Like baguette and cheese, wine is a major part of both French culture and of the image France has around the world. When you picture a French person in your mind, it’s probable that they’re either holding a glass or bottle of wine or have one on the café table in front of them. But unlike cheese and bread, wine carries a certain cachet that can make it seem intimidating. In today’s show, we’ll have Antoine Brochet sharing with us everything about French wine. Photo: laubergechezfrancois.com

If you ever visited the Buckingham Palace, the residence of the most important family in the UK, you couldn’t have missed the Queen’s Guards, the soldiers who are always standing still with straight faces. Today we will talk with Calum Bacon, an English young man who is working in Vietnam, to learn more about Foot Guards, the stoic soldiers that guard Her Majesty. The hat is made from real bearskin (Photo: Pinterest)

As any Romanian will eagerly explain, there’s much more to know about Romania than the legend of Dracula. Constantly featured among Europe’s best travel destinations, Romania has plenty to surprise those looking for an exciting, off-the-beaten-track destination. In today’s show, we’ll have Gabriela Drobota from Romania to share with us some facts about Romania, its culture, people, and lifestyle.

An egg decorated with traditional Romanian motifs. (Photo: Rolandia.eu)

From banned happy hours to not having any snakes in their country, Ireland is definitely a country that will surprise you. Today we’ll learn about life in Ireland and food and drink from Francis Moran, an English teacher from Ireland.

Located 80 kilometers north of Lagos in Oyo state, Nigeria, the town of Igbo Ora is well known for a remarkably large number of twin births. Today we’ll have a talk with Laykay Adepoju, a Nigerian who is working in Hanoi, to know more about Ogbo Ora, which is nicknamed “The twin capital of the world”. Ibeji (Photo: barnebys.se)

Kuchipudi is an Indian classical dance form counted among the ten leading classical dance forms of India. A dance-drama performance art that originated in a village in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, India, Kuchipudi evolved from the Hindu Sanskrit text ‘Natya Shastra’ and is connected traditionally with temples, spiritual faith, and travelling bards. In today’s Cultural Rendezvous, Kiranmai Bonala, a Kuchipudi dance teacher from India, will tell us a little about this dance. Picture: Kuchipudi dance teacher Kiranmai Bonala

The annual candlelit Lucia procession on December 13 is one of the more exotic Swedish customs, with girls and boys clad in white full-length gowns singing songs together. When the 400-year-old tradition of St. Lucia is celebrated, you will see thousands of young girls emerge from the darkness of a Swedish winter’s day and gently silence the crowds with a procession of light. How exactly is Lucia Day celebrated in Sweden? Johan Alvin, the Swedish Embassy's second secretary and his wife Marika Alvin will give you the answer. Picture: The Lucia choir in Hanoi.

In the Philippines, as in other Southeast Asian countries, paying respect to older people is a tradition passed from generation to generation. In today’s program, we’ll talk to Emmanuel Abalos about “mano” or “pagmamano”, an "honoring gesture" performed in Filipino culture as a sign of respect for an elder and a way of requesting a blessing from the elder. Mano - a beautiful tradition of the Philippines.