Daily life in different countries.

Published: September 7, 2014 at 10:22

1. A boy watches other children play football in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

2. A man covered with steam during a baptismal ceremony in Johannesburg, South Africa. In this place, parishioners of various Christian denominations from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African countries can publicly hold ceremonies overlooking downtown Johannesburg. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

3. Young people exchange the latest fashion news and pose for each other's photos. At the same time ex-president South African and political activist Nelson Mandela was in hospital in critical condition. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

4. A boy under a stream of water after the "Mud Games" in the children's camp in Bartlett, Tennessee, USA. For regularly held games, it is called "Mud Camp". (Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal via Associated Press)

5. People sunbathe on Mar Bella beach in Barcelona, Spain. In June 2013, foreign tourists set a new record for visiting Spain - more than 6 million tourists per month. (David Ramos/Getty Images)

6. Children fly a kite near Soweto - a settlement on the southwestern outskirts of Johannesburg in South Africa. Local children use plastic bags and other garbage found in the landfill to make kites out of them. (Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images)

7. A seven-year-old American boy catches drops of water with his tongue while visiting the Oldsmar Forest Health Center, Florida, USA. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via Associated Press)

8. A construction worker wipes sweat from his face - the air temperature in Los Angeles has reached 32 degrees C °. (Michelle Tessier/The Flint Journal via Associated Press)

9. A student musician from the city of Simsbury, Connecticut, USA plays the piano on the beach in California. Twelve pianos were installed along the shores of San Mateo, an art project by local artist Mauro Fortissimo called "Second Piece for Twelve Pianos". (Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press)

10. A girl bathes at sunrise in Geneva, Switzerland. (Anja Niedringhaus/Associated Press)

11. Elderly men practice calligraphy right on the stone sidewalk in a park in Beijing, China. (Ng Han Guan/Associated Press)

12. A girl holds an umbrella over a man who decorates a drawing dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the revolutionary attacks in Bayamo, Cuba. (Ramon Espinosa/Associated Press)

13. A surfer caught a wave on the Eisbach River in Munich, Germany. (Matthias Schrader/Associated Press)

14. Children look at a fire in a vacant lot in the Soweto area, Johannesburg, South Africa. (Muhammed Muheisen/Associated Press)

15. An elderly woman stretches near an ancient tree in a park in Beijing, China. (Ng Han Guan/Associated Press)

16. A worker dressed as "Spider-Man" washes a window and entertains guests at a hotel in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia. (Trisnadi/Associated Press)

17. A boy looks at a diver in an aquarium in Shanghai, China. (Eugene Hoshiko/Associated Press)

18. A child in a shopping mall in Beijing, China. (Andy Wong/Associated Press)

19. A girl in sunglasses and under an umbrella tries to hide from the sun on a hot summer day in Beijing, China. (Alexander F. Yuan/Associated Press)

20. A young man in seaweed on the beach in Qingdao in the eastern province of Shandong in China. (Chinatopix, via Associated Press)

21. Truck driver talking on mobile phone while waiting for goods to be loaded at a wholesale market in New Delhi, India. (Manish Swarup/Associated Press)

22. Reflection of the national flag in a puddle of rain on Kim Il Sung Square in downtown Pyongyang, North Korea. The country is preparing to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War. (Wong Maye-E/Associated Press)

23. A Buddhist monk prays at Boudhanath in Kathmandu, Nepal. The Boudhanath Stupa is an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists. (Niranjan Shrestha/Associated Press)

24. A man fishes under a bridge over the Ganges River in Allahabad, India. The Hindi inscriptions on the pillars are appeals to the people to keep the river clean. (Rajesh Kumar Singh/Associated Press)

25. Tourists from India sledding in Gulmarg, about 60 km west of Srinagar, India. This resort is located near the actual border between the rival countries: India and Pakistan. (Dar Yasin/Associated Press)

26. Youths jump from a bridge into Lake Nigin to cool off on a hot summer day on the outskirts of Srinagar, India. (Mukhtar Khan/Associated Press)

27. Children apply camouflage paint to their faces before participating in a game to blend in with the environment and be invisible at a summer camp in Indiana, USA. (Erin Mccracken/The Evansville Courier & Press via Associated Press)

28. A man tries to control his flying structure during the Red Bull Flugtag competition near Moscow, Russia. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)

29. A bather left his flip-flops to swim on a hot day at the beach of Odaiba Park, a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay. The temperature that day reached 35°C. (Shizuo Kambayashi/Associated Press)

30. Fisherman on a lake in East Bremerton, Washington, USA. (Larry Steagall/KITSAP SUN, via Associated Press)

31. A young man looks at equestrian competitions at a fair in Kentucky, USA. The 186th Annual Mercer County Fair is the oldest fair in the country. (Clay Jackson/The Advocate Messenger via Associated Press)

32. A girl sells a rabbit at an auction at a youth fair in Michigan, USA. (Joe Rondone/The Herald Palladium via Associated Press)

33. A girl from Chesterfield, Virginia, USA, fills cups with paints. A group of girls who are involved in a rehabilitation program for underprivileged children work together to repaint a wall that has been defaced with graffiti. (Jason Lenhart/The Daily News-Record via Associated Press)

34. A child plays in a dry pool with balls at a children's exhibition in Beijing, China. (Andy Wong/Associated Press)

35. A man releases one of 35 carrier pigeons in Kentucky, USA. The pigeons have to fly almost 50 km at speeds up to 100 km/h to the man's second home in Lexington. In this way, birds are prepared for competitions, where they will have to overcome a distance of more than 400 km. (Clay Jackson/The Advocate Messenger via Associated Press)

36. Speech by an acrobat during mass festivities in the city of Hoboken, New Jersey, USA.
(Julio Cortez/Associated Press)

37. Girls hiding from the heat in a pigsty in Oregon, USA.
(Brian Davies/The Register-Guard via Associated Press)

38. The 74-year-old musician tunes his guitar before performing at a Spanish restaurant in Manila, Philippines. (Aaron Favila/Associated Press)

39. A boy walks along the railings of the Kalemegdan citadel in a park next to the Belgrade Fortress in the old part of Belgrade, Serbia. The Monument to the Victor in the background symbolizes the victory of Belgrade during the First World War. (Darko Vojinovic/Associated Press)

40. Nuns have lunch in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. (Riccardo De Luca/Associated Press)

41. 10-year-old boy watching a rodeo at the Central Fair in Wyoming, USA. (Leah Millis/Casper Star-Tribune via Associated Press)

42. Illuminated lanterns float on Lake Sismigiu in Bucharest, Romania. Lanterns were lowered to the surface of the lake during an action about the dangers of drugs among Romanian youth. Each lantern symbolizes a victim of drug use. (Andrea Alexandru/Associated Press)

1. Protestant worshipers pray, dance and sing during daily worship at the Ebenizare Church in Port-au-Prince, this photo was taken on Tuesday, March 6, 2007. Haiti has no official religion, the Constitution provides for freedom of religion, but Haiti has a particularly respectful attitude towards the Roman Catholic Church. More than two-thirds of the population are Catholics, and about one-fourth are Protestants.

2. Thirteen-year-old Pakistani Nargis Shah enjoys swinging with other children on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, on Monday, August 15, 2011.

A boy chases seagulls on Kohimarama Beach in Auckland, New Zealand, on Tuesday, September 20, 2011.

4. A Syrian bookseller waits for customers at his stall on the street in the old city of Damascus, Syria, taken on Saturday, September 24, 2011.

5. Pakistanis sit on the beach in Karachi, Pakistan, enjoying the sunset on Monday, September 26, 2011.

6. A Pakistani eunuch reads prayers during a visit to the local temple of the famous saint Beri Imam in Islamabad, Pakistan, this photo was taken on Thursday, September 29, 2011.

7. An Afghan girl in front of her house in a slum on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, this photo was taken on Friday, September 30, 2011.

Syrian boys play football in an alley in the old city of Damascus, Syria, on Saturday, October 1, 2011.

9. People enjoy the thermal water in the ruins of the ancient thermal baths in Tiermas. In autumn, the water level in the Yesa reservoir is at its lowest. The photo was taken in northern Spain on Saturday 1st October 2011.

10. People enjoy the thermal water in the ruins of the ancient thermal baths in Tiermas. The photo was taken in northern Spain on Saturday 1st October 2011.

11. A Pakistani woman buys bananas from a seller standing on the side of a road in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sunday, October 2, 2011.

12. A Pakistani street barber shaves a customer's beard on the side of a road in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sunday, October 2, 2011.

13. Tourist boats and bubbles over the West Lake, or Xi Hu, in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province in eastern China, this photo was taken on Thursday, October 6, 2011.

14. The Pakistani man, pictured in the center, in his jewelry store, and others gather on the porch of a grocery store in the Christian area in Islamabad, Pakistan, this photo was taken on Friday, October 7, 2011.

15. A Pakistani family collects firewood to be used as cooking fuel in Karachi, Pakistan on Thursday, October 13, 2011.

16. A security guard stands near a painted wall depicting blue skies and white clouds on a foggy day in Beijing on Monday, June 18, 2012.

17. An Afghan rides a horse in a public park in Kabul, Afghanistan, pictured on Wednesday, October 19, 2011.

18. A woman and a lone runner moving through fog on Hampstead High Street in north London on Wednesday, November 23, 2011.

19. A Cambodian child sleeps in a hammock in a flooded house in Chakta Lork village, Kampong Thom province, 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, taken on Tuesday, November 15, 2011.

20. Family members invited to an outdoor wedding in the garden of an old villa in downtown Shanghai, China, on Saturday, October 8, 2011.

21. A Chinese woman exercises with fans in the morning at Ditan Park in Beijing, China, on Wednesday, February 29, 2012.

22. A flock of birds fly over the Drum Tower, located in the heart of the Forbidden City, in Beijing, China, on Thursday, October 20, 2011.

23. Chinese artist Liu Bolin, center, creates the installation "Plastic World" - in a supermarket, against the background of a shelf with drinks in plastic containers. The project was intended to end the use food grade plastic, picture taken in Beijing, China on Wednesday, August 10, 2011.

24. Doves fly near the Georges Pompidou art center, left, in Paris, photo taken on Wednesday, November 23, 2011.

25. An Indian Muslim vendor sits on a cart and feeds leaves to a goat in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday, August 9, 2011.

26. A woman walks on dry land in the village of Basudevpur in the Bhadrak district, about 130 kilometers (81 miles) northeast of Bhubaneswar, India, on Friday, March 6, 2009.

27. A Naga woman adjusts a sling on her daughter's shoulders at a vegetable market in Kohima, the capital of the northeastern Indian state of Nagaland, on Wednesday, November 30, 2011.

28. An Indian man waits for his trousers to be sewn up by a street tailor in New Delhi, India, taken on Thursday, January 19, 2012.

29. An Indian man with his son and other children near an abandoned house in New Delhi, India, taken on Tuesday, February 21, 2012.

30. Indian washers wash clothes on the banks of the Yamuna River on the outskirts of Allahabad, India, this photo was taken on Wednesday, October 19, 2011.

31. Members of the Korean folk ballet group Little Angels, formed in 1962, sing during a rehearsal for a performance in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday, November 22, 2011. a ballet troupe concert was held in India as part of India's gratitude for medical assistance during the Korean War of 1950-1953.

32. Indians feed birds from a boat on the Yamuna River, shrouded in mist, on a winter morning in New Delhi, India, this photo was taken on Friday, January 20, 2012.

33. Indian women carrying firewood on their heads on a cold morning on the outskirts of Jammu, India, on Wednesday, January 18, 2012.

Travel is, of course, not just and not only sightseeing. It is interesting to explore life in all its manifestations, and for this, as everyone knows, it is best to communicate with the locals, go to visit them, drink tea, and maybe even live with them .... So you yourself are willy-nilly involved in their normal daily life. In addition, the houses themselves and their interiors say a lot about the country in which you are. This time I invite you to visit with us the houses of several hospitable Iranians, Tajiks, Cubans, Europeans. Unfortunately, a lot of my own photographs are captured against the background of the interiors. Continuation, as they say, will follow someday.

Iran. One of my most favorite countries. Here, people give oranges on the streets, bring them up and invite them to their home just to drink tea or offer to spend the night with them. And even if you don’t understand each other and communicate with signs, for some reason you often get the feeling that you have known each other for a long time and talked about something very important and spiritual. Maybe Persian philosophy is to blame for this, or maybe very sincere people live in Iran. Average Iranians don't seem to be very wealthy. According to the writer Ali Reza, who has lived in this country for more than a year, Iranians can lay a carpet directly on concrete or any other surface without bothering to level it or make other unnecessary gestures. They are not very fond of wallpaper and all sorts of parquets, laminates and so on. The wall is often simply painted and, if some kind of smudge is suddenly noticed, then they don’t worry and take it philosophically.

In addition to children, Iranians love to have birds of paradise at home, decorate their apartment with flowers, cute trinkets.

Minimum furniture, spacious rooms.

So, by the way, wealthy Iranians lived in the past.

In an apartment that Ali Reza provided free of charge to the Iranian government, in the religious quarter of Qom.

Traditional Iranian feast on the floor.

Visiting the kind, religious Abdullah, who took us to the salt caves. Qeshm Island.

Tajikistan. Unfortunately, we did not have to spend much time here to make any generalizations. Those whom we came to live simply and unpretentiously, pour water from a bucket and do not pay any attention to any European-style repairs, but they are distinguished by kindness and sincere friendliness.

Our friend is an American from a hospitality club who lives in a small town in Western Ukraine. He receives a salary of about 300 bucks a month, teaches English, drinks local beer, goes to a school disco and a local bar, where he asks the “lady” for a card in order to play a part, another. He likes to live here and in America and the American salary, according to him, he does not miss at all. He really looks happy.

Cuba. Cubans rarely invite guests, and even more so they leave them to spend the night, explaining that they are afraid of the police. On the other hand, they willingly accommodate for a fee at the cash desks of particulars intended for foreigners (an analogue of a hotel), literally arranging a hunt for tourists at bus stations. However, if they are invited to visit, they are happy to feed and talk about life. In the homes of most average Cubans, high ceilings, often tiled floors and always have a rocking chair, sitting in which they, smoking a cigar, look around the surroundings.

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The compilers of the UN World Happy Index every year ask people from different countries to rate their lives on a scale from 1 to 10, where 10 is best conditions that you can only imagine. The responses are compared with six factors for each country: GDP level, life expectancy, charity, social support, freedom and corruption. Then the data obtained is compared with Dystopia - an imaginary country in which everything is bad and everyone is unhappy. This fictitious universe allows each state to rank positive on all counts to even out the charts.

"Secret" studied how people live, work and do business in countries that have been in the top of the ranking for several years.

Denmark

Denmark does not have the highest GDP per capita - $60,000 per year, but the country is in the top 10 in this parameter. According to the Corruption Perceptions Index report, which is compiled by analysts and entrepreneurs, Denmark ranks first as the state with the lowest level of perception of corruption.

The minimum wage is about $20 an hour, unions are strong here, they protect the interests of workers and have real power. According to the World Giving Index report, 67% of Danes help strangers at least once a month, and 20% donate money to charity.

According to the Global Entrepreneurship Index (GEI), Denmark was ranked fifth in the world in terms of entrepreneurship development in 2017, and in 2016 it was on the first line in this indicator among European countries. This contributes high level education - 96% have a secondary education, 47% have a higher education, four out of five Danes know English. You can register a company in one day and completely free of charge - you just need to fill out a form and take it to the tax office.

True, local startups mostly operate in the home market or in neighboring Scandinavian countries - for example, 3D printing firm 3d Printhuset has only two offices: in Copenhagen and Aarhus. The problem lies in the reluctance of the Danes to take risks, and this affects both the ability to open a business and the investment of funds. A calm life is preferred to abrupt actions in Denmark, writes a columnist for Nordic Startup Bits. There are also companies that have gone beyond Scandinavia: for example, food delivery service Just Eat has opened a head office in the UK and branches in 13 countries in Europe, Asia, the USA and Oceania.

Denmark is considered one of the most egalitarian countries in the world, where both men and women are equally employed in careers. Corporate income tax is 32%, VAT is 25%, income tax is 5.5%, but if you earn more than 135,000 crowns (about $19,500), the rate rises to 6% and can reach 15%. Due to high taxes, medical services are free, with the exception of dentistry. The state spends 11% of GDP on healthcare. Studying at schools and universities is free for residents of the EU, EEA and Switzerland, and students who continue their studies after receiving the first scientific degree receive a monthly scholarship.

The working week in Denmark is 37 hours, which is 23 hours less than in China, 13 less than in Japan, two less than in Russia, but two and a half more than in the United States. Vacation lasts from five weeks.

Switzerland

Switzerland's GDP per capita in 2016 was about $60,000. Residents of this country work even less than the Danes - about 35.2 hours a week, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Switzerland is famous for its health care system with a huge number of types of health insurance for different categories of people: the elderly, pregnant women, people with disabilities, victims of accidents, working and non-working citizens. Total spending on health care is 11.5% of GDP, and according to this indicator, the country ranks second in the world after the United States.

According to GEI analysts, Switzerland ranks second in the development of entrepreneurship in the world, second only to the United States. The third largest Google office is located here. According to Zurich Mayor Corine Mauch, Google's attention to the city speaks of high quality life of the region, proximity to universities and modern infrastructure. Swiss Federal Councilor Johann Schneider-Ammann said that the country gives the company flexible business conditions and a unique education system.

Switzerland is considered the state closest to direct democracy: if you don't like a bill, you need to collect 500 signatures to force the government to revise it. All citizens can propose constitutional changes and hold referendums on any new law, and each of the 26 cantons has its own constitution, parliament, government and courts. The President gets to work by public transport, like most other people.

Some legal requirements may seem creepy: for example, young parents must choose a name for the child from an approved list, and after 10 pm, not only parties are prohibited in houses, but also loud laughter, as well as washing in the shower. Most shops are closed on Sundays and are only open until 7pm on weekdays. The Swiss believe that everyone deserves a holiday.

Iceland

Iceland's per capita GDP is approximately $58,000. The country has a low unemployment rate (2.9% monthly, compared to 4.7% in the US, 10% in France and 12% in Italy). AT last years Iceland has experienced a notable economic recovery, thanks in part to tourism, which in 2016 brought in 365 billion crowns (about $42 billion) and accounted for 8% of GDP.

In the 2017 GEI, Iceland was ranked sixth in the world. In recent years, international and local investors have begun to pay more attention to Icelandic firms. The success of local companies can be judged by mergers with international corporations. In 2013, US software firm Jive Software acquired game analytics startup Clara for €6.8 million. A year earlier, the American multinational pharmaceutical company Amgen bought the Icelandic genetics firm deCODE genetics for $415 million. Also out of Iceland was QuizUp, an intellectual game developed by Plain Vanilla Games with offices in Reykjavik and San Francisco. The game allows people from different parts of the world to compete in knowledge of literature, chemistry, history and other disciplines by answering questions and earning points.

The inhabitants of this country are attentive to the protection of nature. For example, in Iceland there is a bird sanctuary where people are forbidden to enter, even to take a photo. The healthcare system does not overload people with a large number of fees and provides them with a comfortable existence even during disability. For example, during pregnancy and childbirth, both mothers and fathers can take three months of leave and receive an allowance of 80% of their earnings during this time.

Icelanders are lovers of healthy food. They are accustomed to pesticide-free fruits and vegetables, lamb and, of course, fish. Fish oil at breakfast is a standard practice in Icelandic families, something that has been passed down from generation to generation.

Norway

Norway is one of the largest oil producers in the world, the largest producer of liquid petroleum products in Europe and the world's third largest exporter of natural gas. The gas sector in Norway provides 15% of GDP, 20% of government revenue and 39% of exports. Almost all export earnings, as well as taxes from citizens of the country, go to the sovereign wealth fund, its volume exceeds $ 800 billion. The fund invests in stocks, bonds, and real estate around the world, in particular, it owns shares of McDonald's, Shell, international automobile concerns.The funds from the fund can be used to cover the budget deficit, protect the population and the economy of the country from fluctuations in oil prices.In the future, Norwegians will receive a pension from the money earned by the fund.

Every person in Norway, regardless of where they live, has the right to equal access to infrastructure and social support. For example, only 10% of the country's population lives in Northern Norway, but in the region in the city of Tromsø there is the Arctic University of Norway with the slogan "The northernmost university in the world", a botanical garden, a football club, a brewery and a planetarium. The government puts a lot of emphasis on science and research because it sees the impending end of the oil age.

According to the GEI, Norway ranks only 22nd in entrepreneurship development. To support research and start-ups, the state launched the SkatteFUNN system, which allows you to get a tax deduction (20% for small and medium-sized businesses and 18% for large ones). Since 2002, the program has supported 25,000 projects, but this has not affected the overall business climate much. Norwegian startups do not seek to go beyond the Scandinavian Peninsula, but they do not have serious success in their region either, especially against the backdrop of the Swedish music service Spotify. Norwegians are used to focusing on the B2B sector. Wired has identified four promising start-ups in the region, such as the Meshcrafts app, which matches the owner of an electric car with a suitable and nearest charging station. Other examples - solutions for smart home Viva Labs and nLink robots capable of drilling the ceiling.

Finland has a low level of corruption, a small income gap, wide access to health care, and a high degree of literacy. Visitors, however, find it difficult to settle into a country with long and cold winters, rainy summers and shy people. The inhabitants of Finland seem to be quiet, serious and taciturn: traditional small talk is not widespread, which is why the country is often called a paradise for introverts. The Finns are also paradoxically straightforward - they will say everything as it is and will not try to disguise their thoughts and feelings.

Finns pay a lot of taxes (up to 36% for individuals), but they realize that thanks to this, education for children is free, and the state takes care of the disabled and lonely elderly people.

In the GEI, Finland occupies the 11th position, the country's GDP per capita is $42,502. After the success of Rovio game companies (the Angry Birds) and Supercell (developer of Clash of Clans), young Finns are more likely to think about starting their own business.

In Finland, there is a special approach to education: teachers receive high salaries and go through tough competition, so being a teacher is prestigious. Schools do not compete with each other, it is believed that each of them is good. Students are not taught to take standardized tests, but are assessed individually so that children get used to atypical conditions and can experiment with solutions.

Finns are not only straightforward, but also honest. In 2013, the authors of the Readers' Digest magazine conducted an experiment: they left 192 wallets in crowded places in different cities - from New York to Mumbai, to see how many of them would be returned to their owners. Helsinki has become a leader in the consciousness of citizens: 11 wallets out of 12 were returned, while in Lisbon only one was returned, in Berlin - six, and in London - five wallets.

Cover photo: Finbarr O "Reilly / Reuters