10 Questions on Global Quirks

WORLD | WHAT IN THE WORLD
What in the World? 10 Questions on Global Quirks
By BRYANT ROUSSEAU SEPT. 21, 2016

Maltese, the language spoken in Malta, a European Union island nation in the Mediterranean Sea, is derived from:
Old Norse, as a result of Viking invasions.
Turkish, because the Ottoman Empire once ruled there.
Arabic, from a wave of settlers from North Africa.
Russian, because thousands of aristocrats fled there from 1917 to 1921.

All over Mexico City are green rectangles and circles, as small as a window fan or as large as a trampoline, each with four white arrows directed toward a white dot in the center. These indicate:
Areas where public displays of affection are allowed.
Landing areas for drones, which are hugely popular in Mexico.
Areas where there are no restrictions on political speech.
Areas to gather after an earthquake.

The understated humor of Kenyans is often expressed in euphemisms. The Swahili phrase “kitu kidogo” literally means “a little something.” But euphemistically, it refers to:
A small meal between lunch and dinner, commonly eaten at 4 p.m.
A bribe or kickback.
A sexual partner outside marriage.
A second job performed during the working hours of one’s primary employment.

For a fee, postal workers in Finland, in addition to delivering the mail, will:
Mow your lawn.
Tutor your children in basic math and reading skills.
Let you read your neighbor’s magazines.
Join in playing charades, Finland’s national game.

In South Korea, people believe this household gadget can kill you:
Microwave.
Blender.
Portable CD player.
Electric fan.

Chuño, “the food that sustained Inca armies,” which is still eaten in the Andes, is made from:
Fermented llama milk mixed with peanuts.
Cornmeal flavored with alpaca saliva and coca leaves.
Potatoes repeatedly frozen, thawed and stomped on.
Cucumber, tomato, carob and squash, all native to the Andes.

In addition to people and corporations, these entities can enjoy legal personhood in New Zealand:
Dogs, cats and kiwis.
Certain natural features, like parkland.
Any Maori artwork certified as having been created before 1850.
Orcs, elves and hobbits, in homage to the “Lord of the Rings” series filmed in New Zealand.

To fight climate change, India is:
Banning air travel between cities with efficient electric train service.
Developing less flatulent cows.
Planting an enormous rain forest in the state of Kerala.
Building an enormous wall along the Arabian Sea.

On Sundays in Senegal, it is common to wash these in the Atlantic Ocean:
Cherished family heirlooms.
Taxis, mopeds and bicycles.
Ingredients for that night’s dinner.
Livestock, like sheep and horses.

Kit Kats in Japan come in more than 300 varieties. The following flavor is NOT available:
Raw fish.
Wasabi.
Sake.
Purple sweet potato.