It never ceases to amaze me...

It never ceases to amaze me ... how many things that feel intrinsic are actually cultural.  I've traveled quite a bit around the world, and have encountered numerous examples before – but they're still hard to absorb.  Sex (long necks, anyone?) and food (locust stew - yum!) are the two most common sources for these, followed closely by aesthetics (check out that purple and green house!).  It's one of the big challenges for me in understanding other cultures – those things that make my head explode...