November 21, 2012

6 Things To Know About Life In Frozen Climates

by Lindsay Shapka in Culture, Travel Tips, People

1. You will have to plug your car in... like a toaster

Yup, it’s true! It gets SO cold that if you do not plug your block heater into an electrical source so that it keeps your anti-freeze warm, your engine will not start. Most outdoor parking lots have electrical outlets.

2. People who live in cities that are located far to the north (or south depending on the time of year) get SAD

Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is a medically diagnosed condition for the 'winter blues' that many people get because of how short the days become. The lack of exposure to sunlight can result in a deep depression. Don't worry though! There are solar lights that you can buy to sit under that are sure to cheer you up!

3. You will need to learn how to layer!

Just because it’s cold doesn't mean that people stay inside. It just means that you will have to wear long underwear, sweaters, snow pants, a neck-warmer, toque, mittens, wool socks, a jacket, winter boots... you get the idea.

4. If you are going to be walking around outside, leave your expensive, stylish, or trendy shoes at home

Because of ice, the sidewalks get covered in sand and salt so that pedestrians don't slip. This can seriously damage leather or suede shoes. Need another reason? It's freaking cold! You need socks and good grip on the bottom of your shoes to keep safe and warm!

5. Wind-chill plays a HUGE part in how cold it feels like outside

It may be –25 degrees Celsius (–13 degrees Fahrenheit), but with the wind-chill it could feel like –40 (–40 degrees Fahrenheit). When the temperature is forecasted, meteorologists will usually tell you how long it will take for exposed skin to get frostbitten so you know how covered you need to be to walk safely outside.

TIP: If you are doing any sport or activities in this chilly weather, cover exposed skin — like cheeks or your forehead — with Vaseline to keep a protective barrier between it and the wind.

6. We don't all live in igloos

Though ice is celebrated through ice sculpture competitions and festivals, nobody actually makes an igloo their permanent home anymore. Houses are extremely well insulated, however, and have to be built a certain way to ensure that any pipe with water running through it will not freeze, burst, and cause flooding.

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October 10, 2012

6 Things To Know About The Amish

by Lindsay Shapka in Culture, People, History

1. There are about 8 subgroups of Amish who are themselves a subgroup of the Mennonite Christian faith.

2. The most traditional descendants speak Pennsylvania German (also known as Pennsylvania Dutch).

3. They live by a strict set of rules that include limiting the use of electricity and telephones, not driving automobiles, wearing plain (homemade) clothing, and never accepting help from government programs like Social Security.

4. Children only attend school until grade eight.

5. Rumspringa, or “running around” (recently made into an overdramatized TLC series called Breaking Amish) begins around the ages of 14-16, and is a time when young adults can break all of the rules and see what life outside their communities is like. During this time, those on rumspringa can wear “English” — aka modern — clothing, drink, use technology, and live in urban cities with NO penalty. This gives these young adults a chance to make an informed decision about whether they want to commit themselves to the church or not.

6. Baptism does not occur until around the ages of 16 and 25 (after rumspringa) which joins the individual with the church and community for life. Marriage can not occur until baptism does, and the Amish may ONLY marry individuals that are a part of their congregation.

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October 2, 2012

Reads For The Road: Starbucked by Taylor Clark

by Lindsay Shapka in Book List, Culture, People

Written by Taylor Clark — a guy who has NOTHING to do with the company itself — Starbucked tells the tale of how Starbucks began.

If you are a supporter of the mom-and-pop, unique cafe around the corner, and make it your life’s goal to avoid the seven Starbucks store that exist in one city block, you might be surprised that Starbucks was started by a few guys who were doing the same thing.

These guys were living in an era before major coffee chains, and when “American Coffee” would have taken paint off the wall. Not only that, the idea of the “cafe” where you could read, study, or visit with friends didn’t even exist.

Fascinated by a specialty coffee shop that popped up where they were living, they started asking questions, doing some research and developing (what was at the time) a very ambitious business.

Combining his own investigations with witty observation, Clark tells the story of how the coffeehouse culture changed everyday life in North America and — as much as we hate to admit it — Starbucks led the way.

Give it a read, you might look at the green mermaid a bit differently if you do!

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June 28, 2012

Do Auras Exist? Exploring the concept of the human aura

by Lindsay Shapka in Culture, People

Have you ever felt like your personal space has been invaded? Or, have you felt uncomfortable when a stranger stands too close? Was there ever a time when you told someone they were "glowing"? Have you been able to tell that something or someone was coming up behind you without even turning around? Can you sense that your friend is happy before they tell you? Do you ever feel connected to someone in a way that you can't explain?

These are just a few examples that can stand as evidence that a human aura exists.

Defining the human aura

The existence of an aura has long been a controversial subject due to the fact that like most ‘magical’ concepts, its existence cannot be scientifically proven or defined.

Anyone that you talk to — expert or layperson — will define and describe the aura in different ways.

It is “the interaction of patterns of energy, vibrating at interwoven frequencies and intensities” (Harrower). A luminous atmosphere that surrounds all living things. A link between our inner self and the outside world. Or, a reflection of the spirit that resides inside our bodies.

Some scholars believe that it is a characteristic of the human spirit (energy), which remains whole even if the body doesn’t. This can explain why, when an individual has a missing limb, the outline of the arm will still be present in that person’s aura and they may feel like their limb is still there.

Who can see auras?

According to my research, anyone has the potential to see auras, but unless you are a child or an animal (think about how intuitive they seem to be) it is something that you will actively have to practice, study and — most importantly — believe in.

Though there is scientific technology that can measure the electromagnetic field around the human body, what causes a lot of skepticism is that no two people who claim that they can see auras ‘read’ them or ‘see’ them the same way.

Some claim (think fortune tellers) that they can read a person’s education, background, potential, and future in their auras, while others may say that they can predict a physical injury or illness by seeing a ‘dent’ in the aura. There are those that believe that an aura’s colour will give a viewer information by the feelings that emerge from looking at the colour.

The concept of the aura in history

The concept of a human aura is present in many different cultures throughout human history.

Traditional Chinese Medicine uses the idea of a human energy system as a basis of its healing practices, Ayurvedic medicine found in India teaches how to balance energy in order to achieve optimum health and well-being, and the Hindu concept of Chakras claims that energy is taken from the environment through one of the seven of them to help revitalize the body and spirit.

A more ‘western’ concept is the practice of Therapeutic or Healing Touch, a medical practice that uses the power of the aura for practical purposes. It is defined by professionals as a practice that helps restore proper energy flow and entails the use of a ‘sixth sense’ and strong compassion that together aid in the re-balancing of energy.

So, does the human aura exist?

There is evidence to support both sides.

Though there is a strong case for the skeptics, it's hard to deny the fact that there is some kind of energy surrounding our bodies.

But can anyone actually see this energy?

At this point, with nothing ‘proven’ in a conventional way, it seems that the only person who can answer this question is you!

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May 30, 2012

Don't Touch The Monks in Southeast Asia!

by Lindsay Shapka in Culture, People, Travel

In Thailand approximately 95% of the population is Buddhist, which means that the country is chock-full of breathtaking temples (wat in Thai), elaborately carved statues of the Buddha, and saffron-coloured-robe clad monks (approx. 460,000 of them!).

It is an expectation across the country that EVERY Thai male will become a monk for at least a short period in their life.

This practice, much like compulsory military service in countries like South Korea, usually occurs between the completion of school and the beginning of a career or marriage. It is not unusual however for males under the age of 20 to ‘take robe and bowl’ as novices, because a family earns great merit when a son becomes a monk.

The time spent in a wat is traditionally supposed to last for three months and take place during the Buddhist version of lent that begins in July and coincides with the monsoon season.

Nowadays. however. most men spend as little as a week in the temple in order to accrue merit as a monk.

As is the case in most organized religions, women do not have the same status as men, and are not permitted to become monks. Outnumbered by them almost 50 to 1 — I never actually saw one when I was in Thailand — these female devotees to Buddha shave their heads, wear white robes, and are called nuns.

“It is an expectation across the country that EVERY Thai male will become a monk for at least a short period in their life”

The lower status of women in Buddhist practice was even more obvious to me when I learned that one of the 250 rules that monks follow is that they are not allowed to touch or be touched by women.

If you are female and want to give them alms or food, you must set the offering nearby or on their receiving cloth.

If you so much as brush against a monk on the crowded streets or water taxis of Thailand, they will have to return to the temple and perform rituals (think Silas from The DaVinci Code but less extreme) to cleanse themselves of your touch.

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May 29, 2012

Reads For The Road: Gang Leader For A Day by Sudhir Venkatesh

by Lindsay Shapka in Book List, People, Culture

Hoping to write a compelling thesis on urban poverty, first-year graduate student Sudhir Venkatesh walked boldly into the middle of Chicago’s most notorious housing projects one afternoon determined to gain some insight.

His boldness — meant to impress his professors — instead impressed a gang leader named JT who, attracted to the idea of being written about, befriended Venkatesh giving him unprecedented access into the gang’s world.

For almost a decade, JT allowed him to observe as the gang operated their crack-selling business, evaded the law, made peace (or war) with the neighbors, and rose or fell in the gang’s complex hierarchy.

Gang Leader For A Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to The Streets gives an eye-opening view of an “outsider looking at life from the inside” (pg xvi), and tells the story of the complicated friendship that developed between two men who — though they have ambition in common — are from completely different worlds.

Quinceanera: Celebrating a Girl's Coming of Age on Her Fifteenth Birthday

by Lindsay Shapka in Culture, People, Travel

Sweat was running down the faces of the guests, dressed in their best clothes, fanning themselves with newspapers and napkins. Nobody seemed to care though, tonight was a night to celebrate.

It was Jenny’s fifteenth birthday, her Quinceanera, and we were crammed into a hot, stuffy hall in Ojo de Agua, Honduras waiting for the celebration to begin.

There were hundreds of pale pink balloons hanging from the rafters and an arch of even more balloons, and streamers hung over the doorway. Fifteen fluffy looking cakes sat on display at the front of the room, unaffected by the heat, and a DJ dressed in a brown tweed jacket (he must have been sweltering) was quietly setting up in the corner.

A hush suddenly went over the crowd and turning towards the door, I saw Jenny for the first time. She was standing under the arch on the arm of her father and was dressed in a long pink gown.

Glowing with excitement and pride, she took an enthusiastic step forward into the room.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

It was time to start the party!

What is Quinceanera?

In Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central America and South America, Quinceanera is a major rite of passage for all females. Literally meaning ‘one who is fifteen’, this celebration marks the transition from childhood to women-hood.

Traditional ways to celebrate Quinceanera

Though all 15th birthday parties in these cultures will vary, there are some pretty cool traditions that, from my research, seem to happen fairly consistently.

Ceremony Of The 15 Candles
The birthday girl hands out 15 candles to the people she considers to have been the most influential in her life.
Changing Of The Shoes
The girl’s father, or a close male relative, exchanges her flat shoes for high heels to mark her transition from child to woman.
The Last Doll
Either part of a ceremony or simply on display, this doll is another symbol of the last moments of childhood.
The Dress
Traditionally the colour ‘pink’ represents purity and so the dress is usually an elaborate pink ball gown.
Makeup
This celebration was meant to be the first time that the birthday girl wore makeup (not often reality in this century).
Choreographed Dances
There are special dances, usually involving 15 people, that are performed throughout the evening. A girl’s Quinceanera was traditionally the first time that she danced in public.
Gifts
They might be in the form of religious blessings, toasts, or physical objects like tiaras, flowers, and sceptres.