Tag: culture

by Incredible Planet Staff

4 Clothing Options for Your First Comic Con


Lifestyle

At comic and anime conventions, attendees tend to be nice and non-judgmental. If you are not sure about what to wear, you should not be worried. No one expects you to become an overnight cosplayer for your first convention. Here are four recommendations that you can follow in this regard:

Dress Comfortably and Respectfully

Fans of anime and comic books are part of a tolerant and respectful community. When you choose your convention attire, you should think about dressing in a respectful manner. Keep in mind that the people at the convention will be coming from a variety of backgrounds, and so this is not an opportunity to make a political statement or to mock a particular genre or character. By doing so, you could offend a lot of people and put a damper on others’ fun.

As for comfortability, realize that you may have to do a lot of walking at large convention centers. Make sure that you’re wearing shoes that you’d feel comfortable walking around in. The event will most likely be crowded as well, and so you should wear shoes that are closed-toe just in case someone ends up stepping on your feet. Often, people want to wear similar shoes and clothes that the character they’re trying to cosplay as does. If those shoes include 6-inch stilettos, though, your feet are not going to be happy after a few hours. Think ahead and try to analyze whether or not what you’ll be wearing will be comfortable after a while as these events can sometimes go on all day.

Take Inspiration from Anime

At your first convention, you will notice a lot of people wearing anime shirts. This is part of a fashion trend that started decades ago. It is not unusual to see fully costumed cosplayers change into stylish anime attire by brands, like Capsule Corp Clothing, that sell clothing that caters to this genre. You will likely see lots of anime clothing when you hit the convention after parties as well. Anime fashion is known to get conversations started and meet interesting people at conventions.

Join Cosplay Costume Groups

Some people take the plunge and arrive to their very first conventions in full cosplay regalia. Cosplay is a lot of fun, but there is more to this activity than just dressing up like superheroes or Pokémon characters. The cosplay community is strong, inclusive and always waiting to welcome new members. If your first convention is a few weeks away, you may want to search online for local cosplay groups whose members are also going. They might be sticking to a certain costume theme that you could participate in too.

Proudly Display Your Otaku Roots

One of the coolest aspects of comic con is that they serve as a meeting point for people with diverse interests. If you are more into video games than anime or comic books, you can certainly dress according to your otaku status. When comic book and sci-fi conventions started getting popular in the 1980s, many people dressed in Star Trek uniforms, but others simply wore Atari ball caps. In 2018, retro gaming fashion is among the hottest convention trends, so you may want to dust off that old Nintendo backpack.

In the end, spending some a little time and effort in your first convention outfit could go a long way in meeting new people. Keep in mind that respect, more than clothing, is the bonding element of the communities that attend these gatherings.


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by John Tarr

Pre-Wedding Rituals: How People in Different Countries Celebrate Marriage


Lifestyle

The term “bachelor” was first used to describe an unmarried man in The Canterbury Tales back in the 14th Century.

In a lot of cases today, Stag Dos or bachelor parties are even more important than the marriage itself. The tradition of celebrating the last night of singledom has gained even more traction with the surfacing of event companies dedicated to the cause.

While the popularity of these bachelor or stag parties is immense in english-speaking countries, other cultures are not far behind. Read on to find out how different cultures celebrate the last fling before the ring:

The Spartans

Ancient Spartans are often credited with starting the tradition of celebrating the last night of bachelorhood. Since as early as the 5th Century, Spartan soldiers would celebrate the groom’s last night as a single man by holding a dinner party in their friend’s honour.

The parties would include a generous spread of their most loved meals, along with a series of toasts made in the honour of the groom.

The Germans

In the German language, a bachelor party is called Junggesellenabschied, which literally translates to “farewell to bachelorhood”. Staying true to the German spirit, the event involved binge drinking of beers, along with mild humiliation and funny costuming of the groom.

In addition to that, the Germans have another pre-wedding tradition that involves both the bride and the groom. Usually held the night before the wedding, Polterabend involves breaking of porcelain earthenware to bring luck to the couple’s married life.

The Fins

The Finnish people have their own way of celebrating the end of bachelorhood which involves some heavy drinking (of course!) and doing something extraordinary. In most cases, the extraordinary tasks are decided by the friends of the groom and are extremely foolish. These dares usually make up for some pretty embarrassing stories that are later shared with the rest of the family.

The British

British call the celebration a stag party, and it is an enormously popular tradition in the British culture. The party is usually organised by the best man of the groom. Since it is such a big deal in their culture, the stag party business in the country is on experiencing an all-time high in terms of demand. Involving pub crawls, strippers, all-night parties, the British take the celebration of singledom very seriously.

In fact, it is common for “stag groups” to fly to foreign destinations for the celebration, where they can let go of all kind of inhibitions and do things that the bride-to-be may not find so pleasant.

The USA

Almost everyone knows about the popularity of bachelor parties in the US. After the huge success of Hollywood film series The Hangover, we all have a pretty good idea of what goes down in an American bachelor party.

For those of you that don’t, American bachelor parties are very similar to the British stag dos. Made famous by the Hollywood film series mentioned earlier, the sin city of Las Vegas is by far, the most popular choice for bachelor groups. After all, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

Conclusion

In every culture, there are certain wedding traditions that simply cannot be ignored. While stag or bachelor parties were always a part of this list, Hollywood movies have fortified their importance further.

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by Incredible Planet Staff

Things to Keep in Mind When Sending Gifts to China


People

In this era of the Internet and technological advancements, the world has become a much smaller place. This in turn has made it easier to send packages around the world. But apart from the ease of sending presents to another country, there are a lot of other factors to consider when buying a present.

Here are some of the key factors to keep in mind when looking to send gifts to China.

Cultural Significance

In many Asian countries, presents are viewed as much more than just a gesture or a token of your appreciation. Gift-giving is an important part of the Chinese culture. When you give someone a present, expect to receive something in return.

The Chinese are big on reciprocation—giving back when they receive something to ‘’tally’’ the score. This kind of attitude towards giving comes from a place of respect and tradition.

When one receives something nice from someone, one has to express gratitude and appreciation by giving something nice in return. Knowing this cultural aspect of gift-giving can help in choosing the right present.

Know the Dos and Don’ts

Continuing on from the earlier discussion of cultural significance, there are certain dos and don’ts attached to present exchanges that you would do well to be aware of. The first thing to remember is that the presentation is as important as the actual item. So, make sure the present is wrapped neatly with beautiful wrapping-paper. The experience of gift-giving starts right from the package.

Another thing to keep in mind as far as presents go is to not give items such as scissors (item in a stationery kit) or knives as they are considered to be a bad omen, signifying the end of the relationship.

Send It on Time

When planning to send gifts to China, make sure you time it right. If you are shipping your package, be sure to do it well in advance to ensure that it reaches them in time. A birthday present reaching the recipient two weeks after his/her birthday will not be as appreciated as one which arrives on time.

A great alternative to consider is to send presents using a trusted service. There are many companies that offer flower arrangements, assorted chocolates and other such baskets to be sent locally in China. These will only take three to four days to reach the recipient, which is a big advantage.

Corporate Gift-Giving

If you have business interests in China, or will be collaborating with a Chinese company, then get ready to give and receive – a lot. Gift-giving in the corporate world is seen as a show of respect and a sign of good faith.

When you plan to invest in a long-term corporate relationship, gift-giving is a way to show your interest in fortifying that relationship. Some appropriate gestures that are appropriate in a corporate environment are high-end stationery items (pens, leather notepads and such), wines, electronic gadget or some speciality item from your home country.

Of course, the present that you give should be appropriate. You can’t give an expensive gadget to someone you just met. Or confer something cheap on to a long-standing acquaintance.

The value of your offering should also be an acknowledgement of the recipient’s place in the corporate hierarchy. So, if your present is for someone higher up in the corporate ladder, then make sure it’s something a little expensive and unique.

Be Gracious When They Reciprocate

When you receive something in return to the one you sent, be gracious about it. Thank them for the gesture and express your happiness and gratitude.

Saying things like “Oh, you really didn’t have to’’ can sound disrespectful or callous. Avoid such well-intentioned faux pas to save yourself from potential embarrassment or the risk of offending the other party.

If you have friends or family in China, then one of the best ways in which you can show them that they’re in your thoughts and that you miss them is to send them presents. Be it a birthday, an anniversary or Christmas, whatever the special occasion, you can make their day even more special by sending them a thoughtful gift.

And with so many options available to you when it comes to international gifting services, it’s now very simple to send gifts to China. Once you know all the pitfalls to avoid when it comes to exchanges you will be ready to send the best presents, impressing your recipients and showing them how much you care.