for shredding.

original

[lettersoftherainbow]

Gardens of Sanzen-in Temple in Ohara, Japan

[matchakuracat]

as a scandinavian it's so funny when non scandinavian/finnish cc creators name their cc something that they think sounds scandinavian/finnish because it always ends up as complete gibberish. it's like what simlish looks like to english only speakers.

[trollcross42]

When I was in middle school there was an open house / parent meeting and they proudly presented the latest and greatest Social Studies textbook. Of course, my parents immediately flipped to the section on Sweden only to be informed that "due to the lack of widespread electricity, many Swedes spend the winter evenings knitting by the fireside" (paraphrased quote).

This was 1992.

I don't know how to emphasize enough that in 1992 the entire country of Sweden did, in fact, have access to electricity and that knitting by the fireside was by choice, not due to a lack of basic technology.

Also, we have 29 letters in our alphabet. The American 26 + Å, Ä, and Ö. They are letters. That's it. Not neo-norse affectations. Not Nazi symbols. Not "that's just a regular word with accents to make it look cool" aesthetics. They're letters that serve lettery type functions.

Danish and Norwegian also has 29 letters: the American 26 + Æ, Ø, Å. Again, just letters representing sounds - as letters typically do. (Listen, "muppet speak" as my friends call it requires a few more vowels, deal with it.)

I think I'm trying for two points here (but I'll admit I've lost the plot a bit):

1) non-USA countries have the same technology as the USA. Access may differ due to socioeconomic circumstances but please stop using Disney movies as representation of modern circumstances.

2) symbols that come from somewhere have actual meaning where they came from. Adopting them for aesthetics/religion/ politics is sometimes ok, usually just annoying, and occasionally harmful, but the place that symbol came from doesn't give a shit and will keep using them as they always have.

*wanders off to knit by the fireside... By choice, dammit! Not due to lack of electricity*

meanwhile on twitter

[gay-edwardian]

Consumed by the late-night urge to learn a bunch of songs phonetically even though I have things to do in the morning.

[egopuffs]

by Frogdeck on Flickr.Towers of The Holiest Mother orthodox church in Hrodna, Belarus.

[rpgrater]

by Wilson Loo on Flickr.Splendid China Folk Village in Shenzhen, China.

[greathelp]

by Frogdeck on Flickr.Towers of The Holiest Mother orthodox church in Hrodna, Belarus.

[yvespink]

by Wilson Loo on Flickr.Splendid China Folk Village in Shenzhen, China.