The world is filled with unique and vibrant cultures. These traditions and customs have spread throughout local communities and abroad. Some are delightful, but some may be shocking and unorthodox.

10Taarof

Taarof is the Iranian practice of performing a gesture of respect and deference, although it is generally understood that such a gesture should be refused. For example, in some establishments, it is considered polite for the shopkeeper to refuse payment from a customer of a higher social rank. The customer understands, however, that the proper response is to insist upon paying. The shopkeeper may refuse payment several times before allowing the customer to convince him to accept. This practice can be very confusing to hapless foreign shoppers.

Taarof may also extend to social invitations. It is understood in Iranian culture that an invitation to one’s home, no matter how enthusiastic, is a mere formality. Should the invitee accept, they may inadvertently put their host (who may not have wanted them in their house at all) in a very awkward position.

9Mano Po

Pagmamano is a gesture that symbolizes respect for one’s elders. It is akin to bowing, with the addition of taking an elder’s hand and pressing it to one’s forehead. The practice is predominantly found in the Philippines and some parts of Malaysia and Indonesia. It is said to have been borrowed from the Chinese centuries ago, when Filipinos began to acclimate to the culture of travelers and merchants. It is quite common at family gatherings to instruct children to ask for a blessing in this manner from their elder relatives.

A similar custom of addressing one’s elders with respect is the use of the words po and opo. For instance, “Ano yun?” (“What is that?”) is a common statement. However, adding po (“Ano po yun?”) signifies respect to the person you are addressing. When an elder or anyone of a higher status asks you a question, you should say opo to indicate the affirmative rather than oo, the common Filipino word for “yes.” In some cases, po and opo are also used as terms of endearment for others of equal stature.

8Bayanihan

Another unique aspect of Filipino culture is bayanihan, the practice of literally moving an entire home to a new location. The villagers gather to lift up the structures, carrying them over quite a distance. In some cases, it’s done to avoid damage to the home from impending floods or landslides, but it’s sometimes done simply to oblige a good neighbor.

Bayanihan occurs mostly in rural provinces, since the abodes found in these areas are made of lighter materials like bamboo and nipa palm wood. While it does take place in urban areas, it is limited to moving items such as hardware, playground contraptions like swings and seesaws, and basketball courts.

7Henna Weddings And The Blackening

Islamic weddings are steeped in centuries-old traditions and rituals. For one thing, it is generally believed that the best day for the ceremony to take place is on Thursday, since Friday is the holy day among Muslims. Another tradition is mehndi, or “henna,” night. Two nights before the wedding, the bride is surrounded by women from her side of the family, who paint designs on her hands, arms, and feet. This was to symbolize the bride’s entrance to womanhood. Some symbols are also meant to provide luck and fertility for the woman.

While henna night is an artistic and beautiful display, the same can’t be said for a custom practiced in parts of Scotland called “the blackening.” It involves friends of the bride and groom tying the two together in bathtubs, large crates, or behind pickup trucks before parading them through the streets to be pelted by passersby with an array of disgusting material. Feathers, soot, rotten eggs, curry, shoe polish, and mud are just a few of the horrors in which the couple can expect to be covered. This fun-filled tradition is believed to ward off evil spirits, and it also provides a bonding moment for the couple that symbolizes the hardships they are to endure and conquer together.

6Mudras

Mudras are seals, marks, or gestures unique to Hinduism and Buddhist cultures, most notably India. No fewer than 500 different meanings can be expressed by the way a person moves their hands and fingers. These movements are believed to allow the individual to control the flow of prana, or life energy, and focus their attention toward a certain goal. They can be seen in statues, paintings, dances, plays, yoga, and meditative techniques.

The gyana mudra, wherein the thumb and index fingers touch while the other fingers extend away from the palm, is said to promote mental clarity and calmness, making it the most popular mudra to use for meditative purposes. The abhaya mudra (simply raising one’s right hand with an open palm and fingers extended straight up) shares an almost universal meaning with other symbolic gestures of various religions and cultures. It’s related to the heart chakra and communicates openness and honest intent. The agni mudra (the thumb touching the middle finger while the rest extend away from the palm) symbolizes fire and is said to aid the digestive process.

5Arriving Late

In many parts of the world, arriving late to a social gathering is considered quite rude, but that’s not the case in South America. In Chile, if the host says that dinner will be served at 8:00 PM, guests are expected to arrive around 8:15 or even as late as 8:30. Arriving on time or earlier could mean catching the host unprepared, and the offender will be regarded as “too eager” for a meal. In Ecuador, arriving 15–20 minutes late is also considered being “on time,” and Brazilians consider meeting times “elastic,” showing up whenever they please.

Even parts of the United States have adopted these traditions, because they have attracted large populations of immigrants from these countries who brought their customs with them. For instance, in Miami, it’s more common for dinner to be served late and guests to be less punctual than in other parts of the country.

4Alcohol And The Devil

Although stereotypes can be harmful, it is true that Russia is one of the highest-ranked countries in the world in alcohol consumption. The country’s love of vodka is also its leading cause of death, from liver disease and alcohol poisoning to fatal accidents and crimes.

Since it’s such an integral part of their culture, there are many rules of etiquette surrounding drinking in Russia. For instance, you can’t place a glass of alcohol back on the table after a toast—it should be bottom’s up and empty. Arriving late for dinner means that you have to drink a full glass of vodka, no questions asked, as you’ll have to catch up with the rest. Between the first and second shots, there must be no interruptions whatsoever. Lastly, you should never make the mistake of offering a toast with an empty glass. If you do, you’ll have to drink the entire bottle.

Russians also love to swear, but their custom is steeped in superstition. It is said that when you curse another person’s health in a manner without malice, you should spit three times over your left shoulder. This symbolically spits in the eye of the devil, preventing bad omens or a temptation of fate. If the curse is made in writing, you should write the guttural sound, “Tfu, tfu, tfu!”

3Pearly Whites And The Tooth Fairy

There are several variations of the tale of the tooth fairy. In Denmark, the tooth fairy is called Tann Feen. In many cultures, the mythical figure is actually a mouse, known in France as La Petite Souris, in Spain as Ratoncito Perez, and in Colombia as El Raton Miguelito.

In Greece and Mauritania, a child does not simply leave his tooth underneath his pillow. Instead, children throw it as hard and as high as they can toward the roof of their home. In Greece, this provides good luck and strong teeth. In Mauritania, if there’s a rooster crowing by daybreak, he could keep the tooth.

In Jamaica, children are told horrible tales about a calf that will take them away unless they place their lost tooth in a can and shake it vigorously. The noise is said to drive the calf away. Malaysian children take a more spiritual view of their lost teeth—they bury them in the ground, as what was once part of the body must be returned to the Earth. In Turkey, lost teeth can be used to convey parents’ expectations to their children. For example, if they want their child to be a doctor, they might bury the teeth near a hospital.

2Bushido And Seppuku

Bushido, the warrior code of Japan, emphasizes strength, loyalty, and integrity. Some analysts and academics have recommended its implementation in the world of business, given the many irregularities that have faced corporations in the past and present. Conducting business inspired by bushido means working effectively and honestly, with the best interests of your superiors and the public in mind.

Seppuku, or ritual suicide as an alternative to defeat introduced by samurai, has a less vaunted reputation. It was particularly vilified in the wake of World War II, when thousands of Japanese soldiers carried on the practice by choosing to take their lives rather than surrender, but it continues to this day in many parts of Asia. Notable instances include the suicides of Yukio Mishima while protesting Japan’s military policies in 1970 and Masaharu Nonaka after he was laid off by his company in 1999.

In Korea, many people feel unbearable guilt and shame in the wake of great tragedy and see no other choice but to end their lives. When the MV Sewol sunk on April 16, 2014 and left hundreds of students dead or missing, the vice principal was so intensely plagued by guilt that he committed suicide.

1The Haka

The haka is a tradition of the Maori people of New Zealand. The spectacle involves menacing facial expressions, grunting, guttural howling, loud chanting, stomping, clapping, chest-thumping, and tongue-wagging intended to strike awe and fear into the tribe’s opponents.

Today, it is most often seen when it is performed by New Zealand’s national sports teams. Their rugby team, the All Blacks, perform the haka on the field prior to a match, as seen in the video above. During the 2014 FIBA tournament, the basketball team nicknamed the “Tall Blacks” performed the haka much to the bewilderment and surprise of their US opponents.

But the haka is more than just a war dance or a challenge for a fight. It can also invoke poetry and art detailing the history and the lore of the tribe, or be used to communicate peace, a welcome greeting, or a show of respect. One example is a moment that occurred after the filming of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which was filmed on the island and included many local actors. Viggo Mortensen was known for performing many death-defying stunts that earned him the respect of the team, so on his last day of filming, the Kiwi cast performed a haka for him and another crew member.

Jo is fascinated by various cultural traditions across the globe. Do you partake in any unique to your nation? Let him know via email.

You know the happiest place on earth, but what about the creepiest place on earth? Even though Disney parks are known for bringing magic and good cheer to everyone that enters, they have their fair share of unsettling, creepy, and downright scary features. From ventriloquist dummies to human remains on rides (that’s right, plural) these are some creepy things you’ll only find in Disney parks.

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10 Caesar the Ventriloquist Dummy

This prop you’ll find in the queue of Tower of Terror in Disney World’s Hollywood Studios may be even scarier than the ride itself. Caesar comes from an episode of The Twilight Zone titled “Caesar and Me” where he manipulates his owner into making questionable decisions. While Caesar isn’t a part of the ride itself, you’ll find him waiting for you at the exit of the ride. Cast Members at The Tower of Terror claim they must say hello and good night to Caesar every day or he will cause mischief around the attraction. Tower of Terror has plenty of nods to the original Twilight Zone series, but Caesar is by far the creepiest.^[1]

9 Visiting Hell in Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride in Disneyland is…a lot. It’s dark, loud, dizzying, and intense, and to top off the bizarre storyline, Mr. Toad (and you as the rider) end up in Hell. Yes, Disney Imagineers actually put Hell in a children’s ride. The temperature heats up to set the scene and riders are greeted with a demon, devils, and a giant dragon that breathes fire. It’s a bizarre moment and feels pretty unsettling compared to the rest of the park. Given the ride’s consistently long lines and nauseating effects, it’s probably only worth a single experience.^[2]

8 Human Ashes at Haunted Mansion

Disney parks attract people celebrating many occasions including weddings, birthdays, and…funerals? Apparently so. Disney has been forced to officially ban the spreading of ashes in their parks because it happens so often (FYI, you’ll be kicked out of the park if you’re caught). Guests have scattered ashes on rides from Pirates of the Caribbean to It’s a Small World, but the Haunted Mansion seems to be a fan favorite. “The Haunted Mansion probably has so much human ashes in it that it’s not even funny,” one Disneyland custodian told the Wall Street Journal. While the idea of spreading your loved one’s ashes in a place that meant a lot to them is sweet, maybe don’t do it at such a public place. It actually has its own violation code (HEPA cleanup) and requires a special vacuum to be used.^[3]

7 Boardwalk Inn Nanny Chairs

Disney World’s Boardwalk Inn is a Deluxe Resort themed for places like turn-of-the-century Atlantic City and Coney Island. In the late 1800s when boardwalk attractions like carousels were becoming popular, the chariot-style benches for parents to sit on while their children rode the wooden horses didn’t exist. Instead, parents sat on Nanny Chairs. These chairs weren’t required to be creepy, but the replicas at the Boardwalk Inn decided their Nanny Chairs needed arms, legs, and faces. You really need to see them in person to get the full “why would anyone do that” effect. They’re almost a weird as the giant clown statue in the pool area that holds an uncanny resemblance to Pennywise. Can we all agree that most stuff from the 1800s was weird and doesn’t have a place in modern society?^[4]

6 Real Skeletons in Pirates of the Caribbean

When Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride first opened in 1967, the Imagineers decided it needed a more realistic feel. Apparently the fake skeletons at the time seemed too fake and unrealistic. Their solution? Procure real skeletal remains from the UCLA Medical Center and add them to the set. While this certainly gave the chilling effect Disney was looking for, the technology to create realistic skeletons eventually improved and the real bones were sent back to their countries of origin to have a proper burial. However, there are plenty of rumors out there that insist some real human remains still sit inside the ride. Try to imagine that the next time you’re floating down the bayou and it will add an entirely new feel to the attraction.^[5]

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5 The Stretching Room in the Haunted Mansion

The Haunted Mansion ride (found at Disneyland and Disney World) understandably gets several spots on this list. While the ride itself has its fair share of creepy moments, the pre-show in the Stretching Room is undoubtedly the most frightening. Guests cram into an octagonal room where they are welcomed by a Ghost Host and greeted with four paintings that hang above on the walls. Each painting seems relatively normal (a bearded gentleman holding a piece of paper, a young woman holding a parasol, an old woman holding a rose, and a man in a bowler hat) until the room seemingly stretches upward and reveals grisly hidden context to the rest of the paintings. The bearded gentleman is revealed to be standing on a lit pile of dynamite, the young woman is balanced on a tightrope above a snapping alligator, the old woman is sitting on the tombstone of a man killed with an ax, and the man in the bowler hat is on the shoulders of two other men sinking into a pit of quicksand. To top it off, the Ghost Host laughs and tells the crowd they can always escape the mansion “his way” before a loud clap of thunder is heard and a man hanging from a noose is revealed in the rafters above. A portrait of that man is seen later in the ride where he is shown holding an ax with the noose still around his neck, implying that he cut himself down after he died. Pretty creepy stuff for a children’s ride.^[6]

4 Abandoned Parks

Anything that’s been abandoned is a little creepy to begin with, but abandoned Disney parks have a particularly eerie quality to them since they contradict to starkly with the colorful, crowded, cheerful parks currently open. Disney actually has two abandoned parks to its name: Discovery Island and River Country. Discovery Island, which sits in Bay Lake on Disney World property, was initially opened in 1974 under the name Treasure Island as a premier tourist destination/bird sanctuary only reachable by boat. It was renamed Discovery Island in 1978 and served its purpose until 1999 when it was closed for various reasons, including bacteria found in the water and roaming alligators. The animals in the sanctuary were moved to Animal Kingdom Park and the island has been banned to tourists ever since. River Country, opened in 1976, was Disney World’s first water park and was instantly a popular tourist attraction. Unfortunately, the park had its part in several deadly incidents that ultimately led to its closure. In 1980 a young boy died from an amoeba he contracted after visiting River Country, but there was no enough evidence to prove Disney was at fault as he could have contracted it somewhere else. Two years later a child drowned coming off a waterslide, and seven years after that another boy drowned in the park. The park continued to operate until 2001 when it closed for maintenance and never reopened. Disney official announced the park’s closure in 2005, and it continues to be waterlogged and moss-covered to this day.^[7]

3 Pirate George

Another one for Pirates of the Caribbean, but this time we’re focusing on the ride in Disney World. According to popular Disney legend, while being built in the 1970s, a welder named George who was working on the ride died in a tragic accident. His cause of death is a legend in itself since no one seems to know exactly how it happened, but those who believe it happened say George’s ghost haunts the ride to this day. Throughout the years Cast Members working on the ride claim to seen everything from ghostly apparitions on security footage to props being moved with no explanation. According to tradition, Cast Members must say “good morning” and “good night” to George every day to ensure things will run smoothly and George won’t wreak too much havoc. Luckily he isn’t a malicious ghost and most of his spooky actions are pretty harmless, albeit creepy.^[8]

2 Snow White’s Scary Adventures

Remember the one scene in Snow White where she runs through the woods and feels like monsters are closing in on her? Picture the feelings you had during that scene made into a ride, and you get Snow White’s Scary Adventures. This Disneyland attraction is legitimately one of the creepiest few minutes you’ll spend in the park, without the happy ending Disney is known for. The ride starts out relatively pleasant but quickly becomes dark and cold with an ominous soundtrack playing in the background. You’ll also see the queen turn into the old hag right in front of your face, which is a guaranteed “jump out of your seat” moment. Top it off with some dungeon skeletons and simulated lightning before the ride comes to an abrupt end. Luckily, it’s currently closed for refurbishment to give it a more upbeat feel.^[9]

1 Haunted Mansion Cast Members

The Haunted Mansion is easily the creepiest attraction in the Disney parks, which is why it gets three spots on this list. The last honor goes out to the Cast Members’ amazing ability to get in character when they’re working this ride. While many Cast Members in the Disney parks are known for being over-the-top friendly and cheerful, Haunted Mansion’s staff give a more appropriate feel of somberness and gloom. If you ever feel eyes on you while waiting in line for the ride, you might turn around and see a Cast Member staring at the back of your head. Don’t worry—if you have a question or problem, they’ll be glad to help! Just don’t expect any jokes or smiles from their end.^[10]

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About The Author: Anne Taylor is a freelance writer and theme park blogger. She loves to talk about all things Disney and Universal Studios, and her helpful articles can be found on tayloredtripsblog.com. You can also find her on Instagram at @tayloredtripsblog.

Daily the rate of infections from the coronavirus are reducing in number and more information is emerging about the true statistical dangers and benefits (or not) of lockdowns. Today, New Zealand’s government will drop the severity of the current lockdown to allow a much greater number of businesses to re-open and to allow the restoration of more freedom for those it serves: the people.

As a consequence of both of these things, I am removing the primary focus from the front page away from Coronavirus and back to regular editor’s picks of lists (this really only affects readers of the desktop site). As I was looking over the various lists for today’s editor’s picks I thought it might be a nice idea for us to all share with each the things we most miss and the first thing we will do when our own freedom is restored.

I’ll go first: the thing I have missed the most is morning coffee at my local Café Chocolate Dayz in Days Bay, Wellington. I make excellent coffee at home so I am not entirely without the stuff, but I miss the chats and the coffee skills of the baristas at my local. So the first thing I will do when I am finally out of lockdown is go to the café and have two long blacks with pouring cream and a plate of Bacon Hash, poached eggs on a hash brown with maple syrup drizzled bacon, mushrooms, and hollandaise sauce. It’s nearly keto and it’s awesome.

Now your turn: what are you going to do once this is all over?

When it comes to street foods, you might be accustomed to your local Halal cart, or maybe that hot dog stand on the corner. However, if you are willing to expand your cultural horizons even further, an entirely new world of food will open up for you. Japanese culture boasts some of the most creative and mouthwateringly delicious street foods imaginable. From the sweet to the savory, these are 10 popular Japanese street foods that’ll have you drooling over your keyboard. 

10. Karaage

Vegans and vegetarians aside, it’d be pretty hard to find someone who’ll pass up on a plate of fried chicken. A beloved comfort food in many cultures, fried chicken has been taken in some truly inventive directions, not the least of which being Karaage.

The name itself is attributed to the cooking methods where diced-up bits of meat, in this instance chicken, are marinated and then deep-fried until golden brown. Where Karaage diverges from typical fried chicken is through its marinade which is frequently a blend of soy sauce, sake, ginger, and garlic. This method ensures that, after the frying is complete, the inside of the chicken will not only be juicy and succulent but imbued with extra umami flavor as well. The exterior’s crispiness is usually attributed to the coating which can either be wheat flour or potato starch.

Even though chicken is the most popular option, the preparation can easily be applied to seafood and other types of meat as well. With its excellent combination of crunch and unparalleled taste, Karaage is a favorite of many Japanese citizens, serving as a home-cooked and street vendor staple. 

9. Tako Tamago

Now of course eggs, whether they are fried, scrambled, or poached, are a staple of countless diets worldwide. However, the Tako Tamago takes the concept of a poached egg and takes it to its most visually dazzling and uniquely flavored conclusion. Tako Tamago is a unique little dish, even among other Japanese street foods, boasting a unique combination of elements. 

A Tako Tamago contains a quail egg, an already diminutive egg, that has been put inside a tiny, bite-sized octopus. Its final appearance is quite the feast for the eyes before one even consumes it, with the egg almost serving as the brain of the octopus. However, the dish’s appeal doesn’t stop at its appearance, as the combination of the poached quail egg and the chewy octopus makes for a superb crossbreed of flavors.

Tako Tamago, much like many other Japanese street and vendor foods, is typically served on a skewer, making it a very portable dish despite its odd appearance. The dish is honestly a perfect little microcosm of Japanese street foods, as it boasts not only a dazzling visual gimmick but yummy flavors as well.

8. Korokke

Before properly discussing Korokke, it’s important to understand the Western dish that influenced it, that being the Croquette. Croquettes originated in France and consist of a filling that is tossed in a special sauce, breaded, and then fried till the outside is crispy. This is quite fitting as the name Croquette even derives from the French word croquer which means “to crunch.”

Korokke takes the Croquette and puts a thoroughly Japanese spin on it with fillings like mashed potatoes, ground meat, or a mixture of vegetables. When everything is prepared properly, you’ll be treated to a perfectly balanced dish that boasts both a crispy outside and a creamy interior. This is only enhanced by the wide range of ways the filling can be customized with other ingredients, such as beef, pork, seafood, and even curry. It’s also very common to find Korokke paired with a side of tonkatsu sauce which only serves to heighten its flavor profile. 

Oftentimes the Korokke can find itself sandwiched between two pieces of bread, turning it into a Korokke Pan, adding even more to the dish’s convenient nature. Its utility and delicious flavors have turned Korokke into a staple of Japanese street foods, as well as school lunches and bento boxes. 

7. Okonomiyaki

Everyone loves pancakes, but rest assured, an Okonomiyaki isn’t your run-of-the-mill pancake you’d get at IHOP or Cracker Barrel. As opposed to typical pancakes which are predicated on their sweetness, an Okonomiyaki is more of a savory affair.

Much like Takoyaki, one of the major appeals of Okonomiyaki is just how customizable it is, with its name even translating to “grilled as you like it.” Much like regular pancakes, the batter begins with flour but from there, this is where it truly becomes its own unique creation. This batter is then mixed with shredded cabbage, eggs, and a variety of other add-ons such as meat, seafood, and even cheese. If you’ve ever had an Okonomiyaki, then you know that the final product is an absolute symphony of different textures and flavors.  

Another aspect leading to Okonomiyaki’s widespread success is the interactive element that goes hand-in-hand with it. It’s not uncommon for restaurants to prepare the Okonomiyaki right in front of the customer or even allow them to cook it themselves, very much like Korean barbeque. With all of this in mind, you can easily see how this customizable pancake broke out of Osaka and went worldwide. 

6. Yakitori

A commonality among Japanese foods is that many of them could easily slot right into being casual street food or served at an actual restaurant. A perfect example of this is Yakitori, a very popular skewered chicken dish that’s usually prepared over hot charcoals. 

The dish itself couldn’t be simpler, it’s diced chicken pieces marinated in a soy-based tare sauce, cooked, and then served on a skewer. This simple cooking method results in mouthwateringly tender and smoky meat complete with a delicious caramel-like glaze. However, Yakitori isn’t solely dependent on chicken as one can easily substitute other ingredients like vegetables, beef, or seafood.

Yakitori is a very recreational food and you’ll often see people enjoying it with a cold beer in their other hand. Often the best foods don’t need flashy theatrics or fanciful plating, as sometimes simplicity and good flavor are more than enough. Just imagine walking home on a cold day in Japan and having the aromas of the still-cooking skewers waft toward your nose. Much like many of the street foods on this list, not only has Yakitori exploded outside of Japan but it has transcended its original format as well. Nowadays it’s not uncommon to go to an indoor eating establishment and find it on the menu right alongside more complicated items. 

5. Taiyaki

Japanese culture is rife with sensational sweets and creative confections, many of them having lineages going back hundreds of years. One such treat is Taiyaki, a Japanese pastry with the unique visual distinction of being molded in the shape of a fish. The pastry’s fish name translates to “baked sea bream,” a fish regarded as a symbol of good fortune in Japanese culture.

Originating in Toyko during the Meiji period – a time of great economic, political, and social change – Taiyaki was created by a man named Seijiro Kanbei. The original, and most standard, version of Taiyaki is filled with sweet red bean paste, which is made from azuki beans and serves a popular filling in many Japanese treats. This, like many other Japanese snacks, can be altered or customized with various locations filling their Taiyaki with sweet potato, custard, chocolate, or even savory options like cheese and sausage. 

This is all held together by the batter which, similarly to pancake or waffle batter, is poured into fish-shaped molds and cooked until it’s a savory golden brown. With its lovely flavors and its charming visual charm, Taiyaki has become a prime example of Japanese comfort food.

4. Yakisoba

There are countless Japanese noodle dishes ranging from cheap street food to the most lavish of five-star cuisine. However, Yakisoba seems to hold a very special place in people’s hearts and it isn’t too hard to understand why. 

Yakisoba is made by stir-frying the ingredients, which include ramen noodles, as well as vegetables like cabbage, carrots, and onions. This cooking method is where the dish derives its name, which is a translation of the term “grilled noodles.” Meat is also an optional ingredient as well, with many opting to add in bits of thinly sliced pork, beef, or seafood. What sets the dish apart is the special sauce the stir-fried ingredients are seasoned with, that being a savory-sweet Yakisoba sauce made from Worcestershire. Once everything is cooked to completion, the final product can be topped with bonito flakes, pickled ginger, and mayonnaise.

All this coalesces into a savory dish that, due to the inclusion of meats and seasonings, boasts a strong umami taste. Unami, when translated into English, means means “essence of deliciousness” and is common among meaty and savory Japanese dishes. Due to its portable nature, as well as its mix of textures and flavors, Yakisoba has attained a global fandom, becoming rapidly more widespread across several cultures.

3. Onigiri

One need only look at how often it pops up in the hands of anime characters to understand Onigiri’s immense popularity. For example, in One Piece when Roronoa Zoro is tied up in Axe Hand Morgan’s base, a little girl from the surrounding town brings him homemade Onigiri. When the deadliest swordsman in the East Blue can’t resist their deliciousness, then you know it’s a treat worth getting excited for.

The name translates to “rice ball,” and the dish has served as a pillar of Japanese cuisine for several decades now. The handheld snack starts with rice which receives a little seasoning via some salt or vinegar, as well as a sheet of nori, a crispy piece of seaweed. Once the base is prepared, the Onigiri receives its filling which is where its customizable nature comes into play. Simply put, the sky is the limit with Onigiri, with the fillings ranging from sweet to savory, and ranging in texture as well. This includes pickled plums, grilled salmon, kimchi, cheese, tuna mayo, and teriyaki chicken, each one offering something different to enjoy when packed into the rice.

Due to its diverse fillings, as well as its portable size, Onigiri is a staple of Japanese lunches, aiding with its constantly expanding worldwide appeal. 

2. Dango

Dango’s name stems from the Japanese verb “dango,” which means to knead or form something into a ball. The sweet Japanese treat is a chewy little bite-sized dumpling made from glutinous rice flour and served on a stick in groups of three to five. Typically, the most popular filling for Dango is Anko, also known as red bean paste, a topping/filling in many Japanese desserts.

Due to the rice flour used in its preparation, Dango is typically white in its appearance but people often use things like fruits, herbs, and eggs, to alter its flavor and color. This is most relevant when it comes to Hanami Dango, a type of multicolored dango, which is typically sold and enjoyed during cherry blossom season in Japan. There is also Kuri Dango, a wonderful variant if you are a fan of nuts, with the Dango being covered in a sweet pureed chestnut paste. Additionally, there is Goma Dango, a version that is filled with Anko but is finished with a layer of sesame seeds before being fried to crispy perfection. It’s this combination of simplicity, variation, and inherent tradition that has kept Dango as a beloved Japanese treat for many decades.

1. Takoyaki

Takoyaki is a favorite of many Japanese food connoisseurs, with its popularity extending beyond Osaka, Japan’s borders, and into the United States. Its name, Takoyaki, is a one-for-one translation of what it is, that being grilled/fried octopus, though other ingredients are often added in as well. 

The cooking process begins with the Takoyaki’s batter, which is made from flour, egg, and dashi, the latter being a type of Japanese soup stock. This is mixed with diced octopus, pickled ginger, green onions, and any additional mix-ins the chef or customer desires. These mix-ins can include bits of sausage, cheese, mochi, corn, kimchi, and even other types of seafood like shrimp.

Once the batter and the mix-ins are prepared, it’s then poured into a very special cooking mold, built to create the Takoyaki’s circular shape. If prepared properly, the final product should be a perfectly circular bite-sized ball with a fluffy inside and a crispy outside. Once complete, the Takoyaki balls are often coated in a healthy layer of a special takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, seaweed flakes, and bonito flakes. With its combination of delectable textures and its inherently customizable nature, it’s not surprising Takoyaki has taken the culinary world by storm.

Most people do not like to think too much about cemeteries. We tend to visit them only as often as we need to and then leave as quickly as is decently possible. This is a shame, because there are some cemeteries that are well worth closer inspection.

Though in modern times, we tend to be somewhat squeamish about the process of death and mortal decay, it has often been celebrated in ways that are endearing, interesting, or, sometimes, downright strange. Here, we look at a few of them.

10 Merry Cemetery

The Church of the Assumption in Sapanta, Northern Romania, serves a small town of only around 3,000 people. Life there is often hard, and the townspeople are mostly poor. Though they may not have much wealth in life, they are guaranteed a lavish and rather unique final resting place.

Since 1935, the buried dead have been interred in Merry Cemetery. Each grave is given a hand-carved headstone, colorfully decorated in, shall we say, a naive style and adorned with a bespoke poem that celebrates their life.

If your Romanian is good, you can wander around the cemetery reading the inscriptions, written in the first person from the dead person to you. Some poems are funny, such as Ioan Toaderu’s, which reads:

One more thing I loved very much,
To sit at a table in a bar
Next to someone else’s wife

And some are sad or even angry, like this one from a three-year-old girl, which is directed at the taxi driver who ran her over:

Burn in hell, you damn taxi
That came from Sibiu.
As large as Romania is
You couldn’t find another place to stop,
Only in front of my house to kill me?

If your Romanian is not so good, you might just enjoy looking at the colorful carvings which sometimes depict the manner of their subject’s dying in a disturbingly comic fashion.^[1]

9 The Hanging Cemetery

For centuries, the people of the mountainous region of Sagada in the Philippines have chosen not so much to bury their dead as to hang them out to dry. The period from death to interment is a relatively long one. The deceased is first placed in a “death chair” inside their home, and the chair is positioned facing the front door so that they can “welcome” visitors. The corpse is covered with rattan leaves and smoked, which serves to preserve the body and also to help rid the home of that just-dead smell.

The corpse remains in the chair for several days before it begins the next stage of its final journey. Traditionally, it is placed in the fetal position, with legs tucked under the chin. Limbs will be broken to accomplish this if necessary, though in more recent times, fewer families are willing to do so. The body is then wrapped in fresh rattan leaves and a blanket and carried by mourners to the cemetery. There is often a large number of people willing to act as pallbearers, since it is considered lucky if any of the bodily fluids leak through the leaves and drip on the mourners.^[2]

Once at the cliffside cemetery, the body is fitted inside a coffin, usually only 1 meter (3.3 ft) wide. The coffin is then nailed to the side of the cliff. The higher the coffin is placed, the greater the person’s position in the tribe was in life. It is believed that the elevated coffins will bring them closer to their ancestral spirits.

The privilege of a hanging coffin is not open to everyone. It is reserved mostly for tribe elders, as it is believed that the corpses of those who died young are considered bad luck.

8 The Underwater Cemetery

An interment at the Neptune Memorial Reef gives a whole new meaning to the saying, “He sleeps with the fishes.”

Found about 5 kilometers (3 mi) off the coast of Florida, the Neptune Memorial Reef has been artificially created in around 12 meters (40 ft) of water. It has several classical-style statues to give it an Atlantis feel and would be a paradise for scuba divers. However, not only has the reef been built to encourage marine life, but it has also been specifically made to hold the cremated remains of those who want to be buried at sea.^[3]

It is hoped that the remains will help to feed the coral and expand the reef. Although the burial of uncremated remains would be more nutrient-rich, they are currently not permitted.

7 Cross Bones

The Southwark area of London, where Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre once stood, was always a rather seedy place. There were a large number of taverns and a large amount of prostitution. During the 12th century, the bishop of Winchester had the right to license and tax prostitutes, who were known as the “Winchester Geese” because of their habit of exposing their white breasts to passersby. The phrase “bitten by a Winchester Goose” meant “contracted a sexually transmitted disease.”

The brothels, known as “stews,” thrived despite periodic attempts to close them down, so they were brought under the control of the Church, and regulations were drawn up requiring that prostitutes be registered, did not work on religious holidays, and did not sleep with anyone for free (presumably so that no one would feel hard done by).^[4]

Although the bishop was content to tax the working girls, he was not prepared to bury them in holy soil. A plot of unconsecrated land, officially called the Single Woman’s Churchyard but unofficially known as the Cross Bones Cemetery, was set aside for their remains.

In the 17th century, Cross Bones became a graveyard for paupers and those without the means to pay for their burial. As a final indignity, their corpses were often stolen by body snatchers.

In 1992, the Museum of London carried out an excavation at Cross Bones. They found bodies crammed in on top of each other and, most surprisingly, discovered that over half of the bodies were from those aged under five years old at the time of their deaths.

6 Napoleon’s Cemetery

The island of San Michele stands in the Venetian Lagoon, and its cemetery is hidden by high walls, although it is open to visitors. The island was inhabited by monks from the 15th century until comparatively recently. Their monastery boasts a domed roof and a magnificent statue of an angel over the entrance.

When Napoleon invaded Venice, he decreed that, because of Venice’s tendency toward flooding, it was unhygienic to bury the dead on the main island. (You can see his point.) San Michele was designated as the official Venetian cemetery, and it is still in use today. The island offers fabulous views in a prestigious location, sitting as it does between Venice and Murano.

The dead may have expected to be able to rest in peace there, but since 1995, overcrowding at San Michele has meant that “inhabitants” can only be granted a ten- or 20-year lease, after which their remains are evicted to make way for new tenants.^[5]

5 The Cemetery Of 200,000 (And 1)

Okunoin Cemetery in Japan contains almost a quarter of a million graves but is the focus of only one. It is the final resting place of Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism and one of the most important people in Japanese religious history. He is said to be resting in eternal meditation while he awaits the coming of the Buddha of the Future.^[6]

While he waits, Kobo Daishi is said to provide help to those pilgrims who ask for it. Visitors must bow before crossing a bridge into the cemetery, which contains 200,000 tombstones, all of which are set out to line the way to his mausoleum. Many prominent people and religious monks chose to be buried here in the hope that being close to his remains will bring them closer to salvation when the Buddha of the Future arrives.

In front of the mausoleum itself is the Hall of Lamps, which contains 10,000 lanterns, which are always lit, and 50,000 tiny statues, all of the great man. Visitors are able to leave Kobo Daishi offerings in the aptly named Offering Hall, though, word to the wise, he is probably okay for a while when it comes lamps and statues.

4 Dracula’s Cemetery

St Mary’s Church at Whitby was built in 1110, and its churchyard dates from around the same time.

The graveyard must have always held a certain amount of Gothic fascination, because it was the inspiration for a scene in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. In the novel, the vampire lands at Whitby and leaps from his ship (whose crew is mysteriously dead) and hides himself in an abandoned crypt in a church that very much resembles St Mary’s. Stoker stayed in the town while writing his novel, and he was said to have been very much taken with the atmospheric surroundings.^[7]

Current visitors may find more gore than they were hoping for, however. The pounding of the sea has caused erosion along the cliffs, and subsequent landslides have exposed a number of corpses, though none so far have been sporting elongated teeth and a theatrical dress sense. Work is ongoing to try to prevent the churchyard, and its contents, from slipping into the sea.

3 The Cemetery Of Shame

The Oise-Aisne American Cemetery in France is a military burial ground dedicated to those killed in action during World War I. There are 6,012 soldiers whose graves are proudly marked in four plots, marked A to D.

However, there is another plot at the cemetery, separate from the others. Plot E can only be accessed through the office of the superintendent. This plot contains 96 unmarked graves belonging to American soldiers who were dishonorably discharged and executed for crimes committed during World War II. None of these graves are mentioned by the American Battle Monuments Commission’s website for Oise-Aisne.

Between them, these men are alleged to have murdered 26 American soldiers. They are also alleged to have raped and/or murdered 71 civilians of other nationalities. The plot was designated as a place of burial for the “dishonorable dead.” The graves are identified only by number, and the dead are set with their backs to the rest of the fallen. The American flag is not permitted to fly over Plot E.^[8]

The only inhabitant of the plot not convicted of rape or murder was Private Eddie Slovik, who was executed for desertion on January 31, 1945, the only man to be executed for this crime since the Civil War. His remains were removed in 1987, and he was reburied next to his wife after his family petitioned President Reagan for a pardon.

2 The Cemetery Of A Million Mummies

In an Egyptian cemetery whose name means, for reasons unknown, “The Way of the Water Buffalo,” archaeologists have discovered a million mummies. Literally.

The burial ground dates from the first to the seventh centuries, and most of its dead were buried without coffins or grave goods of any kind, so those hoping for a Tutankhamen-style treasure trove are likely to be disappointed. The cemetery was used by poor, low-status citizens of Egypt while it was controlled by the Roman Empire.

Although they couldn’t afford the lavish funeral rituals of the pharaohs, great care was taken by mourners in the burying of the dead. Scientists have yet to discover the reason for the incredibly large number of bodies, since it is unlikely that they were all local inhabitants.^[9]

The archaeological dig has uncovered some surprising specimens, including one mummy that was over 213 centimeters (7′) tall and had to be bent in half to fit inside the grave as well as a number of blond and redheaded mummies. It may be that the cemetery authority buried people according to hair color, as clusters of redheaded and blond mummies have been discovered throughout the site. Then again, of course, they may have just buried families together.

1 The Plague Cemetery

In 1665, a tailor in the small parish of Eyam ordered a bale of cloth from London. When it arrived, the cloth seemed somewhat damp, so he put it in front of the fire to dry. Unfortunately for the inhabitants of Eyam, the cloth contained a number of fleas. And even more unfortunately, the fleas were carrying bubonic plague.

Within two months, the tailor was dead, along with 42 other souls. The church rector, believing that he had a duty to prevent the disease from spreading to neighboring villages, decided that the entire village should quarantine itself. He told his parishioners that if they agreed to stay, he would remain with them and do everything in his power to relieve their suffering.

Knowing that he may well have been signing all their death warrants, he set up a “cordon sanitaire” around the village. Almost no one tried to escape, even as the death toll mounted. Some people lost almost their entire families to the disease. A woman named Elizabeth Hancock buried her husband and six children in only eight days. She had to dig the graves herself, since none of the villagers wanted to go near her.

The task of burying the dead was a dangerous one. Marshall Howe, who had been infected early on but survived, volunteered for the task, believing that he was now immune. He often helped himself to the deceased’s possessions by way of payment, and it is believed that his wife and two-year-old son probably caught the disease from the stolen items. They were not as lucky as Mr. Howe, and he soon had the job of interring them, too.

The graves of the plague victims can still be seen in Eyam Parish Churchyard. Marshall Howe survived the plague, as did the church rector, though the rector’s wife succumbed after prolonged contact due to nursing the dying. By November 1666, with half the village dead, the plague was eradicated, and the neighboring villages were saved.^[10]

Ward Hazell is a writer who travels, and an occasional travel writer.

I think everyone has been in a similar situation; your enthusiastic best friend/colleague/sibling is ranting and raving about this amazing film that “you need to watch. Right now!” You have no intention of watching it, especially given that the last recommendation they gave you was rubbish. More to the point, this film features what? Figure Skating?

So, you put it off, and off, and off, until you finally give in and give it a go! And, begrudgingly, that’s right: Margot Robbie smashes it out of the park with a fantastic performance of a disgraced figure skater.

My knowledge of figure skating could be written on the back of a stamp…five times, with enough room to include the script of I, Tonya. But that got me thinking, it can’t just be me that has avoided a great film due to the sport it depicts. I present, in no particular order; 10 Sports Films You’ll Enjoy Even If You Hate Sports.

Disclaimer: I have no doubt I have left out some classics and someone’s favorite film, but I tried to get a nice, wide range of sports and movie genres at the expense of some obvious choices (Sorry, Rocky).

Related: 10 Sports Superstars Who Ruined Their Careers

10 Slap Shot

Hockey is a sport I know little about. Slightly more than figure skating, in so far as they carry a big stick, right? But I have been made to watch Paul Newman’s films for as long as I can remember, and I have enjoyed them for as long as I can remember. So, it was no surprise he put in as charming and funny a performance as usual in this movie.

The plot of Slap Shot (1977) centers on a declining town and its failing ice hockey team, who in desperation turns to violence on the ice to boost ticket sales and popularity. Special mention has to be made of the brutal Hanson brothers, who provide a lot of the laughs (and winces) as they crash, bludgeon, and batter most of their opponents. IMDb trivia states this was one of Newman’s favorite films, and it comes across on screen. He must have had a ball filming it as many parts, especially those involving the Hanson brothers, were unscripted and improvised on set.^[1]

9 Million Dollar Baby

Okay, so most of the films on this list I have watched two or more times. Not with this one. Please understand, that is not reflective of the quality of the film: It is a great film, worthy of the Oscar it received, and proof, if needed, Hilary Swank is an amazing actress and can more than hold her own against screen veterans like Morgan Freeman AND Clint Eastwood!

In the 2004 film, an old boxing trainer reluctantly agrees to train a female boxer, Maggie Fitzgerald. Despite odds stacked against her, Maggie shows endless determination and heart as she rises to every challenge put in her way.

That is where I’m going to stop talking about the story as I remember the reason I have never watched it again. The injustice of what happens will be etched firmly in the memory of the people who have seen it; it is heart-breaking. Seriously, no spoilers, but keep some tissues close by and maybe treat yourself to some ice cream—lots and lots of ice cream.^[2]

8 The Wrestler

If you are wanting the glitz and glamour of WWE (WWF for those of us past a certain age), avoid this film. The Wrestler (2008) follows an ailing wrestler at the tail end of his career as he travels between small venues and tries to survive. But not in stretched limos or flown in by helicopter. Instead, he travels with all his possessions stuffed to bursting in a car that, much like himself, has seen better days. It is a gritty tale of a man who is too old to adjust to life outside the ring, struggling with menial jobs and an alienated family.

There is a surprisingly convincing performance from Mickey Rourke as Randy the Ram, and many people have drawn parallels with his and his character’s careers. The real star of the show for me, though, is the (channeling my inner Costanza here) wonderful and understated Marisa Tomei, whose self-aware and worldly, past-her-best-days stripper makes this a great watch.^[3]

7 The Blind Side

I was going to pick Any Given Sunday for my American football choice, but you are more likely to need at least a passing interest in American football with that one. With The Blind Side (2009), you just need to be human.

This touching true story of Michael Oher is a heart-warming tale with laughs and tears in equal measures. There is a bit about American football in there, too, I guess…if that’s your thing. I am under no illusions this story may have been embellished, and some events and people might have been romanticized, but I think it is wonderful.^[4]

6 Seabiscuit

Like a lot of people in the UK, my interaction with horse racing happens once a year at the Grand National. Yep, apologies to everyone in the bookies; I will be the one holding up the line trying, poorly, to fill out a betting slip. So, what reason could hold my interest in a two-plus-hour film about horse racing?

Well, I’ll give you three reasons: Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, and Chris Cooper. Seabiscuit (2003) offers flawless performances and a tale that covers loss, redemption, and overcoming adversity. This is what makes these two hours and twenty minutes fly by. Side note, I think this is one of the best performances of Chris Cooper, second to his July Johnson in Lonesome Dove.^[5]

5 Purely Belter

One of the two football films that made this list. And, as it happened with I, Tonya, another example of me being proved wrong.

One night I was coerced into watching this 2000 film by a friend who supported, of all teams, Sunderland. It puzzled me why a Sunderland fan would want to watch the struggle of two young kids trying to score tickets to watch their beloved Newcastle United. Not long into the film, it becomes clear; genuinely hilarious, affectionately made, and good acting from the child stars make a feel-good film you won’t be sorry you watched.^[6]

4 The Boxer

Less to do with boxing and more to do with the Troubles. Daniel Day-Lewis is a newly released prisoner who shuns his old world of violence to open a non-sectarian boxing gym in a divided Belfast.

Watching this 1997 film again, I was reminded of the absolute, heavyweight cast of Daniel Day-Lewis, Ken Stott, Brian Cox, and Emily Watson, who proves she has always been able to act in tough, challenging parts the entire length of her career.

Boxing legend Barry McGuigan was on set and had the job of training Daniel Day-Lewis to look and move like a fighter. Day-Lewis immersed himself fully in the role and committed to the training so sincerely that McGuigan stated he could fight professionally.^[7]

3 Looking for Eric

I love this film, and for the life of me, I cannot understand why more people have not seen it. Regardless of your preference of sport, allegiance to a football team, or locality in the world, there is something for you to enjoy in this film. People might be put off by the main character being an obsessive Manchester United fan; however, this film has very little to do with football and more to do with love, friendship, poverty, class, loneliness, family, mental health… Trust me, there is no way this can be pigeonholed as just a sports film.

Naturally being set in a poor community in Manchester, the 2009 film drew a comparison from critics to other northern dramas such as Brassed Off and The Full Monty. However, Looking for Eric is in a league of its own (I know, I’m sorry) and isn’t scared to touch on the subject matter the previous films mentioned shied away from.

Steve Evets doesn’t put one foot wrong in the lead role and delivers some cracking lines: “I’m up to here with your philosophy. I’m still getting over the f**king seagulls!”^[8]

2 The Big Lebowski

I know, I know, tenuous at best to call this a sports film, but it does feature bowling and a bowling ball features on the cover… So, I guess we’re okay? Full disclosure on this one, I have not seen the film in years, and I only saw it once, so I am hoping it is as good as I remember. If not, please go and watch Looking for Eric instead.

It’s kind of hard to explain the plot, but in short, a guy named Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski (Jeff Bridges’s second showing on the list) is mistaken for a millionaire who wants to get reimbursed for a rug that got ruined at the same time as retrieving his namesake’s missing wife. As one reviewer explains it, The Big Lebowski (1198) is a “stoner crime comedy about bowling, Vietnam, and the critical importance of having that one interior-design element that ties the whole room together.”

As I remember, it is as bizarre as it sounds, and one thing I do remember is a foul-mouthed John Turturro stealing the scenes in the bowling alley.^[9]

1 The Descent

Okay, okay, I know! And you thought we were stretching it with the last one. I did want another obscure sport, and I did want to add a horror movie to the mix; we have covered a lot of sports and genres so far. Now, let’s all agree caving/spelunking/potholing is a sport for this list. Or at least sport-adjacent!

In this 2006 film, a group of friends decides to go caving. Unfortunately, things are not good from the start as betrayals start to surface, accidents happen, and it ultimately seems the group is not alone in the darkness.

I don’t know about you, but I am not a fan of being stuck in small spaces, in the dark, with potentially deadly creatures. Goodness knows why I watched this in the first place, and I’m not too sure why it is on this list. But, now and then, I do like a good scare, and this certainly fits the bill.

I am led to believe the U.S. and UK versions have different endings; however, not wanting to watch this in a hurry, please can someone add the difference in the comments.^[10]

There is a lot of fear and confusion surrounding the coronavirus called COVID-19, and it doesn’t help that some elements of the media have been firing off information many consider fear mongering. Even a recent  article could be considered as such, but fear is the last thing anyone wants to spread since even a global pandemic doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world as we know it.

Top 10 Failed Apocalyptic Predictions

The information on the virus is limited at the moment, as there will need to be a great deal of study before it is fully understood. In the meantime, information is power, so this list contains ten things you should know about COVID-19 and how best to protect yourself from misconceptions, misunderstandings, and outright media lies about it. This information is just the tip of the iceberg, so keep up to date on outbreaks in your area from official sources, and everything should be fine.

10What Is A Coronavirus

COVID-19 is a coronavirus, which means very little to most people who don’t work in virology or immunology. A coronavirus is a group of viruses that can infect mammals and birds.^[1] In humans, they can cause respiratory tract infections, many of which can be treated with over-the-counter medication. The so-called “common cold” is the result of a coronavirus, and while most are well-understood and rarely more than an inconvenience, some can be lethal. COVID-19 refers to the outbreak of the disease, which is broken down as Coronavirus Disease 2019.

The virus itself also has a name, but it’s a bit of a mouthful: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2. Part of that acronym may be familiar, seeing as the world already went through a similar outbreak of SARS in 2003.^[2] The viruses are related, and it wouldn’t be out of the question to call this new outbreak “SARS 2.0,”^[3] though you likely won’t hear any professional virologists say that in the media. Regardless, COVID-19 is a coronavirus, and it is spreading, but that’s not a cause for alarm; rather, it’s a cause to prepare and protect ourselves in much the same way we do when it’s cold & flu season.

9Where COVID-19 Originated

It’s well known that the virus was first seen in Wuhan, China, but it’s not fully understood exactly where it originated. COVID-19 is likely a zoonotic virus, which means it can be transmitted between animals and people. This has led researchers to look for animals that might have originally carried the disease. There are a lot of similarities between COVID-19 and two bat-derived strains of Betacoronavirus, which means they are likely related. Because the viruses share about 96% of the same genes, it was initially believed that bats were the source of the outbreak, which was pinpointed to the Huanan Seafood Market, where exotic animals are sold.

As time went on, and more research was conducted, Chinese researchers were able to determine that COVID-19 shared 99% of the same genetic information as a similar virus that infects pangolins. This suggested that pangolins may have been an intermediary host for the virus, but the research wasn’t officially published, and much of the analysis remains unconfirmed.^[4] While determining the precise origin might help virologists better understand COVID-19, doing so isn’t entirely necessary in combatting the spread of the disease, now that it’s been released into the human population.^[5]

8How COVID-19 Is Transmitted

Since the first day the world learned about the Wuhan Coronavirus, the fear of it spreading began to rise. How was it transmitted, and what could be done to limit its transmission? People have always feared Ebola, but that’s far harder to catch than something like a coronavirus, and it’s all about what it infects and how it is transmitted. COVID-19 causes a respiratory infection, and it’s through a person’s respiration that it spreads the easiest. There are two known means by which the virus spreads: person-to-person and through contact with infected surfaces.

In a person-to-person situation, the virus can be spread through close contact, which is generally considered to be a distance of six feet. The way a person can pass it on is through respiratory droplets, which are produced when a person coughs or sneezes. Covering one’s mouth when this happens helps alleviate the spread of the disease, and infected people should wear a facemask to reduce the risk of transmitting it to someone else. But please heed the Surgeon General’s warning^[6] and don’t buy a mask unless you need one:

The other way it is spread is through a surface contaminated with the virus. A countertop could have been in the pathway of a sneeze, which carried COVID-19 to its surface. Touching that, and then touching your mouth, nose, and possibly the eyes can result in infection.^[7]

7How COVID-19 Is Detected Or Confirmed

One of the biggest issues with detecting COVID-19 in a patient is that it presents much like the common cold. To combat this, researchers across the globe have been scrambling to come up with a way to test for the presence of the virus, and this has resulted in several different testing methods. One of the best ways to check for the virus isn’t to see if you can find the virus in a person’s body—it’s to find the antibodies the body produces to fight the infection. The tests that look for antibodies are called serological tests,^[8] and a firm in Singapore may have perfected a means of conducting this type of test to find COVID-19.

Antibody tests are probably the fastest and easiest way of detecting the presence of COVID-19, but it isn’t the only way. There are tests currently being used around the world, which look for the virus’ genetic information in a person’s saliva, mouth, nose, and anus. These tests use the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, which is a process in molecular biology that rapidly produces billions of copies of DNA for study. While these tests can detect the presence of COVID-19, they cannot identify people who were infected and ultimately cleared of it.^[9]

6Who Is At Risk

There is no known immunity to COVID-19, which means that everyone is at risk of catching and spreading the infection. That doesn’t mean this is a perfect time to panic; just because you might become infected, doesn’t mean you’re going to fall over dead in a few hours. COVID-19 can be dangerous, but like most infections, certain portions of the population are more at risk than others. Young children, healthcare professionals, the elderly, and people with a compromised immune system are the ones who are most at risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19.^[10]

When a healthy adult contracts the virus, there’s a possibility that they will not show any symptoms at all, and won’t get sick. This is one of the reasons the virus has managed to escape the confines of Wuhan, China, to infect the world. Infected people who are asymptomatic^[11] become unknown carriers, and even when an otherwise healthy adult does show symptoms, they are often mild and comparative to the common cold.

10 Dreadful Symptoms Of Deadly Diseases

5What Are The Symptoms Of COVID-19

The first part of this block is going to list the symptoms associated with COVID-19 that shouldn’t scare anyone, but the last bit will be all about the more dangerous aspects of the disease. Don’t be alarmed, as these are the worst-case symptoms that won’t affect most people who are infected. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, coughing, and shortness of breath.^[12] These are the same symptoms most people get from the common cold, but they are the mildest possible symptoms a person can experience.

For those who are under a greater deal of risk due to a compromised immune system, or meet the criteria previously mentioned, symptoms can become far more severe. COVID-19 can increase the chances of contracting pneumonia, it can cause multiple organ failure, and in some cases, it can result in death.^[13] These are the most severe cases, though all are of concern due to the ease by which it can be transmitted from person to person.

4COVID-19 Mortality Concerns

Yes, COVID-19 can end a person’s life, but that doesn’t mean the world will end up like it did in Stephen King’s The Stand. The mortality rate for COVID-19 is estimated to be 2.3%, and while that number may seem low, it’s not. If you compare the mortality rate of COVID-19 to something more common like the flu, it’s considerably higher. The flu has a mortality rate of 0.1%, which sees an average of one death per 1,000 people.^[14] These numbers are determined via the case-fatality rate (CFR), which compares the total number of infected patients with those who succumbed from the disease.

While COVID-19 is much higher than the Flu, it presents as a mild infection in the vast majority of people who have had it. The majority of people who have died in China have been elderly, and studies of deaths from the virus show that the CFR jumps to 14.8% for people who are 80 and older while those between the ages of 70 and 79 have a CFR of 8%. For people who were already critically ill when they came in contact with the virus, that number jumps to 49%, suggesting they are the most vulnerable members of the population.^[15][16]

3Avoid Becoming Infected

published an article on Top 10 Things You Need To Do To Prepare For The Coronavirus, but this was intended to be more of an “end of the world” type scenario, so take it with a grain of salt (of which there is much to be found in the comments on that list!) In reality, there are steps you can take to avoid becoming infected, and chances are, you’ve been doing them all along. Because COVID-19 is a coronavirus, which is passed in much the same way as a common cold, the best way to keep from getting it is to wash your hands with soap and warm water, avoid touching your face after coming into contact with anything commonly used like doorknobs, and if you have to go outside, try to avoid sick people.^[17]

Odds are, you do all of that already, so you don’t have to let COVID-19 upend your life or your routine. If you have concerns about winding up in a place with a lot of potentially infected people, you can avoid traveling and going to events with crowds, but that may not be necessary. If it makes you feel better to wear a face mask, you can do so, but make sure you get the right kind. The US Food and Drug Administration recognizes four off-the-shelf N95 respirators, which may be effective in stopping the spread of COVID-19: 3M Particulate Respirator 8670F, 3M Particulate Respirator 8612F, Pasture F550G Respirator, and the Pasture A520G Respirator. These respirators are not suitable for children or men with facial hair, so it’s time so say goodbye to that ironic hipster beard!^[18]

2COVID-19, HIV, & Other Conspiracy Theories

One of the reasons there are so many conspiracy theories about viruses like COVID-19 is that few people truly understand it. Hopefully, this list will help with that, but there are people who hear a comment like, “This virus may use the packing mechanisms of other viruses such as HIV,” and their imaginations tend to run wild.^[19] That finding was published by scientists at Nankai University, and it’s true. The virus does have an HIV-like mutation, but that doesn’t mean someone weaponized a form of HIV in a lab somewhere and released it upon the world, as some conspiracy theories have stated. These same mechanisms appear in many diseases as the result of natural mutations.^[20]

That remark has everything to do with the means of fighting the spread of infection, and research like this helps push further research, which could hopefully lead to a cure or vaccine. You may have seen other conspiracy theories, including one about a new 5G wireless infrastructure being the cause of the disease, but this is so ridiculously false, it barely deserves mention.^[21] The most important thing to do when it comes to hearing these stories is, ask yourself if they make sense, see if they are published by reputable sources, and take a common-sense approach to anything you hear.

1What To Do If You Think You’re Infected With COVID-19

The very first thing you need to do is remember the words printed on the cover of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which are “Don’t Panic.” Panicking doesn’t help you or your loved ones, so you need to take care of yourself to ensure you don’t spread the infection and make sure you get the proper care. If you develop a fever along with symptoms of respiratory illness, you should call your healthcare provider and ask for their advice. They will know the right questions to ask to help determine if you’ve got the common cold, or if you have something more serious.

If you fear you truly did come in contact with someone infected with COVID-19 and are concerned you may have it as well; you need to get tested. Because you are leaving the house to get checked, be responsible, and keep your mouth and nose covered. This will keep you from passing the virus to other people, so if you have a respirator or surgical mask you can use, do so. If not, you can use a scarf or similar article of clothing. Your local hospital may not yet be equipped with testing kits for COVID-19, so call your local public health department for information on the best place to go.^[22]

Top 10 Mysterious Viruses Far Scarier Than COVID-19

We’ve told you before about some of Earth’s strange corners that you can’t set a foot on. However, it turns out there’s no shortage of such locations, so here are 10 more forbidden places you’ll never be able to visit.  

10. Only memories of tragedies live on North Brother Island

The desolate North Brother Island lies near one of the biggest cities in the world: It’s in the East River, between New York City’s Riker’s Island and the Bronx. It’s also the location of two famous historical tragedies and an untold amount of human suffering. It’s arguably most famous as the home of Mary “Typhoid Mary” Mallon, the symptomless Patient Zero of many a typhoid fever outbreak. Mallon spent the last 23 years of his life detained and quarantined on the island, believing all the while that she was a victim of great injustice. 

However, the island claimed its greatest death toll as the nearest landmass to the General Slocum disaster of 1905, where the massive steamship went ablaze near North Brother Island. Over 1,000 people died, and only 321 survived. After these tragedies, the hospital located on the island was put to use after World War II, first for veterans of the war and then for heroin addicts. 

The hospital was closed and left to rot in 1963, and it is now officially forbidden to visit the North Brother Island. However, this isn’t because the island is haunted by the ghosts of the people who met their horrifying fates there (as far as we know). It’s simply because the North Brother Island is home to one of the largest Black-Crowned Night Heron colonies, and as a result, the place is a bird sanctuary. Pretty anticlimactic, huh?

9. Bhangarh Fort is officially haunted at night

To be fair, you can visit the Bhangarh Fort in India’s Rajasthan pretty much whenever you like… as long as you do it in the daytime. After dark, the place is strictly off limits, but it’s not because the officials fear that tourists steal trinkets or start bonfires. It’s because they fear the tourists will be eaten by vengeful ghosts. 

Yes, the Bhangarh Fort is considered to be so haunted that the area’s officials have strictly forbidden all visits to the area at nighttime, making it possibly the only historical building (or at the very least one of the precious few) in the world that is legally haunted. There are many stories surrounding the place, but the most common is that a wizard once cursed the fort for all eternity because they had disobeyed his order to avoid building taller buildings than his dwelling. That seems a bit petty, but hey, that’s wizards for you. Still, whether you believe in ghosts or not, the locals certainly have plenty of chilling stories about people going missing and strange voices in the night — and whenever the sun starts setting, tourists are promptly packed in their buses and vans. 

8. The mysterious closed town of Mezhgorye

The town of Mezhgorye has been around since 1979. It was initially less-than-invitingly called Ufa-105 or Beloretsk-16, but was granted a proper name when it received a town status in 1995. Located near the Ural mountains in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia, the town is closed and evidently highly classified despite the warm welcome sign at its border. 

Mezhgorye is thought to house a little under 20,000 people who work for the nearby top secret base called Mount Yamantau. This is thought to be a massively deep and unfathomably large underground construct, which Russian officials have described as “a mining site, a repository for Russian treasures, a food storage area, and a bunker for Russia’s leaders” depending on who you’re asking, but everyone else seems to be convinced the base has a whole lot to do with nuclear weapons.

7. Setting foot on Pravcicka Brana is strictly forbidden

You’d be forgiven to think that the Pravcicka Brana arch in the Czech Bohemian Switzerland National Park seems somewhat familiar. After all, the giant natural stone arc is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the country, and has been prominently featured in movies such as The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

You’d also be forgiven to want to walk the arch and admire the stunning scenery of the national park all around you, and maybe even take the most Instagram-worthy photo in history by standing on the arch and having a friend photograph you from a lookout point. However, this is something you absolutely can’t do. In fact, even official, otherwise affable visitor guides straight up tell you to not even think about it. The combined forces of erosion and thousands and thousands of tourist feet would play merry hell on the fragile arc, and the risk of collapse is a very real one. You’re welcome to enjoy the Pravcicka Brana from afar (at a price, of course), but actually setting foot on it is strictly, strictly forbidden. 

6. Svalbard Global Seed Vault: No doomsday tourists allowed

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a hyper-secure doomsday vault that stores the seeds of various crops and plants for that tragic day in the future when nature may need a backup. As an iconic place and an imposing Bond villain lair design, the vault is a source of fascination for a certain type of tourists, and operators NordGen often receive requests for visitation. Understandably, they’re not too keen on having tourists wandering the halls of what may one day become humanity’s last hope for survival and looking for souvenirs, so all private visits to the vault are strictly forbidden.

It’s not all bad, though: NordGen is fully aware of the photogenic nature of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, and they are completely cool with private visitors who want to pop by and take a selfie in front of the famous entrance… as long as they don’t expect to be let in. 

5. Only monkeys may walk on Morgan Island

South Carolina’s Morgan Island is home to a breeding colony of 3,500 Rhesus monkeys, which were moved there by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources after they started causing outbreaks among the locals in the Puerto Rico research center that was their original home. The monkeys have been there since the 1970s, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases uses them for life-saving research while also maintaining, feeding and generally taking care of the colony. 

For obvious reasons (and also because the Institute wants to keep the island clean of human interaction), visiting the island is strictly prohibited. However, it is completely cool for boats to sail near the shores to laugh at the Rhesus monkeys’ many amusing beach antics.

4. Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang is so deadly it can’t be explored

You might be familiar with the Chinese terracotta warriors uncovered from a vast imperial tomb. Those, you totally can visit — the terracotta army is housed in a museum built on the site they were discovered, and some of them even tour the globe as art museum exhibitions. 

The thing is, they’re not the entirety of the imperial tomb. They’re just the figures guarding the tomb. The actual tomb, a.k.a. The Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, is a giant, 22-square-mile complex that has multiple buildings, courtyards and even a secret palace — and we may never get to visit it. While the construct is buried by soil and kept dry and intact by a surprisingly advanced ventilation system, even archeologists think it may be too dangerous to fully explore and excavate. Emperor Qin was a paranoid and superstitious sort of fellow, and he constructed his palace to be a full-on Indiana Jones maze full of deadly traps that may or may not still work. While some scientists point out the Hollywood-style traps may just be the product of historians’ imagination, the Chinese government still seems content just sitting on the discovery until they develop sufficient technology to venture in the tomb without destroying anything (and, presumably, to avoid getting a faceful of mercury-laced arrows). 

3. Good luck reaching Heard Island

To be fair, it’s not entirely forbidden to witness the unique, lush ecosystem of Heard Island with your own two eyes. You can totally visit the island if you’re willing to jump the hurdles and obtain the correct documents and permits. Good luck getting there, though: Though Heard Island technically belongs to Australia, it’s actually nearly 250 miles to the south of Western Australia and just 62 miles from Antarctica. Flying is a no-go, as the vast majority of the island is occupied by a tall, steep volcano called Big Ben.

There are no commercial tour services to take you there. The only way to get there is by boat, which according to Australia’s Antarctic Division means that you have to endure some two weeks of sailing “through some of the roughest seas on the planet” — and then do that again to get back to Australia. Also, the island has no permanent residents, so you have absolutely zero backup during your stay there. 

2. Niihau is Hawaii’s “forbidden island”

Hawaii enjoys a reputation as a famously welcoming and chill place, but it also has its secrets. Niihau, Hawaii’s “forbidden island,” was bought by Elizabeth Sinclair from King Kamehameha V in 1864, and the King had only one resquest for her: To keep the place in good condition for its people. 

The island is now owned by Sinclair’s descendants Bruce and Keith Robinson, and the family has kept their promise with a vengeance: The island is a lush, pristine habitat for many endangered species and a peaceful home to the people who live there. Its peacefulness is largely thanks to the family’s policy of keeping tourists as far away as humanly possible. The island gained its “forbidden” nickname in 1952, when a polio epidemic was ravaging Hawaii and the family decided to protect Niihau by forbidding entrance without a doctor’s certificate and a two-week quarantine period. The tactic worked, the nickname remained, and for decades, only members of the family and the roughly 130 natives living on the island were allowed there. People who want to visit the island as their dying wish? Mick Jagger? Billionaires and members of royalty? All have requested; all requests have been denied.

In recent years, however, the Robinsons have gotten a little fed up with the constant barrage of requests and started allowing a small number of carefully controlled tours to the north end of the island. So, it remains to be seen just how “forbidden” the island will be in years to come. 

1. The Chernobyl sarcophagus will irradiate you

When the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster happened, its aftermath left the Chernobyl exclusion zone, a large, technically forbidden zone that nevertheless is visited pretty much all the time. While the radiation levels in large parts of the area, including the town of Pripyat, are more or less survivable, there are still some zones that are strictly forbidden to visit on pain of (very painful) death. 

The most obvious of these forbidden locations, both physically and by common sense, is Reactor 4, the reactor whose meltdown caused the whole disaster. The reactor is now covered by a hulking concrete sarcophagus designed to keep both radiation in and people out. The sarcophagus itself is a crumbling old thing that will be dismantled by 2023, but its successor is already in place: The massive 354-foot-tall steel structure called New Safe Containment, which covers both Reactor 4 and the sarcophagus, was finished in 2016.