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Germany:

In our region, there is no natural catastrophe because here we have no sea, no rivers, and no high mountains. Many people have good jobs, so they don't have to worry about their existence. There is a good social system in case people are sick and their jobs or are old. Those who are interested in culture can find a large number of music events, theatres, and museums. We are free in our ideas. Additionally, the cities and villages seem very organised. Unfortunately, many people are not satisfied.

Border:

The border is invisible and goes through the Alpen.

Italy:

Lovely mountain landscapes and the Mediterranean regions for hiking, wine mountains, multiple art sets, various churches and cathedrals.

It has a very melodic language, the legacy of Romen, very friendly people, fantastic food, and picturesque middle-aged places. All around the sea.

Rome is an eternal city. with great Italian components and music.

A World without Borders Project

A small Buffet with German and Italian special food, especially with German breakfast, Italian dinner, and German and Italian wines.

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United States of America:

In the USA we greet by asking "How are you?" or just saying "Hi!". My home is located in Long Island, New York City. It is also known as "The Big Apple", because of its big cultural diversity. Nature-wise, we have the "Finger Lakes", a collection of twelve long and narrow lakes.

Border:

From my home city to the Canadian border you would need about 8 hours by car. There is a border check you have to pass in order to get to Canada.

Canada:

In Canada there is a lot of nature, which is already visible by the maple leaf on the flag. Most popular being the Niagara Falls, a group of three waterfalls crossing the border between America and Canada. The more you go to the north the colder it gets, that's why there are freezing temperatures in Canada.

A World Without Borders Project:

I propose "Border Culture Foodfusion", a project connecting the food culture from both of our cultures. With snicker doodle cookies, cheese curds, poutine and beer.

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Germany:

In Germany we greet by saying "Moin". My hometown is Schloss Holte, a small city with an iconic small castle. In my country, there are a lot of half-timbered houses ("Fachwerkhäuser"). Germany is often associated with Beer and Brezel, which is common in Bavaria, a federal state in the south. The countries borders the North Sea, which beaches are covered by beach loungers and chairs. Our language uses a lot of umlauts, like ä, ö and ü.

Border:

From my home city to the polish border you would need one day by bicycle, seven hours by train or five hours by car. As there are no border checks between Germany and Poland, the border crossing is almost unnoticeable at first glance, though you will notice some difference on the second.

Poland:

There are speed limitations on the highway, instead of Euros Slutzkys are used in Poland and the prices are suddenly way cheaper, thus many people go to the market near the border to buy cheap clothing or cigarettes. The beaches are no longer covered by beach loungers but wind covers and you are not allowed to wear normal beach shorts. Instead of umlauts, the language is full of hissing sounds and special characters.

A World Without Borders Project:

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Germany:

In Germany we greet by saying "Hallo". My home is in Wendland, a small city alongside the Elbe River not far from Hamburg, also is known for its mining history. The Elbe River, next to my hometown, is also a cultural border, as West and East Germany was divided alongside the river before the fall of the Berlin wall. The Baltic Sea is to the north of my country.

Border:

From my home city to the polish border you would need four to five hours by car. There are no border checks between Germany and Poland, but you notice the crossing as our countries are mostly separated alongside the Oder and the Neiße River.

Poland:

In Poland there is a lot of nature, it is covered by forests and there are a lot of deer. Many people choose to refuel here because the gas is cheaper on this side of the border. Bydgoszcz or formerly Bromberg, is the city where my grandma was born, in a time when it still was a part of Germany. As for food, there is "Pierogi", a type of dumpling cooked in dumpling water which you will only find in Poland.

A World without Borders Project:

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Germany:

In Germany we greet by saying "Moin, Moin". My home is located in the northern part of Germany, filled with wind farms, coastal landscapes and a lot of fresh air. In my home country we love to meet up for "Kaffee und Kuchen", a gathering where we share cake and coffee and just discuss everything and anything.

Border:

From my home city to the danish border it takes around two hours by car, you can also take the ferry to cross the border. As there are no border controls, the border is almost invisible.

Denmark:

In Denmark the infrastructure is modern and there are a lot of holiday homes for tourists. The air is fresh and there are a lot of people taking their bicycle to get around. In contrast to Germany, there are speed limitations. The streets are lined with beautiful cafes and houses.

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I have two homes, one in Hong Kong and one in Shunde, Mainland China. My mom is from Shunde and my dad is from Hong Kong. When I was a kid, I lived with my mom in Mainland China, and I attended schools later in Hong Kong and live with my dad in Hong Kong. I got my Hong Kong ID when was two years old.

Hong Kong

Typically, when we think of Hong Kong, the image of Vitoria Harbour, high scraper, MTR, Ding Ding Tramways will come to our mind. I lived in Tsing Yi before and now in Tung Chung. Between Tsing Yi and Tung Chung located Disleyland, but I always skip this part in my daily life. Tung Chung is really close to the airport, which can be considered as a border between Hong Kong and other corners of the world. In Hong Kong, I was deeply influenced by alternative wyas of education, such my high school HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity, School of Everyday Life, Kids Club, etc.

Border

There are multiple border controls in Shenzhen such as Shenzhen Bay, Luohu Port, Huanggang Port. I usually travel by shuttle bus and go through Shenzhen Bay to cross the borders between Mainland China and Hong Kong, which in Hong Kong part takes less than one hours and in Mainland China part takes around two hours . When I was a kid, suttble bus was not that common, that's why we usually travel by ferry and the border control was in Nansha Harbour or Shunde Harbour.

Between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, there is a common district called Sha Tau Kok, where we had to apply for Closed Area Permit to enter. Chung Ying Street which means Chinese-British street and witnessed the colonisation history of Hong Kong located in this area.

Shunde

It is a district with a lot of delicious food. Restaurant with private fish ponds and chicken farms are everywhere, but now I am vegetarian and can't eat them anymore. There are some interesting snacks such as fried milk(炸牛奶) which has a crispy exterior with a creamy, soft interior, consisting of milk that is thickened with cornstarch or a similar agent, then being cut into pieces and coated in batter before being deep-fried. When I was a kid, Shunde was still a small town and now there are high buildings everywhere. I loved going to tea restaurants and eating Dim Sum. The restaurants are decorated with delicate traditional Chinese furnitures and utensils.

My Project

Compassionate Education in schools in both Hong Kong and Shunde, including life, environmental, food, emotional education.

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Germany:

In Germany we greet by saying "Moin". My hometown is in northern Germany where the landscape is rather flat. When you go to southern Germany, however, you can see the alps, a mountain range across the borders to our neighboring countries. That's also where the world renown Bretzel comes from, a pastry with salt formed like a knot. Apart from that, you can taste "Riesling", a white wine originating in the Rhine region.

Border:

From my home country to the border you would need about six and a half hours by train. As both of our countries are in the European Union, we do not have to pass any border controls.

France:

In France, especially in Alsace, near the German border there a lot of half-timbered houses which can also be seen on the other side of the border. Apart from that, there is wine in every imaginable color, type and size. Near the border, they also like to eat "tarte flambée" known as "Flammekueche" internationally. A thinly rolled out bread covered with vegetables and cheese, somewhat similar to pizza.

A World without Borders Project:

I propose a France-German food festival to connect the people across the borders. There we could taste red wine from France and Riesling from Germany, alongside "Flammekueche" and Bretzel as main dishes.

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Hong Kong and Mainland China

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Germany:

In my mother tongue we greet by saying "Guten Tag!". My home is Wuppertal, a city in western Germany. It is an old industrial city which is now one of the greenest city in all of Germany. My home city is mostly known for its "Schwebebahn", a suspension monorail which floats around the city.

Border:

From my home country to the border it takes around one hour by car or two hours by train. As both of the two countries are in the European Union we do not need to pass any border checks.

Netherlands:

In the Netherlands the landscape is very flat, with a lot of canals, windmills and cycling routes. It is most known for its capital city Amsterdam, an international city with a lot of good infrastructure.

A World without Borders Project:

I propose to extend the monorail "Schwebebahn" across the border to the Netherlands. As of now the monorail runs a route of only 13 kilometers from Wuppertal to Vohwinkel. But what if this monorail would be 130 instead of 13 kilometers long? That way you could easily take the Schwebebahn to the Netherlands and the people from the Netherlands would easily get to Wuppertal as well. Can we float across the border?

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China:

In China we greet by saying "最近怎样？“ which roughly translates to "How are you doing, lately?". My home city is Baotou, the largest city in Inner Mongolia. It is also known as the "City of deers" because you might see some reindeer herders in nature around here. There are also some desert areas around with cacti, where it can get quite hot in the summers. As for food, similar to the rest of China, you can get white rice at every corner. But we also have our specialties, such as "Suutei tsai", a salty milk tea which can only be found in Inner and Outer Mongolia.

Border:

To get to the Russian border you would need around 20 hours by taking the slow train through the capital Beijing. In order to visit Russia, we have to apply for a Visa in advance.

Russia:

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A Word without Borders Project:

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China...

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Czech Republic:

In my home country we greet by saying "Ahoj". In our childhood we loved watching a cartoon called Krtek, now also known as Little Mole. We also love joking around with black humor.

Border:

From my home to the Slovakian border you would need around three hours by car.

Slovakia:

We think of Slovakians as Brothers and Friends and seldom as a foreign country in the true sense of the word. We speak almost the same language and many of us live in each others country.

A World without Borders:

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Germany:

In Germany we greet by saying "Moin". My home is a small city in Saarland, a state in the southwest of Germany. In our state we like to say "Hauptsache, Gudd Gess", meaning that as long as we have good food, our lives are good as well. That's why we have a lot of food: Lyoner, a sausage from Lyon; Grumbeere, our term for potatoes and Doppelweck, an invention consisting of two breads merged together. There are also a lot of old industrial monuments and relics of mining industries.

Border:

From my home city to the French and Luxembourgian border you would need about two days by walk. There are no border checks, so the border crossing is almost invisible. Schengen, the city where Germany, France and Luxembourg cross, is also special because it is where the Schengen Agreement was signed, the reason why you can now cross many European borders without any checks.

France:

In the bordering city Lyon, many people speak Allemanisch, a mix of German and France. There are also a lot of ironworks and industry, similar to Saarland. At the border, we can still see the maginot line, a defense fortification to defend France against Germany built before the second world war. As with everywhere in France, there is also a lot of wine.

A World Without Borders Project:

Reactivating the old railways connecting both countries as a tourist attraction and a place of cultural exchange.

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Russia and Kazakhstan have...

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Hong Kong and Mainland China

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China:

In China we greet by saying "Nihao". My home is in Huishan, a city district in Jiangsu province. As my hometown is located in the central coastal area of China, we also see snow every winter. We like to eat Jiaozi, a dumpling filled with vegetables or meat and Tangyuan, a dessert made out of rice filled with syrup inside. My home country also has a lot of big companies, such as Xiaomi and BYD, producing everything from phones to cars.

Border:

From my home city to Vietnam, you would need around five hours by plane. In order to go to Vietnam, we have to apply for a visa first.

Vietnam:

What i associate the most with Vietnam is their national dress. It is called "Áo dài", traditionally made of silk and can be worn by both men and women.

A World without Borders Project:

I propose to set up a Vietnamese cafe near the Vietnamese border. There, people from both sides of the border can meet up, talk and engage in cultural exchanges on a cup of tea.

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Poland:

In Poland we greet by saying Cześć, especially when talking with good friends or people we know. Our national coat of arms is the white eagle, based on a myth that emerged almost 1000 years ago.

Border:

From my home country to the border of Belarus you would need about eight hours by train or three hours going by car. As Belarus is not in the European Union, there are tough border checks

Belarus:

In Belarus there is tasty food such as Kalduny, a type of taco or dumpling popular across Lithuania and Poland. Some trade unionists are imprisoned in Belarus, leading to broad solidarity from Poland, lead under the initiative "Solidarność"

A World without Borders Project:

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Hungary:

In Hungary we greet by saying "Sziasztok!". My home is located in Budapest, the capital city of Hungary. The city consists of the city districts "Buda" and "Pest", which are separated by the Danube river, whereas most people live in Pest. In Hungary we have a lot of special dishes that have spread across the world, such as Gulash and Paprika. We also like to drink alcohol, like Pálinka, a fruit spirit which originated here in medieval times. The landscape in our country is mostly plain and green with some hills and raspberry bushes, so we enjoy going hiking and gardening. In our summer vacation, we like to visit "Balaton", also known as the Hungarian Sea. Our society has conservative values, so our politics are mostly led by right-wing parties. Some say we are quite pessimistic and always like to complain.

Border:

The border goes through the mountains and there are no border checks when crossing. From my home city to the border you would need about one hour by car. Along the border in Slovakia the Hungarian-speaking population is still quite present.

Slovakia:

In Slovakia they also have some amazing dishes, like "Dedli", a special type of dumpling and a local gulash variation. When you go to Slovakia, you also should not miss their tasty beer and taste KoSola, their local copy of Cola. The mountains there are astonishingly high, so there are a lot of people go there hiking, skiing and camping.

A World Without Borders Project:

I propose a hiking route slow the mountains to Slovakia as a project to connect both of our cultures.

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Burundi has...

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Turkey and Greece have

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Niederland

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Italy and Switzerland have...

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Germany:

In Germany we greet by saying "Hallo". My home is located in

Border:

The border between Germany and Poland is without any border checks.

Poland:

In Poland we like eating Barszcz, a sour soup made with meat stock

A World without Borders Project:

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Brittany

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Madagascar

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Bulgaria:

In Bulgaria we greet by saying "Здравей" (Zdravei). My home city is Plovdiv, the second largest city in Bulgaria and with 8000 years also the oldest in all of Europe. When listening to the locals around here, you will here the term Майна (Maina) all day round, an expression that loosely translates to Mother and brings emotion and passion into every second sentence.

That's why we also call it Майна Town (Maina Town). Apart from our cities, Bulgaria has beautiful nature with a lot of mountains and rivers, delicious food such as yogurt and a lot of roses. The people you will meet in my country are cheerful, warmhearted and love to dance.

Border:

From my home city to the Greece border it takes around three hours by car. The border goes through the mountains and as we are both part of the European Union, there are no border checks between our two countries.

Greece:

The nature and landscape in Greece shares a lot of its characteristics with Bulgaria, as its also mountainous with rivers and scenic landscapes. There are also a lot of old cities and picturesque villages in Greece, yet their architecture will be completely different to Bulgaria, as our culture and history is very different.

A World without Borders Project:

I propose to organize workshops where participants can learn the basics of the traditional dances of each others country. Thus, people from Greece have the chance to learn "Pravo horo", a simple Bulgarian folk dance we like to dance on festive occasions. Whereas people from my country could dance the "Sirtaki", a recent Greek folk dance which can be performed by many people together. I hope in that way people of all ages can come together in celebrating cultural exchange.

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Philippines:

In the Philippines we greet each other by just saying "Hi". My home city is Pasig, a large district of Manila, our capital city. Manila is covered by skyscrapers, large malls and you will often see jeeps on our streets. The sun is always shining but for some odd reason we still like to wear jackets and drink hot coffee, even on the hottest days. Anywhere you go is filled with Catholic Churches. You would often see many Filipinos attending Mass because the majority of Filipinos are hardcore believers of their faith. In general, Filipinos love singing. Even if they may experience problems in their personal life, a lot of them would just sing their hearts out. For them, it is considered a way of releasing stress and having fun. Filipinos absolutely love music; that for students, based on my experience, they would play the guitar and sing in the classroom during breaktime. As the Philippines consists of over 7000 islands there are a lot of beaches and palm trees. The beaches offer a dozen water activities that beach goers can do to have even more fun such as Banana Boat rides, surfing, diving and more. When diving, you would be able to see the beautiful coral reefs that the Philippines has to offer and you would be able to also have the chance to swim with Whale Sharks. Another interesting fact about the Philippines is that, just 2 hours from Manila, you can find Taal Volcano, the smallest active volcano in the world. Although The Philippines generally encounters sunny weather, there are also wet seasons. During these wet seasons, The Philippines would occasionally encounter rain showers or typhoons. But... most Filipinos don't care. They would often turn life's problem into a fun one so when parts of a road are flooded, you would often see people, especially children turn it into a playground by swimming. With that being said, the motto "It's more fun in the Philippines" reflects the lifestyle of Filipinos very well.

Border:

Since The Philippines is an island, there are no direct countries besides us, so the water serves as a border for us. In order to cross the Luzon Strait which divides The Philippines and Taiwan, you need to take the plane, which only needs about two and a half hours, after a short half an hour car ride to Manila's international airport. Even though there are border checks at the airport, we don't need to apply for a visa to visit Taiwan.

Taiwan:

Once you arrive in Taiwan, you can take the Metro to get to Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan. The transport system there is just as convenient as the thousands of convenience stores covering the streets of Taiwan, making it the country with the highest 7-11 density in the world. Speaking of transportation, the Taiwanese love to ride small scooters to navigate through the narrow streets of Taiwan instead of the large jeeps you would see in The Philippines. Mountains and beaches are easily accessible in Taiwan, however when going to the beach, swimming is not allowed because of the presence of trenches nearby. In Taiwan, there is also a large number of vegetarian restaurants and people here like to carefully recycle their trash, which I would like to see more of in The Philippines. Instead of coffee, the Taiwanese like to drink tea at any time of the day. What we have in common, however, is our love for Karaoke.

A World Without Borders Project:

To better connect the people from both of our countries, I propose a bilingual Karaoke session where we can learn about each other's culture through singing. Because even if we might not understand each other's words, we can still feel the emotions a song conveys.

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Germany:

In Germany we greet each other by saying “Moin”, which literally means “Morning” but is now used at any time and any place in Germany. My home city is Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock, a very small city in the northwest of Germany, not far from the Netherlands. Even though my home town only has a few thousand inhabitants, we have our own little, yellow castle, hence the name. The imagination foreigners often have of Germany probably come down to a few things: beer, pretzels and leather pants. Which is not wrong, we actually have all of these in southern Germany, but I think there are so many more facets to our country. As we sit right in the middle of Europe, a fourth of our population comes from all the countries around us to work, study and live here, making our country. That’s why the average German might eat Italian food, use Turkish phrases and watch French movies. Germany is deeply rooted in Christianism, which shaped our society for centuries before the hard work of philosophers and activists in the period of enlightenment separated the church from the state, making our country based on rule of law. And until today, Germans love rules: you can find a norm for everything from how to separate your trash to when exactly you're allowed to mow your lawn. This might be annoying at times but also ensure all the rights and freedoms we have. And yet, we can be quite progressive, with young people fighting for climate justice, diversity and freedom. We are also known to be a welfare state, meaning that we can study for free and receive help when we are not that good off but in exchange pay a high amount of taxes. Apart from philosophers and scientists, classical musicians from Beethoven and Bach over Clara Schumann to Haendel which are still known and developed upon today. There are hundreds of museums, concert halls, exhibitions and cultural venues where you can enjoy everything that made Germany what it is today. Yet, it is fair to say that most Germans rather listen to music from America than the classical music originating from our own country. The place that probably most represents the complicated history, our values and diversity is probably our capital city Berlin, where any imaginable culture, social class, gender and age seems to merge into one - sometimes quite chaotic - place. Geographically, Germany is very large and diverse with sea on the north and the alps mountain range on the south. Even though nature here might seem a bit dull when you come from a more tropical country, I think the quiet forests and plain lakes are actually what makes it quite enchanting which I only realized after leaving that place.

Border:

In order to get to Taiwan, I need to first take the train for four hours to get to Amsterdam in the Netherlands, as their big international airport is the nearest to my hometown. Then take the plane with transfer in China for another 15 hours which adds up to almost an entire day altogether to get to far away Taiwan. Even though there are border checks at the airport, we don't need to apply for a visa to visit Taiwan.

Taiwan:

Once I cross the broad ocean and reach exotic Taiwan, everything is completely different from home. Leaving my plane in Taoyuan I am welcomed by the humid air blowing on my face and a lot of strange characters of which I, at first, can not read a single one. The metro, which I can only enter with a payment card, is so clean that I cannot see a single piece of dirt and as soon as I can take a look outside everything I see is green. Once I reach the city, everything is busy and chaotic, with scooters passing by from all sides, convenience stores, bubble tea stalls, vegetable markets and repair shops lining up next to each other and the faint melody of the trash truck in the background. There are many temples, some with a lot of dragons, people with statues carrying long beards or LED signs displaying characters in rainbow colors going back and forth and others very plain, with people going out and expressing their wishes. After crossing a gate which looks like it is supposed to be something grand and important I can enter a night market which is basically a mix of market and amusement park which is open every day of the year and sells everything from stinky tofu to fresh fruits. Except for when a typhoon or earthquake strikes Taiwan, which is not seldom the case as Taiwan is inside what is called the “ring of fire”. Every place I go to in this country is completely different with its own history and culture. Some look more orderly with Japanese wooden buildings and others more natural with alleys which only scooters can pass, there are tea plantages on the mountain and stone beaches at the sea. I hear pop songs from Jay Chou (周杰倫) in some places and the asian sounds of Guzheng in others. And when I am hungry at any time of the day I can just go into a 7-11 at any time of the day. And in between all of this chaos are the Taiwanese, with their crocs and backpacks covered with cute puppets looking like they live the most comfortable life possible. So warm-hearted and welcoming that I feel like this far away place is home.

A World Without Borders Project:

In order to connect the people from both sides of the border, I want to initiate a cross-border concert where we connect the tradition and music of both Germany and Taiwan. Specifically, the concert should consist of a guzheng and a piano playing arrangements from both countries. That way we can make the best out of both of our musical traditions.

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Vietnam:

In Vietnam we greet each other by saying "Xin Chao". My home city is Ha Noi, the capital city of our country. In the middle of the bustling Ha Noi, there is a peaceful lake accommodating a tiny island with a tower on top, which we call Thap Rua, the Turtle Tower. Legend says that Le Loi, who freed the country from the occupation of the Ming Dynasty, is said to have used a magic sword, which was later stolen and put into this lake by a turtle, hence the name. When visiting Vietnam, you will see our national colors red and yellow everywhere - especially during festivities like the reunification day. This is because most of us are very proud of our country and are attached to these colors, whereas red symbolizes the blood shed by the Vietnamese to reunify the country and yellow symbolizes the people of our country. In addition to our long country, there are also a lot of small islands in the South China Sea which are claimed by both Vietnam and China, which sometimes leads to conflicts at our borders until today. As for food, we like to eat Pho, a noodle soup which as of now has spread all over the globe. We also like to eat Balut, a half-developed boiled egg often served as street food. With "Tết", known as Lunar New Year globally, we celebrate a festival together with our neighbours Thailand, China and Taiwan. Unique to the Vietnamese festivities, however, is our national dress Ao Dai, a long skirt made out of silk which is mostly worn by women but also men during Lunar New Year.

Border:

Since Taiwan is an island, there is no land border between us, so the water serves as a border for us. In order to cross the South China Sea which divides Vietnam and Taiwan, you need to take the plane, which only needs about two and a half hours, after a short car ride to Vietnam's international airport. Even though there are border checks at the airport, we don't need to apply for a visa to visit Taiwan.

Taiwan:

Taiwan will welcome you with the smell of stinky tofu, an almost legendary dish served at Taiwanese night markets, which, as the name suggests, consists of fried tofu carrying a very “special” flavour. Bubble tea, despite already having passed its hype, can still be found in every beverage shop across Taiwan. And in case there is no beverage store nearby you can help yourself in one of the thousands of 7-11s nearby, symbolic for the convenience which Taiwan is known for. More dangerous than convenient, however, is the traffic with scooters in all forms and sizes stopping every few meters for another traffic light which claims up to three minutes at times just to turn left. Taiwan, especially Hualian on the east coast, is often hit by natural disasters like typhoons and earthquakes which the locals barely seem to care about. Instead, they attach importance to climate protection and the environment, so learning how to correctly classify trash is a must when you like to live in Taiwan. During Lunar New Year’s you can watch dragon lanterns carrying peoples wishes up into the sky, an old Chinese tradition which is still being carried out in some cities like Shifen at Taiwan's northern coast.

A World Without Borders Project:

To better connect the people from both sides, I propose to hold a cooking workshop during lunar new year’s where we can cook the signature dishes from both countries. For example, the Chinese Zongzi compared to the Vietnamese Tet, both dumplings made of rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, with Zongzi being pyramid-shaped while its Vietnamese pendant is square-shaped. That way, we can see what our cultures have in common and where each culture takes its unique turns.

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Mexico:

In Mexico, we usually greet each other by saying “Buenos Dias” rather than “Hola” which is often associated with our language. My home city lies in the heart of Mexico, therefore there are a lot of beautiful sites to be explored and vivid culture to be seen all around. The pace of life is quite fast and the streets are packed with people. Especially in the morning hours before we get to work, you will see a lot of people busy buying street food as breakfast, because our workplaces are often quite far away from our homes. The most iconic of these  street food dishes might be “Tamales”, steamed corn dumplings filled with meat and vegetables, which are sold on tricycles popping up around the busiest spots such as metro stations and parking lots around the city. Apart from street vendors, there are also a lot of street musicians across the streets of Mexico playing a wide range of instruments. Among these is the “Organillo”, a portable organ that doesn’t even need a musician as it is self-playing based on pins inside which are being adjusted for a different song between each use. When you see a yellow car or hear the term "¡Amarillo!" watch out as you might receive a small punch without warning, a tradition that captures our rather special humour. Between all this hustle and bustle of the city commutes a clean and modern metro that is unmatched by most other systems around the world. The “Torre Latinoamericana”, while appearing like a normal modern skyscraper, actually houses museums, cinemas and other culture venues inside instead of being commercialised as most other skyscrapers around the world. Therefore, our country strikes an interesting balance between keeping its longhold traditions while also being developed and modern at the same time.

Border:

The border between Mexico and Canada is the USA, which sits right in the middle of both of our countries. So in order to reach Canada, you need to take a plane from one of our bigger cities which will cross the USA and get you to Canada within four hours. When going to Canada, we need to apply for a Visa or travel authorization and there are border checks at both sides. But after checking those, we can freely visit Canada for up to six months, making it almost feel like we are in our own country.

Canada:

I’ve never been to Canada but I imagine it to be a place full of interesting places, people and culture from all over the world. For me, the maple and its leaf which is also seen on their national flag, symbolizes this diverse culture as well as the untouched nature it is surrounded by. Next to their maple trees I also imagine seeing a lot of castles and châteaus in greyish colors. When the winter sets in and Christmas nears I would love to go to one of their Christmas markets and see the city in Christmas lights, a scene that we Mexicans know all too well as we love watching Canadian Christmas movies. Another famous movie location Canada is home to, is the probably most famous door in the entire world: the red door seen in the Korean drama “Goblin”. Even though the people in Canada sometimes might come off as more serious than we are used to in Mexico, I think they are actually very warmhearted and creative people and we are connected through the diversity and openness in both of our societies.

A World Without Borders Project:

To understand the people from each other's country better, I propose to open a cultural center which can host a lot of different events connecting the culture of both of our countries. This can be anything from concerts, over cultural classes portraying the broad range of nationalities present in our countries up to dancing courses. As both Canadians and Mexicans see the importance of learning a second language, we could also learn each other’s language in the process. I would also set up a small café here as well where we could cook our Mexican dishes for everyone and share a hot chocolate in the Winter. I think through this kind of exchange the stereotypes we might have held of each other would slowly disappear and we would realize we are not that different at heart.

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Mexico:

In Mexico we usually greet each other by saying “Hola” but if I am among close friends I would say “¿Qué pedo?” which can be roughly translated to “What’s up?”. My home city is located in central Mexico, which means we live at a merging point of American Pop-Culture and Mexico's Traditions. As people living in the northern part of the country will naturally get influenced by Americanism, whereas the lifestyle of people living in the South, approaching South America might be more grounded in Mexico's tradition. The most important of these traditions is the yearly “Día de los Muertos” (Day of the Dead), where we honor our deceased ones, among other things by putting colorful sugar skulls on their graves or altars, rather as a way to celebrate that they have lived than to mourn their death. Another thing that might catch your attention, especially in the east of our country, are the giant stone pyramids - each layer as tall as a person. Whether built by the Maya, Teotihuacan, or Aztec civilizations, they all share a connection to celestial bodies like the sun or moon. These structures weren’t just used for rituals and communication with deities but also for measuring time and cosmic cycles. When it comes to food, many people might know Mexico for its avocados, our country's plants and exports more than any other. But we’re also known for foods that you can only experience when you come here to Mexico in person: our cuisine is often a mix of spicy and sour, which makes our tacos and salsa sauces so unique. Whether you are in the south or the north of Mexico, our people all share their openness, communality and love for making, listening and dancing to music. After being colonized by Spain for about 300 years, their traces can still be seen within our language, architecture and religion but the true essence of Mexico still lies in the heart of the Mexican population with many monuments such as the Angel of Independence in Mexico City standing as a reminder of the struggles and sacrifices that led to our independence.

Border:

In order to cross the grand Pacific Ocean lying in between Mexico and Korea, we have to take the plane. As there are only very few direct flights from Mexico to Korea directly, we usually opt to first fly to Canada, then transfer to a flight to Korea which would take us about 20 hours altogether. When visiting Korea, we need to apply for a visa in advance and there are border checks when entering the country.

Korea:

The people in Korea share a similar love to street food and snacks, with spicy-sour food like kimchi jjigae or tteokbokki all over the country. Korea also has a lot of traditional festivals like Hansik, in which they are visiting the graves of their ancestors while only eating cold food. When you get there in Spring you will get the chance to see cherry blossoms, symbolizing purity and beauty within Korean culture. When talking about their pop culture, it is KTV and K-Pop which spread all over the world up until Mexico. You can also expect to see some Japanese influence too such as in temples and their cities architectural style, as it has been colonized for almost 40 years. Thus, even though we live so far apart, Mexico and Korea share a lot of similarities in their culture, interests and history.

A World Without Borders Project:

I propose a food festival or night market where we can explore the food from each other’s culture. For example with Elotes and Tacos representing Mexican food and Tteokbokki and Kimchi as Korean signature dishes. In that way we can also get into exchange with the people behind the stands selling these foods and understand our shared culture a little better.

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Lesotho:

Using Sesotho, the national language of Lesotho, we greet each other by saying “Lumela”. My home city is Maseru, the capital city of our country near the border to South Africa, which completely surrounds our country. Maseru is where you find most of the historical sites, such as Basotho Hat Center, a crafts center formed like the signature hat of Lesotho called “Mokorotlo”. This hat is the most meaningful symbol of our country, drawing inspiration from Mount Qiloane in Maseru and traditionally worn by men during ceremonies, it is now visible all over our country from our flag to our license plates. Another very real symbol in our country is the cattle, which holds a sacred importance in our country, as it provides us with milk, leather, meat and can also be used as a working animal. This also makes it a symbol of wealth and social status, used for example when negotiating marriages. Being a landlocked country, we don’t have access to the sea but live on mountainous terrain with waterfalls, rock formations and escarpments all around. Especially in the summer, which is from December to March, the scenery is magically beautiful, while it is covered by snow in the winter making it popular for skiing. The houses in Lesotho are small and with flat roofs. The people here love to dance, with “Famu’ being the dance most characteristic of our country and we almost all believe in Christianity.

Border:

Being surrounded by South Africa makes it the only bordering country and convenient to reach from anywhere in our country by car. From our capital city it only takes half an hour to reach the border to South Africa while you would need another 5 hours to drive to Johannesburg, that’s why some people choose the plane instead, when heading to South African’s capital city. We don’t need a Visa for visiting South Africa, that’s why we often head over the border to buy South African products and vice versa. There are border checks though, where we have to present our passports and other documents.

South Africa:

Our larger neighbour, South Africa, will welcome you with large buildings and broad streets. Especially in their capital city, Johannesburg, you often see planes landing and departing, as it is the biggest airport in all of Africa. No matter where you go, especially from Thursday to Sunday, it is always lively with people dancing and meeting up all around. When you go on the streets there you might run into one of what we call the “Big Five”, referring to lions, leopards, elephants, rhinoceros and buffalos - that’s why we mainly commute in jeeps crossing the country. It is also a country of many different nationalities from all over the world, that’s why we usually communicate using English, though the black population in South Africa usually also understands Sesotho, our mother tongue. They also believe in Christianity, even though their traditions might be slightly different. As South Africa is surrounding us and is also responsible for the fast development of our own country, our impression of South Africa is very deep and you might even run into some Basotho (citizens of Lesotho) referring to themselves as South Africans in other countries.

A World Without Borders Project:

I propose Christianity as a method to connect people from in- and outside of our country. As both of our countries already believe in Christianity, holding religious events together might help us realize that we are actually quite similar. Yet, it also needs much consideration and good planning as South Africa has so many more people than we do and their Christian traditions are a bit different from ours. So we should ensure that both variations are represented to the same degree.

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Taiwan:

In Taiwan, we greet each other by saying 呷罷沒 (“Chia̍h pá bô?”) which is Hokkien, a dialect widely spoken in Taiwan. It roughly translates to “Have you eaten?”, as food is one of the most important things in our culture. My home town is Taipei, which is also the capital city of Taiwan. It is probably most known for the “Taipei 101”, once the tallest building in the entire world, where you can watch the skyline of the city. Yet, Taiwan is way more contrastful than just high-tech and modern cities, with many traditions and historic sites to be seen. For example, one of the over ten-thousand temples across Taiwan, which acts as a place to express your wishes to one of the taoist gods. Even more than there are 7/11, the convenience store you will find on almost any street in Taiwan. When the evening sets in, you’ll see a lot of people strolling around one of many night markets trying street food and local specialties. Such as Bubble Tea, which is said to have originated in Taichung, a central city in Taiwan. More sophisticated than our Bubble Tea, however, is our high-mountain oolong tea, which - as the name suggests - grows on one of our hundred mountains. Because our island is so long, yet so narrow you can usually get from the mountains to the sea in just a few minutes using motorcycles, the preferred transportation of us Taiwanese. Because the sun is always shining and we love convenience, we often just wear our characteristic blue and white slippers when going out. Many people outside of Taiwan barely know where it is located and what it is special for, so when people ask me about Taiwan I like to say that their notebook, phone or any other electronic device is probably at least in part made in our country.

Border:

Since Taiwan and the United Kingdom are both islands, there is no land border between us. Rather, does the wide ocean act as a border between us. To cross this ocean, we usually take the plane with a transfer in Hong Kong, a former colony of the UK, which takes around 15 hours altogether. We need to apply for a Travel Authorization to visit the United Kingdom but are then free to visit for half a year while Britons visiting Taiwan don’t need a Visa at all.

United Kingdom:

Arriving in the United Kingdom, we Taiwanese have a little visual culture shock: as there are no mountains at any side and the sun seen in Taiwan is replaced with a never ending amount of clouds. The streets might seem a bit dirty at first sight and their food might be described as a more acquired taste. Once you overcome this small culture shock, however, you will realize that there is actually a lot of culture and interesting places to see here. There are tons of museums, especially in London, many of them free to visit. Those red telephone cells many people might know from movies are actually there and there are a lot of them. Even though there are no night markets, the UK has many pubs, which are getting more and more lively the later you go. What left the deepest impression on me, however, is how much the education here differs from that in Taiwan. Here, the teachers and professors don’t focus on your mistakes, but look at your strengths and encourage you instead of punishing you. There is also a lot less hierarchy between students, teachers and the society in general and a lot of freedom, letting the students freely decide where to go and what to do.

A World Without Borders Project:

As my impression of the education system in the UK is so fond, I propose to connect Taiwan and the United Kingdom through the means of education. Specifically, I would like to establish an academic exchange where we can mutually explore each other's education system. The most important point of this project is to encourage the students to freely explore their topic of interest instead of just letting them rotely memorize knowledge. On the other hand, the students from the United Kingdom can learn about our culture, food and might also find some aspects of the Taiwanese education system worth learning more about.