【推荐1】“Most children,” Asher Svidensky says, “are a little afraid of golden eagles. However, Kazakh boys in western Mongolia start learning how to use the huge birds to hunt for foxes and hares at the age of 13.” Svidensky, a photographer and travel writer, shot five boys learning the skill as well as the girl, Ashol Pan. “To see her with the eagle was amazing,” he recalls. “She was a lot more comfortable with it, a lot more powerful with it and a lot more at ease with it.”

The Kazakhs in western Mongolia are the only people that hunt with golden eagles, and today there are around 400 practising eagle hunters. Ashol Pan, the daughter of a famous hunter, may well be the country’s only girl hunter.

They hunt in winter, when the temperatures can drop to -40℃. A hunt begins with days of traveling on horseback through a snow mountain or ridge (山脉) giving an excellent view of prey for miles around. Hunters generally work in teams. After a fox is discovered, riders rush to frighten it into the open, and an eagle is released (释放). If the eagle fails to make a kill, another is released.

“The skill of hunting with eagles,” Svidensky says, “lies in bringing an unexpected force of nature under control. You don’t really control the eagle. You can try and make her hunt an animal, and then it’s a matter of nature. What will the eagle do? Will she make it? How will you get her back afterwards?”

Svidensky describes Ashol Pan as a smiling, sweet and shy girl. “Ashol Pan stands for something about Mongolia in the 21^st century,” says Svidensky. “Everything there is going to change and is going to be redefined (重新定义), and the possibility is amazing.”

【推荐2】Cultural misunderstanding happens when you do something that is totally fine to do in your culture but it is offensive to the other.     1     Sometimes unintentionally, someone may hurt your feelings and sometimes maybe you will offend someone terribly. In either case, you should always accept that there is a possibility that cultural differences are causing communication problems.     2     So, here are some of the most common cultural misunderstandings one may have to face.

Embracing is one of the ways to greet in most parts of the world but not in all parts of the world.     3     In east Asia it’s advised to keep a respectful distance. In Oatar, men and women are forbidden to publicly embrace one another. Whereas, in some countries embracing is an important part of their lives. In Italy, literally embracing one another on a regular basis is a common custom. However, you might want to avoid embracing opposite gender no matter where you are.

You must know in many cultures especially in Muslims, sole of feet are directed very carefully. If you are pointing your feet soles to someone, it is like disrespecting them, or even an offense to an Arab.

There are many places in the world where you must take your shoes off before entering. Masjids and temples are the common example for this. However, in some cultures you are not even allowed to enter a private house with your shoes on. In the south pacific or some parts of east Asia, you must remember to remove your shoes before entering a house as a sign of respect and cleanliness.     5    

【推荐3】“The Mexican is familiar with death, jokes with it, sleeps with it and celebrates it,” wrote Mexican author Octavio Paz.

To celebrate death, people throughout Mexico celebrate the Day of the Dead on or around Nov. 1 each year. People wear makeup to celebrate the festival on that day.

Widely considered to be Mexico’s most important festival, the Day of the Dead is deeply rooted in the culture of the local Mexica.

The Mexica were the dominant local people in Mexico before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century.

The celebration is based on a Mexican legend ( 传 说 ) that says after death, souls can only communicate with their still-living families in the first days of November. One can see how these days would be quite important for the Mexican people.

Now the tradition has become a modern festival .

“It’s a celebration with many years of history, to which local people have incorporated(融合) new religious elements, such as the gathering of offerings,” said Octavio Murillo, director at the National Institute of Local People in Mexico.

On this special day, people around Mexico decorate their homes, streets and relatives’ graves with flowers, candles and colorful skulls. At the same time, they set up altars ( 祭坛) on which they place the personal belongings of the dead to welcome them home.

In recent years, this festival has become a global symbol of Mexican culture , especially after the movie Coco《寻梦环游记》 hit big screens in 2017.

“We are all afraid of death, and in Mexico, it is part of a celebration, a ritual of color. It’s amazing. ” said Alejandra Diaz, a 30-year-old traveller. She took a week-long trip from Colombia to Mexico City just to take part in the festivities.