Discover the most interesting facts from 12 countries

What would happen if each country could indicate its greatest curiosity? It could be, for example, a unique place, an innovative way to solve a problem, a ridiculous law or a beautiful tradition… We can’t even imagine what it would be.

O awesome.club decided to reflect on this theme and chose 12 curiosities that each country can be proud of.

If you’re tired, you don’t like your colleagues; if your boss can’t stand you anymore or you’re just stressed, all your problems can be solved easily. Just decide to go to jail! That’s right: you self-impose prison. This method is popular in South Korea.

The service is called “The Prison Within Me”. After paying about 150,000 won (about 500 reais), the person is taken to a building outside the city and placed in a small solitary room for 24 hours, but with windows and an adequate temperature. Without phones or watches, the “prisoners” wear a blue uniform and sleep on the floor. They only have tea, a pen and a notebook to write down their thoughts.

This prison gives the opportunity to take a break from the outside world, determine future prospects and rethink decisions. However, after “release”, all visitors say only one thing: “This is not a prison; the real prison is where we live”.

It all started with a hobby of a man named Shozo Hayama, who, for 50 years, collected stones that looked expensive. He selected only those that had been created by nature, and as a result, his collection currently includes over 1,700 faces that look like actors, musicians or just plain funny people. And just now, after his death, a museum has been opened that has become one of the most popular places in Japan.

One might say, “It’s just rocks,” but none of the museum visitors say that. You can look at each of the stones for a long time and realize that each one of them conveys different emotions. What would each of these stones be thinking, judging by their physiognomy?

There is only one place where these peculiar slugs live: at the foot of Kaputar Mountain in Australia. The size of these slugs is, on average, 20 centimeters. At night, these animals often crawl to nearby farmland and eat vegetables. And, at the beginning of the day, they hide under roots or fallen leaves. In fact, in the same area live giant cannibalistic snails. Well… we are really talking about Australia and you must know the fame of this country, right?

Bhutan is a small kingdom between India and China. Its territory is covered by 60% of forests, the export of which was banned in 1999 — and trees, as is well known, remove carbon from the atmosphere. Energy is produced by hydroelectric plants, whose emission levels are very low. In the country there are no industries and almost no petroleum-based transport (gasoline or diesel). Would it be possible for large nations to approach the indicators of small Bhutan?

Not everyone likes to carry on a small talk during a visit to the hairdresser. That’s why, in several salons in the UK, “silent chairs” have been implemented for those who want to relax, listen to music and even take a little nap during hair procedures. And if you go to a salon and sit in a chair like that, no one will be offended or think you’re unsympathetic. Most will understand that you really just want some peace and quiet.

People hold up cards that represent votes for or against.

The Swiss don’t just vote once every four years, but much more often. The fact is that in this country a system of “direct democracy” works. In other words, the last word in making any decision always belongs to the people. Citizens have the right to change laws, create new ones and even change rulers if the majority wants to. It sounds incredible, but this system had to gradually evolve over nearly 800 years to get it right.

Crows are one of the smartest birds. To prove this, visit the Puy du Fou park, in the Vendée region, western France). There, the birds were taught to fly around the park, pick up garbage from the garden and take it to a container. They receive food for the work done.

“The purpose of the project is not just to clean up the park. We want to show people that nature itself is capable of setting an example by taking care of the environment”says Nicolas de Villiers, the person in charge of the area.

Yiwu is also called “Commodity City”. At the local wholesale market, Yiwu International Trade City, you can find literally anything there. There, 70 thousand points of sale (barraquinhas) offer all kinds of products to customers.

It’s such a huge market that it’s divided into sections, and each one feels like a world on its own. For example, there is a toy department, a hat department, an indoor plant department, and an electronics department. In general, people go there to look for specific products, but lately, the market has become one of China’s attractions.

The Museum of Broken Relationships gives you the possibility to anonymously leave objects that remind you of your ex. And then, turn your personal story into an exhibition. In 2006 it was just an art project and today, in addition to the main museum in Croatia, there are 45 temporary exhibitions around the world on a traveling basis.

We could even think: “But how so? These people need help and not have their addiction exacerbated!” But the company’s founders think differently. Alcoholics and homeless people work in the parks of the Dutch capital and are given cans of beer and cigarettes at lunchtime. And at the end of the day, if the employees did a good job, they each get $10. It is believed that, in this way, they not only stop going to the streets, but also motivate themselves to work. And later on, it even helps many to get a permanent job.

Parents are usually busier, so they spend less time with their children. But in Finland, there are a number of laws that encourage parents to be more involved in their children’s lives. For example, a father’s parental leave can last nine weeks, with 70% of salary paid.

The custom of gifting books is so popular that it is the cause of jolabokaflod, or the “Christmas Flood” in bookstores across the country. According to statistics, Iceland publishes more works per capita than any other country, and sells them in preparation for the holidays. In addition, it is one of the most read nations.

Icelanders themselves are very proud of their authors, and a book is considered a really good and very valuable gift (but only on paper). After the Christmas Eve gift exchange, it is customary to sit comfortably on the couch or bed to eat chocolate while reading.