Leo's Geography Challenge - Mega-Thread

[Willie]

17 minutes ago, Carl-Richard said:

Of course, you can't befriend people from all cultures.

Not with that attitude…

[Carl-Richard]

Just now, Willie said:

Not with that attitude…

Ugh, I worded myself wrong. I meant you can't possibly meet people from all cultures in your country.

[Kalki Avatar]

@Leo Gura Please post each doc you look at on your blog. I have enjoyed the ones you have posted so far. 

Edited November 17, 2023 by Kalki Avatar

[Princess Arabia]

 

Edited November 17, 2023 by Princess Arabia

[Abijah]

@Leo Gura Leo, the following linked YouTube channel 'Geography Now' was made for this challenge! https://www.youtube.com/@GeographyNow They do an Incredible job of framing, and accurately describing the countries of the world.

I live on a small twin Island in the Caribbean (Trinidad and Tobago) and I was completely blown away by just how well they were able to capture my country in the following linked video;  

This video led me to have a certain level of trust that the information they present about the other countries of the world is just as accurate as this incredible video they did on my largely unknown country.

I also have to include Mark Weins' Food & Travel Channel (https://www.youtube.com/@MarkWiens). The following linked video series perfectly captures the local experience of living in Trinidad and Tobago, giving the viewer a true and accurate representation of our everyday multicultural life and cuisine;  

 

[PurpleTree]

i’ve visited and traveled in 5 continents 

mostly europe, asia, australia and central america though

[Chadders]

A great idea. I started with Cameroon yesterday 

[VictorB02]

I'm surprised nobody here has mentioned Indigo Traveller:

These are the rawest, no-bs mini documentaries I've ever watched. Some of the things I've watched in his videos have completely shattered my western paradigm and idea of cushy life. Reminds me of how blessed I am.

I'm sure this would be a great source for those of you participating in the challenge. Hell, I'll even join in on the challenge as well. I love learning about this stuff. 

Edited November 17, 2023 by VictorB02

[Danioover9000]

 

   How's this for a geographical reconstruction contextualizing?

[Rahul yadav]

@Leo Gura how are you gonna filter countries from worst to best? Is there any stats already? 

[effortlesslumen]

Micronesia

[Davino]

It reminds me of the pursuit of Shivapuri baba after 25 years in isolation Awakening embarked The round of the world, (80% on foot) and dying at the age of 136. One of the few human beings in Tier 3 Spiral Dynamics. This book about his life : Long Pilgrimage – The Life and Teaching of the Shivapuri Baba explains more in detail all his travels from 18  audiences with Queen Victoria to walking all America from USA to Argentina and all in the middle on foot. His life experiences really inspire me, truly one of a kind. What I call a life worth living. Here is a little interview and summary of his life:

 

Quote

Shivapuri Baba was born in 1826 AD in Kerala, South India.

He lost his parents at the age of 9, so his grandfather Achyutam who was a well known Astrologer in the court of Tipu Sultan and a reputed jeweler and exporter of spices to various countries with considerable wealth, looked after him.

The family was very learned as well; even the staff working in the house for service used to talk in Sanskrit, which was their family language. When his Grandfather retired and wanted to spend the rest of his life in a forest doing his Spiritual Sadhana, Shivapuri Baba accompanied him. He stayed with him till his death. Thereafter, he enter deep into the Narmada Forest and started his quest for God.

After nearly 25 years of severe dedication, he got God Realization, the final destination wich, Shivapuri Baba said, every human being must reach.
Then, he set out to travel, as wished by his Grandfather with all his wealth, for the great journey: The round of the world, (80% on foot), and fortified his knowledge about this world. This, I imagine, enable him to synthesize wordly knowledge with Spiritual achievement. Probably, this helped him to explain about Right Life to any sort of seekers belonging to different religions or atheists who could understand his Teaching very well.

What is the gift of his Right Life ? ”It is very simple , to carry Body, Intellect, Mind and Soul to perfection”.

He said that every living being must reach this Goal to become 100% free. Because Man being the crown of all living beings, is the only one who can achieve this. How to achieve this? By practicing the three disciplines, Physical, Mental and Spiritual.

Physical discipline: It takes the seekers Body and Intellect to perfection by making his body healthy. At the same time restricting himself to his SWADHARMA or chosen DUTY and never straying into useless and harmfull activities, make his life successful and wealthy. He becomes happy and lives his life as a king, but he cannot achieve the Highest , God.

Mental discipline: This discipline tames his mind as a result of which it comes to possess The COMMANDING and CONTROLLING POWERS over his senses and their objects. He becomes free from his Likings and Dislikings ; He does not stray into speculation and unlawful desires and actions, in this way he becomes happy and accomplished yogi with full of occult powers. But still he is short of GOD. With his death all his accomplishments disappear.

Spiritual discipline: The last discipline enables him to acquire divine qualities, his Soul, bereft of his identification with his body, intellect and mind.-his false « I »- the cage in which he was imprisoned till then. After this he comes to know his real « I ». The Purusha. GOD, the Father, bestows him HIS GRACE wich makes him fit enough to fly to HIS KINGDOM, his birthplace, his birthright, his GOAL, he becomes PUROSOTTAMA, the GREATEST.

He becomes omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, Eternally Blissfull and Immortal.

Shivapuri Baba implores every man to achieve this, reccomanding the practice of the three Disciplines, simultanousely, not dissociated. In the begining, the first two will be predominant. At the end, the third becomes Predominant.

 

Edited November 19, 2023 by Davino

[Mohammad]

Let's go Leo! Great idea man.

[Leo Gura]

Socotra:

 

[Bobby_2021]

This is a fun and interesting exercise to build emphathy. But don't fool yourself into thinking you have learned something real by watching videos or even talking to people.

Actually surviving these places is the true test. You cannot get that while sitting in your comfy room sipping ice cream and watching 3rd grade living conditions in 4k.

[Vrubel]

Suriname:

 

[Yimpa]

I wonder what would happen if there was a country that only had neurodiverse people.

I imagine a creatively advanced society and culture, or a really gay one.

[LoneWonderer]

Countries, travel and Culture:

I've now made it public so you can all add your documentaries aswell.

 

[Francis777]

21 hours ago, Bobby_2021 said:

This is a fun and interesting exercise to build emphathy. But don't fool yourself into thinking you have learned something real by watching videos or even talking to people.

Actually surviving these places is the true test. You cannot get that while sitting in your comfy room sipping ice cream and watching 3rd grade living conditions in 4k.

I don’t think you need to take it to this extreme, yes your not going to fully understand what it’s like unless you live through it, but this is more enough to develop a decent level of appreciation.

Depends on how far you want to take it.

[StarStruck]

Last week I literally threw away a world map I had on the wall for the last 20 years...