Sheron Long's Blog, page 9
July 15, 2019
Cultural Traditions: Kushti Wrestling in India
The ancient art of Kushti wrestling
© Meredith Mullins
An Art “Of the Earth”
If you have run five miles, completed hundreds of pushups and squats, finished a long distance swim, and lifted a few sand bags and giant stones—all before your 6 am training session begins—you might have some of what it takes to become a Kushti wrestler.
You would also have to embrace the idea of showing your strength, endurance, and agility in a mud/clay pit that is the traditional sacred arena of this sport. This is gritty work . . . “of the earth.”
Grace, strength, agility, and endurance: a powerful combination
© Meredith Mullins
And you would, by the way, have to dedicate yourself to a life of discipline and austerity.
Does this sound appealing? Perhaps. Challenging? Definitely.
You would not find these tools at World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) training.
...
July 8, 2019
Summer Like a Local
Wandering leads to discovery in Montréal. Murals enliven every neighborhood.
© Joyce McGreevy
The Widespread Pleasures of Montréal’s Urban Culture
No wonder jazz is a top attraction for visitors to Montréal. The largest city in eastern Canada doesn’t just reflect urban culture, it riffs on it, reinterpreting it in endless variations.
Since visiting Montréal as a child, I’ve returned numerous times, always encountering new layers to its creative nature.
Most first-time visitors stay within a compact area around the Vieux-Port (Old Port), where cobblestone streets and picturesque buildings date to the 17th century. Charming though it is, visiting in peak season can give the impression that all 10 million annual visitors have shown up at once.
That’s why I encourage you to explore beyond the core. Oh, I see: Montréal’s summertime...
July 1, 2019
Memorable Moments: Summer, Sand, and Surf
On the slim chance that summer escapades aren’t already in your plans or on your mind, we’ve assembled this collection of popular posts from the past to whisk you away to the beach for some OIC Moments-style fun in the sun!
Savoring Summer
Summer offers a two-fold opportunity. One, to let our brains slow down. Two, to apply summer-peak focus to more than just mundane tasks. Go to the post.
Discovering the Art of Sand Sculptures
There are sand sculpting events all around the world—well-known competitions from California to Florida and Europe to Australia. Go to the post.
A Ticket to Surf (No Fear)
Ocean enthusiasts and other creative thinkers have teamed up to develop a shark repellent that relaxes the mind and eliminates the fear for surfers. Go to the post.
Ready to grab your towel and go? Check out our ...
June 24, 2019
The Art of Travel: Paris Gardens
The art of the Paris rose garden
© Meredith Mullins
Taking Time to Smell the Roses
Julia Child. Arthur Rimbaud. Queen Elizabeth. Barbra Streisand. Elvis. Desdemona. Guy Savoy.
What do these characters have in common? Are they a guest list for an interesting other worldly dinner party?
Hot Chocolate. Salsa. Tequila Sunrise. Sugar and Spice. Cherry Parfait.
Are these all something we have had a craving for? Probably.
Love and Peace. Moondance. Stairway to Heaven. Best Friends Forever. Happy Harmony. Salvation. Compassion. Remember Me.
Poetry for the soul? No doubt.
What binds these inventive people and life themes together?
A flower for the ages
© Meredith Mullins
They are all names for roses—a flower for the ages—and a symbol of beauty, grace, and elegance for thousands of years.
“A rose is a rose is a rose,” said Gertrude Stein. True. But in this...
June 17, 2019
The Wondrous World of Steampunk New Zealand
As an airship hovers nearby, Queen Victoria rolls into town for Steampunk Festival NZ.
© Liz Cadogan/@LizCadogan
Victorian Cultural Heritage
Meets Kiwi Creativity
Queen Victoria was there, celebrating her 200th birthday. Festivities included a parade, teapot races, parasol duels, and a wedding. The bride wore purple, the groom a metal samurai hat.
What is this?
Oh, I see: This is Oamaru (pop. 13,000), where Victorian cultural heritage and Steampunk creative thinking are a marriage made in heaven—a.k.a. New Zealand.
Like “Rock Paper Scissors,” parasol duels involve three moves: Plant, Twirl, Snub.
© Janet Doyle
What is Steampunk?
By definition, it’s a sub-genre of science fantasy set in an alternative Victorian era. By practice, it’s an art inspired by 19th-century steam-powered machinery. By Jove, it’s jolly good fun!
...
June 6, 2019
D-Day Remembrances: The Invasion of Normandy
Never Forget
© Meredith Mullins
Traveling through History: Five D-Day Stories
Traveling through the peaceful greenery of Normandy, it is hard to imagine a land once ravaged by WW II.
The rolling hills are dotted with flashes of white from the speckled Normande cows, famous for their cheese and butter; the statuesque stone church steeples in each town offer a comforting skyline; and the tiny winding roads are edged with towering hedges that once served to divide the farmers’ plots of land.
Today’s peaceful fields of Normandy
© Meredith Mullins
However, the memory of WW II is ever-present. The church steeples were observation towers and sniper posts. The hedgerows hid machine guns and mines. The fields were intentionally flooded by the Germans to make access more difficult for Allied forces.
Sainte-Marie-du-Mont in Normandy
© Meredith Mullins
...
May 21, 2019
A Whirlwind of Whirling
Visions of dervishes dancing in my head
© Meredith Mullins
The Travel Adventures of an Istanbul Dervish Groupie
I have always been drawn to exotic corners of the world. Travel adventures at the crossroads of cultures. Layers of the past interwoven with the changing rhythms of the present. The magical and mysterious places of trade-route caravans and Scheherazade-like storytelling.
Always on the list was Istanbul. I had been to Turkey many times. I had seen incredible riches, such as the strangely beheaded statues of Nemrut Dagi in the east, the ancient Greco-Roman ruins in seaside villages of the south coast, and the moonscapes of Cappadocia.
But in all my travels, I had yet to see the mystical Sufi Sema ceremony. Visions of whirling dervishes were dancing in my head.
Travel adventures in Istanbul
© Meredith Mullins
Let the Journey Begin
I headed to Istanbul, where...
May 13, 2019
Five Minutes from Antarctica:Amazing Places on Earth
Christchurch is home to the only specialized Antarctic attraction in the world.
© Joyce McGreevy
A Cool New Zealand Experience
Arriving at Christchurch Airport, I overhear a family discussing one of the most amazing places on Earth.
“We should stop by Antarctica.”
“Do we have time? It’s almost 3:30. Mum’s expecting us.”
“No worries. It’s only five minutes from here. A waddle, really.”
“Kids, do you want to go to Antarctica? We’re just popping in for a bit.”
It’s the most matter-of-fact call to adventure I’ve ever heard.
Intrigued, I roll my suitcase past waiting taxis, hang a left, and tag along on the the World’s Most Casual Expedition.
Funny, it doesn’t look Antarctic! Christchurch is the logistics center for the
Antarctic research expeditions of NZ, the U.S., Korea, and...
May 6, 2019
A Tale Told by Idioms
An etymological quest
© iStock/Borchee
The Phases of Phrases: Proverbs and Sayings
Once upon a time there was a wandering etymologist—a true lover of language. She had been living high on the hog for many years, enjoying the materialistic pleasures of the world.
More often than not, she was three sheets to the wind. That was her choice at the time—so no crocodile tears need be shed for her. Someday, the world hoped, she would understand the importance of minding her Ps and Qs.
People would have categorized her as upper crust. But at an important life juncture, this lifestyle became tedious to her, more of a burden than a joy. She decided to start over with a clean slate—to live life a little more off the cuff.
Even though she was, what some might cruelly say “long in the tooth,” (and, by the way, she would have told those folks to put a sock in it), she felt a surge...
April 16, 2019
“Where Are the Women?”
At a restorer’s studio in Florence, art by Renaissance women emerges from the shadows.
© Joyce McGreevy
The Hidden Half of Florence Italy’s Artistic Heritage
“First came the flood,” says Jane Adams. “Then came the flood of helpers.” A passionate builder of partnerships for Advancing Women Artists, Adams meets me at a café near the River Arno. The setting is picture-perfect: Florence, a 2,000-year-old city and the center of Italy’s artistic heritage.
Mirroring calm today, the River Arno turned deadly in 1966.
© Joyce McGreevy
But on November 4, 1966, the Arno surged over its banks with brutal ugliness, tearing the city in two. It killed 101 people, and inundated historic buildings to a depth of 22 feet.
By the time the water receded, it had deposited 600,000 tons of mud—one ton for everyone in the city. Slicked with motor oil, it...
