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Buy Now, Pay Later
The Future of Credit or a Debit Trap in Disguise? If you have bought anything online in the past two years, chances are you have seen the option “Buy Now, Pay Later.” A couple small payments, zero interest, instant approval. It sounds perfect, right? Platforms like Klarna, Afterpay, and Affirm have turned this option into…
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From Economic Model to Financial Nightmare
Minsky said, “Stability is destabilizing”. This quote perfectly illustrates his paradox of tranquility: crises often build up when the economy is doing well. Who could have imagined, even for a moment, that a country like South Korea would face its worst financial crisis? In this context, we will look at the main features of the…
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Finistère, the temperate exception in overheated France
As temperatures soar past 40°C in many French cities, one department remains curiously out of sync with the rest of the country. On the far western edge of mainland France, in the coastal stretches of Finistère, café terraces are full, locals wear sweaters in the evening, and thermometers rarely climb above 25°C. Here, people don’t…
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Hangul, much more than an alphabet
Hangul, the Korean alphabet, is often cited as one of the most logical and accessible writing systems in the world. Yet few people know that it was not the result of a slow evolution over centuries, but rather the outcome of an enlightened political decision driven by a concern for social justice. Let’s look back…
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Dealing with climate emotions
“Well, we are all gonna die anyway”, this was an ironic sentence I said or at least thought sometimes when I was more involved in climate activism. It might sound very blunt and morbid, however, looking back I think it was a sentence to protect myself and not get fully consumed by the huge amount…
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Different traditions, one goal
Christian faith, especially in Catholic and Orthodox traditions, is based on doctrines and rituals that are important for helping people grow in faith. Alongside the official rituals, there are also many meaningful traditions that celebrate faith in deep and symbolic ways. When we look closely at some of these customs, we may discover that they…
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A Retrospective on Beauty Influencer Culture
“Hiii guys! Welcome back to Voices: it’s Chloe here, bringing you all the latest tips, tricks, and trends in the beauty sphere! Today, we’re diving into beauty influencer culture, the appeal for it and the toxic dynamics of that sphere and trust me, you don’t want to miss this tea. So grab your favourite drink,…
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The discreet charm of modest Macedonian churches
Macedonia has a long Christian history. It is mentioned even in Acts of the Apostles. As from the start of Christianity this land was under the influence of the religion. Nowadays, in Macedonia, most of the Christian population is Orthodox; there are also Catholics and Protestants but in smaller representation. Across the country, it is…
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Interslavic as a Tool for Mutual Understanding
Despite saying several times that I should write about other topics than linguistics, I always find myself going back to this topic in one way or another. And this time my niche interests lead me to discover more about Interslavic. For those of you who may be confused about what this language that I’m talking…
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Modernist Skopje narrated through cartography
Skopje’s architectural landscape is far from modest. It is no surprise that its location in the heart of the Balkans manifested a confluence of various timelines existing adjacent to one another. We can see towering prefabs next to Ottoman hammams and new neo-classical façades and statues lining the Vardar. Some call it ‘kitsch’ as the…
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Masked takeover of Strumica
Did you like going to carnivals as a child? Well, in Strumica you don’t have to be a child to do that. At the beginning of March, we had a chance to witness the 35th Jubilee Strumica Carnival in all its glory. As the presenter mentioned at the beginning of his speech, the Strumica carnival…
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