#like... ethnic groups... can and do split... they can have different tribes with different traditions... cultures arent monoliths

[swallowtail-ageha]

Me trying to explain to people who insist that the shamans are a retcon because of the eternal cities: so hmm do you know how the samnites split into hirpini caudini pentri and carricini

[dwellordream]

“...We may quickly describe the Dothraki social organization; while we only see inside one traditional Dothraki khalasar, we are repeatedly told it is typical and may take it as such (AGoT, 83-5, 195, 328). Each group of Dothraki is led by a male war-leader called a khal (whose wife is a khaleesi and whose heir is the khalakka) in a group called a khalasar. The khal‘s personal guard are ‘bloodriders’ and are sworn to the khal and are supposed to kill themselves after he dies (AGoT, 328).

The khalasar also has subordinate commanders called kos and smaller bodyguard units called khas (and at this point, you will forgive me a joke that I began to wonder if the Dothraki rode to battle on their khorses, drank out their khups and fought with khords, kows, and kharrows; it will surprise no one that Martin is not a linguist). The khal is the autocrat of this organization, he has a single, readily identifiable male heir who is his direct descendant (the khalakka) and should that heir be underage or not exist, the khalasar will disband. Strikingly, beyond the khal‘s male heir, family ties play no role at all in the organization of the khalasar or in relations between them.

This is not how horse-borne nomads organized themselves, although it bears a passing resemblance to some elements of pre-Chinggis Mongol organization. We can start by quickly ruling out the Great Plains as an inspiration and move from there. I am not an expert in the organization of any Plains Native American society (so please forgive any errors – but do tell me, so I can make corrections – I am doing my best!), but from what I have been able to read, the key institution is not the ‘chief’ but rather the extended family network (what the Sioux call, I believe, the ‘thiyóšpaye’) which were then composed by smaller households (‘thiwáhe’). The elders of those households elected their leaders; while certain families seem to have been more prominent than others, leadership wasn’t directly heritable. Direct inheritance doesn’t seem to have been as pressing an issue; territorial claims were held by the nation or tribe (the ‘oyáte’) while moveable property was held by the household or extended family network (and personal items might be buried with the deceased).

I am being a bit schematic here to avoid outrunning my limited knowledge, but a system of kinship bonds with elected leaders coordinating the efforts of multiple ethnically or linguistically related kinship groups is a fairly common system for non-state social organization (obviously that label obscures a lot of cultural and regional variation!). This would have been a plausible enough way to organize the Dothraki, with lots of deliberative councils of household leaders and chiefs that are often shrewd political leaders, managing the interests of many households, but presumably that wasn’t badass enough. It would have involved lots of complicated political dialogue and quite a lot less random murder. In any event, it is clear the Dothraki are not organized along these lines; kinship matters functionally not at all in their organization and even when Daenerys is present, we see no deliberation, merely the authority of the khal, enforced by violence.

What about the Mongols and other Eurasian steppe nomads? The Mongols and other steppe nomads were broadly organized into tribes (an ulus or ordu, the latter giving us the word ‘horde’ in reference to nomads) which were organized around a leader (for the Mongols, a khan or ‘chieftain’) and understood to be part of a given ethnic or linguistic grouping which might or might not be united politically at any given time. The position of khan was heritable, but with some significant quirks we’ll get to in a minute.

In theory, these were kinship groups, but in practice the incorporation of defeated clans and sometimes shifting allegiances blurred those lines. Ratchnevsky (op. cit., 12-3) notes a divide within groups between the non-free captives (otogus bo’ol) and the free followers of a khan (nökhör or sometimes spelled nökhöd), but these categories were flexible and not ethnically based – individuals could and did move between them as the fortunes of war and politics shifted; Temujin himself – the soon-to-be Chinggis Khan – was at one point probably one of these bo’ol. The nökhör were freemen who could enter the service of a khan voluntarily and also potentially leave as well, living in the leader’s household. This is a rather more promising model or the Dothraki, but beyond this very basic description, things begin to go awry.

First off – and you will note how this flows out of the subsistence systems we discussed last week – inheritance does matter a great deal to the Mongols. Steppe nomads generally tended to share an inheritance system which – I have never seen it given a technical name – I tend to call Steppe Partible Inheritance (though it shares some forms with Gaelic tanistry and is sometimes termed by that name). In essence (barring any special bequests), each male member of the ruling clan or house has an equally valid claim on the property and position of the deceased. You can see how this would function where the main forms of property are herds of horses and sheep, which are easily evenly divisible to satisfy such claims. Divide a herd of 100 sheep between 5 sons and you get 5 herds of 20 sheep; wait a few years and you have five herds of 100 sheep again. And for most nomads, that would be all of the property to divide.

This partibility was one of the great weaknesses, however, of steppe empires, because it promoted fragmentation, with the conquests of the dynastic founder being split between their sons, brothers and so on, fragmenting down further at each succession (each inherited chunk is often called an appanage, after the Latin usage and often they were granted prior to the khan‘s death as administrative assignments). But overall leadership of the empire cannot be divided; in theory it went to the most capable male family member, though proving this might often mean politics, war or murder (but see below on the kurultai).

Thus Attila’s three sons turned on each other and made themselves easy prey for what was left of the Roman Empire; Chinggis’ heirs did rather better, sticking together as regional rulers in a larger ‘family business’ run by the descendants of Chinggis until 1260 (Chinggis died in 1227), when they began to turn on each other. The Ottomans resolved this problem – seeing their empire as indivisible – through fratricide to avoid civil war. Note also here, how important knowing the exact parentage (or more correctly, patrilineal descent) of any potential descendant of the khan would be – we’ll come back to that.

On the surface, this might sound a bit like how Khal Drogo’s khalasar disintegrates on his death, but there are enough key wrinkles missing here that I think the match fails. The biggest difference is the importance of the larger kin group and biological inheritance. You will note above that the males of the entire royal family generally had claims on the titles and property of the deceased. And actual, patrilineal descent was important here – all of the successor states of the Mongols were ruled by rulers claiming direct descent from Chinggis Khan, down to the disestablishment of the Mughal Empire in 1857. If Khal Drogo has any extended family, they seem to be unimportant and we never meet them; they do not figure into to the collapse of his khalasar (AGoT, 633), whereas in a Mongol ulus, they’d be some of the most important people.

Indeed, Drogo’s khalasar splits up with no regard at all to the ruling family, something that Jorah notes is normal – had there been a living heir, he would have been killed (AGoT, 591). This is obviously not true of the Mongols, because Temujin, the future Chinggis Khan himself (and his brothers), was exactly such young living heir of a powerful khan and was not killed, nor was any serious attempt apparently made to kill him (Ratchnevsky, op. cit. 22) and Ratchnevsky notes that was unusual in this instance that Temujin’s mother was not supported by her brother-in-law (possibly because she refused to be remarried to him).

Moreover, succession to leadership was not automatic as it is portrayed in A Game of Thrones (either automatic in the way that Khal Ogo’s son Fogo could become Khal in the mere moments of battle between his death and his father’s, AGoT, 556 or automatic in how Drogo’s khalasar automatically disintegrates, AGoT, 591). Instead there was a crucial mediating institution, the kurultai (sometimes spelled quriltai), a council of chiefs and khans – present in both Mongol and Turkic cultural spheres – which met to decide who of the valid claimants ought to take overall leadership. Such kurultai could also meet without a succession event – Temujin was declared Chinggis Khan in the kurultai of 1206. There wasn’t typically a formal heir-designate as with the Dothraki, both because of the need for a deliberative kurultai but also because of the partible inheritance. It was rather exceptional when Chinggis designated Ögedei as his chief heir (as a way to avoid war between his other sons; Ögedei was the compromise candidate) in 1219.

We might imagine the kurultai upon the death of the Mongol version of Drogo would have been a complex affair, with political negotiations between Drogo’s brothers and uncles (should he have any) who might well use the existence of an heir as an excuse to consolidate power within the family, along with Drogo’s key lieutenants also seeking power. Of course we do not see those events because Daenerys is asleep for them, but we do hear them described and it is clear that the key factors in a Mongol kurultai – descent, family ties, collective decision-making – do not matter here. As Jorah notes, “the Dothraki only follow the strong” (AGoT 633) and “Drogo’s strength was what they bowed to, and only that” (AGoT, 591). There is no council – instead Drogo’s key lieutenants (all unrelated to him) take their chunk of followers and run off in the night. There is no council, no effort to consolidate the whole, no division of livestock or territory (because, as we’ve discussed, the Dothraki subsistence system considers neither and consequently makes no sense).

Likewise, the structures of Mongol control, either before or after Chinggis (who makes massive changes to Mongol social organization) are not here. Drogo’s horde is not the decimal-system organized army of Chinggis, but it is also not the family-kin organized, deeply status-stratified society that Chinggis creates the decimal system to sweep away. The Mongols did have a tradition of swearing blood-brothership (the Mongolian word is anda), but it only replicated strong reciprocal sibling alliances. It certainly came with no requirement to die if your blood-brother died, something made quite obvious by the fact that Chinggis ends up killing his blood-brother Jamukha after the two ended up at war with each other. And these relationships were not a form of ‘royal guard’ but intimate and rare. Instead, Chinggis intentionally assembled a personal guard, the keshig, out of promising young leaders and the relatives of his subordinates, both as a military instrument but also a system of control. Members of the keshig did not simply die after the death of their leader, but were bound to take care of the surviving family of the deceased ruler.

So apart from the observation that Steppe nomads tended to have singular leaders (but, of course, monarchy is probably the most common form of human organization in the historical period) and that they tend to fragment, almost nothing about actual patterns of Steppe leadership is preserved here. Not the basic structures of the society (the ‘nobles,’ kinship groups and larger tribal and ethnic groups which so dominated Temujin’s early life, for instance, see Ratchnevsky, op. cit. 1-88), nor its systems of inheritance and succession. Instead, most of the actual color of how Mongol society – or Steppe rulership more broadly – worked has been replaced with ‘cult of the badass’ tropes about how the Dothraki “only follow the strong,” only value strength and have essentially no other cultural norms.”

- Bret Devereaux, “That Dothraki Horde, Part III: Horse Fiddles.”

[ivendarea]

The Nyr

A People Divided

The Nyr are Ivendarea’s natives, a people that lived in isolation for a long time but has an inherent thirst for exploration and knowledge. While not all Nyr are inclined to the further development of their magical abilities, they all have an innate magical potential within them and are perfectly adapted to Ivendarea’s magical peculiarities. This makes Nyr mages the most powerful in their homeland, and they have an easier time acquiring new magical skills.

Known to stick to themselves, the Nyr are tightly connected to each other, within their communities, and to their land. Originally consisting of a large variety of different ethnic groups and tribes the population has become more homogeneous ever since the nation was united by their first ruler, Iovana Neron. Still, depending on which region one travels to, remnants of these original tribes and their unique traditions can still be found cherished and celebrated today, as traditions are held on to tightly, and the Nyr are very proud of their cultural heritage and history.

Table of Contents:

History 

Rise of the Aman’a Valeethi

The Assadin Invasion

Revolution War and Present

Life in Ivendarea

Attunement

Coexistence with Nature

Nyr Society

Leaders and their Responsibility

Soul-Shaping

Rebellion and Corruption

The Importance of Knowledge

Customs, Traditions, and Rituals

Naming Conventions

Beauty Ideals

Biology, Genetics, Ageing

Physique and Outward Characteristics

Biological Cycle

Sex, Gender, Reproduction

Interspecies Relationships

The Nyr and the Assadin

The Nyr and the Darthonians

The Nyr and the Kitu

Continue reading below or on World Anvil

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History

Thousands of years ago the Nyr roamed the lands of Ivendarea as tightly knit tribes that lived partly nomadic, partly as settled down farmers in all corners of the nation. Waging war with each other for territory and resources from time to time, it was Wylaai leader Neron who first noticed similarities in the different groups’ believes, stories, and social practises, suggesting a strong link of spiritual nature between all Nyr, no matter their clan-affiliation.

Neron and his council of supporters and advisors founded the nation of Ivendarea over the course of several decades, building bridges, communicating between leaders, and uniting the people. The Nyr and Ivendarea began to prosper and it didn’t take long until new settlements and organizations were established to run the young nation.

Rise of the Aman’a Valeethi

Roughly 2000 years after Neron’s death Ivendarea had become a nation of explorers, while at the same time enjoying its solitude and wealth. This was when Aman was born, who would later not only become the centre of a cult that eventually developed into Ivendarea’s official religion, but whose thirst for knowledge drove them as far as to converse with the gods themselves – eventually joining their ranks. Tales of a mortal rising to godhood spread further than the Nyr would have ever dared to imagine, and more of the outside world became aware of the secluded nation.

A long period of peace followed Aman’s rise to godhood as their teachings began to spread and more and more of the Nyr joined the Aman’a Valeethi, Aman’s students and followers. It was also a period of great change in politics and law, as Aman’s Teachings preached the importance and significance of one’s own soul’s health and balance. Practises like the death penalty, that were still in place at the time, could do such permanent damage to a soul that it could prevent it from ever being reborn again. Rebirth though, and eternal growth and learning are essential to a life of harmony. The justice system experienced a general overhaul, and the former capital of judgement and justice, Saratheas, became a centre of belief and learning instead.

The Assadin Invasion

About 5500 years after Aman’s ascension, war struck the Nyr for the first time since ancient days – but not from within. Zerenda, warrior prince of the far away nation of Astairus, had come to conquer the fertile lands of Ivendarea on behalf of his father.

The Nyr – peaceful explorers, scholars, scientists, artists – were not prepared for the attack in any way, and despite fighting back with all they had, they were no match against the first devastating wave of warriors arriving at Ivendarea’s eastern shores. The city of Beldran fell within weeks, and Zerenda’s forces marched on to the nation’s capital where Iovana Fannyel was slain, his partner and child only barely escaping.

From a prospering nation the Nyr’s society began a rapid descent into chaos after Iovana Fannyel’s death, as something like this had never occurred before. No one was sure how to act or what would come next. Zerenda made the mistake of underestimating the Nyr’s willpower though, getting too comfortable when for a few years no-one fought against his conquering of Ivendarea’s eastern half. A few years though mean little to the Nyr, so while Zerenda was sure he had already won, the Nyr in fact only recovered after his first blow, prepared to remove the intruder. Against any later of Zerenda’s advances they put up massive fights and an unexpectedly strong resistance.

When Saratheas fell into the hands of the invaders all hope rested on the new Iovana Brestine, Fannyel’s child, who eventually managed to secure the nation’s peace again. Brestine’s Peace Treaty led to the interesting situation of having two different Ivendarean rulers present at once: an Assadin monarch on the throne in Saratheas, and the Nyr’s Iovana in Panthil. While officially all of Ivendarea was subject to the laws made in Saratheas, Panthil and Maan Garth had a special standing and enjoyed more freedoms in the name of upholding the peace.

Not believing in the occupation to last forever, given the short lifespan of the Assadin in comparison to their own, the Nyr decided to humour Zerenda and engaged in what they perceived as a waiting game. Their hope was that Brestine herself would eventually be able to take back the throne as soon as Zerenda’s bloodline died out, that even if not Zerenda himself, his successors would see reason and give up on the throne out of free will.

Revolution War and Present

It all came differently though. A rebel organization began to form, calling themselves the Omrai Omvalis. Believing their own Iovana had forsaken them, leaving the people under a foreigner’s control, they began to lead a revolution against the Assadin rulers on their own. Their efforts eventually escalated into the Revolution War, but instead of removing the Assadin from Ivendarea for good, the results were devastating. The Nyr lost even more of their territory, the ancient city of Maan Ganyr fell, and Maan Garth was completely split off of the Ivendarean Mainland entirely out of the sheer need for survival. After the war, the Omrai Omvalis were hated by both the Assadin and their own people, as they were seen as the main cause for the beginning of another era of unrest, and the destroyers of a hard fought-for peace.

Today the Nyr are a people of contradictions more than ever. Explorers who never stray too far for too long, deeply divided in their own nation especially in regards to politics, while at the same time standing together stronger than ever to keep their culture and traditions alive under the rule of the most recent Assadin king Leoros.

Life in Ivendarea

The majority of the world’s Nyr population resides in their native home country Ivendarea. They are perfectly attuned to the magical and natural conditions on the peninsula, and while there are small percentages of Nyr among the permanent population of other continents and nations, the majority usually always returns back home from any journeys or expeditions they undertake sooner or later.

Across Ivendarea, Nyr can be found in any of its many different climatic zones, from the icy north to the hot and humid south, in plains, forests, swamps, and at the slopes and tops of mountains. Even at sea the Nyr feel at home, venerating water as something almost holy, and having developed a quite lively culture around sailing and spare-time activities carried out in and around bodies of water.

Attunement

Given the large range of temperatures comparing Ivendarea’s icy north and subtropical south, the Nyr are adapted to a grand variety of climates at first glance. Notably though, there seems to be a natural “attunement” to Ivendarea’s inherent magic that is unique to the Nyr and might explain their comparatively easy adaption to the country’s different climate zones, while they struggle with similar climates on other continents.

While the same individual seemingly isn’t overly bothered by the cold of Canwyl’s ice-covered gardens, if they travel a few miles further north to the Darthonian border, their clothing will suddenly not feel suitable anymore to combat the cold, despite there being no difference in temperature. Similarly, the hot humidity of Maan Garth’s jungle might be bearable to them, but a trip to a similar jungle on Drua Shye or Atrana could be sheer impossible to endure for the same amount of time they last in the humidity and heat on Maan Garth.

The reasons for this strange phenomenon are still unexplained, yet it is undeniable that no matter how far the Nyr travel, they are basically non-existent as permanent residents on other continents. They always return back home, as if Ivendarea was the magnetic north pole to their inner compass, seemingly unable to exist without their homeland and its strangely unique magical currents.

Coexistence with Nature

Not only are the Nyr particularly attuned to Ivendarea’s magic, they also treat their homeland and nature with a lot of respect. Due to wide-spread religious believes the Nyr practise lifestyles that allow them to live in harmony with nature as best as possible, trying to not unnecessarily interfere or destroy the land’s wild and untamed beauty. Villages, towns, and cities alike are often integrated into their natural surroundings, complimenting each other, and using materials predominantly found in the area. There are exceptions, of course, but for the most part an effort is made to create sustainable living spaces. Wood is not a common building material, at least not from trees chopped down for the purpose of building – unless there really are no other options and it is an emergency. Instead driftwood or the wood of trees that fell in a storm or were struck by lightning are used. Where needed they are reinforced with glass, resin, or metal, and recycled almost religiously when a building using wood is torn down. An exception are the Veerali, an ethnic subgroup of the Nyr at home in the southern marshes and jungles on the nation’s mainland. But even though they predominantly live in wooden buildings, their homes are alive, consisting of trees shaped by magic in their growth into spherical rooms, bridges, and other constructs. The Veerali don’t interpret this interference with the trees as harming the environment, but rather finding new ways to be even closer to nature than other peoples.

A lot of Nyr settlements are also characterized by a variety of waterways, they have advanced systems for fresh water in all houses and for sewage, and make use of rainwater as well as deep wells. Water has a strong spiritual connotation for them, symbolizing life, rebirth, and a connection to the gods. Having clean water close by and cleaning it again after use to reuse it is therefore not only necessary for survival and well-being, but also essential for religious practises. Nothing should be wasted or destroyed, everything is part of life and an eternal cycle.

Nyr Society

A community in Nyr society – be it a family, a religious group, a village, a city – always sticks together and supports each other. This mentality dates back to the times when the Nyr still lived together in clans before the nation was united, fighting against each other and the wild and unrelenting nature of Ivendarea. Community meant survival, being alone was dangerous. Children in particular, since they are rare, often enjoy a very sheltered within their community – as some would say from personal experience, even to levels of feeling restricted. The concept of the lone wolf fending for themself is largely unknown in most of Nyr society.

Leaders and Their Responsibility

While there is a noticeable class-divide between different parts of society, it is perceived as less strict as in more authoritarian communities. Still, at the very top of the social ladder stands the Iovana, the monarchical ruler, and their family and council. While the Iovana is regarded as the head of the nation who decides over Ivendarea’s future in their perceived best interest for the people, they are not above the law and can actually be removed from their seat in the name of the gods by the religious order of the Avon Julanor. Also, while the royal family is treated with a lot of respect and enjoys various privileges, they also have the responsibility to care for the people in political, religious, social, and many other regards, or can very quickly lose the support of the community. Contrary to the belief of outsiders from other nations, those on top of the social hierarchy aren’t usually all wealthier than the rest, they only have more privileges for the price of many more duties for the community. Following the religious and social practises of Soul-Shaping devoutly, the Iovana as well as any other wealthy citizen uses their influence and income to further the development of their community. Education is important, as are achievements as an individual and a group, and the more educated a person is the better is their social standing. Financial wealth can open doors to such education, but amassing it during one’s lifetime for personal gain is frowned upon. Those who are financially well-off are expected to either directly give to the poor or create institutions to help those in need. They support the temples, or fund scholarships to name a few examples – basically to open the doors to education for those who can’t open them themselves.

Members of religious and other political institutions also enjoy a lot of respect and a higher standing in their community, but of course in return they are also expected to support the less fortunate even more so.

Soul-Shaping

A person’s time in this world is limited, no physical goods can be taken to the next life according to the practise of Soul-Shaping, as conceptualized by the prophet Aman. Compassion and knowledge on the other hand actually can survive the cycle of rebirth and permanently shape a soul for the better. Doing good in this life and supporting the community stabilizes a soul, attuning it to a peaceful life of harmony in and with this world. A stable soul in return makes a rebirth and the remembrance on one’s past lives more likely and effortless – and the more stable souls are reborn into a community, the more at peace this community will be, according to this theory, as more knowledge and wisdom survives the cycle of rebirth, too. Giving back to the community and enabling others to achieve higher education amongst other opportunities therefore serves the people as a whole, potentially across several lives lived. This would at least be the ideal situation.

Rebellion and Corruption

It has always been common practise for a Nyr community to dismantle a corrupt government and put someone else in their place that is considered more capable, should the need arise. In nine out of ten cases this even goes without violence of any kind, and the former leaders are assimilated back into the community as “regular” members. It is a rare occurrence to cast someone out of the community entirely, and it always causes an outrage. When it happens, something severe and unforgivable has to be the cause.

A recent example would be the banishment of Aella and Pirc from Maan Garth for the role they played in the The Revolution War – causing the death of hundreds, the loss of an ancient city, and the beginning of the worst period of political instability since Zerenda’s Conquest. It was a decision harshly criticized regardless, as the siblings’ family is deeply rooted on Maan Garth and they did indeed fight to abolish a corrupt and violent government. Iovana Panmorn who banished them was accused of acting selfishly and blaming them for the loss of his partner more than the loss of the lives and war. Others agreed that the situation was just though, as the rebel movement led by Aella and Pirc in itself seemed like a corrupt and violent institution that did not represent the people’s beliefs or values as a whole.

The Importance of Knowledge

Knowledge and wisdom are some of the most valued traits in Nyr society, a drive to learn, explore, and study is inherent to their people. Of course not everyone is smart or intelligent to the same degree, but knowledge isn’t purely about cognitive skills. The community encourages a child’s naturally given leanings, talents, and interests. Highly intelligent professors are just as rare among the Nyr as they are amongst other peoples, but due to the culturally inherent stimulation of natural talents and curiosity from an early age on, Nyr are known to have an above average percentage of renowned inventors, scientists, artists, mages, and athletes.

Customs, Traditions, and Rituals

The Vath’eran is without a doubt the most important and wide-spread ritual known to the Nyr. It marks an individual’s step into adulthood as well as it is a means of self-discovery and spiritual enlightenment.

The ritual of Soul Bonding is also inherent to Nyr culture no matter the surrounding communities, and it is rare to observe. It takes place when at least two individuals want to enter a relationship that goes beyond their current life – usually when they believe to have found their soulmate(s). The souls of the participants are magically tied to each other forever, which brings with it an inexplicable and deep feeling of connection and understanding with one another. But it can also end tragically, especially in the case of a premature death of one of the partners, as the survivor(s) will experience the loss to a much greater intensity over a much longer period of time than usual.

Depending on where the Nyr live on the nation’s ground, a variety of different festivals are observed particularly tied to the beginning and end of seasons, which dates back to the times even before the nation was founded.

Naming Conventions

Nyr’s first names usually have a strong symbolic connotation, often linked to the day of their birth, the hopes and expectations of their family, special cultural circumstances, or events of historical significance haven taken place on their birthday. Sometimes a child is named in honour of a living ancestor, but not by giving them the same name, as it would imply they are similar people in terms of personality and ambitions. Instead a name with a similar meaning is chosen usually to honour the relative. It is not common on the other hand to give children the names of deceased ancestors, unless there are adamant signs and evidence confirmed by a priest that the child in question is actually their revered ancestor reborn – but even then it is rare to give them the name they carried in a past life.

Once a child reaches adulthood they get the chance to accept or deny the name that has been given to them and in the latter case pick a new one. This happens as part of the coming-of-age ceremony held in the local temple on the young adult’s 75th birthday, the so-called Vath’eran. In cases where someone is particularly unhappy with their given name before they reach adulthood, a new name is chosen and used earlier. The Vath’eran makes the name-change official, and in 90% of the cases where a name gets rejected by its bearer during their childhood, this is common practise. Reasons as for why one might reject their name are many. It could be that they dislike the name’s meaning, their family’s wishes and expectations for them, or they feel that the name doesn’t fit the way they wish to be perceived by others.

Since their Nyr express gender a lot less strictly than some other cultures do, due to getting into contact with the outside world certain names have become more commonly associated with specific perceived physical traits, leading to accidental misgendering of individuals caused by their names.

Last names are not nearly as important in Nyr culture as in other nations, since lineage and belonging to a certain family branch or clan of old have little importance nowadays. What matters more are past lives lived and the deeds done in the current one. Following the ancient clan tradition from times before the kingdom was founded though, Nyr carry so-called “homenames” as their “last name”. A homename shows allegiance to the community an individual was born into, and the most common homenames today are based on the names of towns and cities: Panthil’y, Saratheas’y, Canwyl’y, Fandyl’y, and so on. In ancient days, homenames were based on the regions the family’s tribe was at home, e.g. “Sylaristrea’y” – “of the Skyreach Mountains”, or “Iven’y” – “of the Green River”, as this was the time before most big cities existed and the far scattered settlements had permanent names. The “y” attached to the name of the birthplace in this case can be translated as “of”. It is also possible that a homename changes over the course of a Nyr’s life, for example when someone loses or gives up their connection to their birthplace. In a traditional ceremony celebrating new beginnings and the cutting of old ties the name change is made official, the homename becoming relevant to the location where the individual found their new home.

These naming conventions lead to some of the following situations: Breella Panthil’y is named in honour of her grandmother Brestine Canwyl’y, who is still alive as her granddaughter is born. Breella means “the shimmering one”, Brestine “the shining/magnificent one”. Panmorn Panthil’y and Adoven Panthil’y are related to each other, but not to Aella Panthil’y. Adoven and Aella are both born in the city Panthil into different families. Panmorn was actually born in Saratheas but found his new home in Panthil, therefore deciding to change his homename. In return, Brestine Canwyl’y is the mother of Rava Panthil’y, so despite being related they don’t need to be carrying the same homename.

Beauty Ideals

Long, natural hair often worn in braids is regarded the most beautiful in many parts of Nyr society currently. In a way it symbolizes the connection to one’s own roots, traditionalism, commitment, and patience, all highly valued qualities especially by older generations.

A trend is surfacing amongst the youth though, especially rebel-sympathizers on the mainland and the politically interested young adults on Maan Garth, where overall the hair is kept long, but parts are shaved off bald. It is a way of demonstrating rebellion not only against the current political situation but against the old ways and tradition in general that rely on order and discipline. A similar trend had occurred during the Invasion War, when long hair was cut short for practicality or to symbolize a sacrifice for one’s home nation.

Still, keeping some parts of the hair long shows a still present connection to the people and home country, only a disagreement with some parts of the nation’s current state.

Body jewellery and piercings are also popular, as they are a means of individual self-expression in times where assimilation is a common topic in everyday conversations. They are beautiful enhancements of the body, and the painful process of obtaining them shows power of will and independence. Symmetrical designs or those with religious connotations are considered particularly beautiful and have been the most popular for a long time.

Biology, Genetics, and Ageing

Much is curious about the Nyr, beginning already with their outward appearance featuring long pointed ears, colourful eyes, to their dark skin. They also are known to defy many common gender norms, causing some confusing now and then with their androgyny or mismatch of outward appearance and pronouns used. Even processes as self-evident as ageing seem to not 100% apply to this inherently magical and extraordinarily long-lived people.

Physique and Outward Characteristics

Reaching a mean height of 170 centimetres tall and weighing a little over 70 kilograms according to latest statistics, the Nyr are within the average size range when looking across all the different modern Ivendarean peoples. Certain ethnic groups, such as the Sylai and Wylaai tend to be taller than average, and the Gaanar and Veerali are the shortest. Balance of body and mind is very important in particular to religious Nyr, therefore physically challenging training and games are a common spare-time activity to keep the body in good shape and the senses sharp. This being said though, not everyone is as fit or active as others, and physical health and feeling well in one’s body is considered a lot more important than having defined muscles or being physically strong.

The Nyr’s skin colour ranges from pale to dark grey tones, lighter colours being more common in the north and centre of the nation, darker tones more widespread in the south and on the island Maan Garth. Often the skin isn’t of a pure grey but usually has purple, green, blue, or brownish undertones. Although not related or to be confused with the Jali, natives of Drua Shye, the Nyr share their pointed ears. In comparison though the ears of the Nyr are quite long and flexible to a degree, giving them excellent hearing, and, particularly to be observed in younger individuals, can even express emotion by underlining the individual’s facial expression.

Probably the most outstanding feature of the Nyr are their eyes. The pigmentation of the sclera ranges from pure black to medium grey, and the iris can appear in a great variation of vibrant colours. From blue, grey, purple and red to yellow, orange, green, or brown, any colour or colour-combination seems to be possible. Usually, when the iris is of a brighter colour, so is the sclera, and vice versa with dark tones. The pupil of the eye is slightly oval and vertically-aligned with rounded tips. Contrary to common belief though the Nyr don’t have particularly great vision in dark surroundings, despite their unique eyes. It is more likely that in ancient days certain eye colours were attributed specific characteristics, or they showed the affiliation with certain tribes and family lineages, strengthening the sense of purpose and community in hostile and dangerous natural surroundings and conditions. Red eyes have been attributed to descendants of Iovana Neron for a long time, and while they are common among members of the royal family, they are no longer unique to them. It is true though that for example on Maan Garth one will look into golden or yellow eyes more often than elsewhere in Ivendarea.

The most common hair colour is black in both dark and fairer skinned individuals, but brown, red, and blond tones appear naturally, too, descending in frequency in this order. Some Nyr, about 30-45% of the population, are also capable of growing beards and/or display a more dense development of body hair in general than others.

Biological Cycle

The typical Nyr’s life expectancy is roughly 950 years, but rare individuals have reached ages of 1100 and beyond. Ageing in general is curious for the Nyr, as it isn’t necessarily a linear process. Infancy lasts for about 5-10 years, where children learn to speak, to walk, and to slowly be able to take care of themselves. In this period they are particularly vulnerable and therefore constantly cared for by family and community. They are treated as rare and precious because as mentioned before, birth rates are low and children are considered a gift, not taken as granted. In this phase a child grows very fast in comparison to the growth rates of their bodies throughout the rest of their lives. Particularly during the first five years the Nyr’s metabolism works immensely fast. It is taxing for them and for those taking care of them alike.

Following this stage of infancy is a long period of childhood: curiosity and personal growth. The young Nyr are shaped by their surroundings and grow into individuals with unique personalities. They are intensively taught, no matter if by family, private tutors, or at public schools with other children their age. Individual care, encouragement, and support of naturally given talents and interests is key, but an education in general life skills and history is considered just as vital. Hitting puberty at around 45-65 years of age, some young Nyr become sexually active around this time, but it will take a lot longer for them to become sexually mature and being physically able to procreate. This is the final phase of their childhood and their bodies growing and changing significantly on their way to adulthood.

At an age of roughly 70-75 years, depending on the individual and their personal development, the Nyr consider one of their own a fully grown adult. Reaching this milestone in their life is celebrated enthusiastically, usually by the whole community, and one of the most personally significant religious rituals is held at this point in life too: the Vath’eran.

A time of exploration follows during the Nyr’s’ young adulthood; morals and believes taught during their childhood solidify, change, or crumble entirely as they venture out into the world, usually for the first time on their own. At an age of 150-200 years the Nyr become sexually mature, and this is when most individuals wishing to procreate actively begin looking for potential partners to found a family together. Having children is not an essential part of Nyr culture, and while some wish to have a family of their own, a lot also devote their lives to their communities, to research and teaching, or to personal endeavours, and they never settle down or have permanent partnerships. All are valid ways of life that are equally supported.

Fertility starts to decrease again at an age of roughly 450-500 years, and pregnancies become less likely and more risky. At this age most Nyr have found a purpose in their life that they follow with great dedication, they become more calm and a little less adventurous, often returning to their old communities or settling down elsewhere in a new home.

At 600 years of age the Nyr’s eyes begin to change: the colour of the iris becomes duller, light colours paler, dark colours darker – this marks the point at which an individual starts to reach old age, showing actual physical signs of aging. With the reaching of young adulthood at around 70-75 years up until the age of approximately 600 years the physical ageing process of the Nyr is extremely slowed down compared to infancy, childhood, and puberty. As mentioned, ageing isn’t a strictly linear process for them as compared to most other species. It can actually be very hard to differentiate between a 150 year old and a 600 year old individual at first sight. What sets them apart from each other is their knowledge and wisdom, their achievements, and their social standing, not necessarily their appearance.

With the change of the iris colour, the first hint of ageing, other signs will appear sooner or later, too. Some individuals earlier than others will start to develop significantly more wrinkly skin, their hair might turn grey or white over time, height might slightly decrease and diverse pains and ailments of old age might show themselves sooner or later. The Nyr’s mind though will usually stay awake and sharp up until very old ages of 800 years and older – some even manage to stay physically active, seemingly unfazed by ageing altogether. Most commonly Nyr that grow this old actually drift off and die peacefully in their sleep, their bodies simply giving in after almost a millennium of work, life, and dreams fulfilled. Rarely they are plagued by illness – such things tend to cause death much sooner. It is general belief and a proven tendency that individuals surpassing the age of 900 years are less likely to get ill – their bodies went through so much already and survived, no sickness can truly harm them anymore if they truly are at peace with themselves and this world.

Sex, Gender, Reproduction

Looking at sex and gender, the Nyr’s situation is not only pretty unique but also hard to pin down. There is no distinct differentiation between various biological sexes or expressed genders as it is often practised in other cultures. Nyrval, the Nyr’s native language, has a multitude of words expressing a large variety of social genders and biological sex characteristics, including a person’s social status. There are numerous pronouns and other terms expressing how people see themselves in terms of sex, gender, whether they want children or already are parents (or not), and more, in a variety of combinations.

Most of these terms are difficult or sheer impossible to translate into any other language in a simple manner, as they express abstract concepts unique to the Nyr. This poses a slight problem sometimes when speaking or learning other languages with vastly different ideas of gender. With Ivendarea becoming more open to the outside world and when speaking in foreign languages, an individual might use words and pronouns of the foreign language that fit themselves the best, even if they don’t apply 100% to reality. A person might call themself “woman” in Trade, because they share some physical characteristics or have the social status associated with a different culture’s views on what a “woman” is – but in fact the Nyr in question might actually rather look like what the other culture would refer to as a “man” instead. This can now and then cause some confusion or surprises in everyday conversation.

Overall the Nyr population has relatively low birth-rates compared to other intelligent species, but this is compensated through their very long lifespans of approximately 950 years. On average families have one or two children. Pregnancies without complications last a year, and usually only one child is born at a time. Twins or even triplets are extremely rare, and it is sadly likely that only one of the children is born alive, despite all medical accomplishments and efforts.

Nyr are theoretically capable of procreating with Assadin, Aapha, and Jali, but a pregnancy even occurring is very rare – the proof in the form of children of such mixed heritage exists though. But, even while such unions are possible and can produce offspring, they are less common and in some communities even looked down upon due to historical social tensions between the different groups, particularly the Assadin and the Nyr.

Mixed children with a Nyr parent will often show the distinctly pointed ears and have a duller or pale skin tone compared to the other parent. The dark sclera of the Nyr’s eyes are usually not inherited, but the vibrant iris colours can be.

Interspecies Relationships

Ever since the first Darthonians landed on Ivendarea’s shores the Nyr haven’t been alone in their nation anymore. While they strive to live in a peaceful society in coexistance with other peoples, ethnicities, and nationalities, tensions are sometimes unavoidable.

The Nyr and the Assadin

This being said, to speak of “tensions” between Nyr and Assadin would be an understatement. The Assadin of the far away continent of Atrana came to the country not as explorers but as conquerors, violently seizing power a little over 500 years ago. To the Assadin this is a long time, as their lives are much shorter than the Nyr’s. In return there are Nyr still alive today who witnessed the conquest with their own eyes, participated in the fights, and lost loved ones to Zerenda’s army. Many were resentful towards even signing a peace treaty, and while most are convinced that Assadin rule won’t last forever, the uncertainty of their future causes even more tensions. Those Nyr born under Assadin rule are deeply divided, on the one hand knowing the stories of their elders and the suffering caused by the invaders, on the other hand holding on to the shaky peace with all their might, not wanting another outbreak of war. Branded traitors of their own people by “assimilating” into the Assadin way of life they feel like they belong to neither group. Most Nyr are convinced a true peace can only come when a Nyr is the sole ruler again. Their hatred isn’t even directed at those Assadin who followed their ruler into a more hopeful life on the peninsula, their own homeland torn apart by civil war. They are free to stay, but as guests of Ivendarea, community-members, not as rulers.

An important differentiation has to be made between the different sub-groups of Assadin and their particular relationships with the Nyr. The Kessem, originally of the now purged nation of Astairus are Zerenda’s people and descendants. The Kunae, also considered Assadin, but an ethnic subgroup from a tiny nation highly dependent on the Kessem, came to Ivendarea basically as work slaves who only slowly began to gain their independence here. While both groups are considered conquerors by the natives, the Nyr have a little bit more sympathy with the Kunae, who face similar discrimination in a variety of walks of life as the Nyr themselves.

The Nyr and the Darthonians

The Darthonians (or as they call themselves, the “Aapha”) share a long political relationship not always free of difficulties, but never marked by violence. Ivendarea’s northern neighbours are renowned seafarers and inventors. They were the first outside nation getting into contact with the isolated Nyr, and they themselves lived a very isolated life in their nation of snow and ice. Particularly in cities like Westpoint and Canwyl there is a large percentage of Darthonians among the population, with families almost as old as the nation of Ivendarea itself.

Tensions have begun to grow between the peoples only fairly recently with the marriage of king Leoros and princess Therstina of Darthonis. The politically motivated marriage brought up the question, why no Iovana of the Nyr had ever considered marrying a Darthonian royal to closer tie the nations together. Also, while both Nyr and Darthonians had been treated equal by Assadin rulership so far, ever since the union Darthonians have begun to receive advantages over their Nyr peers, creating more and more of a social divide in the less homogeneous communities where both groups are present.

The Nyr and the Kitu

After the Darthonians, the Kitu were the second group of outsiders to land on the shores of western Ivendarea. They are a subgroup of the Jali, sharing a strong natural magical inclination with the Nyr they immediately felt welcome and at home. A marginalized community in their own homeland Drua Shye they began to thrive in Ivendarea, but compared to the Darthonians they are a small group without much political influence and also not too keen on the Assadin rulers.

[Read on WorldAnvil]

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[fortheheavenssake]

CELTIC-ISRAELITE COMMONALITIES

http://www.british-israel.ca/Celtic.htm

by Yaacov Levi

To many who are interested in the history of the Celtic peoples and their modern descendants in Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Brittany and Cornwall, and from their descendants around the world a subject that is often brought up is possible connections with the ancient Israelites, in particular the “Lost Tribes” of Israel.

The purpose of this article is not to establish ‘connections’ to the Lost Tribes, but to discuss some of the many common characteristics of these modern Celtic peoples and the ancient Israelites. These characteristics I call Commonalities. I am not attempting in this short article to establish connections which has been addressed in many other volumes such as The Tribes and Ephraim by Yair Davidy and The Lost Tribes of Israel - Found! by Steven Collins as well as in ancient works. I am simply going to point out and discuss a very few of the great many commonalities between these peoples.

The Lost Tribes of The House of Israel

The peoples we refer to as the Lost Tribes were part of the Northern Kingdom of Israel which was conquered by the Assyrians around 740-720 BC. and exiled to areas in Assyria and to the north. This is told in the the Bible in 2Kings chapters 17 and 18. About the same time a contingent from the Kingdom of Judah were also exiled to the northern lands. It is these peoples and their immediate descendants that are also variously referred to as the Lost Tribes, and the subject of many works and studies.

Being both Irish and Jewish, I grew up familiar with customs and the cultures of both peoples, only in later years becoming aware that they were quite difference cultures and had greatly varying cultural characteristics. Yet growing up with both cultures, I had noticed similarities even on a casual basis. Over the years I began to see more of this similarity and in recent years I began to collect this data into what I term an Overview which I am still assembling. It is this Overview in differing areas of life that I will discuss here.

There are a number of areas that I have been looking at which includes: language, agriculture, religion and taboos, burial practices, music and folk dancing, the traditions and self determinations and self-identification of the Celts and other areas as the arise. I will point out a few items in each category and note that these are just a few of a great many commonalities and I mention them as examples.

Language is one of the subjects that led to my overall interest in the topic as early on I had noticed similarities. Considering the long period of time from the expulsion of the Israelites to our time, it would seem unlikely that there would be little, if any, common letters, words or structure, but that is not the case - there is indeed much in common.

Gaelic is a member of the Celtic group of the Indo-European family of languages that includes Russian, English, German, Spanish, French, Hindi and Italian. The Celtic group has been confined to the British Isles and part of the French coast.

Linguistic Similarities

The Celtic group is divided into two divisions which has three languages in each division. Each division makes up its own unique language.The two branches are:

the BRYTHONIC branch which is made up of the Welsh, Breton and Cornish lan guages; and

the GOIDELIC branch with the Irish, Scots and Manx Gaelic languages.

The Breton and Cornish languages are seeing some resurgence after near extinction while the Irish, Scots and Welsh languages are holding their own at this time. Manx is an ancient form of Irish and is considered to be oldest and purest Irish Gaelic in existence. Manx is very close to the extinct dialects of nearby Ulster and Galloway and separated from Old Irish in about the fifth century of our era. It occupies much the same position to Old Irish as Icelandic does to Old Norse. For the purpose of my study I have chose to concentrate on Manx and Scots Gaelic. I am sure though that an indepth study of Welsh or the other Gaelic languages would provide much food for thought on this issue.

The Gaelic alphabet as well as the ordinal numbers show more commonality than could be expected after 2,700 years of divergence; for example we have a Hebrew “S” retained in the modern Gaelic - the Hebrew Sheen, pronounced Shh is found in the Irish “S” as in the name Sean pronounced Shawn. Other letters are similar, the ordinal numbers 6 & 7 are pronounced almost the same as Hebrew and Gaelic. Words with same or similar meanings abound; for instance the Hebrew word for holy in common usage according to Halacha (Jewish law) is Kasher. The word in Manx Gaelic for hallowed or holy is Casherick. The syntax of Gaelic is entirely different from any other European language, especially English. RL Thompson, in his work Outline of Manx Literature and Language says that “in several respects Gaelic syntax has similarities with that of languages like Hebrew and Arabic”.

As in Hebrew, adjectives follow the noun that they describe: for example “ben vie” = “a good woman” in Gaelic and “Rosh ketan” = “small head” or “stupid” in Hebrew. Vie of ketan being the adjectives. The word order also is similar in Hebrew in that the verb is usually first in the sentence unlike English or many other European languages. These are just a very few of the many commonalities that I believe suggest a definite connection between the two languages and their family streams. This alone could constitute a major comparative study.

Commonalities in Ethnic Customs

One of the first areas in which I noticed similarities was in customs, notably folk dancing and later, musical instruments. The Hebrew Hora and other old traditional dances are parallelled in many Gaelic folk dances and especially the wedding dance of the Gaels which is very similar to the traditional Ashkenazic wedding dances of Europe. The musical instruments of the Gaels are

found in the Israelite tradition, notably the harp in both Celtic tales and certainly Hebrew tradition as the favoured instrument of the psalmist David [see the article “The Harp of David and the Harp of Ireland” by John Wheeler in the August-October issue of Origins of Nations - ed]. But, one of the most intriguing things to come up was that the Irish and Scots pipes we are all familiar with has its origins in the desert flute played daily throughout the Middle East. The flute of the desert shepherds is identifiable in the “chanter” of the Irish and Scots pipes.

Amazing Religious Parallels

The ancient religion of the Celtic peoples prior to Christianity was generally believed to be Druidism, of which we know very little; yet that which we do know has many overtones of the Canaanite religions that the northern tribes turned to after the split of King Solomon’s Kingdom under his son into a Northern and a Southern Kingdom. Like the pagans of Canaan, their sacred places became high hilltops and sacred groves, notably oaks. There is a great deal of similarities from what we know archaeologically in both the Northern Kingdom ritual sites and the Druid sites in the Isles. Additionally, the burial practices of both the peoples of the northern Kingdom and the Celts bear much similarity in the presence of Dolmens - large slabs of stone place horizontally across upright stones with the graves under them. These are found throughout the area of Europe which Celtic peoples passed and are found also in the areas of present day Jordan and Israel in which the Northern Israelite tribes dwelled.

You can find pictures of these dolmens in Yair Davidy’s book Ephraim on pages 137-38. This book is available from History Research Projects. Overseas it may be purchased direct from Yair Davidy in Israel (addresses on inside back cover).

Even Agricultural Similarities!

Agriculturally there are interesting commonalities - the grain crops are much the same, and even though wheat was known to them in their passage through Europe it was not a major crop in their final homes. In fact oats and barley were their staple grains. As with the Israelites, the cattle were of several colours, but the preferred colour for ritual for both peoples was red. The virgin cow used in the Hebrew ritual for purification was the forerunner of the red cattle used by the Druids in their rituals.

After the invasion of the Romans into the Isles, white cattle were introduced and later used; until that time red was the preferred colour. One of the most famous wars in Irish history was over a Red Bull stolen by a northern Irish tribe. Also, swine were not raised in any of the early Celtic areas until after they were introduced by the Romans; the Celts had a taboo against them, along with scaleless fish as eels and shellfish. The Celts, in similitude to the Israelites, were excellent headsman and developed identifiable breeds of sheep, cattle and horses, that carried on the traditions of the Israelites.

Other Proofs

Perhaps one of the most telling of the commonalities is simply the self-identification as Israelites - the Hibernians - the name of the Irish and the Scots and the Hebrides Islands off the coast of Scotland. The Milesians, one of the early Celtic peoples to come to Ireland from Spain had a tradition that they were of the Lost Tribes. The name Heber, Eber, or H’berian is found throughout early literature to describe the Celts as they described themselves to be “Of Eber” - the grandfather of Abraham.

What I have presented here in greatly abbreviated form just skims the surface of the commonalities between the Celtic Peoples and the Israelites. There is a tremendous amount of information available for those who would like to look at this closer themselves. A few resources are listed at the end. This is one of those subjects in which at first one can say “oh - that's an interesting coincidence”. But the sheer mass of these “coincidences” that build up after one goes from discipline to another becomes totally overwhelming. The fact that so much of the languages are similar almost three thousand years later, that customs are clearly identifiable as being related, that religious practices are uniquely similar and that the everyday agricultural practices and crops were similar - all along with the many other commonalities bespeak a common origin.

For those interested in pursuing this I wish you well and much enjoyment.

Suggested Information Sources

Manx Gaelic Society

Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh

St Judes

Isle of Man IM7 2EW

United Kingdom

Gaelic Books Council

Dept of Celtic

University of Glasgow

Glasgow G12 8QQ

Scotland

Yair Davidy

Brit-Am

PO Box 595

Jerusalem

Israel 91004

Chadwick, N (1965) Celtic Britain. London.

Chadwick, N (1970) The Celts. United Kingdom.

Rankin, H (1987) Celts and the Classical World. London.

Squire, C (1905) Celtic Myth and Legend, Poetry and Romance. London.

Squire, C (1909) The Mythology of Ancient Britain and Ireland. London.

[cladeymoore]

Coinbase Reports: Black Americans & Crypto

Black Americans surveyed by Coinbase are twice as likely to have been negatively impacted by the current financial system; are also more interested in learning about crypto.

At Coinbase, we believe diverse opinions, backgrounds, and experiences are essential to our mission of creating an open financial system for the world — one that’s more equitable and accessible. In time for Black History Month, we partnered with Qriously to ask 5,126 people ages 18+ in the US and UK about their experiences with the current financial system, their thoughts on how technology will impact the world, and their interest in crypto. We also asked prominent People of Color involved in crypto how it can help solve the problems of our current financial system and the importance for everyone to get a seat at the table.

Key findings from Coinbase research

Twice as many Black Americans have been negatively impacted by the current financial system as White Americans

College-educated Black Americans are nearly twice as interested as college-educated White Americans in learning more about crypto

The majority of Black Americans believe tech will have a positive impact on society

1 in 3 Black Americans believe all ethnicities/races have equal access to the financial system

Black Americans lead the charge when it comes to interest in understanding crypto

In our survey, 48 percent of Black Americans indicated they have been negatively impacted by the current financial system (banking, currencies, stock markets, lending/borrowing, etc.) because of their race or gender. 24 percent of White Americans responded similarly.

When broken down by age, 48 percent of 18–34 year olds and 52 percent of 55+ year olds have been negatively impacted, indicating that bias in the financial system hasn’t changed much over time.

Previous studies — and historical facts — back up these findings. According to a 2014 report from Zillow, Black Americans make up only 3 percent of conventional mortgage applications, the lowest rate of any racial group. But Black Americans also face the highest denial rate, about 25 percent versus only 10 percent for White American applicants.¹

How can crypto correct the inequity of our financial system? “Crypto incentivizes people to operate together who normally wouldn’t, says Steven McKie, Founder and CEO of Amentum, a cryptocurrency investment firm. “Cultural groups, whether they’re religious or ethnic, have positive benefits to the participants of those groups. The core reason there’s a benefit is because it’s easy to create social trust with things that are familiar.

Now the cool thing about crypto is it’s trustless technology. The system is neutral. Crypto moves us away from an environment where we need to assume trust in a group before we can do business. With crypto, there’s redundant systems that prevent someone from screwing you over. If you’re a minority or part of an underrepresented group, and you’re used to only trusting one type of ethnic group or social group, now you can expand your window.”

Vernon Johnson, Co-founder of Yup, a decentralized social capital protocol, and former VP of Columbia University’s blockchain organization, agrees. “Many cryptocurrency transactions are pseudonymous and don’t require the disclosure of your real world identity, which may ease some of the apprehensions about racial discrimination in Finance 1.0,” says Vernon. “It becomes much harder to perceive racial identity in a world where people’s real identities are obfuscated. Crypto allows people to be evaluated solely on their digital reputation and transaction history versus more traditional financial options that require in-person meetings or disclosure of real world identity documents.

In general, Black Americans have a more optimistic view of technology with 58 percent agreeing that technological innovation, in general, has a positive impact on society. Black Americans are also more likely to agree that technological innovation can solve many of the world’s problems, with 51 percent agreeing to the statement versus only 39 percent of White Americans, and a majority also believe that tech will impact the financial system positively in the next 10 years.

Technology has always been a key part of our financial system. Money, like other useful technologies, has gone through many upgrades over the years. From trading shells and metal coins to tapping apps and trading stocks, money has evolved from facilitating transactions between neighbors to connecting billions of people worldwide. However, since our traditional system of money depends on geographic location, financial institutions, and government control, it has limitations that can greatly affect access.

Today, it’s estimated that more than 2.5 billion people have smartphones, with that number growing in both advanced economies and emerging economies.² And more than a million people have been accessing the internet for the first time each day since January 2018.³

However, there are still 1.7 billion people globally who don’t have access to a financial account.⁴ “Several reasons include a lack of a reliable government issued identity and high fees,” says Vernon. “Additionally, many national currencies are volatile and aren’t reliable stores of value. A disproportionate number of People of Color face these problems, and crypto seeks to use open market incentives to level the playing field. On the upside, many of the unbanked have access to a smartphone and the internet, which allows them to plug into cryptocurrency-based financial services.”

Carmelle Cadet, Founder and CEO of EMTECH, a technology and services company that’s helping Central Banks in emerging markets build modern financial systems with blockchain technology, agrees that crypto is ushering in a new generation of innovation. “At the core of it all, there’s a lot of inefficiency in the legacy systems. They’re breaking because they weren’t built for how globally connected we now are,” says Carmelle. “So when it comes to improving the financial markets, building a new infrastructure is needed at this point.”

Black Americans in our survey were closely split in their belief of whether all ethnicities/races have equal access to the current financial system, with 35 percent agreeing to the statement, 37 percent disagreeing, and 28 percent answering neutral. When asked at what pace are all ethnicities/races getting equal access, only 22 percent answered faster than expected.

One factor that affects access to the financial system is having government-issued photo identification, which is needed to open a bank account in the US. According to a survey conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, as many as 11 percent of US citizens — and as many as 25 percent of African American citizens — don’t have government-issued photo ID.⁵

“The first thing I would want crypto to fix would be identity,” says Robert Greenfield, Head of Social Impact at ConsenSys. “A digital identity has more of a major impact than you can even fathom. If you don’t have a driver’s license, you can’t even participate in humanitarian aid programs.”

“You could have a cryptographic type of token that a central bank could issue,” says Carmelle. “If you have a crypto token that is the legal tender, that is trusted and redeemable, it would help close the gap with people who don’t qualify or don’t fit into the typical banking system. With crypto, they could have a mechanism to access digital means of exchange. They have a digital way of storing their cash and they can have a cryptographic way of maintaining their identity. That’s what excites me about crypto. It fills a gap, it fulfills a need that commercial banks can’t.”

When it comes to understanding crypto, Black Americans show more interest than any other respondents with 70 percent being interested, compared to 42 percent of White Americans.

College-educated Black Americans are nearly twice as interested as their White American counterparts, with 75 percent interested in learning more versus 39 percent of their White American counterparts.

When broken down by age, 21 percent of Black Americans over the age of 55 are very interested in learning about crypto, compared to 6 percent of White Americans over the age of 55.

1 in 3 Black Americans also responded they would be even more interested in understanding crypto if someone explained how it could make access to the financial system more equal.

Steven believes learning about crypto and getting involved is a growing opportunity for People of Color. “There’s a lot of opportunities to find your tribe if you look for it. And crypto has matured enough to the point where you can peek your head in and a year from now, you will feel even more represented. So it’s a really safe opportunity,” said Steven. “Find your crowd, listen to the different discussions and find where in the conversation you feel like you belong. There’s such a wide array of different voices and personalities that you can listen to now, to form your perspective. Now is the time that you need to insert yourself into the community until you feel like you’re a part of the community. That’s how anyone joins any new community, they just kind of jump in.��

“In the last tech revolution, the emergence of the internet, there was very little representation for People of Color,” Vernon says. “And that trend has continued, as black and brown people are underrepresented at tech companies, have a harder time raising venture capital, and generally have fewer opportunities to enter tech. As a result, communities of color have had little ownership and stake in the wealth and innovation generated by the last tech revolution. Unfortunately, black people were beneficiaries as consumers and internet users, but few were core stakeholders in the companies and protocols that helped bring about such change. This time needs to be different. It’s important that underrepresented people of color play a role in helping shape Web 3.0 and partake in the new opportunities that will arise from it.”

“You have to take the first step,” Robert says. “If you don’t want to be an engineer, that’s fine. There’s still a lot of design problems that need to be solved. You don’t like design? Well, there’s still a lot of legal ambiguity that needs to be corrected. So I always tell people to try to find what your passion is first, and understand that there’s a place in the blockchain ecosystem that you could do really, really well.”

Diversity also directly correlates to a company’s bottomline, according to a study by the Boston Consulting Group. They surveyed more than 1,700 companies in 8 countries and found that companies that have more diverse management teams have 19 percent higher revenue due to better innovation and improved financial performance.⁶

“Working with different people, and not just of different ethnicities, but also from different regions as well, just makes for better leaders. And better leaders make for a less political environment, and a less political environment is more operationally efficient,” says Robert.

Many talented people of color often choose the “safe” option when it comes to job opportunities, says Vernon. “This leads to highly qualified people of color being funnelled into large established corporations instead of taking risks. As a result, their impact is capped and constrained by the glass ceilings of corporate America. Entering crypto is a superior option because an individual’s impact is magnified significantly. They’ll be at the cutting-edge, helping build the infrastructure for the decentralized internet. I believe this will be one of the most transformative events of the next decade.”

Carmelle believes Black Americans should learn about crypto because it’s a way to “hedge the system.”

“When we look at 2008, whether you were in a large economy or a developing economy, we were all on pins and needles whether our money was going to be in the bank, whether we were safe. You have a lot of people who lost their jobs. Everything is so intertwined into our sole financial system,” says Carmelle. “We need an alternative in case it’s all going to hell tomorrow. Crypto is your shot to have a seat at the table, to build something that works for you, for your people. You can’t turn the other way, otherwise you’re going to miss this innovation cycle and you’re going to have someone else telling you how you store your money and how much you pay to move it.”

Help us build the next financial system: https://www.coinbase.com/careers

Earn crypto just for learning about it: https://www.coinbase.com/earn

Footnotes

https://www.zillow.com/research/minority-mortgage-access-6127/

2. https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2019/02/05/smartphone-ownership-is-growing-rapidly-around-the-world-but-not-always-equally/

3. https://wearesocial.com/blog/2019/01/digital-2019-global-internet-use-accelerates

4. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/immersive-story/2018/05/18/gains-in-financial-inclusion-gains-for-a-sustainable-world?cid=ECR_TT_worldbank_EN_EXT

5.https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/legacy/d/download_file_39242.pdf

6. https://www.bcg.com/en-us/publications/2018/how-diverse-leadership-teams-boost-innovation.aspx

Methodology: To assess People of Color’s sentiments about inclusion and the financial system, Coinbase commissioned a study conducted by Qriously of 5,126 people ages 18+ in the US and UK during January 2020. The survey asked questions about their thoughts on money, technology, and the financial system to derive the statistics cited in this post.

This website contains links to third-party websites or other content for information purposes only (“Third-Party Sites”). The Third-Party Sites are not under the control of Coinbase, Inc., and its affiliates (“Coinbase”), and Coinbase is not responsible for the content of any Third-Party Site, including without limitation any link contained in a Third-Party Site, or any changes or updates to a Third-Party Site. Coinbase is not responsible for webcasting or any other form of transmission received from any Third-Party Site. Coinbase is providing these links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by Coinbase of the site or any association with its operators.

All images provided herein are by Coinbase unless otherwise indicated.

Coinbase Reports: Black Americans & Crypto was originally published in The Coinbase Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

from Money 101 https://blog.coinbase.com/coinbase-reports-black-americans-crypto-97e54cc89f84?source=rss----c114225aeaf7---4 via http://www.rssmix.com/

[okfine0104graphicnotes]

D&AD: initial idea, research

After many brief and dissccusion for D&AD, after thinking and researching, I chose monotype for my final decision, due to the reason that I don’t think I am good at promoting brand’s value or those kind of stuff. And monotype’s brief is more like discovering the story behind communities.

Notes from briefing

The important part is to find a community that has its value and context that has a point to be presented and celebrated with type. In the begining I wasn’t sure which kind of community they want. But I found a few stuff that I was interest in.  

In the first tutorial, I have 2 very initial ideas,  the first one is ＃This is 18, which is a project that runs by the New York Times. They asked girls to share what their communities look like all over the world.  They asked young female photographers to take photos of the girls in each place and asked them about what they like and what they up to recently or giving advice to other young women.

 I like the concept of linking every young female together and it is interesting to see what other young girls life is in completely different places as myself and found out even though they are in another country that is far away, they still have the same kind of issue when I was 18. And I also found their visual design of the website really interesting. It looks like online zine, using collage style to make gifs and there is even a spotify playlist that they collected the young girls the songs are listening to, and put them together.

website link:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/11/style/this-is-18.html

“Marking the transition from childhood to adulthood, 18 means you can finally vote, sign a lease on an apartment, obtain a credit card and buy cigarettes in the United States. In the UK, China and parts of Canada, 18 grants you entrance to a pub, while for most Israelis, it means a mandatory draft into the military. By 18, one in five women across the globe will be married. Millions will enter college or university.

The young photographers were asked to document girls in their communities – taking the photos and conducting interviews themselves, with each photographer paired with a professional mentor to guide them through the process.

Featuring 21 girls from across 12 time zones, and 15 languages, the end result is a celebration of ‘girlhood’ across oceans and cultures, through girls’ eyes – from Mexico to Mississippi, Ramallah to Russia, Bangladesh to the Bronx.” （https://www.creativeboom.com/inspiration/this-is-18-the-new-york-times-celebrates-girlhood-with-though-provoking-project-/）

The second idea is a facebook group that created for Asian people who living abroad posting memes and stuff that happened to them or funny things happened to their immigrant family. It entertains my life a lot since I join this group and it feels like you are not alone because there are so many people out there had similar experience and sometimes sees this negative stuff from a funny perspective. It change my way of thinking when I met something that is ignorant of culture or race. 

Subtle Asian Traits  is a Facebook group dedicated to Internet memes, jokes, and discussion surrounding the Asian experience in the West. Though the posts on the page cover a large range of topics, they mainly focus on Asian culture as experienced by the children of migrants. The group has over 1 million members and has been featured in a variety of mainstream news sources for its insights into the Asian diaspora. (wiki)

memes from Subtle asian traits

But after discussing with David and people in our group,  the first idea is off brief, it doesn’t fit with the ideal of the communities monotype are seeking for.  And the asian trait is at the edge of the off brief, but if I find a smart aspect of it, it could be potential but I feel like it is too board and I decided to research more for other ideas. I went back to read the brief again, and I did a bit brainstorm. I decided to focus on the communities in Taiwan, which people don’t really know about.  

Until now, in most of the Asian countries, same-sex marriage is still illegal. Even though society is more open to different sexual orientations than before, there are still many narrow-minded people. In 2017 the Taiwanese top court decided that not protecting same-sex marriage is against the law, which will make Taiwan the first country that legalized same-sex marriage in Asia.

A panel of judges at Taiwan's top court are hearing a case that could make the island the first place in Asia to introduce gay marriage.

The case has been brought by a gay activist as well as municipal authorities from the capital, Taipei.

Taiwan's parliament has also been debating whether to pass laws that would allow same-sex marriage.

The movement has split society and prompted a conservative backlash, with vocal protests in recent months.

A panel of 14 justices are hearing arguments and will debate whether a line in Taiwan's civil code, which states that marriage is between a man and a woman, is unconstitutional.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-39376423

But it also brings a huge conflict between a group of people who are homophobic and call themselves Family Guardian Coalition. They are trying to stop Legislative Yuan, which is one of the five branches of government stipulated by the Constitution of Taiwan, from changing the original law to all gender. Instead, they are hoping to make another special law for same-sex marriage which is not truly equal, because that would be creating a separation once again. Their ideals cause even more people who already don’ t understand LGBTQ have wrong impressions of them and may even go against them. They used fake news and spread it out in group chats and also sign petition to referendum against. It is an act that against human right. And the group that support Marriage equality also sign a pettition to against the Family Guardian Coalition to make another referendum to hope to remain the truly equal law. But unfortunately, they win result of referendum. It broke many LGBTQ people’s and my heart, they tore the society apart, and even cause many LGBTQ people suicide. 

The power of ignorant and fake news is terrifying and more extreme than people’s imagine. And because the Family guardian group has a certain style of making fake news, the marriage equality group people starting to make similar style of how they make fake news, instead they try to make right information on those photos so people could sent to their parents who do not quite understand LGBTQ communities and marriage quality. 

Marriage quality group information adverts(left)/ Family guardiangroup infromation adverts(right)

Marriage quality group information memes mimic family guardian group memes. 

So I present this idea to David and he suggested me to find a specific or iconic traditional Taiwanese or Chinese symbol to use it as a starting point to communicate the idea.  

I had another research which is about indigenous people’ languages in Taiwan. There are 16 main groups of indigenous people, and the problem is they do not have written characters that they couldn’t record their history on papers. They tell their story though founding member in each tribe and the main speaking languages in school is mandarin so more and more indigenous young people couldn’t speak their own language anymore, they also moved out from their villages to big cities to seek better jobs opportunities. And history and culture are dying quickly more than people’s imagine, and the government isn’t doing anything to protect their culture, because the main people in politics are Han- Chinese people. Doing anything for indigenous people does not benefit them. They keep taking more and more of their lands and limited more of the tradtional territories.

 Background: 

The original population of the island of Taiwan and its associated islands, i.e. not including Kinmen and the Matsu Islands, consisted of Taiwanese aborigines, speaking Austronesian languages and sharing mitochondrial DNA contribution with island peoples of Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Immigration of Han Chinese to the Penghu islands started as early as the 13th century, while settlement of the main island occurred from the 16th century, stimulated by the import of workers from Fujian by the Dutch in the 17th century. According to governmental statistics, over 95% of the Republic of China's population is of Han Chinese ethnicity, while 2.3% are Taiwanese aborigines of Malayo-Polynesian ethnicity.  Half the population are followers of one or a mixture of 25 recognized religions. Around 93% of the religious population are followers of a mixture of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, while a minority 4.5% are followers of Christianity (include Catholics and Protestants). 

The official national language is Standard Chinese, although around 70% also speak Taiwanese Hokkien and 10% speak Hakka. Japanese speakers are becoming rare as the elderly generation who lived under Japanese rule are dying out but many young Taiwanese use English or Japanese as second language. Aboriginal languages are gradually becoming extinct as the aborigines have become acculturated despite a program by the ROC government to preserve the languages. (wiki)

Where the indigenous groups mainly live. (mostly in mountain area)

I am aware of this issue because of many young indigenous people are trying to help to protect their lands and culture, and are shown on social media. But I never research that deep into this topic. After researching I felt like I need to do this project to bring more awareness to this topic. Even though I am just a nobody, but someone has to do something to start changing situation.    

I found out that president Tsai had only officially apologized to indigenous people for the first time in history and admit that before not protecting indigenous culture and lands is a mistake. She made an indigenous history justice committee to hope that they could improve the laws which to protect their rights.

President Tsai Apologized video

https://indigenous-justice.president.gov.tw/EN

But I don’t want to be too political on doing this project because it says on the brief that they don’t want anything too political.  The more I research I got more confuse and lost. 

So I try to focus on the point that they don’t have their written characters, but now they are using English letters (Latin letters) to spell and write their languages. It could trace back to  the past, when Dutch people came to colonized in Taiwan, they started to use Latin letters to spell their languages, and use to o preach Christian and wrote the first bible in one of indigeous language:  

The Sinckan language, spoken by the Siraya people who lived in what is now Tainan, was employed by Dutch missionaries to facilitate both missionary and government affairs during the reign of Dutch East India Company in Taiwan. They also created a romanized script, compiled a dictionary of the language, and taught the natives how to write their own language with these romanized characters. 

And they indigenes people just keep this way of recording until now. Although, when they once try to use Japanese characters and Chinese letters to spell out their languages through the colonized history. But it won’t match with how they actually pronounce it so they went back to use Latin letters instead.  That also causes a huge problem, because the main language Taiwanese use is traditional Chinese letters. People aren’t familiar with Latin or English letters. The government used to refuse them to spell their original name in their languages. The government forced them to have a Chinese name and only until recently they could use Latin letters to register their name in the official document.

There are so much could be done to protect their culture and languages, they are the owner of this island and sadly, no one is respecting them. Their culture is so beautiful which are sustainable and loving the motherland, which is the stuff we need now due to climate change and capitalism. who are we to force them to fit in the “modern society” which took away their identity. 

Sinckan manscirpt ( right)of a land selling contract with chinese letters(left).

Bunun symbol for their calender which recorded when to hunt or when to harvest.

Paiwan snakes pattern.

16 tribes logo pattern design 

Kavalan’s textile pattern.

Atayal knit their characters in textile which represent number.

Atayal illustration.

Taiwanese indigenous groups are famous for their unique patterns, every tribe has its own special patterns of textile or symbol to present their spirit.

So I try to research more about indigenous people’s pattern to try to find insight and common to build an idea into my design. But I found out that it is so difficult, there is no website that recorded officially or clearly. There are also various meaning and story behind each group and their patterns. The lack of information made it more difficult and I spent too much time to research, now I don’t really have time to work on it. All of their languages are almost completely different. My first idea is to present 26 Latin characters with their 16pattern but the number isn’t right. It doesn’t make sense and I don’t want to be inappropriate to use their pattern or symbols.

I message one of the facebook pages which runs by the indigenous people that how can I design and find a common point to make my project happen. They just told me to talk to the tribe which is kind of impossible because I can’t go back to Taiwan now.

And I think of an idea is, their common is they have their own patterns and symbol in each group, so what I could think of is making an example of how they could create stamps in their patterns and those patterns could make it into both Latin letters and Chinese letters.

Caculating using 16 tribes as main point and create 26 latin character. (idea 1)

Linocut idea sketch.(idea2)

[sarawaktravel]

SARAWAK – BEYOND HORNBILLS AND COLOURFUL CAKES

Discovering Sarawak with our two young children.

1 Nov 2018

It’s been a week since we came back from the land of the hornbills – Sarawak. Now that we are back in Sabah, we are blessed to be rewarded with the priceless memories of Sarawak, that is worth more than any Instagram worthy photos could relate to. Too many impressions that covered aspects of culture, art, nature, history and adventure that we just do not know how to begin this blog. And yes, it has been awhile since we have written any blogs due to work and family commitments. Nevertheless, for 2019 the goal is to make time for this space. Lets see.

As we landed in Kuching city #memorableadventures and quality time for our small family took shape. Being in the travel industry for the past few years now, our role as travel consultants/organizer/B&B owners always revolved around us being the host. So, it was good that this time around we were able to kick off our shoes and be on the other side of the fence. We were too busy before our holidays that we did not even look at the itinerary prior to arriving in Sarawak. All we had to do pre-holiday period was to inform our business partner in Sarawak of our interest, the places we are keen on visiting, our budget, what was important to us and the length of time we intended to be in Sarawak. They then carefully crafted an itinerary based on our requirements and availability and just like that flight tickets were booked and we were ready to go!

So there we were at the Kuching International Airport ready for our much-awaited family holiday. Just as I was about to check my itinerary, Khaliq our guide greeted us warmly at the arrival hall. Our first step of “nothing to worry about, everything is managed from the pick-up point till the end” commenced. We got in to the spacious van which Olivia till this day refers to “our bus”. Yes, the shuttle was just for us and we slowly made our way out of the airport area.

The quiet but always smiling road navigator Kumar concentrated on the road as he drove us to our hotel. Khaliq on the other hand began his role as a guide. Sharing with us bits and pieces of information on Sarawak. Though the ride was less than 30 minutes to our hotel, Khaliq was so resourceful that he managed to briefly cover subjects on the different ethnic groups, nature, wildlife and cultural & historical aspects of Sarawak. Within this short span, we could already sense that he is really passionate about his career as a guide. An Engineer by profession, he followed his heart and took on guiding role to share with travelers the Sarawak story. He was our story teller with facts and figures and examples. If you have an assignment on Sarawak, you would definitely want to speak to him and pick his brain.

Such interesting conversation we had with Khaliq that before we knew it, the van pulled to a stop in front of Pullman hotel entrance– ahhh our home for the next 5 nights. As we needed sometime to catch up on rest and some quality time with our soon to be 4 years old Olivia and 20 months old Emelyn, we have requested from our business partner to book 5 nights at Pullman just for us to unwind and to explore Kuching on our own, at our own pace. Due to our lifestyle we are always with the presence of others. Definitely nothing wrong with that. But that would mean that in order to deliver excellent service quality, some of our personal time with the family was sacrificed. So, these few days of just us being together was crucial.

Part One: Kuching – you had us at “meow”

Our room at Pullman was spacious with huge glass windows that showcased the view of the Sarawak River and the New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building. The kids were too busy to appreciate this as jumping on the plush mattress and playing with the hotel phone was much more interesting. In as much as we would love to start walking and discover the city immediately, we realized that we were actually on holidays and do not have to rush into things as we used to whilst on “working” mode.

We eventually made our way slowly to discover the Kuching city by foot. We walked straight to the waterfront and what a sight. Traditional wooden tailboat stationed for the passengers to get across to the Malay Village. The river itself was clean not polluted with pet bottles as compared to what we have seen in some other states in Malaysia. It must be commented that Kuching city itself is very clean. The people were friendly. The heritage buildings were still preserved, and some turned into cafes/ restaurants. Some parts of the city reminded us of Penang with the charming narrow streets in the city, the sidewalk shops, Café culture is big and creative here too– from the local Kopitiam to the fusion inspired cafes. The graffiti which included different versions of the iconic Borneo orangutan and hornbills added character to the city. And boy did the cake lapis (layered cake) added a personality this state. Shops and side streets were filled with rainbow colored butter like cakes of different motives. On that hot day that we roamed the streets, their local “Ais Krim Gula Apong” is a must - delicious humble local ice cream made from the nipah palm sugar.

We are going to touch on food here as it is part of the travel. So if you are not so into food then you can skip reading this part.

Of course when one is in Sarawak, you can’t leave the state without trying their signature dish Sarawak Laksa. Whilst Laksa is available in many parts of Malaysia, each state has its own spin on the laksa gravy and the noodles that goes with it. The Sarawak Laksa consists of hearty spiced shrimp paste that it cooked to the consistency of a thick broth. It is paired with rice vermicelli and topped with generous amount of key condiments such as shredded chicken, poached shrimps, fettuccini sliced omelet, coriander, sambal chili paste, beansprout and calamansi lime to add zest to the whole dish. We must say we were rather ignorant and thought that the Sarawak Laksa was available the whole day just like nasi lemak in Kuala Lumpur – for breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper! As we discovered the city in the later part of the afternoon, we learnt that this dish is something that the locals have for breakfast or lunch. As such, where food is concerned, quest by foot for Sarawak Laksa around 2:30pm was to no avail. We settled for another hearty local dish called mee kolok (egg noodles) which was tossed in transparent, light soya type of sauce served with sweet bbq chicken. That definitely satisfied our hunger and gave us Energizer stamina to discover the city even further.

When in Kuching city, you will notice a few cat monuments and wooden crafted cats sold at the souvenir shops. Kuching is associated with cats simply because Kuching means Cat in the Malay language. Therefore, Kuching is known as the Cat City. The famous cat statue is the one we often see travelers post on social media and the one in particular is the one located at Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, at a roundabout opposite of McDonalds. And so yes, the Cat Monument is a place where one can play tourist – local or foreigner. Like Chapel Bridge is to Luzern or Twin Towers is to Kuala Lumpur, taking a selfie or picture with the cat monument in the background is a proof that one has been to Kuching Sarawak.

We took a lot of “pause” moment as we walked our way to discover Kuching city. The “pause” was stretched a bit further as Simon and I travelled with our two young children. We opted to travel light and as such we left the baby stroller at home but did take along the baby carrier. As we get to our other destinations in Sarawak, the stroller was definitely not needed. It would have been a bulky baggage and we were happy with our decision of not having a stroller. However, discovering the city by foot and visiting the malls, there were times when my back hurt and I was very close to buy a cheap stroller! But I didn’t in the end. Which makes me wonder do hotels or airports have the service of renting baby strollers? I am not talking about the strollers that some airports such as Emirates or Etihad provide in between transits at the airport (which by the way is very convenient for travelers with young children). Would be good if there is such service in Malaysia – just thinking out loud.

Our final destination on the first day in Kuching took us to a restaurant that our Sarawakian friend Lina recommended. We wanted local food and she made a great recommendation for us to try the food at Lepau Restaurant. It is about 10 minutes walk from Pullman or you can take a taxi for less than 5 minutes drive. The restaurant is tastefully done. Just the entrance welcomes you to a tribal mood. Lantern lights, tropical palm trees, outdoor dining split into two sections. One being the main serving area and the other space in the garden. As we were there during the “What About Kuching 2018 Festival”, our arrival were greeted by the local musicians that soothingly strummed on the traditional Sape instrucment adding charm to the ambiance. Lepau restaurant offers food enthusiasts ethnic dishes from the Orang Ulu and Dayak tribe. Till this day we are still reminded by the food experience we had at Lepau. We tried their delicious broth base Ayam Pansuh which is chicken cooked with tapioca leaves in a bamboo, stir fried midin (a type of fern) with belacan (shrimp paste), fish umai (fish salad), deep fried salted fish (acquired taste but not to be missed by those who are open to the authentic local flavor). The salted fish is to be eaten bit by bit (as it is salty) with rice and not to put the whole big chunk in your mouth. The dishes are served with brown rice cooked in a special leaf (not too sure what it’s called). We couldn’t recommend this restaurant enough.

As we retired for the day and as night took charge, Kuching city comes to live. A buzz of man-made energy filled the atmosphere. Different tones of light from the streets, from the vehicles of city dwellers rushing back home or nearby dining area, from the diamond like neon beams that enhance the silhouette of a building. Seeing it from the window of our hotel room, it was as if the glitter fairy came and scattered magical glow to the night.

Selamat Malam Kuching. You have treated us well on our first day here and we look forward to many more days discovering you further.

https://www.bikeandtours.com/en/malaysia/sarawak

[neerain42]

WBJ2017 - Day 3 - People & Races

For the sake of simplicity, this entry only considers human mortals. Creatures and immortals are not to be mentioned.

Eight Realms's people can be split into four ethnic groups: the Great Continent-dwellers (người Đại Lục / 大陸人), the Windwalkers (người Gió / 風行人), the Lowlanders (người Hạ / 下人), and the Easterners (người phương Đông / 東方人). These terms are rarely used, however, since people refer to each other's races by their realm of origin. Many of their phenotypes probably have a lot to do with the magical streams unique to their realm of origin.

The Great Continent-dwellers are, as their name suggests, from the Great Continent - Peace, Jade and Stone. Generally this term refers to the natives of these realms. Appearance-wise, they tend to be of average height, have black or brown hair, various skin tones from light olive to dark brown.

Peace-dwellers display the most basic traits, but the number of mixed race individuals have increased. People native to Peace are not exposed to any kind of magical stream since birth, so they tend to have tougher muscles, better flexibility, and are generally more active. Stone-dwellers have rougher physique, are taller and have fantastic endurance. Desert dwellers also appear darker. Stone teens mature earlier than other ethnic groups.

Realm of Jade is... interesting. Its native - called the Hương (meaning fragrance / 香人) looks slightly different from Great-Continenters: lighter, curlier hair, flatter nose and are said to be "beautiful". However, around the 200s outsiders tried to invade the realm, pushing the Hương southwards and created a brand new nation - Miên Kingdom. Some of the Hương stayed in this new nation, though most of them migrated south with their own government. Miên Kingdom is a melting pot of people from different realms, many of them aren't even born here. Those who are, though, inherit Hương-like traits along with their parents' traits. It is said that people from the realm of Jade has ethereal beauty, partly due to natural factors, partly because of all the race mixing.

The Windwalkers are native to the Realm of Air and the northern most regions of Peace and Jade. They have dark skin, white or gray hair, slightly slanted turquoise eyes and . People here tend to look fragile, whether or not they're slender or chubby, and they in fact physically are. Windwalkers have weaker muscles . They are, however, (un-)surprisingly tough towards the cold, and are able to survive without much struggling when the temperature gets even lower than 20 degrees.

It is said that Windwalkers can communicate with animals. Well, they can't, if you define "communicating" the traditional way. Windwalkers are highly empathic, and they adapt to raising animals well compared to any other races. They can't absorb the magical stream of their origin, but they sure as hell are good magical creature trainers.

Their appearance differs from tribe to tribe. Because of this, each tribe in the Realm of Air can be count as one ethnic group.

The Easterners, well, live in the east. As in the two bickering realms all the way on the other side of the freaking ocean. They tend to be shorter, have paler skin, higher foreheads, brown to bright coloured hair such as ginger (extremely rare). Technically speaking Flame and Sea-dwellers belong to the exact same race, but hundreds of years long of separation have cultivated different traits in each of their people. Sea-dwellers have bluish complexion, while Flame-dwellers are more heat-enduring. It is said that they are naturally more aggressive, and while it is not true (and also racist), Easterners absorb and utilize magical power much easier than other races and thus, they make excellent sorcerers. Realm of Flame is actually the most powerful in terms of magical power absorption rate and of percentage of people who are training to be sorcerers.

More of this will be discussed in the Magic section, but to summarize, Easterners can absorb  both fire and water-based magical stream. It's only national pride that's holding them back (though some of them are above that).

The Lowlanders, who almost exclusively populate the Realm of Mystery, are highly intelligent folks - this is something that should be addressed first. According to studies (conducted by the Mystery-dwellers themselves), Lowlanders have more "brain power" than any other race. They are also resistant to the negative consequences of "black magic" - a fact that discriminators purposely gloss over.

Appearance-wise, lowlanders also have darker skin and bright-coloured eyes (usually hazel, clear lime or in some cases, violet). They also have pointier ears, more defined facial structure, slender fingers and are of average to tall height.       Offspring of Lowlanders and Great-Continenters are almost identical to the land-dwellers, so some Lowlanders have managed to sail to the Great Continent and created their own communities there.

Apart from the four major races, there are hundreds of separate ethnic groups as well. What ethnic they are depend on where they're from.

[khongso]

Khongso Chin of Myanmar (Burma)

ခေါင်စိုလူမျိုး( Khongso )သည် ချင်းလူမျိုးစာရင်းဝင် မြန်မာတိုင်းရင်းသားလူမျိုးစု ဖြစ်သည်။ အခြားအမျိုးသားများက ခေါင်စိုဟု ခေါ်ကြသော်လည်း ခေါင်စိုအမျိုးသားတို့ကမူ သူတို့ကို သူတို့ Khongmi ဟု ခေါ်ကြသည်။

ခေါင်စိုတို့သည် အနူး၊ ခူမီးတို့နှင့် ရောနှောနေထိုင်ကြသည်။ သူတို့၏ ယဉ်ကျေးမှုသည် ခူမီးယဉ်ကျေးမှုနှင့် ခြားနားခြင်း မရှိပေ။ ခူမီးစကားကိုလည်း ပြောဆိုတတ်ကြသည်။ ခေါင်စိုတို့သည် ပလက်ဝမြို့နယ်တွင် နေထိုင်ကြသည်။

ခေါင်စို၊ အနူး၊ ခူမီး၊ ပနမ်းစသော ချင်းအမျိုးသား အမျိုးသမီးတို့၏ ဝတ်စားဆင်ယင်မှုများသည် တစ်ဦးနှင့် တစ်ဦး အနည်းငယ်ကွာခြားမှုရှိသော်လည်း သာမန်အားဖြင့် ခွဲခြား၍ မသိနိုင်ကြပေ။

ခေါင်စိုအမျိုးသမီးများသည် ညာပခုံးမှကျသော ရင်ဖုံးစနှင့် ဘယ်ချိုင်းအောက်မှ လာသော ရင်ဖုံးကို ညာဘက်ရင်သားပေါ်တွင် တည့်တည့်ချည်ထားသည်။ ယင်းတို့ကား အပျိုများနှင့် လင်ရှိသော်လည်း ကလေးမရသေးသော အမျိုးသမီးများ၏ ဝတ်ဆင်ပုံဖြစ်သည်။ အိမ်ထောင်သည် အမျိုးသမီးများကား ရင်ကို တစ်စုံတစ်ရာ မဖုံးမဖိဘဲ နဂိုအတိုင်း ထားလေ့ရှိသည်။

KHONGSO CHIN OF MYANMAR

I. INTRODUCTION

Myanmar is an extremely ethnically diverse nation with (135) distinct ethnic groups officially recognized by Myanmar Government. According to the Myanmar government, the Chin are comprises (53) different ethnic groups. Khongso Chin is one of the (53) different ethnic groups of Chin as grouped into eight major national ethnic races in Myanmar. Khongso is a Sino –Tibetan language spoken between Kaladan and Michaung rivers in Paletwa Township, Chin state, Myanmar. Paletwa Township is a township of Matupi District in the Chin State of Myanmar. It consists of Paletwa and Sami towns and Paletwa is the administrative center for the township. Chin state is a state in western Myanmar. The Chin are made up of many different ethnic groups and Chin reside in north and northwest in Myanmar. The total population of Khongso Chin are estimated between 5000 to 8000.

II. KHONGSO VILLAGES

Most Khongso Chin live in villages or small towns. Because there is a low-slung flat land where they live, villages tend to be established on slopes near stream ideally in places that can be defended in raids. Houses have traditionally been built from wood on pilings with thatched roofs or bamboo leaf thatch. Poor houses have split bamboo walls. You can get there by climbing a wooden ladder. Khongso is spoken in the following villages of Paletwa Township. Paletwa and Sami are larger town with only a few Khongso living there. Their villages are listed follows: 1. Youngwa Village 2. Kanan Village 3. Saung Lan Village 4. Pawa Village 5. Ring Rong Village 6. Tengwa Village 7. Phongphai Village 8. Halawa Village 9. Likkung Village 10.Vadengkung Village 11. Pahungtaung Village 12. Shwe Pyi Kaung Village 13.Pahang Village 14. Kanlawa Village 15. Sami Town 16. Paletwa Town

III. KHONGSO SUB-TRIBES 1. Htey (Htey Kloeh) 2. Kamu 3. Ngan 4. Kwar 5. Ngai 6. Rahnam 7. Kar Zar 8. Kabu 9. Namte 10. Sangthar, 11. Ram Sang 12. Namluek

IV. RELIGION

Before Christianity came into Khongso Land, the Khongso were Animisms. At present an estimated (90) percent of Khongso are Traditional Christian. Chin state has the largest concentration of Christians in the whole Myanmar in terms of percentage. Some non-Christian Khongso Chin practice Animism and Buddhism. Animism is the belief that spirits reside in both living and non-living things.

There are a wide variety of Church denominations among them, such as Evangelical Free Church of Myanmar (EFCM), Anglican Church, Roman Catholic, Church of Christ, Lutheran Church, Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist churches from Myanmar Baptist Convention. In 2016, Bro. Yo Lane planted the seed of the pure gospel of Jesus Christ in Youngwa Village and some areas in Paletwa Township. And from that outreached results, he brought some young men and women to be trained at Bethany Baptist Church, Yangon Myanmar. Last 2019, Bro. Aung Swe and Paul was trained in Logos Bible Baptist Church in Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines. Both Bro. Aung Swe and Bro. Paul are sent-out from Logos Bible Baptist Church in Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines. As of now we are committed for soul winning, discipleship, church planting and literature translation. Most of the Bible Baptist mission work are using the Holy Bible translated into the Burmese from the original tongues by Rev. A. Judson, D.D.

A. Have they heard the gospel? Ideally most of them are call themselves Christian by tradition yet still hungry for the very word of God. We are reminded of Christ’s main passion and overwhelming burden for the lost was that they might be saved. Luke 19:10 (KJV) “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” There are alarming times. Financially and economically, the world seems to be barreling and down the road toward the precipice. Politically, the country seems to have thrown at all overboard. The Christians seem to have no idea what to do. By the grace of God, we are morally obligated to be revived, to walk out of sleep, and to come back to the power and life of New Testament Christianity. How shall they hear the truth without a preacher? How can a preacher preach effectively without a Bible?

B. Is the Word of God translated? The Khongso Chin have working on beginnings of producing Bible portions, song books and primers in their language with SIL Myanmar. Currently Khongso is working on New Testament translation wok with Myanmar Bible Society which is a member of United Bible Societies (UBS) that based on Good news Bible and modern versions. As we inquired BIMS through Dr. Sui Lian Mang, he said, we the Bibles International Myanmar Society (BIMS) are a conservative Bible Society and stands for Textus Receptus Greek and Masoretic Hebrew Bible. As we beware of all other translations or modern translation are all based upon corrupts and contain serious error. We firmly stands with the only version of the bible translated from the Masoretic Text and the Textus Receptus is the KING JAMES VERSION of 1611. A.D., also known as the Authorized Version.

V. EDUCATION AND HEALTH The Khongso Chin have varying levels of education. The provision of education and health care is very limited and what exists is under –resourced. Chin State needs nearly everything from education, health services to economic development and prosperity with peace. Paletwa Township is not only the poorest town in the Chin state, it also has the lowest pass rate for the matriculation exam. As health care is not easily available, many are relying on the traditional remedies seasonal sicknesses. Although public health department branches are nominally free, in reality patients have to pay for medicine and treatment. Public hospitals are lacking many of the basic facilities and equipment.

VI. WEALTH Wealth has traditionally been measured in terms of possessions of certain valued goods and ability to sponsor merit feasts, which have traditionally been held to celebrate a head hunt or the killing of a large game animal but now are held to honor the construction of new house or whenever someone has enough cash throw a party. Building houses, making furniture, and cutting or clearing fields are done by men. Spinning, weaving and pounding rice are only done by women.

VII. TRADITIONAL DRESSES

Khongso men usually wear shirts and trousers but wrap themselves with colorful blankets on special occasion. They were headdresses with vertical black stripes. Khongso women wear long enough to cover their ankle and decorated with horizontal stripes, diamonds or flower design. They also wear a broad band silver and bronze wires around waist. The main color use for these traditional dresses are black, red, and green. Accessories such as bracelets, necklaces, hairpins, and rings also play a huge role when it comes to traditional clothing. They do not wear these traditional dresses in daily life. They wear these on special occasions like Sunday, wedding, Chin National Day, and any other important occasions.

VIII. AGRICULTURE AND ECONOMIC Most Khongso Chin work in the agricultural sector. Rice and corn cultivation and farming are a large part of their life. Rice is the main staples of their diet. Every Khongso Chin household has a garden for growing vegetables. The husband is the head of the household. Both men and women engage in agricultural chores and other activities. Sons and daughters are equally valued, but only sons may inherit property.

The Khongso Chin have traditionally practiced slash and burn agriculture, clearing a parcel land and using it for one to five years before letting it return to the jungles. They crops in the fields like rice, sesame seeds, chili, ginger, mangoes and oranges. They also grow vegetables, beans, peas, melons and pumpkins. The Khongso can only earn cash by selling animals and crops from their farms. In order to buy and sell things, the Khongso people have to go to, Kyauktaw town in Rakhine state, or Sami town and Paletwa town.

Cultivation is done mostly by hand without animals, using cows in place of plows. Also grow cotton for clothes but do less that they uses to now that they can afford commercially produced clothes. Pigs, gayal and fowl are the most common domesticated animals. Dogs are kept for hunting.

IX. TRANSPORTATION There are no airport, no public transport. Only by boat, alternatively you can take the mini bus to Paletwa or Sami. There is no direct connection from Yangon or Mandalay City, Myanmar. However you can take the bus from Yangon or Mandalay to Kyathaw Township, Rakhine state, take ride ferry or bus to Paletwa town or Sami town.

X. COMMUNICATION There was none communication sector in Khongso villages except in Paletwa town. In 2012 ,Bro. Soe Htet built Satellite telephone line in Youngwa village. In this present the Chin state government reportedly proposed to build more than (19) telecommunications towers, owned by Myanmar Operator MPT.

[myquickassignment-blog]

How Do You Write Essays or Articles

Learning how to do something takes a lot of time. It may take you less time than the next person, but it will still take time. The important thing is to get a plan of action. Planning an essay is easier when you have a word count.

For example a 1m500 term essay: 250 words introduction 300 terms main point one, 300, main point two, 300 main point three, 100 words either spare or to connect these collectively before, 250 words bottom line. Simply done you break your essay down into several sections. I actually used a science project I got a good mark for as the basic structure for my essays at masters' level. The science project was written when I was 14/15 nonetheless it had a clear workable structure.

These are all different in the way that they are written as well as their objective. Each is unique in its own way. For more information related to Assignments please visit the website. Read more here - Best Essay Writing Service UK , Dissertation Help Online.

The key points you need to have for an excellent essay are an intro and conclusion and the core points/arguments.

I'll use the example of 'Who were the Normans?' as it is a subject I am currently researching.

The introduction:

This has no references usually, well the launch can if it includes a quote or traditional date or study etc., but all in all it should be limited. The intro is where you say what you are going to be writing about. (see my opening, it's a quotation referencing the author, and then a statement of what I am going to do). Keep it short and to the point.

EXAMPLE: The Normans had been a cultural group from what is right now northern France. Many think of them as French but they came from Scandinavia. Does this make them French or Viking as an ethnic group, especially during the 1066 invasion of England?

Optional addition Background paragraph/chapter/section:

In a longer essay, or dissertation, you may want to add in some very specific background. For shorter essays this is often placed in the introduction. (that would be the bit above where I state the example I will use)

EXAMPLE: The Normans occupied the lands of Normandy in northern France. Rollo their innovator was granted this area as a duchy buy the king of the Franks.

Argument/core point 1:

This section should be a third of the main bulk of your essay (see the numbers a gave above for a rough breakdown). This is either your argument for the primary question or the main reason for its truth. Use good examples to back up your factors with references. Also, become very clear when it is your summary/idea, or an author's conclusion/idea. Try to keep on track and don't include too much dissenting opinion. This should be a fairly main stream argument for the proposal or truth of the original assertion leave the quirky stuff till later on (do mention you will be talking about it later though) that you will see in the section a little further down.

EXAMPLE: The Normans were clearly Vikings look where they originated from X, Y and Z say this in their books. They spent time fighting the Franks (French) through the Norman expansion (reference A) so how could they be considered French?

Argument/core point 2:

This is exactly the same as your last section apart from being the complete opposite perspective. Again reference works and keep the ideas fairly mainstream. You can hint at which idea you prefer but reinforce that this is the history and arguments of others rather than your ideas (although you should include some). Hint at ideas you have hit on such as the quirky suggestions that I mentioned above and will expand upon below.

EXAMPLE: The Normans had been clearly French look how long they were in France before 1066 and the amount of intermarriage with the locals (reference B). Look at their utilization of horses (picture of Bayeux tapestry) the Vikings fought on foot like the Saxons.

Argument/core point section 3:

This section is slightly different. That is almost a mini bottom line. Use this area to talk about the ideas which you have come across that are further out from the primary crowd that you need to have mentioned above. That would be those quirky ideas I have talked about. You need these to show that you have read around the subject and understand more than the mainstream points. If you throw them away to early then the marker may decide that you will be on a rant with lots of bias and that may arranged them against you causing distrust. This section should have more of your own ideas in. Whilst you will have put in opinions in the over sections this is where you should really shine. Things like picking a badly researched or thought out article and shredding it proceed in here. You should be hinting at your conclusion near the end of this section.

EXAMPLE: They were neither French nor Viking although the Brythonic settlement of northern France had remaining a different genetic make-up in the area (reference C). France is certainly often split into north and south with distinct language change between the two (reference D). They weren't French because France didn't exist and they weren't Vikings as that is a verb plus they had stopped Viking. if you appear at their genetic make-up these were actually exactly like the Saxons so it's actually a civil war (reference crazy man F).

The conclusion:

This should be a rough mirror of the introduction in size and subject. It has no references generally, well the conclusion can do if it offers a quote or historical date or research etc., but overall it must be limited. The conclusion is where you state what you have written about in the essay and what it means. (see my intro, it's a near mirror of the paragraph, and a declaration of what I am have done). Keep it short and also to the point. I've now shown you how to plan an essay.

EXAMPLE: We have seen above that there is strong evidence for both sides of this debate. A middle floor is likely the correct interpretation. The Viking raiders under Rollo had experienced a lot in common with the initial Saxon tribes due to the areas they originally migrated from. The Brithonic nature of Brittany which got a large effect upon the growing Normandy would have led to an identity French yet Brithonic in part. If we attract this together it may be suggested that they were none of the above but by the time of 1066 these were a distinct group of people.

Now structuring is only part of the battle. Spelling, punctuation and grammar are also important. The way to do this is to use a product such as http://www.Grammarly.com. Type your practise essays into there or actually throw some of your old work in there. This will highlight the areas that you should improve on. As long as you can write obviously and structure your essay well then you are almost now there.

Other considerations: Your subject. Don't just read the books on the publication list. read around the topic. Use connected disciplines. Say you are authoring cafe design maybe make a point about the growing issue of back pain wand reference a medical journal to support a spot about ergonomics of seats etc. Another factor is how to create a sentence or paragraph. The framework I used above is very similar to the way in which one would write at any structure level.

[samanthasroberts]

Isis is as much an offshoot of our global civilisation as Google

In the wake of terror attacks, and as Europe unravels, it feels as if we live in divided times. But civilisation is more united than ever. The challenges of the future climate change, AI, biotechnology will only bring us closer

Recent events in the Middle East and Europe seem to breathe fresh life into the clash of civilisations thesis. Western incursions into the Middle East have triggered an Islamic backlash that has driven millions of Muslim refugees westwards and inspired terrorist attacks from Orlando to Nice; now the EU is unravelling as European voters abandon multicultural dreams in favour of xenophobic local identities. Allegedly, this has happened because the west has chosen to ignore the deep logic of history. According to the clash of civilisations thesis, humankind has always been divided into diverse civilisations whose members view the world in different and often irreconcilable ways. These incompatible world views make conflicts between civilisations inevitable, and these conflicts in turn fuel long-term historical processes. Just as in nature different species fight for survival, so throughout history civilisations have repeatedly clashed, and only the fittest have survived. Those who overlook this grim fact do so at their peril.

The clash of civilisations thesis has far-reaching political implications. Its supporters contend that any attempt at reconciliation between the west and the Muslim world is doomed to failure. They further maintain that the EU can work only if it renounces the multicultural fallacy in favour of an unabashed western identity. In the long run, only one culture can survive the unforgiving tests of natural selection, and if the EU refuses to save western civilisation from Islamic State and its ilk, Britain had better go it alone.

Though widely held, this thesis is misleading. Isis may indeed pose a radical challenge, but the civilisation it challenges is a global civilisation rather than a uniquely western phenomenon. Not for nothing has Isis managed to unite Iran with the United States, and to create rare common ground between Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. And even Isis, for all its medieval rhetoric, is grounded in contemporary global culture far more than in seventh-century Arabia; it caters to the fears and hopes of alienated, postmodern youth rather than to those of medieval shepherds and merchants. In pure organisational terms, Isis has more in common with a large corporation like Google than with the Umayyad caliphate. The surest sign of a real clash of civilisations is mutual incomprehension. Isis, in contrast, comprehends its enemies only too well  otherwise, its propaganda would not have been so effective. It is better, therefore, to see Isis as an errant offshoot of the global culture we all share, rather than as a branch of some mysterious alien tree.

Crucially, the analogy between history and biology that underpins the clash of civilisations thesis is false. Human groups including human civilisations are fundamentally different from animal species, and historical conflicts differ greatly from natural selection processes. Animal species have objective identities that endure for thousands of generations. Whether you are a chimpanzee or a gorilla depends on your genes rather than your beliefs, and different genes dictate diverse social behaviours. Chimpanzees live in mixed groups of males and females. They compete for power by building coalitions of supporters among both sexes. Among gorillas, in contrast, a single dominant male establishes a harem of females, and usually expels any adult male that might challenge his position. As far as we know, the same social systems have characterised chimpanzees and gorillas not only in recent decades, but for hundreds of thousands of years.

You find nothing like that among humans. Yes, human groups may have distinct social systems, but these are not genetically determined, and they seldom endure for more than a few centuries. Think of 20th-century Germans, for example. In fewer than 100 years, the Germans organised themselves into six very different systems: the Hohenzollern empire, the Weimar republic, the Third Reich, Communist East Germany, the federal republic of West Germany, and finally democratic reunited Germany. Of course they kept their language and love of beer. But is there some unique German essence that distinguishes their country from all other nations, and that has remained unchanged from Wilhelm II to Angela Merkel? And if you do come up with something, was it also there back in the days of Goethe, of Martin Luther and of Frederick Barbarossa?

What will happen when computers replace people in an increasing number of jobs? Alex Proyass I, Robot from 2004 Photograph: Allstar

The Preamble of the European Constitution (2004) begins by stating that it draws inspiration from the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe, from which have developed the universal values of the inviolable and inalienable rights of the human person, democracy, equality, freedom and the rule of law. This may easily give one the impression that European civilisation is defined by these values. Countless speeches and documents draw a direct line from ancient Athenian democracy to the present-day EU, celebrating 2,500 years of European freedom and democracy. This is reminiscent of the proverbial blind man taking hold of an elephants tail and concluding that an elephant is a kind of brush. Athenian democracy was a half-hearted experiment that survived for barely 200 years in a small corner of the Balkans. If European civilisation for the last 25 centuries has been defined by democracy and human rights, what are we to make of Sparta and Julius Caesar, the Crusaders and Conquistadores, the Inquisition and the slave trade, Louis XIV and Goebbels, Lenin and Mussolini?

European civilisation is anything Europeans make of it, just as Christianity is anything Christians make of it. And they have made remarkably different things of it over the centuries. Human groups are defined more by the changes they undergo than by any continuity, but they nevertheless manage to create for themselves ancient identities thanks to their storytelling skills. No matter what revolutions they survive, they can weave old and new into a single yarn. Even an individual may knit revolutionary personal changes into a coherent life story: I am that person who was once a socialist, but became a capitalist; I was born in Senegal, and now live in France; I married, then got divorced; I had cancer, and then got well again.

Similarly, a human group such as the Germans may come to define itself by the very changes it has lived through: Once we were Nazis, but we have learned our lesson, and now we are peaceful democrats. You dont need to look for some unique German essence that manifested itself first in Hitler and then in Merkel: this radical transformation itself makes the Germans who they are.

Isis, too, may uphold an allegedly unchanging Muslim identity, but their story of Islam is a brand new tale. Yes, they used some venerable Muslim texts and traditions to concoct it, but if I bake a cake from flour, oil and sugar that have been sitting in my pantry for the past two months, does it mean the cake itself is two months old? Conversely, those who dismiss Isis as un-Islamic or even anti-Islamic are equally mistaken: Islam has no DNA. Just as with Christianity, Islam is whatever Muslims make of it.

Isis wrecked the ancient site of Palmyra in Syria. Photograph: Valery Sharifulin/Tass

Yet there is an even deeper difference distinguishing human groups from animal species. Species often split, but never merge. About seven million years ago, chimpanzees and gorillas had common ancestors. This single ancestral species split into two populations that eventually went their separate, evolutionary ways. Once this happened, there was no going back. Since individuals belonging to different species cannot produce fertile offspring together, species can never merge. Gorillas cant merge with chimpanzees, giraffes cant merge with elephants, and dogs cant merge with cats.

Human tribes, in contrast, tend to coalesce over time into larger and larger groups. Modern Germans were created from the merger of Saxons, Prussians, Swabians and Bavarians, which not so long ago wasted little love on one another.The French were created from the merger of Franks, Normans, Bretons, Gascons and Provencals. Meanwhile across the Channel, English, Scots, Welsh and Irish gradually came together (willingly or not) to form Britons. In the not too distant future, Germans, French and Britons might yet merge into Europeans.

Mergers dont always last, as people in London, Edinburgh and Brussels are well aware these days. Brexit may well initiate the simultaneous unravelling of both the EU and the UK. But in the long run, historys direction is clear-cut. Ten thousand years ago humankind was divided into countless isolated tribes. With each passing millennium, these merged into larger and larger groups, creating fewer and fewer distinct civilisations. In recent generations the few remaining civilisations have been merging into a single global community. Political and ethnic divisions endure, but they do not undermine the fundamental unity. Indeed, some divisions are made possible only by an over-arching common structure.

***

The process of human unification has taken two distinct forms: weak heterogeneous unification and strong homogeneous unification. The weaker heterogeneous form involves creating ties between previously unrelated groups. The groups may continue to have different beliefs and practices, but are no longer independent of each other. From this perspective, even war is a bond perhaps the strongest bond of all. Ten thousand years ago, no tribe in America had any quarrel with Middle Eastern enemies, and no African clan bore grudges towards any European. In contrast, during the second world war, people born on the shores of the Mississippi went to their deaths on Pacific islands and European meadows, while recruits from the heart of Africa fell fighting among French vineyards and Alpine snows.

Historians often argue that globalisation reached a first peak in 1913, then went into a long decline during the era of the world wars and the cold war, and recuperated only after 1989. They fear that new conflicts may again put globalisation into reverse gear. This may be true of economic globalisation, but it ignores the different but equally important dynamics of military globalisation. War spreads ideas, technologies and people far more quickly than commerce. War also makes people far more interested in one another.Never had the US been more closely in touch with Russia than during the cold war, when every cough in a Moscow corridor sent people scrambling up and down Washington staircases. People care far more about their enemies than about their trade partners. For every US film about Thailand, there are probably 20 about Vietnam. The global war on terror simply continues the process of military globalisation.

Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters

Nowadays, the global unity of conflict is perhaps most apparent on the internet, where Isis and the drug cartels are rubbing shoulders with Google and Facebook, and YouTube offers funny cat videos alongside instructions on how to make bombs. Islamic fanatics, murderous drug dealers and geeky hackers dont exist on unrelated planets; they share the same global cyberspace. All are thrilled by the blockchain technology that gave us the bitcoin; all count on easy accessibility via ubiquitous smartphones, and all are antagonised by national governments attempting to wrest control of the net.

Yet the world of the early 21st century has gone way beyond the heterogeneous unity of conflict. People across the globe are not only influenced by one another, they increasingly share identical beliefs and practices. A thousand years ago, planet Earth was home to dozens of different political models. In Europe you could find feudal principalities vying with independent city states and minuscule theocracies. The Muslim world had its caliphate, claiming universal sovereignty, but also experimented with kingdoms, emirates and sultanates. The Chinese empire believed itself to be the sole legitimate political entity, while to its north and west tribal confederacies fought each other with glee. India and south-east Asia contained a kaleidoscope of regimes, whereas polities in America, Africa and Australasia ranged from tiny hunter-gatherer bands to sprawling empires. No wonder even neighbouring human groups had trouble agreeing on diplomatic practices, not to mention international laws. Each society had its own political paradigms, and found it difficult to understand let alone respect alien political concepts.

Today, in contrast, a single political paradigm is accepted everywhere. The planet is divided between nearly 200 sovereign states, which generally agree on the same diplomatic protocols and on common international laws. Sweden, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea and Paraguay are all marked on our world maps as the same kind of colourful shapes; they are all members of the UN; and despite myriad differences they are all recognised as sovereign states enjoying similar rights and privileges. Indeed, they share many more political ideas and practices, including at least a token belief in representative bodies, universal suffrage and human rights. When Israelis and Palestinians, Russians and Ukrainians, or Kurds and Turks court global public opinion, they all use the same discourse of human rights, state sovereignty and international law.

The world may be peppered with various types of failed states, but it knows only one paradigm for a successful state. Global politics follows the Anna Karenina principle: healthy states are all alike, but every failed state fails in its own way, by missing this or that ingredient of the dominant political package. Isis stands out in its complete rejection of this package, and its attempt to establish an entirely different kind of political entity a universal caliphate. But it is unlikely to succeed precisely for this reason. Numerous guerrilla forces and terror organisations have managed to establish new countries or conquer existing ones, but they have always done so by accepting the fundamental principles of the global political order. Even the Taliban sought international recognition as the legitimate government of the sovereign country of Afghanistan. No group rejecting the principles of global politics has so far gained lasting control of a significant territory.

***

In pre-modern times, humans experimented not only with diverse political blueprints, but with a mind-boggling variety of economic models. Russian boyars, Hindu maharajas, Chinese mandarins and Amerindian tribal chiefs had very different ideas about money and taxation, and none was even aware of the existence of such a thing as the economy. Nowadays, in contrast, almost everybody believes in slightly different variations on the same capitalist theme, and we are all cogs within a single global production line. Whether you live in Mongolia, New Zealand or Bolivia, your daily routines and economic fortunes depend on the same economic theories, the same corporations and banks, and the same currents of capital. When finance ministers or bank managers from China, Russia, Brazil and India meet, they have a common language, and can easily understand and sympathise with their counterparts woes.

When Isis conquered large parts of Syria and Iraq, it murdered tens of thousands of people, demolished archaeological sites, toppled statues and systematically destroyed the symbols of previous regimes and of western cultural influence. Yet when Isis fighters entered the banks and found stashes of US dollars covered with the faces of American presidents and English slogans praising American political and religious ideals, they did not burn these dollars. For the dollar bill is universally venerated across all political and religious divides. Though it has no intrinsic value you cannot eat or drink a dollar bill trust in the dollar and in the wisdom of the Federal Reserve is so firm it is shared even by Islamic fundamentalists, Mexican drug lords and North Korean tyrants.

Doctors all over the word will dispense similar medicines made by the same drug companies Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo

Yet the homogeneity of contemporary humanity is most apparent when it comes to our view of the natural world and of the human body. If you fell sick in 1016, it mattered a great deal where you lived. In Europe, the resident priest would probably tell you that you had made God angry, and that in order to regain your health, you should donate something to the church, make a pilgrimage to a sacred site, and pray fervently for Gods forgiveness. Alternatively, the village witch might explain that a demon had possessed you, and that she could cast the demon out using song, dance and the blood of a black cockerel. In the Middle East, doctors brought up on classical traditions might explain that your four bodily humours were out of balance, and you could harmonise them anew with a proper diet and foul-smelling potions. In India, Ayurvedic experts would offer their own theories concerning the balance between the three bodily elements known as doshas, and recommend a treatment of herbs, massages and exercises. Chinese physicians, Siberian shamans, African witch doctors, Amerindian medicine men every empire, kingdom and tribe had its own traditions and experts, each espousing different views about the human body and the nature of sickness, and each offering its own cornucopia of rituals, concoctions and cures. Some of them worked surprisingly well; others were little short of a death sentence. The one thing that united European, Chinese, African and American medical conditions was that everywhere at least a third of people died before adulthood, and nowhere did average life expectancy exceed 40.

Today, if you are taken ill, it makes far less difference where you live. In Toronto, Tokyo, Tehran or Tel Aviv, you will be taken to similar-looking hospitals, where you will meet doctors who learned the same scientific theories in not-too-different medical colleges. They will follow identical protocols and use identical tests to reach very similar diagnoses. They will then dispense similar medicines made by the same drug companies. There are still some minor cultural differences, but Canadian, Japanese, Iranian and Israeli physicians hold much the same views about the human body and human diseases. After Isis captured Raqqa and Mosul, it did not tear down the hospitals; rather, it launched an appeal to Muslim doctors and nurses throughout the world to volunteer their services there. Presumably, even Isis doctors and nurses believe that the body is made of cells, that diseases are caused by pathogens, and that antibiotics kill bacteria.

And what makes up these cells and bacteria? Indeed, what makes up the entire world? Back in 1016, every culture had its own story about the universe, and about the fundamental ingredients of the cosmic soup. Today, learned people throughout the world believe exactly the same things about matter, energy, time and space. Take, for example, Irans nuclear programme. The whole problem with it is that the Iranians have exactly the same view of physics as the Israelis and Americans. If the Iranians believed that E=mc, Israel would not care an iota about their nuclear programme.

People still claim to believe in different things. But when it comes to the really important stuff how to build a state, an economy, a hospital, or a weapon almost all of us belong to the same civilisation. There are disagreements, no doubt, but then all civilisations have their internal disagreements indeed, they are defined by these disagreements. When trying to outline their identity, people often make a grocery list of common traits. They would fare much better if they made a list of common conflicts and dilemmas instead. In 1940, Britain and Germany had very different traits, yet they were both part and parcel of western civilisation. Churchill wasnt more western than Hitler; rather, the struggle between them defined what it meant to be western at that particular moment in history. In contrast, a !Kung hunter-gatherer in 1940 wasnt western, because the internal western clash about race and empire would have made little sense to him.

The people we fight most often are our own family members. Identity is defined by conflicts and dilemmas more than by agreements. What does it mean to be European in 2016? It doesnt mean to have white skin, to believe in Jesus Christ, or to uphold liberty. Rather, it means to argue vehemently about immigration, about the EU, and about the limits of capitalism. It also means to obsessively ask yourself What defines my identity? and to worry about an ageing population, about rampant consumerism and about global warming without really knowing what to do about it. In their conflicts and dilemmas, 21st-century Europeans are very different from their early-modern and medieval ancestors, but are increasingly similar to their Chinese and Indian contemporaries.

Whatever changes await us, they are likely to involve a fraternal struggle within a single civilisation rather than a clash between alien civilisations. The big challenges of the 21st century will be global in nature. What will happen when pollution triggers global climate changes? What will happen when computers replace people in an increasing number of jobs? When biotechnology enables us to upgrade humans, extend lifespans, and perhaps split humankind into different biological castes? No doubt, we will have huge arguments and bitter conflicts over these questions. But these arguments and conflicts are unlikely to drive us apart. Just the opposite. They will make us ever more interdependent, as members of a single, rowdy, global civilisation.

Yuval Noah Hararis Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow is published by Harvill Secker. ynharari.com

Source: http://allofbeer.com/isis-is-as-much-an-offshoot-of-our-global-civilisation-as-google/

from All of Beer https://allofbeer.wordpress.com/2018/12/19/isis-is-as-much-an-offshoot-of-our-global-civilisation-as-google/

[allofbeercom]

Isis is as much an offshoot of our global civilisation as Google

In the wake of terror attacks, and as Europe unravels, it feels as if we live in divided times. But civilisation is more united than ever. The challenges of the future climate change, AI, biotechnology will only bring us closer

Recent events in the Middle East and Europe seem to breathe fresh life into the clash of civilisations thesis. Western incursions into the Middle East have triggered an Islamic backlash that has driven millions of Muslim refugees westwards and inspired terrorist attacks from Orlando to Nice; now the EU is unravelling as European voters abandon multicultural dreams in favour of xenophobic local identities. Allegedly, this has happened because the west has chosen to ignore the deep logic of history. According to the clash of civilisations thesis, humankind has always been divided into diverse civilisations whose members view the world in different and often irreconcilable ways. These incompatible world views make conflicts between civilisations inevitable, and these conflicts in turn fuel long-term historical processes. Just as in nature different species fight for survival, so throughout history civilisations have repeatedly clashed, and only the fittest have survived. Those who overlook this grim fact do so at their peril.

The clash of civilisations thesis has far-reaching political implications. Its supporters contend that any attempt at reconciliation between the west and the Muslim world is doomed to failure. They further maintain that the EU can work only if it renounces the multicultural fallacy in favour of an unabashed western identity. In the long run, only one culture can survive the unforgiving tests of natural selection, and if the EU refuses to save western civilisation from Islamic State and its ilk, Britain had better go it alone.

Though widely held, this thesis is misleading. Isis may indeed pose a radical challenge, but the civilisation it challenges is a global civilisation rather than a uniquely western phenomenon. Not for nothing has Isis managed to unite Iran with the United States, and to create rare common ground between Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. And even Isis, for all its medieval rhetoric, is grounded in contemporary global culture far more than in seventh-century Arabia; it caters to the fears and hopes of alienated, postmodern youth rather than to those of medieval shepherds and merchants. In pure organisational terms, Isis has more in common with a large corporation like Google than with the Umayyad caliphate. The surest sign of a real clash of civilisations is mutual incomprehension. Isis, in contrast, comprehends its enemies only too well  otherwise, its propaganda would not have been so effective. It is better, therefore, to see Isis as an errant offshoot of the global culture we all share, rather than as a branch of some mysterious alien tree.

Crucially, the analogy between history and biology that underpins the clash of civilisations thesis is false. Human groups including human civilisations are fundamentally different from animal species, and historical conflicts differ greatly from natural selection processes. Animal species have objective identities that endure for thousands of generations. Whether you are a chimpanzee or a gorilla depends on your genes rather than your beliefs, and different genes dictate diverse social behaviours. Chimpanzees live in mixed groups of males and females. They compete for power by building coalitions of supporters among both sexes. Among gorillas, in contrast, a single dominant male establishes a harem of females, and usually expels any adult male that might challenge his position. As far as we know, the same social systems have characterised chimpanzees and gorillas not only in recent decades, but for hundreds of thousands of years.

You find nothing like that among humans. Yes, human groups may have distinct social systems, but these are not genetically determined, and they seldom endure for more than a few centuries. Think of 20th-century Germans, for example. In fewer than 100 years, the Germans organised themselves into six very different systems: the Hohenzollern empire, the Weimar republic, the Third Reich, Communist East Germany, the federal republic of West Germany, and finally democratic reunited Germany. Of course they kept their language and love of beer. But is there some unique German essence that distinguishes their country from all other nations, and that has remained unchanged from Wilhelm II to Angela Merkel? And if you do come up with something, was it also there back in the days of Goethe, of Martin Luther and of Frederick Barbarossa?

What will happen when computers replace people in an increasing number of jobs? Alex Proyass I, Robot from 2004 Photograph: Allstar

The Preamble of the European Constitution (2004) begins by stating that it draws inspiration from the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe, from which have developed the universal values of the inviolable and inalienable rights of the human person, democracy, equality, freedom and the rule of law. This may easily give one the impression that European civilisation is defined by these values. Countless speeches and documents draw a direct line from ancient Athenian democracy to the present-day EU, celebrating 2,500 years of European freedom and democracy. This is reminiscent of the proverbial blind man taking hold of an elephants tail and concluding that an elephant is a kind of brush. Athenian democracy was a half-hearted experiment that survived for barely 200 years in a small corner of the Balkans. If European civilisation for the last 25 centuries has been defined by democracy and human rights, what are we to make of Sparta and Julius Caesar, the Crusaders and Conquistadores, the Inquisition and the slave trade, Louis XIV and Goebbels, Lenin and Mussolini?

European civilisation is anything Europeans make of it, just as Christianity is anything Christians make of it. And they have made remarkably different things of it over the centuries. Human groups are defined more by the changes they undergo than by any continuity, but they nevertheless manage to create for themselves ancient identities thanks to their storytelling skills. No matter what revolutions they survive, they can weave old and new into a single yarn. Even an individual may knit revolutionary personal changes into a coherent life story: I am that person who was once a socialist, but became a capitalist; I was born in Senegal, and now live in France; I married, then got divorced; I had cancer, and then got well again.

Similarly, a human group such as the Germans may come to define itself by the very changes it has lived through: Once we were Nazis, but we have learned our lesson, and now we are peaceful democrats. You dont need to look for some unique German essence that manifested itself first in Hitler and then in Merkel: this radical transformation itself makes the Germans who they are.

Isis, too, may uphold an allegedly unchanging Muslim identity, but their story of Islam is a brand new tale. Yes, they used some venerable Muslim texts and traditions to concoct it, but if I bake a cake from flour, oil and sugar that have been sitting in my pantry for the past two months, does it mean the cake itself is two months old? Conversely, those who dismiss Isis as un-Islamic or even anti-Islamic are equally mistaken: Islam has no DNA. Just as with Christianity, Islam is whatever Muslims make of it.

Isis wrecked the ancient site of Palmyra in Syria. Photograph: Valery Sharifulin/Tass

Yet there is an even deeper difference distinguishing human groups from animal species. Species often split, but never merge. About seven million years ago, chimpanzees and gorillas had common ancestors. This single ancestral species split into two populations that eventually went their separate, evolutionary ways. Once this happened, there was no going back. Since individuals belonging to different species cannot produce fertile offspring together, species can never merge. Gorillas cant merge with chimpanzees, giraffes cant merge with elephants, and dogs cant merge with cats.

Human tribes, in contrast, tend to coalesce over time into larger and larger groups. Modern Germans were created from the merger of Saxons, Prussians, Swabians and Bavarians, which not so long ago wasted little love on one another.The French were created from the merger of Franks, Normans, Bretons, Gascons and Provencals. Meanwhile across the Channel, English, Scots, Welsh and Irish gradually came together (willingly or not) to form Britons. In the not too distant future, Germans, French and Britons might yet merge into Europeans.

Mergers dont always last, as people in London, Edinburgh and Brussels are well aware these days. Brexit may well initiate the simultaneous unravelling of both the EU and the UK. But in the long run, historys direction is clear-cut. Ten thousand years ago humankind was divided into countless isolated tribes. With each passing millennium, these merged into larger and larger groups, creating fewer and fewer distinct civilisations. In recent generations the few remaining civilisations have been merging into a single global community. Political and ethnic divisions endure, but they do not undermine the fundamental unity. Indeed, some divisions are made possible only by an over-arching common structure.

***

The process of human unification has taken two distinct forms: weak heterogeneous unification and strong homogeneous unification. The weaker heterogeneous form involves creating ties between previously unrelated groups. The groups may continue to have different beliefs and practices, but are no longer independent of each other. From this perspective, even war is a bond perhaps the strongest bond of all. Ten thousand years ago, no tribe in America had any quarrel with Middle Eastern enemies, and no African clan bore grudges towards any European. In contrast, during the second world war, people born on the shores of the Mississippi went to their deaths on Pacific islands and European meadows, while recruits from the heart of Africa fell fighting among French vineyards and Alpine snows.

Historians often argue that globalisation reached a first peak in 1913, then went into a long decline during the era of the world wars and the cold war, and recuperated only after 1989. They fear that new conflicts may again put globalisation into reverse gear. This may be true of economic globalisation, but it ignores the different but equally important dynamics of military globalisation. War spreads ideas, technologies and people far more quickly than commerce. War also makes people far more interested in one another.Never had the US been more closely in touch with Russia than during the cold war, when every cough in a Moscow corridor sent people scrambling up and down Washington staircases. People care far more about their enemies than about their trade partners. For every US film about Thailand, there are probably 20 about Vietnam. The global war on terror simply continues the process of military globalisation.

Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters

Nowadays, the global unity of conflict is perhaps most apparent on the internet, where Isis and the drug cartels are rubbing shoulders with Google and Facebook, and YouTube offers funny cat videos alongside instructions on how to make bombs. Islamic fanatics, murderous drug dealers and geeky hackers dont exist on unrelated planets; they share the same global cyberspace. All are thrilled by the blockchain technology that gave us the bitcoin; all count on easy accessibility via ubiquitous smartphones, and all are antagonised by national governments attempting to wrest control of the net.

Yet the world of the early 21st century has gone way beyond the heterogeneous unity of conflict. People across the globe are not only influenced by one another, they increasingly share identical beliefs and practices. A thousand years ago, planet Earth was home to dozens of different political models. In Europe you could find feudal principalities vying with independent city states and minuscule theocracies. The Muslim world had its caliphate, claiming universal sovereignty, but also experimented with kingdoms, emirates and sultanates. The Chinese empire believed itself to be the sole legitimate political entity, while to its north and west tribal confederacies fought each other with glee. India and south-east Asia contained a kaleidoscope of regimes, whereas polities in America, Africa and Australasia ranged from tiny hunter-gatherer bands to sprawling empires. No wonder even neighbouring human groups had trouble agreeing on diplomatic practices, not to mention international laws. Each society had its own political paradigms, and found it difficult to understand let alone respect alien political concepts.

Today, in contrast, a single political paradigm is accepted everywhere. The planet is divided between nearly 200 sovereign states, which generally agree on the same diplomatic protocols and on common international laws. Sweden, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea and Paraguay are all marked on our world maps as the same kind of colourful shapes; they are all members of the UN; and despite myriad differences they are all recognised as sovereign states enjoying similar rights and privileges. Indeed, they share many more political ideas and practices, including at least a token belief in representative bodies, universal suffrage and human rights. When Israelis and Palestinians, Russians and Ukrainians, or Kurds and Turks court global public opinion, they all use the same discourse of human rights, state sovereignty and international law.

The world may be peppered with various types of failed states, but it knows only one paradigm for a successful state. Global politics follows the Anna Karenina principle: healthy states are all alike, but every failed state fails in its own way, by missing this or that ingredient of the dominant political package. Isis stands out in its complete rejection of this package, and its attempt to establish an entirely different kind of political entity a universal caliphate. But it is unlikely to succeed precisely for this reason. Numerous guerrilla forces and terror organisations have managed to establish new countries or conquer existing ones, but they have always done so by accepting the fundamental principles of the global political order. Even the Taliban sought international recognition as the legitimate government of the sovereign country of Afghanistan. No group rejecting the principles of global politics has so far gained lasting control of a significant territory.

***

In pre-modern times, humans experimented not only with diverse political blueprints, but with a mind-boggling variety of economic models. Russian boyars, Hindu maharajas, Chinese mandarins and Amerindian tribal chiefs had very different ideas about money and taxation, and none was even aware of the existence of such a thing as the economy. Nowadays, in contrast, almost everybody believes in slightly different variations on the same capitalist theme, and we are all cogs within a single global production line. Whether you live in Mongolia, New Zealand or Bolivia, your daily routines and economic fortunes depend on the same economic theories, the same corporations and banks, and the same currents of capital. When finance ministers or bank managers from China, Russia, Brazil and India meet, they have a common language, and can easily understand and sympathise with their counterparts woes.

When Isis conquered large parts of Syria and Iraq, it murdered tens of thousands of people, demolished archaeological sites, toppled statues and systematically destroyed the symbols of previous regimes and of western cultural influence. Yet when Isis fighters entered the banks and found stashes of US dollars covered with the faces of American presidents and English slogans praising American political and religious ideals, they did not burn these dollars. For the dollar bill is universally venerated across all political and religious divides. Though it has no intrinsic value you cannot eat or drink a dollar bill trust in the dollar and in the wisdom of the Federal Reserve is so firm it is shared even by Islamic fundamentalists, Mexican drug lords and North Korean tyrants.

Doctors all over the word will dispense similar medicines made by the same drug companies Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo

Yet the homogeneity of contemporary humanity is most apparent when it comes to our view of the natural world and of the human body. If you fell sick in 1016, it mattered a great deal where you lived. In Europe, the resident priest would probably tell you that you had made God angry, and that in order to regain your health, you should donate something to the church, make a pilgrimage to a sacred site, and pray fervently for Gods forgiveness. Alternatively, the village witch might explain that a demon had possessed you, and that she could cast the demon out using song, dance and the blood of a black cockerel. In the Middle East, doctors brought up on classical traditions might explain that your four bodily humours were out of balance, and you could harmonise them anew with a proper diet and foul-smelling potions. In India, Ayurvedic experts would offer their own theories concerning the balance between the three bodily elements known as doshas, and recommend a treatment of herbs, massages and exercises. Chinese physicians, Siberian shamans, African witch doctors, Amerindian medicine men every empire, kingdom and tribe had its own traditions and experts, each espousing different views about the human body and the nature of sickness, and each offering its own cornucopia of rituals, concoctions and cures. Some of them worked surprisingly well; others were little short of a death sentence. The one thing that united European, Chinese, African and American medical conditions was that everywhere at least a third of people died before adulthood, and nowhere did average life expectancy exceed 40.

Today, if you are taken ill, it makes far less difference where you live. In Toronto, Tokyo, Tehran or Tel Aviv, you will be taken to similar-looking hospitals, where you will meet doctors who learned the same scientific theories in not-too-different medical colleges. They will follow identical protocols and use identical tests to reach very similar diagnoses. They will then dispense similar medicines made by the same drug companies. There are still some minor cultural differences, but Canadian, Japanese, Iranian and Israeli physicians hold much the same views about the human body and human diseases. After Isis captured Raqqa and Mosul, it did not tear down the hospitals; rather, it launched an appeal to Muslim doctors and nurses throughout the world to volunteer their services there. Presumably, even Isis doctors and nurses believe that the body is made of cells, that diseases are caused by pathogens, and that antibiotics kill bacteria.

And what makes up these cells and bacteria? Indeed, what makes up the entire world? Back in 1016, every culture had its own story about the universe, and about the fundamental ingredients of the cosmic soup. Today, learned people throughout the world believe exactly the same things about matter, energy, time and space. Take, for example, Irans nuclear programme. The whole problem with it is that the Iranians have exactly the same view of physics as the Israelis and Americans. If the Iranians believed that E=mc, Israel would not care an iota about their nuclear programme.

People still claim to believe in different things. But when it comes to the really important stuff how to build a state, an economy, a hospital, or a weapon almost all of us belong to the same civilisation. There are disagreements, no doubt, but then all civilisations have their internal disagreements indeed, they are defined by these disagreements. When trying to outline their identity, people often make a grocery list of common traits. They would fare much better if they made a list of common conflicts and dilemmas instead. In 1940, Britain and Germany had very different traits, yet they were both part and parcel of western civilisation. Churchill wasnt more western than Hitler; rather, the struggle between them defined what it meant to be western at that particular moment in history. In contrast, a !Kung hunter-gatherer in 1940 wasnt western, because the internal western clash about race and empire would have made little sense to him.

The people we fight most often are our own family members. Identity is defined by conflicts and dilemmas more than by agreements. What does it mean to be European in 2016? It doesnt mean to have white skin, to believe in Jesus Christ, or to uphold liberty. Rather, it means to argue vehemently about immigration, about the EU, and about the limits of capitalism. It also means to obsessively ask yourself What defines my identity? and to worry about an ageing population, about rampant consumerism and about global warming without really knowing what to do about it. In their conflicts and dilemmas, 21st-century Europeans are very different from their early-modern and medieval ancestors, but are increasingly similar to their Chinese and Indian contemporaries.

Whatever changes await us, they are likely to involve a fraternal struggle within a single civilisation rather than a clash between alien civilisations. The big challenges of the 21st century will be global in nature. What will happen when pollution triggers global climate changes? What will happen when computers replace people in an increasing number of jobs? When biotechnology enables us to upgrade humans, extend lifespans, and perhaps split humankind into different biological castes? No doubt, we will have huge arguments and bitter conflicts over these questions. But these arguments and conflicts are unlikely to drive us apart. Just the opposite. They will make us ever more interdependent, as members of a single, rowdy, global civilisation.

Yuval Noah Hararis Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow is published by Harvill Secker. ynharari.com

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/isis-is-as-much-an-offshoot-of-our-global-civilisation-as-google/

[keijay-blog]

New Post has been published on http://cookingtipsandreviews.com/lao-food-101-essential-dishes-from-laos-and-isan/

Lao Food 101: Essential Dishes From Laos and Isan

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[Photographs: Jai Williams]

Most tourists at the night market on Sisavangvong Road in Luang Prabang, Laos, are looking to buy T-shirts or souvenirs. I was on the hunt for an alleyway full of meat-scented smoke. Once there, I passed over the grilled whole fish and chicken wings threaded on bamboo skewers, my eyes firmly on the prize: a blistered pork sausage called sai oua. A single bite revealed it to be wildly more flavorful than its pretty rough-looking exterior suggested, if a bit gristly, the interior studded with pockets of ginger and herbs. The cuisine of Laos is generally like this: often unassuming, but packed with flavor in a way that showcases the country’s prowess at marrying herbs, chilies, and the pungent bacterial riot of fermented meat and fish.

Historically, the food of Laos has received little attention in the United States, but that’s changing. Lao restaurants like Thip Khao in Washington, DC, and Hawker Fare in San Francisco have gotten appreciative nods within the food industry and from hungry diners. According to Seng Luangrath, Thip Khao’s chef and co-owner, more Lao restaurants are also beginning to pop up across the country, as Lao or Isan Thai restaurateurs who previously owned or worked in Thai restaurants are finding their vibrant cuisine to be a good match for an increasingly inquisitive American palate.

More Than a Country

The Lao People’s Democratic Republic, as it’s formally known, is somewhat smaller than the state of Oregon, but it used to be a lot bigger. When the French invaded Southeast Asia (known in the 19th-century West as Indochina), they set the Mekong River as the border between Thailand and Laos, effectively splitting off a significant portion of the country and transforming it into what is now the Isan region of Thailand.

James Syhabout, chef and owner of Hawker Fare (as well as Commis in nearby Oakland), has written one of the few books about the region’s cuisine available in the US, Hawker Fare: Stories & Recipes From a Refugee Chef’s Isan Thai & Lao Roots. While Commis is a New American fine-dining restaurant, at Hawker Fare Syhabout serves both Lao and Isan Thai food, which speaks to the cultural heritage of his family. He says the food of Laos and Isan are in many ways one and the same: “The border’s just a political border,” he explains. “One-third of Thailand is people from Isan, and they’re culturally Lao.”

Forget About Coconut Milk

Syhabout says both Isan and Lao food are herbaceous and vegetable-heavy, and make ample use of bitter flavors. Dishes like naem khao and laab will often incorporate thinly sliced banana flower, which adds bitterness and floral notes, while ingredients like sliced raw Thai eggplant lend bitterness as well as texture. Other common ingredients are fresh bamboo shoots, ginger, galangal, and copious amounts of fresh herbs, like mint, cilantro, makrut lime leaf, and dill.

Syhabout says, “The foods are simpler; they’re not as elaborate [as in Thai cuisine]. It’s also a lot spicier, using dried chilies.” While Isan and Lao foods do occasionally make use of coconut milk, the sweet, thick sauces that are frequently associated with Thai food generally do not appear in Lao cuisine.

Unfortunately, Lao restaurants stateside are still relatively rare. If you’re lucky enough to be able to visit one, or if you can locate a Thai restaurant that serves dishes from Northern Thailand, here are some specialties to look for.

Khao Niew (Sticky Rice)

Rice is perhaps the most fundamental food in Laos, forming the basis for every meal. It’s often the first dish that home cooks, usually women, learn to make. Luangrath, for example, learned from her grandmother how to make khao niew, or sticky rice.

According to Syhabout, there are 40-plus ethnic groups in Laos, each with its own food preferences and traditions. Though he describes once sharing a meal with the people of a mountain tribe who eat non-glutinous (i.e., non-sticky) rice, for many if not most people in Laos, sticky rice is the go-to variety. Syhabout attributes this to the fact that Lao people eat with their hands. “Sticky rice is like a utensil,” he says, comparing it to the fermented Ethiopian bread injera.

In Laos, sticky rice is cooked in a thip khao, which literally means “rice basket.” These flexible baskets are made from dried stalks or reeds; more elaborate versions have patterns woven into their sides or lids. Sizes vary, from small and personal to large enough for an extended family, although cooking is more commonly done in the larger versions. In restaurants, smaller and more intricately decorated thip khaos may be used as serving vessels after the rice is cooked in a larger basket.

Lao sticky rice is medium-grain, generally white, and somewhat pearlescent, although there are different varieties. It’s commonly steamed in a triangular thip khao suspended over water; it can also be shaped into thin cakes after steaming and then deep-fried, which causes it to puff and crisp, making for some wonderfully crispy rice cakes.

Jaew Bong (Hot Pepper Dip)

A common Lao condiment, jaew bong is a sticky mass of fish sauce, palm sugar, dried chili, garlic, shallots, and tamarind. The mixture is fried in oil, then cooked at a low temperature to meld the flavors and thicken it up, resulting in a funky, slightly sweet spread with a low-intensity spicy burn. In Laos, dried strips of water buffalo skin are incorporated into jaew bong, which adds a chewiness that’s hard to replicate (water buffalo skin is, unsurprisingly, tough to find in the United States).

Chef Bobby Pradachith, one of the chefs and co-owners of Thip Khao, says, “It’s kind of like having an all-purpose sauce that you have on the side and can serve with everything.” Thip Khao serves jaew bong at the start of every meal alongside sliced raw vegetables. But, Pradachith says, it’s also the kind of condiment that lends itself to being eaten with plain rice, or whatever a person might have on hand.

Muu Haeng (Sun-Dried Pork) and Siin Haeng (Sun-Dried Beef)

Muu haeng.

Muu haeng is thinly sliced pork, typically shoulder, while siin haeng is thinly sliced beef, typically a tough cut with fat, like top round. Both variations are marinated in a mixture of fish sauce, black soy sauce, oyster sauce, and chopped cilantro, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, and galangal, which both flavors and tenderizes the meat.

Pradachith says that in Laos it’s common for muu or siin haeng to be air-dried on the top of a family’s home, where the intense sunlight lends a hand in the drying process. While it is very similar to jerky, the meat becomes tacky and quite chewy, which Westerners might struggle with; Pradachith says this chewiness can be tempered by quickly deep-frying the meat in oil. Muu haeng and siin haeng are most often served as a snack alongside jaew bong, or with rice to make a full meal.

Sai Oua (Herbal Pork Sausage)

Sai oua, the sausage I was hunting for at the night market, isn’t always fermented, but it is a good example of how fermentation can elevate an already-great dish. It’s made with a combination of ground pork and a good amount of fat, which often comes from either pork belly or boiled pork skin that has been roughly ground or cut into strips. The meat is mixed with lemongrass, galangal, ginger, and garlic, then stuffed into natural casings. In the fermented versions, white rice is added before stuffing, providing the starch and sugars necessary for bacteria to develop. The sausages are then left to ferment for one to two weeks, adding a sour note that complements the other flavors.

Tam Muk Muang (Green-Mango Salad)

Green-papaya salad is common in both Thailand and Laos, but the Lao version is made with unripe yellow mango. The mango flesh, bright yellow even before ripening, stays crunchy and provides a fresh sour note absent in green papaya. It’s combined with tomato, garlic, and cashew and typically dressed with a mixture of soy and fish sauce, which adds salty and savory flavors, while palm sugar provides sweetness. Because Lao dishes tend to be extremely flavorful, this salad is often less intensely seasoned in order to provide contrast within a meal.

Naem Khao (Crispy Coconut Rice)

A specialty of Vientiane, Laos’s capital and largest city, naem khao is a mixture of salt-cured ground pork, pig skin, steamed and dried white rice, and dried shredded coconut, which adds texture and body while also soaking up the fish sauce and lime juice. Scrambled egg gives the dish further body and savoriness, ground herbs add flavor and balance, and fresh red curry paste enhances floral notes and introduces fruitiness. It all gets wok-fried to help it crisp. Naem khao is sometimes served with Bibb lettuce leaves, which serve as both a cool counterpoint and edible utensils.

Laab Ped (Minced Duck Salad)

Often said to be the national dish of Laos, laab (frequently seen on Thai-restaurant menus as “larb”) is essentially a salad made from ground meat and herbs, laced with fish sauce and lime juice and topped with a powder made from dry ground rice. For laab ped, a variation most commonly found in Vientiane and southern Laos, hand-chopped deboned duck is crisped in a wok, then mixed with fish sauce, dark soy sauce, roasted dry chilies, and lime juice. Fried shallots, garlic, and herbs are added, both for flavor and to temper the gamey meat and savory fat, and mint leaves and toasted rice powder provide color and texture. The dish is meant to be scooped up with lettuce hearts and cucumber, as well as raw Thai eggplant. Small, hard, and globular, Thai eggplants are crisp and sturdy when sliced, and complement the laab with their subtle, vegetal bitterness.

Khao Soi (Rice Noodle Soup With Fermented Soybean-Tomato Sauce)

Khao soi, which means “cut noodle,” is a dish found in both Isan and northern Laos. Luangrath says she learned to make khao soi about 15 years ago while visiting her sister, whose mother-in-law was from northern Laos. “I’d never had it, and she happened to make it that day, and I was like, ‘What is this, is this Lao food? I didn’t know this kind of noodle existed in Laos.’”

For khao soi, fresh, wide-cut rice noodles are covered with a broth made from chicken bones and herbs. The soup gets topped with a sauce made from tomato, vinegar, palm sugar, chili powder, and thua nao, a type of Lao fermented soybean paste that incorporates chili paste and has a flavor similar to the Korean fermented bean paste ssamjang. Luangrath says thua nao is a regionally specific ingredient that originates from the town of Muang Sing, close to the Chinese border. “It’s very funky and intense in flavor because it’s fermented for months and months,” she adds. Common toppings for the soup are scallion, cilantro, watercress, and water spinach.

Gaeng Som (Chicken Soup With Fish Sauce and Tamarind)

As with khao soi, the base for gaeng som is often a simple chicken broth, but Luangrath says it can be made with whatever leftover meat or bones happen to be available to a family. In a certain way, the dish is also a natural accompaniment to laab of any kind: The bulk of the available meat on a chicken or duck will be used for the salad, and the remaining bones and scraps will go into the gaeng som.

The dish’s name literally translates to “sour soup” (gaeng means “soup,” som means “sour”), and that sourness comes from a sauce made from tamarind pulp, sweetened with a touch of sugar and seasoned with fish sauce. When Luangrath serves gaeng som at Thip Khao, she makes the chicken version, served with chicken thigh and leg meat and garnished with green onion, dried chili, Thai basil, lemongrass, and hon shimeji mushrooms, distinguished by their small brown caps and slender white stalks.

Khao Poon (Soup With Fermented Noodles)

The name khao poon refers to the fermented rice vermicelli itself, but the overall composition of the dish can vary by region, or even hometown. According to Syhabout, khao poon nam prik is a chicken-broth soup with a red curry base that includes coconut milk, while Luangrath describes khao poon nahm kaew as similar but served without coconut milk, and with a broth based on either pork or fish. Shaved cabbage, mung bean sprouts, banana blossom, snake beans, lettuce, and dried chili, as well as herbs like mint, are typically served on the side and added for garnish at the diner’s discretion. Luangrath says it’s also common to find shrimp paste served on the side, which can be directly added to the soup or, sometimes, used as a condiment, into which the optional vegetables, such as the snake beans or lettuce, are dipped and then eaten.

Gaeng Naw Mai (Bamboo and Yanang Leaf Stew)

This stew is made from bamboo shoots and flavored with yanang leaf extract. Luangrath describes the flavor of the yanang plant, native to Southeast Asia, as similar to that of spinach. Its leaves are thought to have medicinal qualities, though they’re too fibrous and chewy to actually eat. Instead, the leaves are placed in water and rubbed to extract their juices; the extract is then used, along with bamboo shoots, garlic, chilies, and padaek, a type of incredibly strong, unfiltered fish sauce, to make the stew’s base. (Luangrath and Pradachith describe padaek as much stronger, funkier, and more fragrant than the fish sauce most Westerners are likely to be familiar with, and say it’s common to find small shreds of fermented fish floating in it.) The stew’s other ingredients can vary wildly and are usually determined by whatever happens to be on hand, including greens, wild mushrooms, all kinds of herbs, meats like pork or fish, dried fish skin, and whole quail eggs.

Piing Hua Jai Kai (Grilled Chicken Hearts)

Piing hua jai kai are a snack commonly found in street markets, threaded on a stick along with other tasty bits of offal. The chicken hearts, which are about the size of a quarter, get trimmed of fat and butterflied down the center before being marinated overnight in a host of ingredients, including ground lemongrass, galangal, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and palm sugar. Ideally, they’re grilled just until slightly pink and served while they’re still hot and tender; they are quite unpleasant after they get cold. The flavor of the hearts should be minerally but fresh, with a texture that’s chewy but neither gristly nor cartilaginous. If they seem particularly funky or texturally unpleasant, there’s a solid chance they were precooked and reheated.

Muu Som (Rice-Fermented Sour Pork)

This is one of those dishes some Westerners might have a harder time with: Raw pork belly gets massaged and then marinated for approximately three weeks in a wet mash of cold steamed rice mixed with garlic, vinegar, salt, sugar, and water. After the fermentation is complete, the pork is removed and roasted until fully cooked, then charred in a wok with dark soy, ginger, garlic, onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms. This helps the fat crisp up, while the meat remains tender.

The idea of leaving meat to deliberately cultivate bacteria might seem iffy, but muu som, even more than the fermented sausage sai oua, is an example of how spectacular fermented meat can be. The sheer umami joy of cured pork fat is compounded by the process of fermentation, while the flavors of herbs and dark soy, combined with the mushrooms, emphasize the meatiness of the dish. When eaten with the sticky rice, makrut lime, fried shallots, and dried chili that are served alongside, it is as life-affirming as any food can be. Westerners sometimes balk at the idea of eating without utensils, but muu som is the kind of dish where you’ll find yourself using every available grain of sticky rice to sop up the rivulets of fermented pork fat slicking the surface of the plate.

Paa Tod (Crispy Catfish)

Laos may not have a coastline, but it’s got plenty of bountiful rivers (including the muddy Mekong), and catfish is a common catch. Though it can be prepared in a variety of ways, and is often steamed and put in stews, for this particular presentation the catfish fillets are mixed with rice flour and fried until crispy. A dressing made of fish sauce, chilies, palm sugar, garlic, and a hefty dose of lime juice makes this dish bright to the point of incandescence. Sliced red onion and yellow mango are other common additions, and toppings often include sliced mint leaves and toasted cashews. At Thip Khao, Luangrath also likes to add diced firm avocado; it’s not traditional, but the creaminess helps to offset the acidity of the dressing, while complementing the crispy batter of the fish.

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[universalenglishculturebytuti]

New Zealand (and some comparisons to Chile)

As the Maori culture is so important in New Zealand, most of the subjects requested for this post will be focused on them.

1. Three important traditions:

Hongi

The customary Maori greeting is to press noses, "hongi", as opposed to a kiss on the cheek. 

(Hongi performed by Prince William and Kate Middleton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A8hg1--Qbs

Ta Moko

Up close and in personal space, one might notice striking full-face tattoos on many Maori men, and lip and chin markings on women. Known as ta moko, the swirl-and-spiral style markings were once sacred signs of social status, while modern Maori don them to highlight their culture.

(Full documentary about Maori tattooing.  Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS3GE3lw6SA Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_75222&feature=iv&src_vid=HS3GE3lw6SA&v=qnsI_EBVTqY)

Powhiri

Traditional welcome ceremonies, powhiri, bring visitors to the meeting grounds in the heart of the Maori community. A warrior will challenge guests to see if they come in peace, followed by a presentation of waiata (songs) and speeches. Afterwards, guests can enjoy a hangi – a slow-cooked feast of meat and root vegetables using hot stones and a pit oven.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7behHN5uk3M

2. Three main customs:

Punctuality

In New Zealand, you are expected to be punctual or ‘on time’. If you have to meet someone at 3.00pm you should be there at 3.00pm. If you're going to be late you should phone to explain.

Te Reo Maori

Maori language or "te reo Maori" is considered a national treasure. Currently, in the midst of a revival, the language is finding its way back into schools with its own dedicated week of celebration. Many places still use traditional Maori names, like Whanganui and Onehunga.

Aotearoa (New Zealand – literally – Long white cloud)

aroha (love)

hangi (traditional feast prepared in an earth oven)

haka (war dance with actions)

hīkoi (walk)

hui (gathering, meeting)

(see more words in http://www.maorilanguage.net/maori-words-phrases/maori-words-used-new-zealand-english/)

Calling themselves Kiwis

Kiwi is the nickname used internationally for people from New Zealand, as well as being a relatively common self-reference.The name derives from the kiwi, a native flightless bird, which is the national symbol of New Zealand. Until the First World War, the kiwi represented the country and not the people. But by 1917 the people were also being called "Kiwis", supplanting other nicknames. Unlike many demographic labels, its usage is not considered offensive; it is generally viewed as a symbol of pride and endearment for the people of New Zealand.

3. Main religious ritual manifestations of the country. (Sacred places, dances, religious songs, hymns or prayers)

Rātana:

The Rātana movement is a religion and pan-iwi political movement founded by Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana in early 20th-century New Zealand. The te Haahi Ratana has its headquarters at the settlement of Rātana pā near Whanganui.

Rituals (Maori): 

Tūā: Babies were named after the tāngaengae (navel cord) was severed. The tūā rite was performed in the place where the child was born. It removed the tapu from both the mother and child and ensured health for the child.

Tohi: The tohi ceremony followed the tūā rite. It was performed at a sacred stream. Newborns were dedicated to particular gods at the Tohi ceremony. Boys were often dedicated to Tūmatauenga, the god of war, and girls to the goddess Hineteiwaiwa. 

There are a few more... (see more: https://teara.govt.nz/en/traditional-maori-religion-nga-karakia-a-te-maori/page-5)

Dances: Maori Haka

The haka is a type of ancient Māori war dance traditionally used on the battlefield, as well as when groups came together in peace. The Haka are a fierce display of a tribe's pride, strength, and unity. Actions include violent foot-stamping, tongue protrusions and rhythmic body slapping to accompany a loud chant. The words of a haka often poetically describe ancestors and events in the tribe's history.

(Want to read more about it? here: https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/3816859/haka-new-zealand-all-blacks-lions-tour/)

(Video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J94x3sgI_Ho

Religious Prayers: 

I leave here the “He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa” a New Zealand Prayerbook that contains every prayer from this culture. 

http://anglicanprayerbook.nz/

4. Family, civic and cultural rites within the community:

(more than rites, this are customs) 

Sharing food is a traditional Kiwi way of bringing people together in a relaxing atmosphere. Whether it's a picnic on the beach, a hāngi at your child's school or a barbeque with neighbors, you'll find that food and friendship go hand-in-hand in New Zealand.

(What is a  hāngi?: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C4%81ngi)

(Compared to Chile: Chileans also share food as a way of expressing affection. Usually going out to eat together or inviting them to lunch or “onces” in their homes, if this is the case, and you were invited to a Chilean home, to take and accept the offering is a big compliment for Chileans, it does not matter if you are full if a Chilean offers you food, you better accept it and eat everything or else the Chilean feeding you will think that you don’t appreciatte the gesture or that you didn’t like the food, you can always try to convince your Chilean, but it is going to be hard to do so.) 

Coffee and tea are an important part of Kiwi socializing. If you visit someone’s home you’ll usually be offered a coffee or tea, and “going out for coffee” (even if you drink tea) is a regular event. 

(Same in Chile, as I said above, it does not matter if you are full to the brim, you will always get offered tea or coffee just so you can keep chatting and bonding)

5. Five generalized beliefs (religious and/or profane):

LEMONS ARE FOR LOVERS:

It seems women who want to know if they'll ever get married simply need to buy some lemons.

According to an ancient superstition, "the peel from a lemon must be hidden in the woman's armpit for a whole day. That evening she must rub the lemon peel on the four corners of her bed."

"If a lover is destined to come her way, a vision of him will appear during the night. No vision? No lover.

CHEERS, BIG EARS

Tired of people making fun of your big ears? They're probably just jealous of your generous spirit.

According to folklore, "if the ears are small, their owner is miserly and mean, while big ears obviously indicate generosity of spirit.

"Ears flat against the skull signify their owner is a crude person lacking in refinement. Long ears show that the owner is well endowed with wisdom." And perhaps the strangest one of all: "square-shaped ears indicate a noble heart".

WAYS TO PREVENT HOUSE FIRES

"Walk through each room, carrying a loaf of bread and some salt. This will reassure any spirits already living in the place that the new inhabitants will not cause them trouble," writes Cryer.

"It will also help to fend off any evil spirits which may be lurking with intent to enter."

KEEP DANGER AWAY FROM YOUR NEW HOME

- "Always ensure guests leave by the same door they entered (if they go out by any other door they are taking away some of the household luck)."

- "Guests of the newly installed occupants should be encouraged to bring gifts of coal and salt."

- "Pets in the new home should have their paws smeared with butter, to distract them from roaming."

- "And most importantly, to avoid household fire, locate the blouse of a virgin and bury it in the garden inside a jar."

NOTHING CAN TEAR US APART 

Consider yourself warned, couples - letting go of your lover's hand when you encounter an obstacle such as a lamp post on the street to walk around it, one on each side, is a big no-no. Even if you "rejoin hands on the other side, the brief separation is a signal that the relationship is about to split up". What if the damage is already done? "The negative vibe of the brief separation can be canceled if, on rejoining hands, they immediately say 'Bread and butter'."

6. Moral norms:

Discrimination

New Zealanders do not discriminate – it's against our law. All people are equal. This means that men and women are treated equally and women must be given the same respect as men. It does not matter what country a person comes from; they will be treated as an equal and you should treat them as equal.

(In Chile we do discriminate a lot, specially Bolivians and Peruvians given the background history between us, but with the arrival of new immigrants from other ethnicities, this may have turned a bit more serious. (I am sorry in the name of my country)

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-igvZUARUM)

7. Two traditional stories from the country:

1. Starting with a version of the Maori Creation myth we then see the Sky Father and Earth Mother separated, before joining Maui and his brothers on a fishing trip which culminates in the catch of the North Island of New Zealand. Aoraki and his brothers also go on a sea voyage, and this results in the formation of the South Island. The final voyage is to Auckland, and the Waka Maori pavilion itself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6q8E1laQjY 

2. Te Orokotīmatanga o te Ao is the story of the creation of the universe according to Māori. It begins with Io, the Supreme Being and the infinite state of nothingness before you are transported through aeons to the time of Ranginui (Sky Father) and Papatūānuku (Earth Mother). You are then introduced to some of their children who are the source and inspiration for the stories that follow. Whether we believe in the existence of a higher being or not, most of us are curious to know what underpins the cultural differences amongst us. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnOWHeJNbZM 

(Wanna read more about New Zealand’s Culture? click here!)

[hungryhungryhipgirls-blog]

Indonesian Travel: Rendang

Everyone please proceed to go to Indonesia immediately. Alternatively petition your government to bring Indonesian restaurateurs to country so that this very delicious cuisine can catch on and become popular worldwide. Either way, it is very important that more people eat this very tasty food.

I spent my Chinese New Year holiday in Java, splitting time between Jakarta and Yogyakarta, and it was a very lovely trip. As a tourist destination, or simply a place to visit, Indonesia is wonderful. It is beautiful!

Countryside and farming fields to the east of Yogyakarta

Alleyway garden near Tamansara Water Castle, Yogyakarta

Prambanan Hindu Temple

The people also have a certain genuine pleasantness, and it is just a very rich place to visit, both in terms of culture and geography. Also if you like orangutans, that’s where orangutans live! But beyond just the quality of the country, over the week I consistently ate absolutely fabulous food, which really made me genuinely ponder why Indonesian food hasn’t had more recognition on the global food stage, a fact I think really denies the culinary world of a wonderful cuisine.

A small sampling- (bottom left) pembek (fish cut and fried in different ways and dipped in spicy soy sauce) and lamb satay (right) chicken satay (top left) ayam goreng (barbecued chicken with indonesian fried rice, nasi goreng)

There are lots of really wonderful Indonesian dishes- Indonesia is a vast and diverse country, with hundreds of different islands and different aboroginal tribes, and thus a lot of different foods. I tried quite a bit of different stuff, and there was lots to be impressed by- excellent flavour, beautiful plating, creative cooking techniques, but as I researched indonesian food more, and as I made my way through the food, there was one dish in particular that I loved and also embodied the diversity of Indonesian cuisine- the west sumatran curry dish, Rendang.

Rendang and mango juice

Rendang comes from the Minangkabau ethnic group, native to the western part of the island of Sumatra. It looks curry like because it is in fact a curry, but it’s cooked in a particular way. Like other curries you’ve probably had, the flavour of rendang comes from a spicy base (made from ginger, galangal, tumeric leaves, lemongrass, shallots, chillis and garlic) called pemasak. The spice base is added to coconut oil, and chunks of beef are submerged in it, and this is then boiled.

This is where things get a bit different- instead of basically making a coconut/pemasak sauce with beef and any veg in it, to make rendang, you keep cooking it down. The goal is to basically cook off all the liquid in the coconut milk so your left basically with a spice paste that coats the beef, and then this is fried and served with white rice, veggies and sambal. The result of this is an extremely flavourful slow roasted meat (traditional Rendang is an hours long cooking process) that is also preserved because of the antimicrobial properties of some of the spices in pemasak. (because of this, youll also encounter plates of dry rendang in buffet windows that are totally safe to eat despite being unrefrigerated.

What I loved about Rendang first and foremost is that it tastes great- it has so much intense flavour, is spicy while also being tender and really just a burst of flavour and spice. But I also love how representative it is of the culture of Indonesia as whole. It’s a dish deeply entrenched in the culture of the Minangkabau (more about that here), but that’s also spread throughout Indonesia, as well as Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, and become basically the national dish of Indonesia. The ingredients in Rendang, as well as its methodology reflect the centuries long history of foreign influence in Indonesia (some of the spices in the dish were brought to Indonesia from China and India). It is complex while also being somewhat simple and practical, and is something everyone should try, so please do. Thanks for reading, and stay hungry!

Mary