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Aug

Name That Finger: Digit-al Wordplay

by Meredith Mullins on August 31, 2020

A pentadactyl adventure
© Meredith Mullins

The Cultural Traditions of Finger Names Around the World

The finger has a long history. No, not THAT finger—that one that always seems to come to mind first.

The finger in the broader, pentadactyl sense. The five fingers of the hand.

We humans aren’t the only folks in the world with fingers. Many in the animal kingdom have five-fingered limbs, from monkeys and apes to rats and bats to pandas and birds. Read more...

Meredith Mullins 2 Comments

Cultural Heritage & Traditions/Language & Culture/Wordplay/Worldwide Sites

Aug

Cultural Encounters: Ice Cream Around the World

by Meredith Mullins on August 17, 2020

A global favorite
© Minsun Lee

The Inside Scoop on a Global Favorite

I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream.

Have you belted out those lyrics . . . or do you remember, in your childhood, having a Pavlovian response to the seductive call of an ice cream truck bell or jingle?

My ice cream truck tune still occasionally pops up from my subconscious childhood playlist and reminds me of the truck getting closer and closer to our house. Read more...

Meredith Mullins 2 Comments

Cultural Encounters/Worldwide Sites

Aug

Great Gardens of the World: Les Jardins d’Étretat

by Meredith Mullins on August 3, 2020

A Nature Discovery with a View

Where am I?

Am I in Alice’s wonderland or a labyrinthian meditation garden? Am I dreaming that hedges are crashing like waves on the hillside, or am I lost in a fantasy tunnel of green?

Perhaps all of the above. Great gardens open doors to creative experiences.

Gardens hide behind tiny doors or down Alice-discovered rabbit holes. They surprise us beyond dilapidated fences that seem to say “go farther only if you dare.” And they present magical mazes that offer the alluring puzzle of being lost in time and place. Read more...

Meredith Mullins 15 Comments

France/Nature Discovery

World Views: