America is a country where equality between women and men is important. American women officially launched their fight for equal rights in 1848, in Seneca Falls, New York. It wasn’t until 1920 that women in America were granted a legal right to vote in civic elections. The famous Nineteenth Amendment gave them this right. More and more women are joining the labor market in America. These days, roughly 65% of American workers are women. However, on average, male workers in America still make about 22% more money than their female counterparts. It seems that the road to full gender equality in America is a long one.

America is truly a melting pot of the world’s ethnic groups. Roughly 80% of Americans are considered “white,” 13% are African American, and 4.5% are “Asian.” The rest are natives of Alaska, Hawaii, or another Pacific island. About 15% of the population come from Spanish-speaking countries. These people come from places like Spain, Mexico, and Central or South America. In fact, most people in America have immigrant backgrounds. A typical “white” person in America might be part British, part German, and even part Italian. To be “American,” then, is to be a mixture of ethnic groups.

The USA has traditionally been referred to as a typical case of a “melting pot.” Generations of immigrants have melted together. They have abandoned their cultures to get assimilated into mainstream society. Today, however, cultural diversity is considered a positive thing globally, and people of different cultures try to live in harmony in much of the world. This model of racial integration is called a “salad bowl.” In a bowl of salad, the lettuce, tomatoes, and carrots come together, but they do not lose their unique features.

To be in Vienna, Austria is to be inside music. It’s hard to be anywhere in Vienna without hearing music. The Vienna State Opera has performances every night. Old palaces hold balls with sometimes as many as ten live bands. The Vienna Boys Choir sings at the Hofburg Chapel, a 500-year tradition. And the street musicians are so good, you’ll want to pay them.

Vienna is the perfect setting for music. Tea rooms, horse-drawn carriages, and grand Imperial buildings everywhere. You expect Mozart himself to greet you around every corner. If you love a pretty melody, a trip to Vienna will be music to your ears.

Shoppers are discovering the joys of secondhand stores. Only people short on cash used to frequent such shops. Now ordinary shoppers are hunting for used bargains. And the shops sell not just clothing and kitchen supplies, but also audio equipment, musical instruments, and computers. What’s more, all products are tested by shop employees. If customers are not happy with an item, they have 30 days to return it. “We spent a lot on shelves, lighting, and layout to make our store look nicer than a typical secondhand store,” said the owner of Nine Lives, a secondhand store in New York. “The atmosphere and the quality of the products are like a real department store,” said one regular Nine Lives customer. No longer are shoppers afraid of the word “used.”