Best of OZY: Good Sh*t

www.ozy.com [OZY]() The newsletter to fuel — and thrill — your mind. Read for deep dives into the unmissable ideas and topics shaping our world. Dec 24, 2021 TODAY Happy Holidays OZY readers! Here at OZY we relish in bringing you the new and next. And the strange and wonderful. Whether it’s architectural gems in surprising outposts or reads to change the way you think, OZY’s reporting on all things left-field and out there has got you covered. From the best, up-and-coming places to visit to unlikely food hits to the books you need to read, your Christmas Eve Daily Dose will leave you hungry for more. The Year in Books It’s deepest, darkest winter in the Northern Hemisphere. But as the evenings stay dark and temperatures fall, there’s never been a better time to curl up with a book and enter a world not of your own making. The international literary world has never been as diverse — or downright interesting — as it is today. That’s why we’ve collated for you, dearest OZY reader, some of the best new reads from Argentina to Zimbabwe and many fascinating places in between. Read on because we guarantee you this: There’s no list as interesting as ours. [Read more]( The Real Heart of Kyiv Wander down Reitarska Street just about any midsummer weekend evening, and you might forget you’re deep in Eastern Europe. Sharply dressed hipsters sip cocktails and share bruschetta on elegant outdoor patios. Tattooed skate punks clack through huddles of black-clad art kids checking out a gallery show. Wineglasses clink like wind chimes as a soiree spills out of a chic salon. Yet an all-night party district this is most certainly not. Perhaps that’s what gives Reitarska Street its distinguished yet low-key vibe: Quaint and unassuming, this three-block stretch of historic central Kyiv anchors a neighborhood packed with foreign embassies. [Read more]( The Hidden Wonders of Latin America When it comes to popular depictions of Latin America and its culture, shallow stereotypes of what is a profoundly diverse region abound. Which is why, to truly get Latino culture, you need to tune out of popular — and often sadly inaccurate — tropes and tune in to this. Indigenous rappers, quinoa sushi and cannabis-infused teas are transforming Latin America’s cultural and gastronomic landscape even as brave activists work to preserve the region’s astonishing natural beauty. Dive deeper than just salsa rhythms, Caribbean beaches and pisco sours for a sensory journey to a stunning part of the world that’s in flux. [Read more]( Little Five Points, Atlanta Little Five Points is where biker gangs get burgers, buskers bum their smokes and tattooed 20-somethings get the jobs their Atlanta suburb parents told them they would never get because of[those tattoos](. That may seem an odd description of a place. But nestled between Inman and Candler parks in East Atlanta, this neighborhood is a (too often unheralded) ode to all that is odd. That[diversity of characters and businesses]( — everything from vintage shops and novelty wig thrift stores to independent bookshops and an indie radio station — has led to writers calling it the bohemian capital of the Southeast and “Atlanta’s favorite neighborhood.” [Read more]( Tasmania’s Rainforests Time machines come in many shapes and forms. You can travel back decades sitting on a bench in one of London’s many Victorian houses or thousands of years standing by Egypt’s pyramids, but if you are looking to travel really deep into history,[Tasmania’s]( prehistoric rainforests — with some trees having ancestors[dating back 60 million years]( — are hard to beat. Walking along these forests’ trails is a transcendent experience. You’re enveloped by a palette of greens, the smell of mist under the sharp blue sky and fluorescent-looking leaves hugging the wet bark of ancient, taller-than-life trees — all to the soundtrack of chatting birds. Here, Mother Nature is queen. [Read more]( 15 Things to Know About Sugar “The best way to deal with temptation is to yield to it,” as the late Anton LaVey, founder of the Church of Satan, once said. Although he wasn’t specifically talking about sugar, such a devilish source is only fitting when talking sweet, sweet sucrose. No substance seduces us more, which is why it’s in just about everything you eat and drink. But what if you could get that sugar high without getting left high and dry? Witness some saintly sugars within, the kinds that could cure cancer, Alzheimer’s and even COVID. Plus, consider some tasty alternatives, so that next time your sweet tooth rears, you’ll be able to say, confidently: “Get behind me, Satan!” [Read more]( The Best Dumplings in Chengdu When you think of going out for amazing dumplings, you don’t picture yourself climbing up a rickety ladder in a former military community in[Chengdu, China](, and crawling through an oversize window. But that’s exactly where I found the best dumplings I’ve had in my life: after stepping into a small apartment and into a dense cloud of Sichuan spices. Dry Chili Chao Shou does not show up in Google. It doesn’t have a Facebook page, nor is it listed with a geotag on Instagram. In fact, the[mom-and-pop shop]( doesn’t market itself at all. Yet the 5-year-old Dry Chili Chao Shou (Gan Hai Jiao Chaoshou, in Chinese) sells out of its homemade dumplings almost nightly. [Read more]( [‘Dear White People’ Star Logan Browning on 'The Carlos Watson Show']( Today on The Carlos Watson Show actor Logan Browning joins the show. The star of Netflix hit Dear White People discusses the serendipitous event that led her to move to L.A. and start acting as a child. Plus, hear her reflect on how being the star of the thoughtful show has changed her and share the importance of meditation in her life today. Don’t miss it! [Watch Now]( Pole Passions You ever see a cow and wonder whether or not it is a cow? Probably not. But mix in an eight-inch heel, bodysuit and a 12-foot chrome pole, and everyone thinks they know pole dancing. Like it’s that thing that Jennifer Lopez did in Hustlers, the award-winning flick about thieving,[revenge-minded strippers](, right? Well, yes, and not even close. Jennifer Lopez did play a thieving, revenge-minded stripper who happened to be a pole dancer, but pole dancing is deep, deep, much deeper than anyone in Hollywood is likely to give it credit for. Deep Dish is Not Chicago’s True Pizza The deep-dish pizza has been living a life of lies. The pie, so big and so thick that it makes you wonder if it’s still even pizza, has been parading around as Chicago’s ambassador, putting itself up against New York and New Haven pies. It’s gotten to the point that deep dish, like the “The Bean” and Chicago’s unforgiving wind, have been ingrained in people’s minds as a Chicago staple, even though it’s not. The deep dish is neither Chicago’s first nor its[favorite pizza](, and it’s definitely not the most consumed. In fact, the deep dish wasn’t even made by Chicagoans. There is a sham going on, a stolen identity. The true Chicago-style pizza is tavern style — a thin, crispy-crust pizza typically made with pinched sausage and Giardiniera peppers and cut into various square sizes (boosting its share-ability), and it’s time it takes the throne as Chicago’s official pizza. [Read more]( Do Cape Town Like a Local When you think of Cape Town, your first thought might be of Table Mountain, a flat-topped, 3,600-foot majestic landmark. But South Africa’s second most populous city is home to so much more, from fantastic restaurants and quirky bars to amazing art, and from beaches and outdoor pursuits to wildlife and habitat conservation spaces. Remember: Summer in the Southern Hemisphere hits December 20 and continues to March 20, 2022. Vacation planners should check travel advisories for COVID cautions before booking tickets. [Read more]( ABOUT OZY OZY is a diverse, global and forward-looking media and entertainment company focused on “the New and the Next.” OZY creates space for fresh perspectives and offers new takes on everything from news and culture to technology, business, learning and entertainment. [www.ozy.com]( / #OZY Welcome to the New + the Next! [OZY]() [TV]( | [PODCASTS]( | [NEWS]( | [FESTIVALS]( A Modern Media Company OZY Media, 800 West El Camino Mountain View, California 94040 This email was sent to {EMAIL} [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Read Online](