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Why We Are What We Are

(Credit: Nicola Colombo/Getty Images)
Why We Are What We Are

The islands gifted as an unpaid debt

By Karen Gardiner

Niksen is about carving out time to just be, letting your mind wander wherever it wants to go (Credit: Westend61/Getty Images)
Well World

The Dutch solution to stress

By Olga Mecking
Willemstad, Curacao's capital, is characterised by its vibrant architecture (Credit: Lisa5201/Getty Images)
Why We Are What We Are

A Caribbean secret to happiness

By Sarah Harvey
The 495m-high Lion Rock is topped by a huge granite outcrop that resembles a crouching lion (Credit: Zoonar GmbH/Alamy)
Why We Are What We Are

The giant rock that defines Hong Kong

By Gary Jones
Group of men at College Street book market, Kolkata
Why We Are What We Are

The secret of Bengali conviviality

By Tania Banerjee
A red fisher’s hut on the shore of the Åland Islands, Finland
Why We Are What We Are

Europe's most cooperative islands?

By Karen Gardiner
The art of romance is ingrained in French culture – although you rarely hear the words "je t'aime" (Credit: Fotostorm/Getty Images)
Why We Are What We Are

Why it's hard to find love in France

By Sylvia Sabes
Paisa vasool is about finding extra value in every interaction (Credit: Peter Adams/Getty Images)
Why We Are What We Are

The Indian way to 'maximise value'

By Nayantara Dutta
Singapore is renowned for its impeccable cleanliness and pristine public image (Credit: Tuul & Bruno Morandi/Getty Images)
Culture & Identity

The Asian city obsessed with hygiene

By Faris Mustafa
Muhibbah has been adopted as the unifying spirit of Malaysia to ensure acceptance and tolerance between communities (Credit: Xpacifica/Getty Images)
Why We Are What We Are

Is this Asia’s most harmonious nation?

By Charukesi Ramadurai
In Bangladesh, life is played out on the 230 rivers that crisscross the nation (Credit: Mohammad Saiful Islam/Getty Images)
Why We Are What We Are

A nation submerged under endless water

By Aysha Imtiaz
Hiraeth conveys a distinct feeling of missing something irretrievably lost (Credit: Alan Novelli/Getty Images)
Why We Are What We Are

The Welsh word you can’t translate

By Lily Crossley-Baxter
In the Chinese-speaking world, astrology is a respected and important part of local culture (Credit: Too_R/Getty Images)
Culture & Identity

The Asian nation obsessed with luck

By Matt Jenkins
Nigeria is home to more than 370 tribes and 500 languages (Credit: peeterv/Getty Images)
Why We Are What We Are

The country that loves to overachieve

By Rosie Bell
Aizawl is India's only "honk-free" city, where people follow traffic rules and don't blare their horns (Credit: Wildlife/Alamy)
Culture & Identity

A little-known 'country' inside India

By Zinara Rathnayake
Shemomechama happens when you are full but you continue eating anyway (Credit; yanadjana/Alamy)
Why We Are What We Are

Have you ever experienced shemomechama?

By David Farley