"There is a certain Nordic spirit that affects people living in Scandinavia, especially in its northernmost reaches. The crazier the idea, the less likely you’ll give up pursuing it," writes Olivier Morin, a Paris-based photographer who has done extensive work in the area.

"Take the ice surfboard as a case in point."

"Every time I move countries, there comes a moment when I find myself saying or doing something that previously struck me as totally alien," writes Sara Hussein, a correspondent who has been posted in Japan for a year after eight years in the Middle East.

"In Tokyo, that moment came a few weeks ago, a year into my posting -- I seriously considered buying a medical face mask."