Source: Geocentric direction systems use uphill, uptown instead of north/south: Found in Bali, NYC, etc

This is a cool article on direction systems. I like that it makes you think about assumptions, like our current  direction system based on North, South, East, and West.

In Hamilton, ON (where I live) there is a big distinction between above and below the “mountain” (it’s what we call it, but it’s a medium height cliff running through the city), and locals often describe how to get somewhere based upon the geography. Also interesting in Hamilton is that it is south of the lake, which is opposite to Toronto so there is a lot of confusion among recent arrivals as to North and South and so a lot of people use the “mountain” and the lake to orient themselves in the city.