Matador Network's Blog, page 2072
August 15, 2015
12 dilemmas only people from New Hampshire understand
Photo: katharine shields
1. Determining whether an event has a flannel-friendly dress code.
Flannel is the unofficial state uniform of New Hampshire. Male or female, I’d be surprised to find a closet without at least one shirt of the plaid variety.
2. To visit Winnipesaukee, Ossipee, or Winnisquam.
There’s no question as to why celebrities have summer homes in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region. We commoners have a tough time deciding which one to vacation on as well.
3. Whether to get hot or iced coffee in the dead of winter.
Dunkin Donuts iced coffee is a part of everyday life in NH. Their commercials don’t lie; we literally run on Dunkins. Whether or not to grab a coffee isn’t a question we ever ask ourselves, it’s just whether or not to get it hot or iced, and no inclement weather will deter us from our iced coffee drinking ways.
4. How to explain the magnitude of the Old Man Of the Mountain to post-fall generations
The Old Man Of the Mountain — the profile of a face created by cliffs jutting out of Cannon Mountain — was New Hampshire’s pride and joy up until he fell in 2003. People were so shaken after his collapse that grievers left flowers at the base of the mountain in condolence, and state legislators considered changing NH’s flag to include the historic figure. How does one convey such significance to those who have never even seen his majestic figure?
5. What beach to say you’re going to — even though we all know you’re likely going to Hampton.
Everyone in NH loves to hate on Hampton Beach, the most frequented but also trashiest of Granite State beaches. Sometimes, when we’re feeling adventurous, we mosey out to Maine or Cape Cod, but most often we’re plopping our butts down on the eclectically-littered sands of Hampton. So next time you attempt to lie and say you’re headed to York or Ogunquit, just know we all see right through you because we do the same thing.
6. How to explain Fluff to those who have never heard of it (yes, those people sadly exist).
To say that Fluff is spreadable marshmallow simply doesn’t do it justice. Words can’t explain its brilliance, it’s a you-have-to-try-it sort of thing.
7. How to explain to foreigners where you’re from.
Whenever we travel we’re faced with the dilemma of whether to tell people we’re from New Hampshire, or just to say “I live an hour outside of Boston.” Beantown has some major name recognition, but none of us can help but feel a tinge of guilt every time we fail to mention NH for the sake of brevity.
8. Thinking Adam Sandler movies are shit but that Adam Sandler is cool.
For most of us, it all started to go downhill somewhere around Big Daddy. Even though we don’t understand how his movies are still making money, the dude is pretty cool and we are happy for his continued success and that he is one of our own.
9. No S’more or Microwave S’more.
We take our S’mores seriously in New Hampshire and they’re a favorite snack for campers around the state. Sometimes, in a pinch, we’ve also been known to make them over a gas stovetop or in the microwave. Though these are totally bastardized ways of going about it and we feel bad about tainting the exquisite treat, fire or no fire — when you need a S’more, you need a S’more.
10. How to dress at the start of spring.
We have some long, freezing cold winters in New Hampshire. For this reason, most people jump at the chance to slip into their spring wardrobes when the new season finally comes around. Even though those first few weeks are likely to vary greatly in temperature, witnesses can attest to the fact that shorts and T-shirts will be out the second we hit over 50 degrees.
11. How to deal with running into people from high school.
NH is a tiny state so anytime you’re home, you’re bound to run into people from your past. Sometimes this is an awesome perk, other times…not so much.
12. Where to put all that snow.
We’re known for getting mass amounts of snow — up to 10 feet in northern parts of the state — every winter. For this reason, shoveling becomes an art form. Novel and intricate snow formations are created each year in our attempts to keep snow out of our own driveways without throwing it into our neighbors’ or the street. 
Can Millennials bring change to Singapore’s “nanny state?”
Photo: Leong Him Woh
SINGAPORE — FIFTY YEARS AFTER SINGAPORE WAS ACCIDENTLY BORN as an independent country after getting unceremoniously kicked out of Malaysia, it has become one of the most admired and envied countries in the world.
A tiny fishing island with no natural resources, Singapore started off with plenty of disadvantages: malaria, poverty, racial tensions among the ethnic Chinese, Malay and South Indian populations.
Nevertheless, it has since become one of the world’s wealthiest places, with the third-highest percentage of millionaires after Qatar and Switzerland. It places at or near the top of global rankings for safety, cleanliness, ease of doing business, and freedom from corruption.
From its top-notch education system to its efficient infrastructure, Singapore had a lot to celebrate at its Golden Jubilee over the weekend, especially as many continue to mourn the death of Singapore’s founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, in March. The SG50 celebration included a National Day parade, soaring air force aerobatics, nationalist songs, and heart-felt tributes.
So why is it that many Singaporeans are frustrated? Since the death of Lee, it has become increasingly apparent that a growing number of Singaporeans, especially the young, believe that their society is in need of a change after decades of “Nanny State” rule.
Regulations are famously strict. Law-abiding Singaporeans know better than to jaywalk or litter — it’s called “A Fine City” for a reason. First-time litterbugs face a fine of up to S$1,000 (US$713). So do smokers who light up in public buses, taxis, and in public places. Jaywalkers can be fined S$20 (US$14) on the spot.
The sale of chewing gum remains banned since the days when the sticky stuff was commonly discarded on sidewalks and subway train doors — and carries a fine of up to S$2,000 to the seller. But Singaporeans feel the mere mention of the ban betrays an oversimplification of their country, and there is no clamor for its reversal. Pharmacists and dentists are allowed to sell “therapeutic” gum with a medical prescription, including standard sugar-free gum.
Without fanfare, the country is quietly moving away from some of its more severe criminal penalties. Caning remains a punishment for various offenses, including immigration violations, vandalism, and as an alternative (with life imprisonment) to the death penalty, but its use is considerably down. In 2012 the country abolished some instances in which drug trafficking carry a mandatory death penalty.
Still, the country scores low on indices that track media freedom, human rights, even employee happiness.
An early sign of growing restlessness came with the 2011 parliamentary election, when the People’s Action Party — which has ruled Singapore for all of its 50 years — saw its lowest level of voter support since independence.
Then came the release of a 2013 government policy paper that projected that the population would need to rise by over a quarter to 6.9 million by 2030 with foreigners making up nearly half of it to offset low birth rates and an aging population. Online comments continue to reflect increasing agitation over a growing reliance on foreign labor as well as exploding housing costs, inadequate infrastructure for the growing population and a rising income gap.
Media that operate in the country must seek a government license and must operate under rules banning material deemed objectionable on grounds of morality, security, public interest and social harmony in the multiethnic island nation. The golfing phrase “OB markers” stands for the unwritten rule that some topics of discussion are out of bounds. “The genius of the principle of OB markers lies in its ambiguity — the markers are not clearly defined; it is incumbent on the journalist to figure out what can and cannot be said; it keeps everyone guessing,” writes media critic Salil Tripathi.
Still, those boundaries — however vague — are getting some pushback.
Shortly after Lee’s death, 16-year-old Singaporean blogger Amos Yee posted an eight-minute profanity-laced video rant titled “Lee Kuan Yew is Finally Dead!” that broke the country’s zero-tolerance policy on offending a whole range of people from the late prime minister to Christians.
Another blogger, Roy Ngerng, was found guilty of defaming Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (the eldest child of Lee Kuan Yew) after comparing the handling of a compulsory savings plan for Singaporean workers to a local church scandal.
Government prosecutions against both bloggers prompted some to say that Singapore should be mature enough to handle even provocative criticism.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s ban on homosexuality (an old colonial era penal code makes sex between men punishable by jail) is meeting with growing public opposition.
An annual LGBT awareness event called Pink Dot saw a record 28,000-strong turnout in June. Along with attendance, corporate sponsorship was up as well, with social media company Twitter, media giant Bloomberg, and Singapore-based movie exhibitor Cathay Organisation joining early supporters such as Google, JP Morgan, and Barclays.
Showing its pragmatic side, Singapore’s government says the penal code will go unenforced, which averts a showdown with very conservative social forces. But LGBT advocates say the law’s presence alone is intolerable in a cosmopolitan city.
“Young LGBT people grow up in fear of being bullied by schoolmates, and cast out by family members,” Pink Dot organizers said in a statement.
The feel-good factor over the SG50 anniversary masks a growing feeling that many Singaporeans, particularly younger ones, are ready to move past the status quo.
But how much social change is needed — and how fast — remains an open question.
Singapore’s traditional fixation on the Five C’s — cash, car, credit card, condominium, and country club — has some younger Singaporeans hoping for a less materialistic society.
“I hope society becomes more gracious,” said Yew Siang Tang, a 21-year-old student at National University of Singapore. “A lot of us focus on ourselves and the rat race. You don’t really see people wanting to help others.”
Paul Koh, 25, a student at Nanyang Technological University, says he understands the need for more foreign labor to keep the economy growing. But he wants to see corresponding improvements to the mass transit system, so Singaporeans don’t feel crowded out.
Eugene Tan, a law academic at the Singapore Management University, sees social progress on issues such as gay rights moving in the same direction as they have in Europe and North America — but not as quickly.
“The crucial difference is the pace of change,” he said of Singapore. “The more radical the change, the longer the time lag.”
by Tom Benner, Global Post
This article is syndicated from Global Post.
August 14, 2015
21 funniest Greek expressions
2. A Greek doesn’t just “make your life hell”…he “makes your life a roller skate” (σου κἀνει την ζωἠ πατἰνι).
3. In Greece, a situation doesn’t just “get out of hand”…it turns into “a whore’s fencepost” (της πουτἀνας το κἀγκελο).
4. A Greek isn’t just “doing nothing”…he’s “swatting flies” (βαρἀει μὐγες).
5. A Greek house isn’t just “messy”…it’s a “brothel” (μπουρδἐλο).
6. A Greek isn’t just “very busy”…she’s “running without arriving” (τρἐχει και δεν φτἀνει).
7. A Greek doesn’t just “irritate you”…she “breaks your nerves” (σου σπἀει τα νεὐρα).
8. In Greece, something isn’t “unbearable…it “can’t be fought” (δεν παλεὐεται).
9. Greeks aren’t just “exhausted”…they are “in pieces” (κομμἀτια).
10. A Greek person isn’t just “high and mighty” or a “diva”…she is “astride a reed” (ἐχει καβαλἠσει καλἀμι).
11. In Greece, people don’t just “turn you down”…they “throw you an X” (σου ἐριξε Χ).
12. A Greek person isn’t just “stupid”…he’s a “brick” (τοὐβλο).
13. A Greek person doesn’t just “cheat on you”…he “puts horns on you” (σε κερατὠνει).
14. A Greek is not told to “go jump in a lake”…he is told to “go see if the boats are moving” (πἠγαινε να δεἰς αν κουνιοὐντε οι βἀρκες).
15. Greeks don’t just “get into a fight”…they “become yarn balls” (γἰναμε μαλλιἀ κουβἀρια).
16. A Greek isn’t just “fit”…she is “slices” (φἐτες).
17. Greeks that are really drunk aren’t “wasted”…they are “pie” (πἰτα).
18. Also, they are “pie” because they “drank their horns” (ἠπια τα κερατἀ μου).
19. In Greece, a place isn’t “really far away”…it’s “by the devil’s mother” (στου διαὀλου την μἀνα).
20. A Greek doesn’t get “beat up”…he “eats wood” (τρὠει ξὐλο).
21. A Greek doesn’t say something incomprehensible is “all Greek to me”…instead, it is “like you are speaking Chinese” (εἰναι σαν να μου μιλἀς Κινἐζικα).
This article was originally published on March 9, 2015. 
8 signs you're from Turkey
In Turkey, coffee is the last thing we think of when it comes to recovering from hangover. Instead, with throbbing heads and uneasy stomachs, we turn to lentil soup or kokoreç (crispy and hot lamb intestine wrapped in white bread).
2. You eat yogurt with everything.
In Turkey, plain yogurt is served on every single dinner table. Almost no meal goes without it, so when you don’t have it for a day or two, you immediately feel that something very essential is missing.
You go as far as eating yogurt with fish, even though your mom has warned you many times that this combination might lead to food poisoning in case the fish is not fresh. Yet, there is a delicious way to have them both at the very same table when they’re served as cold dishes. When abroad, you search every single supermarket for that same homely taste you’re known for the last 30 years and what Danone has to offer does not cut it to satisfy your craving.
3. You kiss old people’s hands even when you’re not supposed to.
In Turkey, when you greet elderly people, you kiss their hands out of respect. It’s not an obligation, but sometimes this tradition imposes itself, like when you forget to do it and you feel a hand touching your nose. If you are kid, you try to avoid doing it or you usually roll your eyes and do it as fast and unwillingly as you can and while your parents nag you about it. When you grow up, it becomes a reflex that you tend to do it to all elderly people, wherever you are.
4. You can (somewhat) tell someone’s fortune.
Some Turkish people have a special gift. They can tell you about your life and your future simply by looking at the pattern inside your Turkish coffee cup. Some take it seriously, while others, like me, do it among friends just for fun. Fortune telling services are offered in certain cafés when you order Turkish coffee. No matter how superstitious they are, most Turkish people at least know that the symbol “fish” means good luck/wealth and that “teardrop” indicates cheerful news.
5. You own a nazar boncuğu.
Nazar boncuğu (“evil-eye bead”) is a blue glass bead with a symbolic eye on it. The word nazar indicates bad luck or a wicked cursed called upon you. It’s a common, irreplaceable decorative item in Turkish homes. We also attach a tiny sized nazar boncuğu to newborn babies or someone taking an important exam.
6. You are familiar with raki conversations.
Raki is a very special drink for us Turks. Many of the greatest nights out with friends take place around what we call raki sofrası, or raki table. Apart from the essential side dishes like white cheese and melon, the table is often covered with delicious Turkish cold dishes called mezes.
Sometimes when you exaggerate the amount of raki you drink, you’ll hear a friend or your parent say, “Ağzınla iç şunu!” (“Drink it with your mouth”) as a way to warn the drinker to not overindulge. In the wee hours of the night, you may end up having friendly conversations with strangers at the table nearby, talk politics, attempt to save the world, discuss who is the drunkest, and even offer a small bottle of raki to your new friends.
7. Not a day goes by without cay (tea).
Even in 35-degree weather, Turks drink tea. Çay is the first thing that comes after a meal, and several times in between meals. It is often enjoyed in its original glass, an incebelli. Turkish tea is prepared in a çaydanlık which is a two-level pot. In the upper part we put tea leaves, whereas the lower part only contains boiling water helping the tea on top get infused. Turks don’t really like using tea bags. When abroad, the Lipton tea bags are always somewhat disappointing.
8. You throw water behind someone who goes on a journey.
It is a widely common ritual to pour some water behind a car or behind someone who goes on a road trip. The water is supposed to make their journey as smooth as possible. It is often combined with the saying: “Su gibi git, gel,” meaning “Go and come back, like water.” People living in apartments, whatever the floor they live on, maintain this ritual despite the potential consequences. I remember one time, when we were sending a friend off, we threw water behind her car from the third floor and ended up drenching a passerby from head to toe!
Photo: Oğuzhan Abdik
NY is the most Instagrammable city
NEW YORK’S INCREDIBLE DIVERSITY is the reason it’s so beautiful — armed with a relatively cheap smartphone you can snap pictures of a staggeringly huge array of sights: maybe pics of some of the world’s most iconic buildings and monuments, maybe an intimate glimpse into a total stranger’s life, or maybe a filtered snap of the city’s spectacular biannual Manhattanhenge — all are possible in New York. Here’s some further evidence that it’s the most Instagrammable city on the planet.
Sick action shots
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12 things Athenians never say
Photo: Remus Pereni
1. I had to go deal with the public sector today… what a pleasant experience!
There isn’t enough space in all the newspapers in the world to document how hellish dealing with Greek public sector employees is. Homer’s Odyssey probably comes close.
Here’s one small example of Greek public sector fun and games. Several years ago, while trying to get together the paperwork for our wedding, my husband visited a public office to get a few official copies of some of our papers made. The woman at the desk stared intently at her monitor, darted her mouse around furiously, and insisted she was busy and that he would have to wait.
It was then that my husband noticed something odd — there were no cables coming in or out of the monitor. To avoid actually doing any work, the woman was intently staring at a computer screen that wasn’t even plugged in. If you can manage to go to a public service office, like the tax office, be there all day from 8am to 2pm when it shuts, and get your job done in one go, people will be amazed and asked you how you did that.
When faced with this Olympic-sized incompetence, the daily grind of rolling a rock up a hill and having your liver eaten by an eagle seems like a breeze.
2. I’m just going to walk to the store.
Our local convenience store is a 5-minute walk from my flat. Everyone drives to it.
3. Opa! Let’s go smash some plates!
Plate smashing died out in the ‘80s in Athens. Now it’s expensive trays of carnations that are thrown in beach-front bouzoukia nightclubs instead. Athenians used to love going to these clubs until the crisis put a stop to that. If you can still afford to go, take a strong stomach for alcohol and lots of cash.
4. Look at this beautiful August afternoon! The perfect day for a trip to the Acropolis.
On my first summer in Greece, I decided on holiday to spend a couple of hours strolling some ancient ruins. My husband warned me against this, but I was adamant that I would be fine. It was just a bit of sun after all.
One dose of heatstroke later, I’d learnt my lesson.
I have now joined the ranks of Athenians who consider the beach the only reasonable place to be caught outdoors between 11-3 at the peak of summer.
Athenians think tourists are crazy for descending on the city’s sites in August, when the sun is unbearable, and watch them single-mindedly sweat their way around the ruins in baffled amazement.
Locals seek shade until a more reasonable hour before venturing out in the summer months. So now you know why Athens looks like its residents just got news of an approaching ebola epidemic every August — everyone who can packs up and abandons the city, leaving it to the tourists.
5. Omonia. Now there’s a great part of town.
I regularly go to Omonia in Athens’ center, because it’s the only place where I can find South Asian ingredients and good Pakistani food, but Omonia is considered the ghetto of Athens. People can’t believe it when I tell them I go there, or worse, that I take my children there with me sometimes.
I once took a friend of my husband’s with me. He walked around in shock and looked utterly shaken. “I can’t believe a place like this exists in Athens.” he muttered, which I took as a compliment for the multicultural flavor of this area… until I realized that’s not what he meant.
6. Instead of coffee and cigarettes, I thought today was a good day to have a proper breakfast… so I ate a bowl of muesli.
The first time I came to Greece, I asked a Greek friend I was staying with what a typical Greek breakfast was. Turns out, in Europe’s No. 1 smoking nation, cigarettes and coffee is considered the breakfast of champions.
Neither crisis nor economic depression have made any significant impact on cigarette and coffee consumption here. True, plenty of Athens hipsters head to divey cafes to nurse a bowl of fruit salad in their pale embrace for breakfast, but no self-respecting Athenian starts the day without either a cigarette or coffee — preferably both.
7. The metro is on strike? Well, it’s been awhile since I took the bus.
Strikes are so common in Greece that a special site has been set up, the name of which translates to strikes.com. You can log on and check what strikes and protests are happening where, then plan your day accordingly.
The Athens metro is used by nearly half a million commuters each day. It’s clean, spacious and air-conditioned in the summer. From time to time it goes on strike. When this happens, hell hath no fury like an Athenian without their metro. News coverage is filled with furious passengers demanding the transport minister himself comes down and explains the mess to them.
8. So the city center has been shut down again because some hotshot is visiting? These security measures are necessary. Good job, Athens Police!
Thanks to the economic crisis, we regularly get various important leaders popping in to see if we’re behaving ourselves or not. In order to keep the peace, the authorities shut the city center down and divert traffic during such visits. This makes Athenians working in the center understandably irate. After seven years of recession, you can imagine how many times these visits happen. It drives Athenians crazy that they get inconvenienced and landed with the gigantic security bill that comes with such visits.
As for what they say to the police enforcing the no-go zones… that really can’t be repeated in a column my mother might potentially read.
9. A stop sign! Guess I better stop.
Athenians are simultaneously some of the worst and best drivers I’ve ever seen. They would easily be able to out-drive the zombie apocalypse, but they tend to be blind to signs to stop, not turn and not enter. If they break several traffic rules and then crash, they can never get to the bottom of how that happened. The latest traffic violations I have seen was a family riding to the beach on a boat hitched to the back of their car, and a priest driving with his son on his lap. His son was steering.
10. I don’t feel very well, but my first thought isn’t that it’s the mati.
The mati or the evil eye is blamed for everything in Greece. If you laugh at the concept, you will be immediately told someone’s personal story about the dark forces of the mati. My husband’s family is adamant that the evil eye is the reason that his grandmother’s sister died in childhood — fine one moment and gone the next.
If you look a bit tired, don’t feel too well or yawn more than once, someone will immediately suggest that you are under the influence of the evil eye and will promptly call their yiayia to remove it for you. I’ve got so used to it now that I say “Someone put a bad eye on me.” when I’m not even in Greece… which attracts some funny looks.
11. Great news, guys! This bar is actually imposing its no smoking rule!
Smoking in public places was banned in Greece in 2010. Allegedly. Nowhere I have been ever imposes the ban, and you’re treated as a spoilsport for requesting that it is. Instantly, posters went up in windows of shops inviting smokers to come on in and establish their democratic right to smoke in a free country, and they did so en masse.
Smoking is allegedly banned in confined places such as taxis. I have been asked while visibly pregnant by more than one taxi driver if I minded if he smoked.
That’s not to say that all of Greece treats you with contempt for requesting people don’t smoke around you or your children, but you can expect to get into some lengthy and pointless debates about smokers’ rights if you do.
12. So I went to the city center, and there was a parking space right there in front of me.
Anyone who has ever driven in Athens knows that parking spaces are nearly impossible to find in the center. The city downtown is extremely old, threaded through with narrow streets and alleys. You’re more likely to run into a unicorn downtown than a parking space that doesn’t require a can opener to get in and out of. Basically, the centre is the worst, but anywhere near a metro station becomes impossible to park in during the week. 
10 things we need to learn from Costa Ricans
Photo: Chris Wronski
1. How to keep the party going
Whenever an American city or neighborhood, big or small, has a festival, there are weeks of preparation involved followed by fliers and social media advertising. In Costa Rica, they just seem to spontaneously happen. I could hear marching bands practicing regularly into the night only to suddenly take to the streets for God knows what. Music might be booming down at Mercado Viejo or, as had happened on more than one occasion, a group of Mascaradas (a popular Costa Rican tradition of dressing up as large, masked characters often with roots in national legend) could be dancing in circles warming up before a procession. Even in my pueblito, there was always something happening.
2. What a town is supposed to look like
Living in little Ciudad Colón 22 kilometers outside of capital San José reminded me of how people talk about 1950s America. Everyone shopped with the local farmer and butcher. Chain restaurants were a rarity and the downtowns of small town America were booming with activity.
Now, that’s all gone. Small town America is largely a ghost town with a six-lane bypass around it thanks to over half a century of unchecked suburban sprawl. While Costa Rica has and continues to make some of the mistakes we’ve made, their sprawl doesn’t even begin to compare with ours and their small towns remain largely intact. In most Tico towns, you can still walk to the grocer, the local farmer’s market, the gym, and just about anything else you’ll need.
3. How to make university affordable
I’ve been out of university for more years than I was in it, yet I’ll continue chipping away at my mountain of student debt for some time to come. At the University of Costa Rica, 12 credits will cost you 164,820 colones or $309.81. That’s less than two months on my current payment plan.
4. How to give a proper greeting
Americans tend to give a general head nod in the direction of someone they know to satisfy any pleasantry obligations. Hugs are seemingly exclusively reserved for sorority sisters seeing each other for the first time since college.
Costa Ricans, however, know how to make you feel like they actually give a damn when greeting you. Whether it’s merely a “Buenas” when passing a stranger with a warm smile on the sidewalk or entering someone’s home, you’re bound to be greeted like the most important person in the world at that given moment. In the States I greet my friends with a nod, at best a firm handshake. With my Mama Tica, it was always a hug and kiss on the cheek followed by the biggest bear hug from Papa Tico who I swear was the Costa Rican Santa Claus minus the beard. “Joe! Cómo estás? Todo bien? Pasa, pasa, pasa…”
5. Treat your family like family
Families in the States seem to often be the cause of some sort of neurotic behavior or material generated for visits with the therapist. We move far, far away and lament the Holidays when visits become obligatory. Obviously there are exceptions. But in general, that’s far from the case in Costa Rica where it’s still common to stay with your parents until you get married. Of course you still have the option to leave the house before any nuptials, but it’s not at all frowned upon to stay with your folks into your 30s whereas familial living in the States is looked at with the same concern as a virgin old enough to remember the Clinton years. Once you’re out, regular family meals and vacations are still very much part of the dynamic and something to look forward to.
6. Get moving when the sun rises
A mixture of footsteps slamming against the concrete and bike gears shifting can be heard as early as 5:30 in the morning when Ticos meet the rising sun with a bit of exercise. Others might head to zumba, which is not viewed with the same challenge on a man’s sexuality as it is in the States. Younger Ticos will stick with soccer or volleyball in the park. It seems like the whole country will have gotten a workout in before most Americans even roll out of bed.
7. To let the weather be
“What’s the weather gonna be like?” “How’s the weather?” “I can’t believe how cold it is!” Most Americans have an unhealthy obsession with weather talk. Costa Ricans simply let the weather be what it’s going to be without the annual surprise. For instance, Ticos aren’t surprised when it’s windy in the valley throughout the winter because that’s what happened the year before and the year before that. Americans, however, seem to find themselves completely flabbergasted when snow comes in December as if this is new territory.
8. How to walk
Walking in the United States of Automobiles has become such a rarity, we now have to track it on health apps or wristbands to guilt ourselves into moving around a bit without our cars as if legs are some sort of novelty. The majority of Ticos still take public transportation and actually walk places. Their towns are even still built for pedestrians to reach things, like restaurants and markets, without the use of a car. In the States, we’ve built entire cities around the idea that everyone has a car, which leaves pedestrians playing real-life Frogger should they attempt to cross needlessly wide roads that cut through neighborhoods with the nearest crosswalk practically a drive away.
9. What to put on your food
Ticos have created the world’s tastiest condiment and it’s called Salsa Lizano, a kind of Worcestershire sauce that goes perfectly with everything from the morning’s gallo pinto to the afternoon casado. If my talents in the kitchen actually extended beyond the cereal bowl, I’d be opening up a Costa Rican restaurant tomorrow.
10. The importance of choosing life over work
Many North Americans or Europeans who have made the move over to Costa Rica have done so because there’s very much a palpable sense that life is more important than work. Their tourism campaigns even prod us Norteamericanos for trapping ourselves in cubicles, moving from bed to car to work and back without even a hint of sunshine and fresh air. This is where the pura vida mindset (and expression) comes in with enjoying life taking precedent over grinding yourself to death for some guy in a suit at the top of a tower.
“¿Cómo le va?”
“¡Pura vida!”
Istanbul at street level
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Filmmaker Justin Heaney captures the essence of Istanbul, Turkey in this unique video. I was interested to learn more about his motivations for producing this film. This is what he told me:
“For me it is the human condition that I am drawn to when filming on the road. I try to shoot ‘under the radar.’ I like to represent the marginalized aspects of society and show them in a natural, non invasive way. I generally try to avoid subject/camera interaction because people become less interesting when they become self-aware. I think my success lies in the voyeuristic journey achieved from unadulterated observations of people in their natural surroundings. Music is huge part of any travel film, especially when attempting to depict a country or culture. I shy away from traditional music. Instead, I choose more universal music that matches the cadence and tone of the visuals. Most of my time in the editing room is spent meticulously cutting visuals over the musical nuances. All sounds are created in post (I shoot with zero audio). I sometimes capture the odd atmosphere on an external recorder. I shoot from the hip and never use a tripod. I prefer to use just one lens; One long zoom lens, and no wides lenses. This keeps things up close and personal.”
The American flag will fly in Cuba today
For more than half a century, Cuba has been America’s enemy. Diplomacy between the two governments was nonexistent. Relations were marked by distrust, fear, aggression, embargoes, and “crazy assassination plots.” Well, sorry, but those exciting days are now all over.
Today, Secretary of State John Kerry — the first US Secretary of State to visit Cuba in 70 years — will witness the raising of the American flag over the newly opened US Embassy in Havana. It’s the final step in a process that began in December when US President Barack Obama announced that Cuba and the United States would work toward normalizing ties.
The day will be dripping with symbolism. The very same Marines who lowered the American flag in Havana 54 years ago will be there today to see it raised again. Outside the embassy there are no protests, no threatening gestures. There are only lines of Cubans, waiting to apply for visas to visit the United States.
And thus brings an end to one of the last remnants of the Cold War. The US broke off ties with Cuba in 1961 largely because the country aligned itself with the Soviet Union. Re-establishing ties with Cuba will go down as one of Obama’s most important foreign policy moves.
Like Cuba, Iran has for decades also been one of America’s classic enemies. There was a time when the villain in any Hollywood movie was likely to be either Cuban or Iranian. Kerry and Obama are close to improving ties with Iran now, as well. Kerry brokered a deal that could potentially be the start of a whole new era of cooperation between the two countries.
The Iran deal has to get past a skeptical Congress first, though. But if it does, or if Obama forces it through with a veto, he will have ushered forth two major — world-changing, even — diplomatic achievements during his tenure as president.
By Peter Gelling, Global Post
This article is syndicated from Global Post.
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