Статьи - oddities OUTLOOK

The first thing every tourist shall learn in a country is a transport system. Very often it seems to be complicated and confusing, and it takes weeks or even months to make head or tail of it. OUTLOOK reader Natalia Usenko visited Japan and is sharing her impressions about the most comfortable and safest transport in the world.

03.02.2022 | Japan, oddities

Your breakfast, Sir! How people start their day around the world

A mini toast, a slice of cheese and a sip of strong coffee. "That is not a buffet!" a waiter will pronounce indignantly, looking at the disgruntled tourist’s face. The generous Ukrainian soul cannot understand how locals manage to eat their full with that. Therefore, before going to a new country, you need to know exactly whether in the evening you should prepare a couple of sandwiches to indulge them in the morning,...

18.01.2022 | traditions, oddities

Taxi in New York Style

Next ‘character’ of our cycle about symbolic means of public transport is yellow cab of New York. It is impossible to imagine the Big Apple and especially its centre, Manhattan, without those bright and incredibly handy cars. Seemingly, there are more “checkers” than people.

05.01.2022 | USA, oddities

VIDEO: Vanilla, pistachio... orchid

With the assistance of the Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic in Ukraine we visited Damascus and enjoyed very interesting place. Watch!

21.12.2021 | Syria, travel, oddities, diplomacy, videos, world cuisine, places

On the Move. Street food from around the world. Part 2

Do you happen to get hungry? That is great as we go on with our story about the most popular street food from around the world. It’s freshly cooked - fall to, you guys! Let's start with the South Asian countries, namely Singapore - seafood-rich in vitamins and minerals occupy a key place in the diet of residents ...

12.11.2021 | traditions, food, oddities, Israel, China, Netherlands, Brazil, Canada, Singapore, cuisine of the world, Kenya

Look at sky above. The best planetariums in the world

For better or worse, travelling to distant planets and stars exists only on the pages of science fiction and in Hollywood film industry. Although the possibility of space tourism crept close, yet, Jupiter and Saturn are still way not close. Nevertheless, from long ago there are special objects that seem to shrink the universe making it accessible. We are talking about planetariums and observatories.

05.11.2021 | oddities

Dirty-faced aristocrats

Profession of a chimney-sweep has recently entered the list of the most rear occupations in the world. And as far back as some hundred years ago almost every European citizen was able to tell a lot of interesting things about these guys doomed to be covered in smear. We didn’t invent a time machine but we managed to get some facts about representatives of this vanishing trade.

21.10.2021 | oddities

Water gates. Impressive world harbors

Airports, railway and bus stations are almost always erected at a human whim, while ports and harbours are joint creation of homo sapiens and nature. In this article OUTLOOK presents you the most beautiful port destinations with their own unique character worth exploring.

16.10.2021 | Italy, USA, oddities, rating, China, Belgium, Greece, UAE

Alternative day in Copenhagen: Christiania, the bulwark of freedom

All of us, one way or another, strive for freedom, personal or national, material or spiritual, which is illusory and unachievable, and at the same time very real in terms of our ideas about it. An alternative village of Christiania in the centre of the Danish capital is another attempt to achieve complete freedom from the laws of the material world.

07.06.2021 | Denmark, oddities

VIDEO: Antique and industrial Kyiv

When sending stuff to trash can or throwing it away to a dumpster we don’t suspect that it doesn’t always mean death for it, now and then even in the contrary – it is a beginning of a new life…

06.06.2021 | oddities, Ukraine, antiques, Kyiv

Round the edge of the world. Cape Horn

For sailors to round Cape Horn situated in the very South of Argentina is a success that equals to Everest ascent for alpinists. Rush under sails around “sailor’s graveyard” defying gigantesque waves and hurricane wind turned out a success for the first time on January, 29, 1616.

07.04.2021 | oddities, República Argentina

Underwater museums

A few centuries ago sea transport was not just the most popular, but the only way to get from point A to point B. However, as you know, force majeure occur on any roads, even on water routs, and through a long history of mankind many ships did not manage to reach their destination ports and ended underwater. Nevertheless, the relative "reservation" allows wreck vessels to live a second life as a museum.

28.11.2020 | oddities, Egypt, Sweden, Great Britain, Panama

Crazy Mail

In already distant year 1920 authorities of the United States adopted a surprising regulation: prohibition to.... send children by mail. Such a decision may seem weird in 21st century however almost a hundred years ago it was treated with understanding which means that there were caring parents who did send their kids in packages... We talk about amusing accidents that occur in work of post services.

08.09.2020 | oddities

Switzerland: Banks, Chocolate and Army

It is an open secret that this world is full of paradoxes. OUTLOOK, in its turn, tries to figure them out therefore today we’ll tell about armed forces of the world’s most militarized state that, however, hasn’t been at war with anyone for over two centuries. Our feature is about the army of Switzerland.

21.08.2020 | oddities, Switzerland, do you know

On the Road – Own Way

OUTLOOK cannot imagine life without travelling. However, tickets, schedules, tardiness – all those things can spoil any trip. Therefore it is great to have either at home or in you garage a kind of transport that can allow you to see and to experience something new and forget all the problems.

13.07.2020 | travel, oddities, technology

10 facts about Israel that will surprise you

When touring this small-sized but very exciting country through the length and breadth, our OUTLOOK team selected unusual facts about it. We bet you did not know that familiar to us "at" sign @ in the Hebrew is called "strudel"? It is. Keep on reading and we'll tell you more interesting things most of which you have never suspected!

19.04.2020 | oddities, Israel, 10 facts

Select wheels for yourself. Strange transport

Second part of the saying “Repair your cart in December, in July your sledge remember” is hardly topical for inhabitants of one of Portugal regions. Why wait for snow if they slide perfectly on asphalt. It is this as well as other kinds of transport – from low-cost public to exclusive and luxury– that we are going to tell you about today.

20.02.2020 | oddities, do you know

Popcorn. A present from Indians

The best way to escape reality and relieve stress is a cinema trip. For traditional reasons one of must-do conditions of such pastime is popcorn chewing. Title sequence and opening credits appear on the dark screen; some people have cozily settled in soft chairs and stay in entranced anticipation of a new film.

10.12.2019 | oddities

Incredible school lessons from around the world

Grinding away at their books to master basics of algebra and geometry, or memorizing years of monarchs’ reign skimming history textbooks is commonplace for schoolchildren all over the world while getting ready for a test in cybersecurity or boasting to have “A”s in beekeeping is strange at the vey least. Hereafter we are going to touch upon these and other unusual classes taught in foreign schools.

01.09.2019 | Japan, USA, oddities, society, Israel, Australia, Armenia, New Zealand

Let's have a seat! Part two

Some time ago we wrote about the unusual benches adorning streets of various cities. One article was not enough to "fit" all the benches we liked, so today meet the second part of the review.

22.06.2019 | art, oddities

Burned out? No big deal!

All too often when bulbs in our apartments get burned out, we throw them away without a second thought: what’s the use of it now? But add a dab of imagination – and “properly made” hands can work miracles. If you have a child, then a burned out illumination tool may turn into a wonderful handmade toy...

14.06.2019 | oddities, advice

Chinese infrastructure: Unusual bridge that connects Macau and Hong Kong

When skeptics say that the greatest things have already been built by humanity, pointing at various and really outstanding works of engineering thought, they are most often poorly informed and hardly look beyond developed Western countries. In the meanwhile, for example, in China, the state raises simply unheard of infrastructure projects.

21.05.2019 | oddities, China

In between the banks

As practice proves, even the most utilitarian items can be made a work of art. Using some imagination and without “killing” creativity, everything becomes extraordinary: bridges, for instance. Logically, principal purpose of such constructions is to connect two banks therefore main thing about them is security. Yet sometimes people follow other criteria.

15.03.2019 | oddities, rating

"All inclusive" and even more: amazing hotel service

Hotels that offer “all inclusive” for dogs. Hotels where adults are being lulled asleep by a fairytale or a unique place where work isn’t held in honor while laziness is encouraged. This is not a dream or a parallel reality – these are stalky hotel services…

08.03.2019 | travel, oddities, places

Fun Is Possible Without Roller Coasters

We have already told you about most amazing amusement parks in terms of dimensions and breathtaking rides. Now turn has come to talk about the most unusual places to spend exciting time in. Outlook warns: adrenaline level rises not just because of crazy roller coasters and centrifuges.

03.10.2015 | oddities, rating

Say Cheese! Part 2

We keep telling our readers about the most iconic photographs. The next step is another collection of shots which now would gain some hundreds of likes in Instagram, and if story of their creation were widely known, they would be liked thousands of times.

02.10.2015 | art, oddities

Have Some Sleep at Work

Indignation due to prohibition to show at working place wearing jeans is the last thing that bothers employees of one of firms in the USA who have to perform opera singing warm-ups every three hours… And how about wearing office footwear in the shape of Dutch wooden clogs like working people in Taiwan do? Outlook came up with a selection of weird corporate rules.

13.09.2015 | oddities, society

Downshifters. Abandon Everything

What do Ukrainian philosopher Gregory Skovoroda, Russian multimillionaire German Sterlingov and British journalist Judy Jones have in common? Each of them in a certain moment of their lives decided that career was far from being the most important thing in life and traded blessings of civilization for closeness to nature by becoming downshifters.

27.08.2015 | oddities, nature

Royal migraine

It seems that Movers and Shakers of our world cannot fall ill with such typical for mere mortal diseases like rash or gastric ulcer. They gravitate to mental disorders which apparently affected their genius. OUTLOOK had a good dig into the history of physical illness tortured Empress Catherine, great mind Voltaire, writer Swift and other famous personalities.

04.08.2015 | oddities, illustration

For Boys And Girls And Moms And Dads

Last year my friend's parents took his younger brother and headed to California, to the very famous Disneyland. The kid was, surely, very lucky - one can only dream of getting to the world of favorite animation at the age of 8. But what to do if you have alredy been to the world of Walt Disney?

01.08.2015 | oddities

Please, papa, bring along a scarlet flower…

If your medical record can rightly accommodate a pencil-written diagnosis “shopaholism” with a florid symptom “I don’t know why I need this, but I’m buying it” – I have bad news for you.

27.07.2015 | oddities

Predictions from pastry

As soon as baked envelopes with paper filling gained global popularity, discussion arose immediately concerning who the idea of baking fortune-telling cookies belongs to. On one hand, Asian China and Japan claim copyright with multinational America on the other hand. We suggest that you get acquainted with the three versions and pick a winner in this "dispute" , at least for yourself.

28.02.2015 | oddities

Peace, friends, gum!

Almost a century and a half ago American dentist William Finley Semple forever went down in history – he patented the technology of chewing gum production. Today it comes with almost every taste. But originally things weren’t that palatable: it was made of gum elastic and chalk

28.12.2014 | oddities

It’s BBC speaking and showing

Mass media is often perceived as a weapon of politicians and moguls. People are accustomed not to trust anyone. Nevertheless, there is one company that in split 100 years of activity raised its authority very high. No doubt, we talk about BBC…

23.12.2014 | oddities, cinema, Great Britain

Personal tale tellers for the tourists

Clapping hands, rubbing monuments or circling around objects five times counterclockwise are the things tourists are ready to do to speed up fulfillment of desires. Every person happened to experience something of the kind at least once. Total amount of coins thrown into fountains and water basins in the course of a globe-trotting life may not allow one to buy a car, but will definitely be enough for a bicycle. City legends and tour guides make tourists commit ludicrous acts and throw money into the water. In selection for the job of a guide main criteria must be capability to make stories with imaginative power that equals to the one of Charles Perrault and Brothers Grimm…

19.11.2014 | oddities, do you know

I dare: TOP of the most dangerous feats in the past century

Both now and always there were madcaps who lack adrenaline. OUTLOOK came up with the own selection of the most dangerous feats in the past century.

12.11.2014 | oddities, rating

Not just trees and benches: TOP of the most incredible parks

Today OUTLOOK readers we came up with a selection of the most impressive ones, created thank to vivid fancy of both nature and humans, and owing to “multi-zero” investments.

08.09.2014 | oddities, rating

TOP of the Most Unusual Professions

A person spends about a third of his or her life at work, whether this is a rammer in subway, an excrements archeologist or a weeper. OUTLOOK offers you a selection of the rarest and most unusual professions.

21.07.2014 | oddities, rating, society

In mood for roses

When I was very young, I came up with my own legend as if I didn’t like roses because of them being snobbish and way too popular. However the real reason was that I simply couldn’t afford such expensive flowers. But with time they lost their halo of inaccessibility and now I can enjoy their scent, thorns, spires, exquisite arrogance and vulgar revel…

18.06.2014 | oddities, nature

Freak flowers

Today OUTLOOK prepared a selection of the world’s most weird flowers. Leaves of Queen Victoria's water lily even without any of computer graphics may be used as scenery for Thumbelina’s escape from the mole. And luscious and aggressive scent of lily causing dizziness is nothing compared to the rotten flesh aroma or Rafflesia or Amorphophallus.

19.05.2014 | oddities, nature, rating

Supplements do not ask: 10 of the most disgusting dishes

If you are on a diet now and treacherous voice inside whispers foully «Come on, go and peep into your fridge!» read this article and it will block your appetite completely. But be careful! Owners of weak nerves and stomachs are not recommended to read and especially to look at the pictures. OUTLOOK prepared top ten of the most disgusting dishes, compared to which pig brains or fried grasshoppers seem to be pretty delicious...

14.05.2014 | oddities, rating, world cuisine

Incredible airports

To fly on a huge Boeing just a few meters above beach with holidaymakers, to land at airport located in the sea, or to ride along runway through a busy highway full with cars – all those hardly believable things are quite real.

14.05.2014 | oddities, rating

Over the shoulder

Bags made of paper, broccoli, clay and waste – OUTLOOK picked the most interesting and distinctive accessories.

14.05.2014 | oddities, fashion