Air Castles

Unofficial Vexillology expert Robert joins Olivia and Johanna to dive deep into the world of flags (with about 1,000 other tangents along the way). Learn about blood-covered dukes, marketing on the open seas, controversies with the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and much MUCH more on this very special episode of Air Castles! Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Olivia Schmitz and Johanna Schöllauf try to understand different cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @AirCastlesPod. Ologies with Alie Ward Episode 103: Vexillology https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ologies-with-alie-ward/id1278815517?i=1000448420262 Robert's Sources: Vexillological Society: http://fiav.org/ "Why city flags may be the worst-designed thing you've never noticed - Roman Mars": https://youtu.be/pnv5iKB2hl4 "Flags of the U.S. states and territories": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flags_of_the_U.S._states_and_territories Vexillology Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/vexillology/ "How I asked EVERY country's embassy for flags [part 1]": https://youtu.be/Jbix9y8iV38 Flag (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag Johanna's Sources: “Tokyo 2020: Why some people want the rising sun flag banned”: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-50285383 Olivia's Sources: "Why did Pirates Fly the Jolly Roger?”: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/anthropology-in-practice/why-did-pirates-fly-the-jolly-roger/ “The Jolly Roger and its Not-so-Merry Origins”: https://hudsonvalley.org/article/the-jolly-roger-and-its-not-so-merry-origins/ “Famous Pirate Flags: Beyond the Skull and Crossbones”: https://owlcation.com/humanities/Famous-Pirate-Flags “The Golden Age of Piracy”: https://www.rmg.co.uk/discover/explore/golden-age-piracy

8 is great on Air Castles episode 27! Our mate Johanna updates us on the traits of the eighth largest nation state in the world (spoilers: it's not Kuwait) before Olivia relates to us the fate of the sea god from the outdated Hawaiian Kapu system. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Olivia Schmitz and Johanna Schöllauf try to understand different cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @AirCastlesPod. Johanna's Sources: “15 Things You Didn't Know About Bangladesh”: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvQmFpwQILE “Ganges Delta”: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2020/10/Ganges_Delta “10 Surprising Facts About Dhaka, Bangladesh”: ww.youtube.com/watch?v=ICqyetqYrgI Olivia's Sources: "Loaloa Heiau": https://www.nps.gov/places/loaloa-heiau.htm "Traditional Hawaiian Religion": https://vagobond.com/traditional-hawaiian-religion/ "The four major Hawaiian gods": https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/the-four-major-hawaiian-gods

Advanced technology: friend or foe? Johanna and Olivia explore both sides of the computer chip in episode 26, from bright Togolese inventors solving the world's problems one 3D printer at a time to Chinese censorship being taken to its most successful extremes. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Olivia Schmitz and Johanna Schöllauf try to understand different cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @AirCastlesPod. Johanna's Sources: “How China Controls the Internet”: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gxFhmsHNMc&t=205s Olivia's Sources: “This African Inventor Created A $100 3-D Printer From E-Waste”: https://www.fastcompany.com/3019880/this-african-inventor-created-a-100-3-d-printer-from-e-waste About the International Space Apps Challenge: http://2013.spaceappschallenge.org/about “Meet Kodjo Afate Gnikou who built a 3D printer from electronic waste”: https://face2faceafrica.com/article/meet-kodjo-afate-gnikou-who-built-a-3d-printer-from-electronic-waste “Togo: Location, History, Population, and Facts”: https://www.britannica.com/place/Togo

Happy New Year! In celebration of 2020 finally being over, Olivia and Johanna talk about cool New Year's traditions in Ecuador as well as the origin of fireworks in the 25th episode of Air Castles. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Olivia Schmitz and Johanna Schöllauf try to understand different cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @AirCastlesPod. Sources: Johanna: “Spongebob in Flames: The New Year's Eve Effigy Burning in Ecuador”: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/new-years-effigies-ecuador “New Years in Ecuador - How to celebrate with the locals!”: https://happygringo.com/blog/new-years-ecuador/ “New Years in Ecuador: Ecuadorian traditions to welcome the new year!”: https://www.thisisecuador.com/blog/new-years-ecuador-festivities/ Olivia: “History of Fireworks”: https://www.americanpyro.com/history-of-fireworks “FIreworks' Vibrant History”: https://www.history.com/news/fireworks-vibrant-history “14 Fun Facts About Fireworks”: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/14-fun-facts-about-fireworks-180951957/

Ginormous Christmas Nerds (TM) Olivia and Johanna are ready to get you into the holiday spirit with this holly jolly 24th episode. Hansel and Gretel, grape eating, and even more fun facts about the flying, gift-bearing Christ Child are just some of the factual presents that await you under that play button. We hope everyone has a wonderful, safe, and uniquely celebrated holiday week/month/season! Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Olivia Schmitz and Johanna Schöllauf try to understand different cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @AirCastlesPod. Sources: Johanna: “Christmas in Spain”: https://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/spain.shtml “Everything You Need to Know About Christmas in Spain”: https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-christmas-in-spain/ “What is a Roscón de Reyes in Spain?”: https://www.sincerelyspain.com/blog/2019/1/4/what-is-a-roscon-de-reyes-in-spain “Behind the Bite: Roscón de Reyes”: https://madridfoodtour.com/roscon-de-reyes/ Olivia: “The History of Gingerbread”: https://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/history-gingerbread/ “The Un-Christmassy Origin of Gingerbread Houses”: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/un-christmassy-origin-gingerbread-houses-180967461/ “With nearly a ton of butter, Texas gingerbread house sets record”: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-christmas-gingerbread/with-nearly-a-ton-of-butter-texas-gingerbread-house-sets-record-idUSBRE9B50YQ20131206 “See the Winners of the Largest Gingerbread House Competition in America”: https://www.rd.com/list/gingerbread-house-competition-winners/ “Gingerbread Houses at Grove Park Inn”: https://www.romanticasheville.com/gingerbread.htm

Sometimes it felt like 2020 would never be over, but here we are in the 12th month of the year! Johanna and Olivia are celebrating by looking at how Austrians and Iranians make the most out of the coming of winter. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Olivia Schmitz and Johanna Schöllauf try to understand different cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @AirCastlesPod. Sources: Earth, Wind & Fire - December (Official Video): https://youtu.be/CjCWhwdnCd0 Johanna: “Christoph Waltz Explains Krampus to Jimmy Fallon”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbkGuCozc9M Olivia: “Shab-e Yalda, the celebration of the longest night of the year”: https://www.eavartravel.com/en/blog/2019/12/10/130522/yalda-nights/ “Shabe Yalda – A Persian Celebration”: https://persianmama.com/shabe-yalda-a-persian-celebration/ “Hafez”: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/hafez

Feeling blue or blau? Either way listening to this episode will probably (hopefully) lift your mood as you learn why oceans don't mix together and what makes blues music so special. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Olivia Schmitz and Johanna Schöllauf try to understand different cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @AirCastlesPod. Sources: Johanna: “Why the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans Don't Mix”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U93QRMcQU5Y “What's Under The Ice In Antarctica”?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM_Ce3ITLtA Olivia: “Jazz Fundamentals: What Are the Blues?”: https://youtube.com/watch?v=aBg_gQxAShM “Is Blues the Mother of All Modern Music?”: https://youtube.com/watch?v=HYy-6ltraVQ “Blues”: https://www.britannica.com/art/blues-music “Regional Blues Styles”: https://www.strathmore.org/shades-of-blues/education-portal/regional-blues-styles “Types of Blues”: https://www.bluesguitarinsider.com/blues-guitar-history/types-of-blues

All things decadent, expensive, fine, and fancy are on the docket for this most esteemed 21st episode of Air Castles. Johanna fills us in on the details of Dubai while Olivia takes us down the rabbit hole that is The International Butler Academy. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/Best Friends Olivia Schmitz and Johanna Schöllauf try to understand different cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @AirCastlesPod. Sources: Johanna: “How did Dubai get so rich? | CNBC Explains”: https://youtu.be/EctE3dEAwEY “Jafza”: http://jafza.ae/about-us/ “Top ten countries with world's largest oil reserves”: https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/features/newstop-ten-countries-with-worlds-largest-oil-reserves-5793487/ Olivia: The International Butler Academy: https://www.butlerschool.com TIBA Etiquette Quiz: https://www.butlerschool.com/the-extras/etiquette-quiz/ TIBA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theinternationalbutleracademy/?hl=en

Don't worry, the girls aren't hitting you with a Christmas episode in October (there's enough time for that in December). This time, they are all about trees! From wood carving in Tajikistan to maple trees in Canada, this episode covers two valued traditions from opposite sides of the world. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Olivia Schmitz and Johanna Schöllauf try to understand different cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @AirCastlesPod. Sources: Johanna: “Maple Syrup Festivals in Canada”: https://www.tripsavvy.com/maple-syrup-festivals-in-canada-1481755 “Ahornsirup im Schnee - eine alte Wintertradition aus Nordamerika”: https://blog.naturata.de/2010/12/02/ahornsirup-im-schnee-eine-alte-wintertradition-aus-nordamerika/ “15 Products You Can (Usually) Only Buy in Canada”: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/81813/15-products-you-can-usually-only-buy-canada “19 Totally Canadian Things That No Other Country Will Ever Have”: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/only-in-canada_n_5002178 “10 Must-Try Canadian Dishes (and the Best Places to Find Them)”: https://www.readersdigest.ca/travel/canada/10-must-try-canadian-dishes/ Olivia: “Chubkori (woodcarving)”: https://encyclocraftsapr.com/chubkori-woodcarving/ “Tajikistan's kandakori – a millennial craft keeps going strong”: https://eurasianet.org/tajikistans-kandakori-a-millennial-craft-keeps-going-strong “The Art of Kandakori Woodcarving”: http://paramountjourney.com/en/woodcarving/ “Tajikistan - Traditional Crafts”: https://www.advantour.com/tajikistan/crafts.htm

If you wanna be our listener, you gotta get with this episode of Air Castles! (Make it last forever. Repeat never ends~) The girls sit down today to talk about all things seasoning--including the Bolivian salt flats, salt production and micro plastics, and asking: where DOES the pepper grow??? Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Olivia Schmitz and Johanna Schöllauf try to understand different cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @AirCastlesPod. Johanna: “How Salt Is Made”: https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-is-salt-made-1328618 “Salt sold in Asia has highest levels of plastic contamination”: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/10/21/study-salt-sold-in-asia-has-highest-levels-of-plastic-contamination/ “Why does so much plastic waste end up in Asia?”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGZty_dOMkE “Which Countries Make the Most Plastic Waste?”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhNNXqUX9Nk Olivia: “These Salt Flats Are One of the Most Remarkable Vistas on Earth”: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/south-america/bolivia/how-to-see-salar-de-uyuni-salt-flats-bolivia/ “Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia Salt Flats”: https://www.boliviahop.com/salar-de-uyuni/ “Salt pan (geology)”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_pan_(geology) “This Hotel is Made Entirely of Salt”: https://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/news/0000014a-ba9b-d229-a15b-fffb1e660000

Air Castles coming' at you with TRIPLE the fun because Olivia and Johanna's good friend Hunter Rulon is making an appearance! Hunter introduces us to how language can influence a person's sense of direction while Johanna tells us more about the history of East and West Berlin, and Olivia takes us on a journey to the oldest astronomical chart in the world. Follow Hunter on... Instagram: @hirakatashii Youtube: Hunter Rulon Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Johanna Schöllauf and Olivia Schmitz try to learn more about world cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @AirCastlesPod. Hunter "Does Your Language Shape How You Think?": https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/magazine/29language-t.html "5 Languages That Could Change the Way You See the World": http://nautil.us/blog/5-languages-that-could-change-the-way-you-see-the-world Johanna "DDR: Geteilte Stadt Berlin": https://www.planet-wissen.de/geschichte/ddr/geteilte_stadt_berlin/index.html Olivia “Mysterious ancient star chart shows foreign skies”: https://www.cnet.com/news/mysterious-ancient-star-chart-shows-foreign-skies/ “Kitora Tomb Star Chart is Declared the Oldest in the World”: https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/kitora-tomb-star-chart-declared-oldest-world-003449 “Japan's Kitora Tomb Mural Paintings Recommended As National Treasure”: https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2019/03/japans-kitora-tomb-mural-paintings.html “From Tomb to Museum: Transferring and Reconstructing the Kitora Burial Mound Murals”: https://www.nippon.com/en/currents/d00270/

The girls are back from hiatus and ready to rock 'n roll! Respectfully, of course, as they both take us on journeys of pilgrimage to Africa and Asia. Olivia digs out the details on the rock churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia while Johanna gives us the scoop on the Hajj, the most revered pilgrimage of Islam. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Johanna Schöllauf and Olivia Schmitz try to learn more about world cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @AirCastlesPod. (To save you the trouble: Olivia realizes that Saudi Arabia is in Western Asia and is not considered a part of Africa. Sorry about her terrible geography.) Johanna “What is the Black Stone of Mecca?”: youtube.com/watch?v=Ibbzz9Rwrp4 “Die wundersame Kaabe & ihre wahre Geschichte”: youtube.com/watch?v=sVk0OVnLd7Y “The Ka'bah”: https://www.islamiclandmarks.com/makkah-haram-sharief/kabah “Millions barred from 2020 hajj pilgrimage to Mecca due to pandemic”: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/06/millions-barred-2020-hajj-pilgrimage-mecca-pandemic/ “Pillars of Islam”: http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e1859 Olivia “Lalibela: Ethiopian holy city mired in protests and controversy”: https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/lalibela-ethiopian-holy-city-mired-protests-controversy-181202142254158.html “A Trip Through the Stunning, Rock-Hewed Churches of Ethiopia”: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/18/travel/harar-lalibela-ethiopia-budget-churches.html “Rock Churches of Lalibela, the Jerusalem of Ethiopia”: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/rock-churches-lalibela-ethiopia/index.html “Lalibela, Ethiopia (ላሊበላ) - Tour of the Incredible Rock Churches!”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo_KycIyHAg “Lalībela, Ethiopia”: https://www.britannica.com/place/Lalibela-Ethiopia “Zagwe dynasty, Ethiopian history”: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Zagwe-dynasty

In episode 16 of Air Castles, you get the beeeeest of both worlds! Alas, while neither of our lovely hosts are tackling the world sensation that was Hannah Montana, the rainforest nation of Suriname and Russian wedding traditions are pretty close seconds! Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Johanna Schöllauf and Olivia Schmitz try to learn more about world cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @aircastlespod Johanna: “The truth about living in Suriname”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OExWSfihjog “Suriname | Dschungeldoktor trifft Schamane”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02YStK5fImo “Suriname Traditions”: http://surinamep6.weebly.com/traditions.html Olivia: "15 amazing Russian wedding traditions”: https://www.easyweddings.com.au/articles/15-amazing-russian-wedding-traditions/ “Traditions: The Russian Wedding”: https://www.manhattanbride.com/insights/russian/ "How to Survive a Russian Wedding”: https://theculturetrip.com/europe/russia/articles/how-to-survive-a-russian-wedding/ "Russian Wedding Traditions and Vocabulary”: https://www.thoughtco.com/russian-wedding-4776550 "Russian Wedding - A Blend of Cultural Traditions”: https://www.looktrvl.com/blog/russian-wedding-blend-cultural-traditions “Russian Wedding Traditions: Engagement”: https://www.advantour.com/russia/traditions/engagement.htm "The ages that people get married around the world”: https://qz.com/1800961/when-do-people-get-married-around-the-world/

Birds outnumber humans by millions on this earth which is a great reason to learn more about them! Besides the mythical Phoenix which is part of many mythologies, other living birds like Alex the parrot have shown how intelligent those beings truly are. Learn more about those two birds in the 15th episode of this podcast! Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Johanna Schöllauf and Olivia Schmitz try to learn more about world cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @aircastlespod Johanna: “Symbolism of the Mythical Phoenix Bird: Renewal, Rebirth and Destruction”: https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/ancient-symbolism-magical-phoenix-002020 “What was the Philosopher's stone?”: https://www.history.com/news/what-was-the-philosophers-stone Olivia: The Alex Foundation Website: https://alexfoundation.org “Alex the Bird”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldYkFdu5FJk “Einstein vs Griffin | The World's Smartest Parrots | Extraordinary Animals | Earth”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozgcKw4MyvY “Why Alex The Parrot May Have Been The World's Smartest Bird”: https://allthatsinteresting.com/alex-the-parrot-irene-pepperberg “Parrot's posthumous paper shows his mathematical genius”: https://www.nature.com/news/parrot-s-posthumous-paper-shows-his-mathematical-genius-1.10071 “Why Ravens and Crows Are Earth's Smartest Crows”: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2018/03/year-of-the-bird-brains-intelligence-smarts/

Space: what a bigger and broader topic is there to pick? In this episode, Olivia tells us about the successful science fiction author Octavia E. Butler while Johanna talks about summer solstice, which marks the longest day of the year. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Johanna Schöllauf and Olivia Schmitz try to learn more about world cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @aircastlespod Johanna: “What is a Solstice? | National Geographic": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btcTfor-j-c “Die 9 schönsten Sonnwendfeuer in den Alpen”: https://www.bergwelten.com/a/berge-in-flammen-10-der-schoensten-sonnwendfeuer-in-den-alpen “Why is Stonehenge So Important?”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em-P7MUt5Bk “Midsummer in Sweden - a cherished tradition": https://visitsweden.com/what-to-do/culture-history-and-art/swedish-traditions/midsummer-tradition/midsummer/ Olivia: “Octavia E. Butler”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octavia_E._Butler#Selected_works “Why Octavia E Butler's novels are so relevant today”: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20200317-why-octavia-e-butlers-novels-are-so-relevant-today “Octavia Butler: Writing Herself Into The Story”: https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/07/10/535879364/octavia-butler-writing-herself-into-the-story

If you can't go to a far off island right now, then why not learn about two instead? The ladies double down on East Asia this episode, as Johanna breaks down the controversy around Taiwan status as a country(?), while Olivia introduces you to an extraordinary 88-stop pilgrimage you can do on Shikoku, Japan. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Johanna Schöllauf and Olivia Schmitz try to learn more about world cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @aircastlespod Johanna: All information was taken from my lectures at Kansai Gaidai University, Osaka. Olivia: This is the website to my pilgrimage professor, Dr. John Shultz: http://www.japanjohn.com “No right way to complete Shikoku's 88-temple pilgrimage”: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2018/03/23/travel/no-right-way-complete-shikokus-88-temple-pilgrimage/ Shokoku Henro page on Shikoku's Tourism Website: https://shikoku-tourism.com/en/shikoku-henro/shikoku-henro “Kukai”: https://www.ancient.eu/Kukai/ “Shingon Buddhism”: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shingon

Myths, fairy tales, folklore, campfire stories, the tales your grandpa would spin about "when he was your age"--it's these sorts of mystical tales that Johanna and Olivia focus on for this 12th episode of Air Castles. We start with Olivia's tale of the abandoned city of Xanadu in Inner Mongolia, and then Johanna regales to us the significance of elves and faeries of Iceland. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Johanna Schöllauf and Olivia Schmitz try to learn more about world cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @aircastlespod Johanna: History of Europe - 6013 years in 3 minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxDyJ_6N-6A “Myths and Legends of Iceland”: https://global.hurtigruten.com/destinations/iceland/inspiration/myths-and-legends-of-iceland/ “Most Famous Myths, Stories and Creatures in Iceland”: https://www.fodors.com/world/europe/iceland/experiences/news/how-much-do-you-know-about-icelandic-mythology-and-folklore-because-oh-my-god “Meet the Thirteen Yule Lads, Iceland's Own Mischievous Santa Clauses”: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-thirteen-yule-lads-icelands-own-mischievous-santa-clauses-180948162/ Olivia: “Kubla Khan” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43991/kubla-khan “Xanadu”: https://www.ancient.eu/Xanadu/ “Kublai Khan - Death, Accomplishments & Facts”: https://www.biography.com/political-figure/kublai-khan

"Old but Gold" or "Oldie but Goodie"? Either way, Olivia and Johanna researched two very old topics with the Aborigines and the Book of Kells in this episode. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Johanna Schöllauf and Olivia Schmitz try to learn more about world cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @aircastlespod Johanna: “The men of the Fifth World (full documentary)”: https://youtu.be/QRBMdS4t36c Olivia: “The Book of Kells”: httpds://www.tcd.ie/library/manuscripts/book-of-kells.php “Book of Kells”: https://www.ancient.eu/Book_of_Kells/ “The Secret of Kells”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_of_Kells “St Jerome: Christian Scholar”: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Jerome

You looking for some Hot Stuff? Then this episode is the right one for you. Olivia is guaranteed to make you hungry while talking about Jerk Chicken, a spicy Jamaican dish, while Johanna takes you on an imaginary journey to the Sahara desert. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Johanna Schöllauf and Olivia Schmitz try to learn more about world cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @aircastlespod Johanna: “10 Interesting Facts About the Sahara Desert”: https://www.onthegotours.com/blog/2019/08/facts-about-the-sahara-desert/ “Interesting Facts About the Sahara Desert”: https://www.globaladventurechallenges.com/journal/facts-about-sahara-desert “Faces of Africa - The Sahara”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMHfYnS65w0 Olivia: “How to Make Homemade Jerk Chicken - Gordon Ramsay”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GIH3JYb6no&feature=youtu.be “7 Best Places for Jerk Chicken in Jamaica”: https://bigseventravel.com/2019/03/the-7-best-places-for-jerk-chicken-jamaica/ “How to Make Jamaican Jerk Chicken” by Munchies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt460jKi4Bk “Jerk chicken”: https://www.britannica.com/topic/jerk-chicken “Jamaica”: https://www.britannica.com/place/Jamaica “What's the history of jerk in Caribbean cooking”: https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/lifestyle/whats-the-history-of-jerk-in-caribbean-cooking-863350.html “Overview Essay: Maroons in Jamaica”: https://scholar.library.miami.edu/slaves/Maroons/maroons.html

All good things come in threes! This episode we're welcoming our first guest and good friend Allie Sekulič who tells us all about the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Johanna and Olivia will introduce you to other topics related to connection. Tune in to find out more! Find Allie on Instagram: @allie.rayne Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Johanna Schöllauf and Olivia Schmitz try to learn more about world cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @aircastlespod Sources: Allie: "Have We Found the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island?": https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/12/131208-roanoke-lost-colony-discovery-history-raleigh/ "Overview of Outer Banks Islands": https://www.outerbanksblue.com/blog/overview-outer-banks-islands/ "Visiting Every Outer Banks Lighthouse: A Complete List": https://www.firstflightrentals.com/blog/outer-banks-lighthouses/ "Mystery solved: why Hoi-Toiders mommuck": https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/mystery-solved-why-hoi-toiders-mommuck-1091206.html "The Carolina Brogue: Outer Banks Vocabulary": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgi9wYsR5fo Johanna: “How the world's longest underwater tunnel was built - Alex Gendler”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNS2jj2w-GI Olivia: “The Atomium: Brussels, Belgium”: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-atomium-brussels-belgium The Atomium official website: https://atomium.be/atomium_symbol_of_Brussels_and_Belgium “Atomium Brussels Belgium”: https://www.brussels.info/atomium/

Today the ladies are discussing death! But it's not as depressing as you may think. Olivia tells us all about Varanasi, a holy city where people go to die, while Johanna regales us with the story of Angie Berbuer, a woman who nearly died in a car crash at the age of 21. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Johanna Schöllauf and Olivia Schmitz try to learn more about world cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @aircastlespod Johanna: Angie Berbuer on Instagram: instagram.com/angieberbuer Angie Berbuer on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/angiebutterfly001 “Angie (21) verlor beide Beine bei einem Autounfall! Wie geht es ihr heute?“: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrS38mZ-BIM Olivia: "Varanasi, India": https://www.britannica.com/place/Varanasi "The Holy City of Varanasi": https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/the-holy-city-of-varanasi-42862228/ "Varanasi: The last stop before nirvana": https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/varanasi-the-last-stop-before-nirvana-1805245.html "The Sapta Puri Tour: 7 Hindu Religious Places in India": https://www.nativeplanet.com/travel-guide/religious-places-in-india-001780.html "Hinduism": https://www.history.com/topics/religion/hinduism "Hinduism - Pilgrimage": https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hinduism/Pilgrimage

Did you know that you are 1-2 years older in Korean age than in international age? Johanna will tell you more about this different calculation of age while Olivia introduces us to Jeanne Calment who was the oldest person to ever live. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Johanna Schöllauf and Olivia Schmitz try to learn more about world cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @AirCastlesPod Johanna: “Ask a North Korean: Do you use Korean age in North Korea too?”: https://www.nknews.org/2017/04/ask-a-north-korean-do-you-use-korean-age-in-north-korea-too/ “Age and Asia: How old are we according to the East Asian age reckoning?”: https://www.1stopasia.com/age-asia-how-old-are-we-according-to-the-east-asian-age-reckoning/ “South Korea's unique aging system”: https://www.insider.com/south-korea-aging-system-bill-eliminate-2019-6 “Lunar calendar”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_calendar Olivia: “Oldest person ever (female)”: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/oldest-person-(female)?fb_comment_id=534519726650546_648614835241034 “Jeanne Calment”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne_Calment “'World's oldest woman' was 122 when she died, but researcher says she was lying about her age”: https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/worlds-oldest-woman-was-122-when-she-died-but-researcher-says-she-was-lying-about-her-age-20190106-p50pu7.html Article from The Verge: “How we know the oldest person who ever lived wasn't faking her age” https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/9/18174435/oldest-person-alive-woman-age-jeanne-calment-controversy-longevity-mortality-statistics

Two different cities associated with the color pink! In this episode you will learn more about Rimini, Italy, and its pink festival "La Notte Rosa" from Olivia while Johanna talks about Jaipur, India, and the "Holi" color festival. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Johanna Schöllauf and Olivia Schmitz try to learn more about world cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @aircastlespod Johanna: “Holi”: www.holifestival.org “Wir erkunden die pinke Stadt Jaipur”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hoj9MW-vzj8 “7 Intriguing Facts About Jaipur That Will Confound You “: ttps://www.nativeplanet.com/travel-guide/7-surprising-facts-about-jaipur-you-must-know/articlecontent-pf25531-005250.html Olivia: “Rimini”: https://www.britannica.com/place/Rimini-Italy “Rimini to turn pink on Friday for La Notte Rosa”: https://ilglobo.com/news/rimini-to-turn-pink-on-friday-for-la-notte-rosa-43972/ “La Notte Rosa Lights Up the Riviera Adriatica”: https://www.italymagazine.com/news/la-notte-rosa-lights-riviera-adriatica “Pink Night 2019: Top Events Not to be Missed”: https://blog.travelemiliaromagna.com/pink-night-top-events “La Notte Rosa - the pink night”: https://www.zainoo.com/blog/en/2017/07/07/la-notte-rosa/ “15 Best Things to do in Rimini (Italy)”: https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-things-rimini-italy/

If you can afford a night in one of the underwater hotels that Olivia talks about in this episode, then you're definitely an "overachiever!" Then, going into a completely different direction, Johanna compares two of the top educational systems in the world in this 5th episode of Air Castles. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Johanna Schöllauf and Olivia Schmitz try to learn more about world cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @aircastlespod Johanna's Sources: "Education Systems Around The World: A Comparison": https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/education-systems-around-world-comparison-sashi-gundala/ "What the best education systems are doing right": https://ideas.ted.com/what-the-best-education-systems-are-doing-right/ ! "20 Best Education System in the World": https://www.edsys.in/best-education-system-in-the-world/ "Education in Finland/South Korea": https://www.internations.org "Pisa 2018": https://www.oecd.org/pisa/PISA%202018%20Insights%20and%20Interpretations%20FINAL%20PDF.pdf Olivia's Sources: "The 8 Coolest Underwater Hotels in the World": https://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2016-07-09/11-coolest-underwater-hotels-in-the-world "THE MILE LOW CLUB: OLIVER'S TRAVELS ANNOUNCES ITS MOST EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY YET!": https://www.oliverstravels.com/blog/the-mile-low-club-olivers-travels-announces-its-most-exclusive-property-yet/ "Mile low club: Company turns submarine into private love hotel": https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/lovers-deep-submarine/index.html "9 Underwater Hotel Rooms with the Most Spectacular Views of the Ocean": https://mymodernmet.com/luxury-underwater-hotels/ "6 Unbelievable Underwater Hotels to Stay At": https://www.28degreescard.com.au/travel-inspiration/6-unbelievable-underwater-hotels-to-stay-at.html

Pull out your banana slicers and pet fruit bats—it's the fourth episode of Air Castles! Olivia unveils the story of a failed Transcendentalist commune while Johanna dives into the socio-environmental implications of the avocado. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Johanna Schöllauf and Olivia Schmitz try to learn more about world cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @aircastlespod Johanna's Sources: "Revealed: the enormous carbon footprint of eating avocado" https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/revealed-the-enormous-carbon-footprint-linked-to-eating-avocado-a3591501.html "Is our avocado obsession destroying the planet?" https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/features/is-our-avocado-obsession-destroying-the-planet/ "Fun Food Facts about Avocados" https://greenblender.com/smoothies/2098/avocado-facts "11 interesting facts about avocados" https://www.msn.com/en-in/foodanddrink/foodnews/11-interesting-facts-about-avocados/ar-BBSAbPn "Are Avocados Sustainable? What Are The Consequences Of Avocado Production?" https://youmatter.world/en/benefits-avocados-production-bad-people-planet-27107/ Olivia's Sources: "American Utopias" https://www.britannica.com/story/american-utopias "5 19th-Century Utopian Communities in the United States" https://www.history.com/news/5-19th-century-utopian-communities-in-the-united-states "Fruitlands (transcendental center)" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruitlands_(transcendental_center) "Fruitlands: The Alcott Family and Their Search for Utopia" https://orionmagazine.org/review/fruitlands-the-alcott-family-and-their-search-for-utopia/ "Fruitlands" https://www.americanheritage.com/fruitlands The Fruitlands Museum website: https://fruitlands.thetrustees.org/about,museum-history

Ever wondered which languages would be the hardest to learn? In this episode Johanna tells us about the supposedly hardest languages to learn while Olivia introduces us to different whistling languages around the world. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Johanna Schöllauf and Olivia Schmitz try to learn more about world cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @aircastlespod Johanna's Sources: "High and Low Context Cultures": https://www.researchgate.net/figure/High-and-low-context-cultures-Samovar-Porter-1997-p-24-Sueda-Fukuda-2011-p_fig3_327180415 "Japanese, Finnish or Chinese? The 10 Hardest Languages for English Speakers to Learn": https://unbabel.com/blog/japanese-finnish-or-chinese-the-10-hardest-languages-for-english-speakers-to-learn/ "9 of the hardest languages for English speakers to learn": https://www.businessinsider.com/hardest-language-to-learn-2018-5?r=DE&IR=T#arabic-2

Johanna and Olivia are back with a vengeance for episode 2! First Olivia fangirls about the Medellín Flower Fair, then Johanna teaches us Hanakotoba, the flower language of Japan. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Johanna Schöllauf and Olivia Schmitz try to learn more about world cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Twitter @AirCastlesPod Johanna's Sources: Hanakotoba.com: https://hananokotoba.com/the-language-of-flowers/ Olivia's Sources: "The Medellín Flower Fair: A Flood of Flowers," Visit Colombia: https://colombia.travel/en/blog/medellin-flower-fair-flood-flowers "Silleteros at the Medellin Flower Festival in Colombia," TripSavvy: https://www.tripsavvy.com/silleteros-in-medellin-flower-festival-3150166 "13 things you should know about the Flower Fair of Medellín," Medellin.Travel: https://medellin.travel/en/13-things-you-should-know-about-the-flower-fair-of-medellin/ "A Parade of Bright Flowers in a City with a Dark Past," Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/Medellin-festival-flowers-180956227/ "What You Should Know About Colombia's Spectacular Flower Festival," Culture Trip: https://theculturetrip.com/south-america/colombia/articles/what-you-should-know-about-colombias-spectacular-flower-festival/

On this debut episode of Air Castles, Johanna explains to Olivia why Liechtenstein is the greatest tiny nation in the world. Then Olivia unfolds the story of Rodriguez, the mysterious musician who made it big in South Africa without knowing it. Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where hosts Johanna Schöllauf and Olivia Schmitz try to learn more about world cultures one topic at a time. Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at aircastlespodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Twitter @AirCastlesPod Johanna's Sources: 17 Interesting Facts About Liechtenstein: https://everything-everywhere.com/facts-about-liechtenstein/ Liechtenstein government website: https://www.liechtenstein.li/land-und-leute/gesellschaft/bevoelkerung/sprachen/#https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/liechtenstein-population/ Die Fürstenfamilie Liechtenstein: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzsTRPlrYLE Europas Kleinstaaten Teil 2 - Liechtenstein - Tal der Glücksseligen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roWQo0IEWRM Prince to People: 'I'll sell to Bill Gates': https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/liechtenstein/1322192/Prince-to-people-Ill-sell-up-to-Bill-Gates.html Olivia's Sources: Searching for Sugarman. Directed by Malik Bendjelloul, Red Box Film, 2012 The Great Rodriguez Hunt: http://www.sugarman.org/rodriguez/archive.html