Category Archives: Infographic

Food, Infographic

How Do People Eat Sausages Around The World? [Infographic]

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There are largely two different types of globally popular foods.  There’s those that belong to one particular culture and those which become broadly interpreted and enjoyed.

A great example of the first is sushi. Sushi is unmistakably Japanese and is enjoyed across the world by all classes and cultures, from Michelin star restaurants to convenience meal deals.

Learn more about how sushi became a global sensation in this article from The Guardian.

At the other end of the scale, you have dishes which are enjoyed all over the world but are interpreted and enjoyed differently wherever you go. Generally, this means they don’t have one individual identity.

A brilliant example of this is sausage. Sausage is defined by dictionary.com as:

“Minced pork, beef or other meats, often combined, together with various added ingredients and seasonings, usually stuffed into a prepared intestine or other casing and often made in links”

This definition is pretty vague and sums up the versatility of the dish. This is why there are so many iterations of it around the world.

In the UK the classic banger is the sausage of choice at meal times. It picked up the name during the Second World War when meat was in short supply.

Sausages had a much higher water content and tended to burst or “bang” when placed in the oven or frying pan.

The classic British dish, of course, is bangers and mash which is simply pork sausages and mash potato covered in an onion gravy.

However, this is massively different to some of the other popular sausages around the globe.

Consider Spanish chorizo, German Bratwurst, American Corn Dogs and the many others, all varying massively from one another.

Infographic

In fact, sousvidetools.com has created a globetrotting and mouthwatering infographic which charts the different types of sausage from all across the world.

It’s called ‘How Do People Eat Sausages Around The World?’ and you can read about all of those mentioned above, along with plenty more in the infographic below.

How Do People Eat Sausages Around The World? – An infographic by the team at SousVideTools.com

Infographic

Around The World In 16 Banksy Street Art Locations [Infographic]

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Around The World In 16 Banksy Street Art Locations

If you stopped someone on the street and asked them to name you 5 popular artists of the 21st century, you’d struggle for many answers.

However, there is almost certainly one who will be known by many millions around the world, and that’s, of course, Banksy.

Who is Banksy?

The mysterious, British satirical street artist has said that he/she would never reveal their true identity which has lead to years of speculation. This article from the Telegraph is a classic example of the speculation.

Banksy has created many brilliant pieces of art in recent years, all of which either being an observation of today’s society or a satirical statement on the state of the politics of capitalism of a particular country.

While being based in England, Banksy is truly a globe-trotting artist. However, because of the subject of all of Banksy’s work, and the fact that it is often graffiti, it doesn’t hang around long.

In fact, there is a great list you can read here which compiles all of the Banksy pieces which have been damaged or destroyed.

All of this means that it is often hard to go and visit his works of art in person because many of them are removed.

Infographic

Thankfully you can take a look at many of Banksy’s greatest works of art in a handy new infographic from citybaseapartments.com.

The infographic is titled ‘Around The World In 16 Banksy Street At Locations’ and it covers some of the artist’s greatest works as well as some you may not have seen before.

For example, it presents the famous London piece which shows a young girl with a heart shaped balloon just out of reach. The words, “There is always hope” are written nearby.

Maybe less known is a piece on a wall in Toronto Canada. It depicts as businessman carrying a briefcase. The man has a sign around his neck which reads, “0% interest in people”.

To see these and much more from around the world, take a look at the infographic for yourself below.

Around The World In 16 Banksy Street Art Locations – An infographic by the team at Citybase Apartments

Infographic

9 Weird British Expressions Illustrated

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9 Weird British Expressions Illustrated

One of the beautiful things about travelling is the opportunity to be submerged in another culture’s language. If you’re familiar with a bit of Spanish or French, it is rewarding to battle your way through the occasional shop transaction without just using the international language of ‘louder English’. In bars and on public transport, it can be fun to figure out at least the subject that people are talking about – it doesn’t feel intrusive when you don’t have a clue what they’re actually saying about it.

In more far-flung places with languages that rarely cross the borders, it can be liberating to hear verbal sounds and emphases you’ve never heard before. You really get an idea of how strange and wonderful the very concept of language is when you literally can’t understand a word. And communication becomes about something deeper than words – and hopefully more patient!

But make your way to Great Britain, and it’s a whole new experience again. Of course, we’re all familiar with London accents and at least a smattering of sanitized southern slang that travels around the world smuggled in British film and music. Travel a little further afield, though, and something strange happens. If you can figure out the words that they’re saying in Glasgow, Keighley or Formby, you’ll recognize most of them as familiar English. But the sentences that they are found in seem to be part of a strange code that only people from certain parts of certain counties can understand!

“You’re all bum and parsley,” “you’re peckin’ me ‘ead,” “that’s the badger!” – what on earth are these tea-swilling lunatics talking about? Well, you can turn up prepared to deal with all manner of strange utterances by first taking a peek at this infographic from Sykes Cottages. Britain is going to be a ye olde linguistic adventure like no other – so here’s a guide to some of the odd expressions you’ll hear uttered on those fair isles.

a-guide-to-weird-british-expressions

Infographic

15 Ways to Overcome Your Fear of Flying [Infographic]

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Even in the sheltered and largely safe world the majority of us live in today, plenty of us suffer from fears and phobias, some of them irrational, others entirely rational.

According to fears.net, some of the top ten phobias of all time include the fear of small spaces (Claustrophobia), a fear of spiders (Arachnophobia) and a fear of heights (Acrophobia).

Rational vs Irrational

Overcoming a fear of something can be difficult, especially with both irrational and rational fears.

A rational fear is one which exists because there is potentially a real danger involved in the action or event. An irrational fear is a fear which exists without this danger existing.

The difficulty of overcoming fears is amplified when the particular fear sits somewhere between the two. One great example of this is a fear of flying.

Fear of Flying

There is no hiding from the fact that throughout history, people have died as a result of a plane crash. This fact makes a fear of flying rational.

However, the frequency of deaths as a result of flying is incredibly small, almost making it irrational.

For example, Fly Fright statistics show that there’s a 1 in 11 million chance of being involved in an aeroplane incident.

They also show that 96% of people survive these accidents. All in all, air travel is by far one of the safest modes of transport in the world.

Despite this, there are still millions of people around the world who suffer from a fear of flying. This fear can really limit your ability to travel, be it for business or pleasure, meaning it could have a massively negative effect on your life.

15 Ways To Overcome Your Fear of Flying

To help those who do struggle with it, silverdoor.co.uk has created this infographic titled ‘15 Ways To Overcome Your Fear of Flying’ which presents lots of handy ways to tackle this phobia.

Whether you genuinely are afraid of flying, or just fancy a little more reassurance, this infographic could be a real help, so take a look for yourself.

15 Ways To Overcome Your Fear Of Flying – An infographic by the team at SilverDoor.co.uk

Food, Infographic, Wine and Drink

Around The World In 16 Winter Warmers [Infographic]

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There’s no getting around the fact that winter is finally upon us. Once the temperature is cooler and the days become shorter, we find ourselves turning from the pleasures of summer to the comforts which will keep the chill at bay.

As soon as the temperature drops, there is something a lot less appealing about light summer meals. Instead, we replace them with heavy, warming foods like stews, pies and roast dinners.

Hot Drinks

We do the same with our hot drinks. The lemonades and ice teas don’t seem very appealing when the cold arrives, so we turn to hot drinks instead.

Coffee, tea and the occasional hot chocolate become commonplace at work, at home and pretty much everywhere else to give us that welcome fuzzy feeling.

Somewhat surprisingly, despite the coffee revolution which has swept the face of the Earth several times in the last few years, tea is still the most popular beverage according to National Geographic. 

It’s fair to say that despite the obvious variations of coffee and tea, there’s actually not much choice, especially in comparison with refreshing summer drinks.

However, this isn’t entirely true. There are actually many delicious hot drinks from around the world which many of us are missing out on.

Around The World In 16 Winter Warmers

The people at citybaseapartments.com have created a taste bud tingling infographic which offers up a number of tasty alternative from around the world.

It’s called ‘Around The World In 16 Winter Warmers’ and has drinks ranging from Canada to Colombia, India to Ireland and Sweden to South Africa.

This infographic is packed with plenty of drinks you won’t have tried or maybe even heard of. However, you absolutely have to try them!

There’s also plenty that you can spice up for the adults by adding certain alcoholic drinks to give you that extra added cozy feeling on chilly nights. 

Don’t just take our word for it, take a look at the infographic below and go try some of these out yourself!

Around The World In 16 Winter Warmers – An infographic by the team at Citybase Apartments

Infographic

5 Online Travel Scams & How To Avoid Them [Infographic]

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5 Online Travel Scams & How To Avoid Them

For as long as the internet has existed, scammers have been trying to unlawfully take money from unsuspecting users.

Online scams exist in pretty much every industry. So, whether you’re wanting to buy clothing, a car or even booking a holiday, there’s probably a scam loitering in the background.

Everyone will have heard of some of the big online scams in recent years, even if it is hard to believe their success. The Nigerian Prince email scam is almost certainly one of the best documented.

In fact, Yahoo has put together an interesting list of these scams which you can read by clicking here.

Travel Scams

The entire process of booking a holiday has changed dramatically in recent years. Only a few years ago, the majority of us would head down to the local high street and speak to the travel agent.

Now things couldn’t be more different. A trip around the world is simply just a few clicks away and the options we have available are much broader.

Take a look at this interesting article from the Express which suggests the high street travel agent will have totally disappeared in the next five years.

Unfortunately, the ever-expanding nature of the online holiday market means that it makes it slightly harder for casual users to realize the difference between reliable and respected sites and untrustworthy ones.

It is for this reason that it was recently reported on the Mail Online that between 2014 and 2015, British tourists were scared out of £12 million alone.

Infographic

The question is, what should you be on the look for to ensure that you don’t get stung by scammers?

Well, citybaseapartments.com has now put together a helpful infographic with all the information you need to stay scam free when operating online.

It’s called ‘5 Online Travel Scams & How To Avoid Them‘ and you can take a look below.

5 Online Travel Scams & How To Avoid Them – An infographic by the team at Citybase Apartments

Infographic, Wine and Drink

Around The World In 21 Craft Gins [Infographic]

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Around The World In 21 Craft Gins

In the global scheme of things, there seems to be a constant stream of new food and drink trends which tend to go from relative obscurity to gaining international popularity in no time at all.

Let’s begin with the world of food. If you entered almost any restaurant five or ten years ago (especially outside of the United States and ordered pulled pork, you’d end up leaving hungry and empty handed.

However, now you literally can’t avoid it. This really interesting article from The Guardian delves into the growth of pulled pork and suggests its rise in popularity is to do with the “modernisation of barbecue foods in the US around 2008-10.”

It’s not just the world of food which has undergone a number of taste bud tantalizing revolutions in recent years either.

The world of drinks (and in particular alcoholic ones) has also seen a number of recent trends, one great example being craft beer.

Craft Beer Revolution

Craft beer, which also can be traced back to the United States, is defined as beer which is made traditionally by a small brewery and has spread into a global phenomenon.

Initially, the popularity of American craft beer led to it being exported outside of the country.

While this is still the case, countries from every corner of the globe are creating their own, which is only broadening the industry.

Take a look at this post from fortune.com, which provides some staggering statistics about the industry such as the fact that in 2015 the industry posted a double-figure growth for the eighth year in a row.

Craft Gins Infographic

Another drink which is going through somewhat of a global revolution is gin.

Gin has never been one of the more vibrant, classy or exciting spirits on the market,but thanks to the craft gins revolution, perceptions are changing.

Take a look at this great infographic from citybaseapartments.co.uk titled ‘Around The World In 21 Craft Gins’ which showcases some of the most exciting and flavorsome craft gins taking the world by storm.

craft gins

Infographic

How To Shake Hands Around The World [Infographic]

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The handshake: a universal greeting of peace and fraternity, right? Well, yes and no.

While widely believed to have evolved as a gesture to show that the greeter bears no weapons, and used in countries on every continent, the precise format of the handshake in different cultural contexts can be a matter of grave importance. Everything from strength of grip to the order in which you greet your hosts can give subtle hints about where you’re from, can potentially cause offence – or can display both affection and respect for your counterpart’s culture.

In nations as diverse as Canada, Mexico and Morocco, for example, a man should wait for a woman to offer her hand before extending his own, to ensure it is appropriate – while in Thailand, you shouldn’t shake a woman’s hand at all. In Australia, women should likewise make the first move – but as a woman, you shouldn’t try to shake hands with another woman.

In South Korea, a gentle handshake is preferred (one out of five on the firmness scale!) and it is important to greet a group in order of age, starting with the eldest. Supporting your right wrist with your left hand while shaking shows respect. If it sounds a lot to remember, it will soon become second nature, and you’ll recognize that such detailed customs raise one’s awareness of the beauty and fragility of our togetherness to a special level.

In France, the handshake is considered too formal when meeting family and close friends, while over the border the Swiss will shake hands with anyone but reserve the use of first names for their nearest and dearest. A simple train ride across Europe can become fraught with social complexities! But to get a better idea of what is appropriate and where, do check out this infographic before you go – it’s indispensable when overseas and keen to make a good first impression.

a-global-guide-to-handshakes

Infographic

What Country Best Fits Your Manners? [Infographic]

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If you’re a big tipper, you could be big in South Africa. If you’re generous with your hugs, you’ll likely be embraced by the people of Brazil and Spain. But if you wear your Sunday best to business meetings, you’re going to look out of place in Ireland. Across the world, the gestures and behaviors that make up our day-to-day life vary in subtle but important ways that can help us to accustom ourselves to the areas we visit, and on occasion even prevent us getting in trouble. Conversely, if you’re sick of the tardiness of your compatriots or want to visit somewhere that you’ll actually be given some personal space for a change, it’s comforting to know there are certain areas that we might be able to fit in with our own personal preferences.

Of course, it’s not a failsafe approach, and often the same kind of behavior may mean different things or have a different heritage in different countries. Did you know, for example, that far from a gesture of solidarity, tipping in America dates back to the country’s post-Civil War bourgeoisie, who travelled to Europe and picked up the custom like a souvenir to impress and belittle their less well-off compatriots? Or that in Singapore, tipping really means something – that it’s rare, but used when the service really demands applause?

Below is a roadmap for regional manners: this flowchart from Expedia will help you find the place that you’ll fit in best. Whether it’s eating with your right hand only in Indonesia or politely leaving gifts unopened until the party’s over in Colombia, you’ll be surprised how many of our basic manners are considered alien by those from other places. It’s a great opportunity to come together and celebrate the wild and varied differences that make us human.

what-country-fits-your-manners

 

Food, Infographic

How the World Serves Eggs [Infographic]

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Eggs are pretty weird when you think about them too hard. But they are also delicious, convenient, and highly versatile – as is demonstrated by the regional variations on show around the world. If you’re planning to travel, and want to know what the egg world has in store for you, or if you just want to add a bit of exoticism to your weekend brunch, you can do a lot worse than making a trip to the supermarket with a list of ingredients for some of our international neighbours’ signature yolk n’ albumen dishes.

The North African ‘shakshuka’, for example is a real humdinger. Fried and garnished with spices and salty feta, red peppers and tomato give it that extra kick. This one could well be considered a kill-or-cure hangover remedy. The Chinese have a more mellow alternative: egg flower soup is a comforting treat, with peas and mushrooms adding body to the chicken-based broth. Soy and rice wine ensure the Asian spin still delivers with every mouthful.

The Scotch Egg, which stretches way beyond Scotland to the whole of the British Isles, is something of a reliable classic. A boiled egg is wrapped in meat and breadcrumbs, making for a substantial picnic side-dish with no nonsense. Contrast this with the Philippines, where their notorious ‘balut’ consists of a boiled, fertilized duck egg eaten straight from the shell, and you’ll start to believe there’s little you can’t learn about the world through the consumption of regional egg specialities.

After all that savoury weirdness, though, you’ll want to sweeten your palette – and there’s no need to hold back on the egg mission now. French meringue is a crunchy dessert that hits you right in the sweet tooth, and is made from just the egg white and sugar. Combine it with cream and fruit, though, and it becomes a complex of flavour and texture that feels quite Gallic, and quite decadent.

If you’re still not overdosed on eggs, check out the infographic below that explores some of the other weird and wonderful ways that different cultures deal with the small oval ones. Always buy free range, but other than that – perhaps don’t think too hard about where they come from.

how-the-world-serves-eggs

Image sources: Featured image / Infographic