Matador Network's Blog, page 2156

2015 resolutions for social change

Photo: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

We are all global citizens: each of us belongs to multiple communities that overlap with a common center. Our goal? Social justice. Here are some steps we can all take to enact social justice in the New Year.

1. Assume responsibility for your participation

As global citizens, we participate in our immediate and broader communities — whether we mean to or not. Do you know who is making decisions on your behalf at the global and national levels? Do you know if you like those decisions? As peace activist Paul Chappell says, “A democracy is as wise as its citizens.”

Start by educating yourself about — and introducing yourself to — your local representatives. We may be used to being removed from the process, but our elected officials are human beings with websites, phone numbers, and email addresses: hearing from constituents matters! In the United States, visit websites like Open States and Gov Track for updates on current bills and decisions impacting social justice or injustice.

2. Live responsibly

Global citizens know that our lives affect others and how others’ lives affect ours. The local environment is made by and makes us. Do you know where your water comes from? What happens to your waste? Are you nourished by what you eat, and does the way in which it was grown nourish the environment?

If you don’t already shop for produce at local farmers markets, check out Local Harvest for community supported agriculture (CSA) opportunities in the US that empower small farmers. Signing up to support them with year-round funding — or a light volunteer commitment — in exchange for a weekly box of produce. Follow Barbara Kingsolver’s advice and eat seasonally, easier done with cookbooks that match seasonal markets. Finally, ask author Joel Salatin what he thinks about the food industry.

3. Become what you consume

If actions speak louder than words, how loud is money? Being an informed consumer can take many shapes. Visit Behind the Brands to find out who actually owns the brands you consume and how they rank on social justice issues — from women’s and workers’ rights to the protection of the environment and transparency.

Let’s look at the other end of consumption: trashing compostable material should be — and in some countries is — a crime. Many areas in Europe, as well as in the United States, are banning plastic bags in grocery stores. What about using clean, drinkable water to flush our toilets? There is a better way. Check out green living blogs to learn about global citizens’ cutting edge ideas, and to demand that our interaction with the planet is a healthy one.

And if you think recycling can’t be beautiful, check out Wasteland, a 2010 documentary about artist Vic Muniz’s work with the world’s largest garbage landfill in Rio de Janeiro.

4. Question what you think you know

…and then question it again.

Who is the authoring your news? Consider checking into alternative sources like Amy Goodman’s Democracy Now! and Human Rights Watch. Even reading news coverage of the same event from different parts of the globe can be illuminating!

Equally important: who is writing your history account? Hindsight isn’t always 20/20. Ask yourself: “Whose voice isn’t being heard?” It can be difficult but necessary to hear the other perspective of a scenario. Start with Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States, and continue by following the work of activists like Dorothea Lange, Eva Golinger, Nicholas Kristof, and countless more. Get inspired and dig in!

5. Take smart action

Not every shovel-wielding foreign “do-gooder” actually helps to enact justice in the newest disaster zone. The misconception that Western nonprofits can “save” the Third World implies that the recipients of “First World” aid have both little skill and little say in how they are helped. As Jessica Alexander describes in her poignant 2013 memoir Chasing Chaos: My decade in and out of Humanitarian Aid, the Band-Aid approaches of the aid world are regulated mostly by the private and governmental money donors — not by the recipients — making the non-profit field uniquely not consumer-driven.

Certainly everyone is equipped to contribute differently — whether through time, money presence, expertise, or ideas. Most importantly, ask how is my contribution best utilized? Then find the network that resonates with you, like the countless international organizations such as Amnesty International or Oxfam. Alternately, scour your neighborhood for local, grassroots organizations working on issues you care about, like an action network or the local chapter of an organization you care about. See what your local radio station has to stay about your community and then get involved — in a smart way.

6. Accept complexity

These problems didn’t appear overnight, and the solutions require faith. Here. As German poet Rainer Maria Rilke once wrote in a correspondence with a young, doubtful poet: “Try to love the questions themselves…perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.”

How to annoy someone from Virginia

Photo: Gary Cope

1. Say that NoVA sucks.

Yes, we’ll admit that a large portion of Northern Virginians spend most of their time chasing paper and running the far-reaching powers of the government, but NoVA is much more than that. This happens to be a unique area in the eastern United States where you can live in the country and still maintain career ambitions in a big city. What’s wrong with that?

Most people who live in NoVA resent the traffic and do everything they can to escape to the countryside as often as possible. Besides, do you really want to insult people who started the internet, work at the Pentagon, and have the highest income per capita of almost anywhere in the country?

Worst case-scenario, you’ll get detained by the CIA and disappear forever.

2. Talk shit on TJ.

Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, is a sensitive issue for most of us in the commonwealth. Although some people take it a little too far — just walk onto the campus of the University of Virginia, and you’d think The Apostle of Democracy was alive and well, holding office hours, and teaching classes.

Everyone knows our boy Thomas was a bit of a player — there are claims that he has descendants from multiple women, one of which, Sally Hemings, is claimed to have been his slave. But, let’s be honest, nobody’s perfect. TJ left quite a legacy everywhere he went, and the Louisiana Purchase alone is enough to celebrate him as an exceptional American. That being said, every president catches some heat, so Virginians should let it come. Don’t forget that they’re the ones who streaked across the lawn and peeped in on a statue of him to say hello — would Tommy boy really appreciate that? Actually, he probably would have. Keep up the good work.

3. Comment on how Virginia is so southern.

The unfortunate position that Virginians took on slavery during the Civil War should not define us today. As a former Yankee living south of the Mason-Dixon, I can assure you that you’ll get along just fine with most people. Accept the fact that everyone in Virginia believes they’re more northern, and move on. We align ourselves more as a Mid-Atlantic, or Appalachian state. Take one trip to South Carolina, come back, and you’ll see why people here resent that remark.

4. Call us country bumpkins.

We understand that much of our state is undeveloped countryside. However, our rural pride has built the local food movement and helped put Virginia on the map for wine, beer, and other booze. You will often be surprised at how refined our ‘country folk’ can be. However, if you’re driving down a road and it starts to narrow, eventually turning into one lane as it winds up into a holler, you should probably turn around. The hills have eyes around here, and we all know a few folks who don’t take kindly to you people trespassing.

Incidentally, this is often where the best shine and quality herb come from.

5. Ask if we know anyone who makes moonshine.

Of course we do, who doesn’t?

6. Ask us where we can buy it.

You can’t. It’s illegal. However, we can guide you to one of hundreds of truly boutique wineries, local breweries, and new distilleries that are fully legal. In the past 30 years, Virginia has become a true destination for booze. Mostly just because the demand for it was so high — have you ever heard of a Wahoo?

Virginians love to drink, so much so that they almost ran George Washington out of politics for cracking down on local taverns who served his regiment. The pursuit of a good buzz has become an artform here, and we intend to keep it that way.

7. Associate us with West Virginia.

Every state has their rivals. West Virginia however, is not ours. Although we have a great deal of respect for our mountainous neighbors to the west, there’s a reason we don’t live there.

In terms of, well, everything, West Virginians ain’t got shit on us. First of all, we care about our mountains too much to strip mine, deforest, and frack. There’s a better way to create jobs, and it doesn’t involve sending your best and brightest into deep dark holes to harvest limited resources. Generations of resentment exists between these two states, but the culture and weather in Virginia puts WV to shame every time. Besides, how many presidents grew up in West Virginia? ZERO.

8. Ask someone where the Mayflower landed.

Check your history people, the Mayflower did not make it to Virginia. Which is a crying shame, because the original Colony of Virginia was inclusive of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and North Carolina, but the winters down here are much more mild. Having lost more than half of its passengers before the end of the first winter, I’m sure the pilgrims would have put in the extra effort to get here. Jamestown later became the first pre-eminent English settlement in America and served as the capital of this territory for over 80 years. It’s worth a stop on your way to ‘the Beach’ or to escape the stress of I-95 for a few hours.

9. Tell us how great it is out West.

Yes, we know. Many of us have lived in Colorado or traveled through Northern California for a stint, but we end up back in the fertile lands of the Old Dominion. You won’t have any trouble finding active travelers in much of this state — we know the world is a big place and we get out there. Virginia however, has a unique combination of everything we want. 112 miles of Atlantic Coastline, 550 miles of the Appalachian Trail, and some of the most historic, culturally-rich places in the country.

Our central location on the eastern seaboard also makes it easy to reach NYC, Philly, Charlotte, Atlanta, and Charleston within a day’s drive. With Dulles and Richmond offering international flights, the entire world is open to the affluent Virginian who may just get more powder days than you will this year.

How to keep your NY resolutions

Photo: Anthony Quintano

Every year around January 1st, my inbox gets filled up with language learners excitedly declaring to me their New Year’s resolutions. They tell me, this is the year I will learn French! Learn Spanish! Learn Chinese!

To all you resolved language learners out there, hoping to make 2015 the year you finally reach your language-learning goals, I’d like to offer a bit of guidance in making your New Year’s resolutions and actually keeping them.

To do this, I’ll share my own goals for 2015 with you — both those I have for my languages, but also my other goals as well — and I’ll tell you exactly how I plan to achieve them. The strategy is the same for both.

Bad New Year’s resolutions to avoid

Generally, most people’s New Year’s resolutions tend to revolve around the same themes. Here are some examples, that are all technically things that I want to do in 2015:

Read more
Exercise more
Eat healthier
Learn to swing dance
Perfect my French
Speak Chinese better

These are all bad goals to have, mainly because each one lacks specificity. This is a general theme with New Year’s Resolutions, and it’s why I don’t even use the term myself, and always prefer to model my life improvements around goals.

I’ve talked about this before, but it bears repeating: To reach your goals, you have to actually have a goal. You need an end-point that you can visualize and know for sure whether or not you’re on track, and when you’ve achieved it.

If your goal is to improve your French, how will you know when you’re done? If you want to read more, how will you know if you’re on track? Have you reached your goal if you read for 1 day? For 30 days? How can you gauge your progress?

The trick to making a New Year’s resolution that actually sticks to is to visualize your resolutions in concrete terms. Here are some examples.

My 2015 New Year’s goals

To show you what I mean, here are several of my own genuine goals for 2015, all of which are much more specific versions of the vague “resolutions” above:

Read 60 books by November.
Run a half marathon by March.
Run a full marathon by November.
Restrict pasta, chocolate and sodas to 1 day per week (Saturday only)
Be ready to swing dance confidently as a very solid beginner by November
Take a mock C2 (mastery level) exam in French by July.
Reach B2 (fluency) in Mandarin by November.

Tip 1: Create goals that are specific and measurable

One reason I like the word “goal” over resolution is that it has a idea of measurement behind it. A goal is something that can be reached – something I can check off my list and know exactly when I’ve reached it.

Note how each of the goals I’ve chosen is both specific and measurable. There’s no way to be unclear about whether or not I’ve read 60 books. I’ve either run a half marathon or I haven’t. But “read more” and “exercise more” are nebulous and quite useless because of this.

You will also notice that (apart from the weekly eating restriction) all of my goals have a specific deadline. December tends to involve travel and time with family, so if I am taking on a longer-term goal (as you can imagine I prefer three month goals…) then it ends in November at the latest.

Tip 2: Allow yourself to feel a sense of accomplishment and progress

Each of the goals I’ve created means something real to me. For example, when I say I want to learn the basics of swing dancing, I say this because I’ll be attending a wedding in November and I hope to be able to swing dance at the reception.

Do I expect to be amazing at it? Do I want to compete at world-competition levels? No. Not for now at least. I just expect to be able to dance well in a casual setting. This is a realistic goal, especially since I will be living in multiple places and can only realistically get a few classes per month.

Maybe for 2016 or 2017 I can have more hefty goals like training for dance competitions, but realistically dancing at a specific wedding is all I want to care about for now, and that will make further improvement much easier.

In my running goals, I’ve also included two separate benchmarks. First a half-marathon, then a marathon. I’ve broken this up into separate milestones so that I can feel progress in the smaller wins, rather than focusing only on the biggest possible endpoint.

If you’re a member of my email list, you know that I ended 2014 by taking a mock C1 exam with my French teacher, and that I’ve decided to make fluency in Chinese a priority for this year.

I’ve been studying French for years and this goal is a single point on a much longer road.

Imagine if, when I started studying each language years ago, my goal was just to “learn French.” I still wouldn’t be there! Instead every language project I’ve ever had has been based on milestones.

Tip 3: Know your limitations and don’t let setbacks derail your momentum

One of my goals, for example, is to eat healthier, but I’ve chosen to measure my progress here by allotting one day a week as “cheat day”. For me, Saturday is cheat day. And I know that if I eat a gnocchi or a chocolate lava cake on any other day except cheat day, then I haven’t met my goal for that week.

But when that happens, I don’t just throw the whole plan out the window, because cheat day comes around every single week. Every week I’ll still have my Saturday cheat day looming over me, holding me accountable, giving me another chance to succeed.

Don’t expect yourself to be a super hero. Don’t give yourself unrealistic expectations like “stop eating chocolate”, because when you inevitably give in to temptation, you’re likely to give up your goal entirely because you’ve already “failed.”

My goal of “running a half marathon” might also be an unrealistic goal for me if I was a total newbie at running. Pretty much every successful marathon runner I’ve come across has had smaller milestones.

For instance, the picture at the top of the post is me getting ready to run my first ever 5K last year in Valencia. It took me two whole months to train myself to be able to run that much more modest distance, and I was exhausted at the end of it!

I’ve since pushed my boundaries up to running 10k, then running the same distance and feeling great afterwards and continue to improve my endurance and speed, so that a half-marathon within 3 months is realistic.

When you make your goals measurable, you can recognize your progress rather than your failures, and use that to keep up your momentum. Celebrate all the weeks that you make progress. Focus on your wins!

Use tools to track your progress

The tools you use to recognize your progress will make a huge difference in your success. Having looming reminders, social competitions and other psychological motivators help a lot. Here are my favourites!

Language goals

My current favourite social tool for language learning is Memrise because I find the daily/weekly/monthly scoreboard to be an excellent motivator. This tool is great if you have a specific number of words you want to memorize, with of course the excellent mnemonics that help you remember. Follow me here.

Overall to-dos

I use Couch.me (formally Lift) for my daily to-dos. I like this tool because I can search for specific daily tasks that may be key to my longer term goal, that an entire community has grown around, and I can tick each daily task from my smartphone.

You can follow me here or check out the plan for language learners I made for that site here. I have public goals I don’t mind others seeing for social feedback, and can make other goals private.

Pretty much every goal you can imagine has a community around it on that site!

Reading goals

Goodreads is by far the best community for sharing reading goals, with the most in-depth reviews of books. Once you track enough books read on the site, it starts to give you exceptionally good recommendations based on your interests. People like your updates (you even update progress within books and how far you are in each one you are reading) and can send you personal recommendations.

I keep my Goodreads up to date on what I’m reading. Follow my profile here!

Exercise goals

I use Endomondo to track my jogs, and help me plan how much I should run to realistically reach my goal, based on my past progress. Then when I run, I have my smartphone with me and my speed and distance are tracked automatically through GPS updates.

Now it’s your turn! What are your goals for 2015? How can you adjust your goals to be measurable, or to create milestones to measure your progress?

This article originally appeared on Fluent in 3 Months and is republished here with permission.

Lies about moving to Portland, OR

Photo: Adam Zeek

1. Portlandia is just a hyperbole.

For better or for worse, the accuracy with which this sketch comedy portrays Portland is frightening. Remember the episode with the four-way intersection where two drivers are insisting that the other one go ahead?

“No, you go…”

“No, YOU go…”

Portland drivers exchange smiles and waves with fellow neighbors of the road with more fervor than Manhattan drivers exchange obscenities.

“Put a bird on it!” Remember that one? Walk into any gift shop, book store, or car mechanic and count the number of cute animals decorating their surfaces. It’s like walking through a Disney movie, but with irony.

Okay, so maybe there isn’t an “Allergy Pride Parade” in Portland…just yet. But the rest of the show? One-hundred percent fact.

2. I’ll finally become a vegetarian.

Yes, it’s true. Portland is very veggie-friendly. And you’ve probably been meaning to take that healthier, greener approach to eating for years. But Portland is also friendly to those who dream of bloody-rare steaks. There’s the pork-belly sandwich from Lardo, the spicy wings from Pok Pok, and the peanut-butter-pickle-bacon burger from Killer Burger. Not to mention the fried chicken from Screen Door. Forget quinoa and spinach smoothies — these carnivorous meals MUST be sampled if you’re truly trying to immerse yourself in the gastronomy of Portland.

Unless, of course, you’re already a vegetarian. In that case, enjoy the abundance of fresh-pressed juices. You’ll love it here.

3. I’ll go hiking all the time.

It’s something to strive for, of course. With the awesome accessibility to the outdoors, from Mount Hood to the Columbia Gorge, outdoor activities are a draw for many newcomers. But Portland, like most cities, has a special ability to suck you in and make you forget that land exists outside of city limits. Sure, you could go for a hike this weekend. But then again, everyone is raving about that cute little brunch spot that just opened down the street.

Don’t beat yourself up over it. You’ll still enjoy gazing at Mount Hood from your patio table while eating eggs florentine and sipping mimosas on that rare, sunny day.

4. I know how to recycle.

It’s 2014 — everyone recycles. You saw An Inconvenient Truth, you’re on top of these things. But then your new Portland friend goes to throw something away in your kitchen, sees a cereal box on top, and says: “I’m sorry, this is your cardboard recycling, not your garbage, correct?”

Luckily, he can’t see the rotten produce that you haven’t figured out how to compost, lying just below the flattened vessel of Lucky Charms. You tell him: “Yes of course!” and discretely toss his garbage in another plastic bag that’s lying around because you haven’t stocked up on reusable shopping bags just yet, either.

5. The rain will make me more productive.

The rain will make you sad. The rain will make you restless. The rain will make you wet.

Eventually, you will acclimate to the incessant drizzle. But at that point, rain will be such a constant in your life that it won’t make you stay in and be more productive — it’ll just make you stop noticing.

Someday, maybe, the rain will inspire you to finally start writing that memoir of yours instead of hanging out at Powell’s Books because jumping over car-sized puddles to get downtown sounds exhausting. But not before you’ve developed the pallor of a vampire and completely restyled your wardrobe to a point where you always look like you’re about to go hiking.

6. It’ll be hard to meet new people.

One upside to Portland’s lack of services is the fact that it forces you to interact with people. Which is great, because Portland people are ridiculously nice.

Not that you’ll necessarily become best friends with your pizza-delivery boy, but the openness and friendliness of Portlanders makes moving here far less daunting than most cities. Walk down the street and people make eye contact and smile. Call a customer service line and the person on the other end will chat you up like they’ve just discovered you’re second cousins.

If you’re looking to make friends, it’s easy to get out there and do all that in Portland. Whether you’re sitting at a bar or standing in line for groceries, people here reach out to strangers with refreshing kindness.

7. I am not a hipster.

Of course you don’t call yourself one. But denying the title is the first sign that you are (at least a little bit) of the hipster persuasion.

If you felt drawn to Portland, then you probably have an appreciation for things like bike lanes, organic soaps, beanie hats, beards, plaid, vinyl records, thrift stores, fair trade coffee, and craft beer, all of which are available aplenty in “Stumptown.” And liking a combination of these things probably puts you somewhere on the hipster spectrum.

But fear not. Because once you move to Portland, you’ll realize that hipsters have it goin’ on. Girls look cute in thick-rimmed glasses, guys look sexy with beards, and we should all recycle more. So what’s everyone harshing on the hipsters for? They (you) are just trying to make the world a better, more bike-friendly place! Hipsters LOVE Portland. And once you’ve bought yourself a sensible rain jacket (from a thrift store), you will too.

What cooks think of your lunch order

Photo: popartichoke

YOU MIGHT THINK you’re just grabbing a quick bite on your lunch break, but you’re actually giving us a reason to make a snap judgment about you. Here’s what a line cook thinks about your orders during the rush.

Cheeseburger with all the fixins – You’re going to need a nap after this. Good luck getting any work done later. If you get a double, you might as well not go back to the office at all.

Tomato soup & grilled cheese – You’re a kindergarten teacher who spends too much time thinking about coloring books and the ABCs.

A side salad – You’re probably dining with your boss, and didn’t feel the meatball sub that you actually wanted to order would make the best impression.

The veggie burger – Kudos to you for trying to be healthy by ordering this oxymoron, but please don’t send it back when you’re disappointed that it doesn’t taste like a real burger.

The French dip – You took the fifteen hints your girlfriend gave you to heart, and ordered the sandwich she really wanted to taste.

Italian sub with banana peppers – You didn’t take the numerous hints your girlfriend gave you, and ordered what you wanted instead. Totally worth it.

BBQ wings – Let’s hope you don’t have any afternoon meetings. We’re not sure how your clients will feel about the red stains on your cheeks, and hands, and shirt, and pants.

Beer – Whether the end of a long week or starting the weekend early, you are just celebrating the fact that you won’t be going back to work after this “meal.”

Turkey sandwich topped with stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce – No one has to tell you what the best part of the holiday season is. Leftovers!

Spinach salad, dressing on the side – Are those fries you keep stealing off your friend’s plate a part of your diet, too? Because we are pretty sure ordering the salad doesn’t count unless you actually eat it.

Meatloaf – Please, tell us again how your mom makes it better.

Ham sandwich on white bread – It seems like you could have made this one at home and eaten it at your desk, but we will prepare it since you are paying.

Sushi and sake – Your order is as high end as your job, and you will prove it by always using your chopsticks and paying the entire bill when it comes.

Grilled salmon, brown rice, and broccoli – Since you keep talking about how you get up at 5:30 every day for a workout, it only makes sense that your lunch is as intense as you.

Taco salad – We get it, ordering a salad sounds better than ordering a burrito. But, just so you know, they are one and the same. Especially after you add extra cheese, ground beef, sour cream, and guacamole.

Tuna salad sandwich – Apparently, you don’t want your colleagues to invite you to join them again tomorrow.

Hot buttered lobster roll – Lunch is the perfect time to combine your love for fancy food and sandwiches. Everyone wins. Except, of course, your wallet.

One slice of plain pizza – You’re a college student, it’s almost summer break, and you are out of money on your meal plan. You could do a lot worse than pizza for every meal, though.

Pastrami on rye with spicy mustard – We will find your New York accent charming, and your attitude about the fact that it doesn’t compare to sandwiches from the delis back home, annoying.

All you can eat pasta – You can stretch a dollar and you never miss a good deal. We will see you on Dollar Taco Tuesday and Ten Cent Wing Wednesday, too.

Poutine – You don’t mess around. If you add a fried egg to this meal, you might even get a standing ovation.

Bacon fried rice – Apparently the bacon, egg, and cheese you finished for breakfast didn’t quite get rid of that hang over.

Nachos – Normally, ordering a starter for your meal means you will be hungry a couple hours later, but the cheesy, topping-heavy nachos put all other appetizers to shame. And you know it.

Hot Dog – You’ll order this at a corner stand in between meetings and it will taste so good that it will almost make the regret you feel later worth it.

Cheese, wine, and baguette – You embrace the European in you. You’ll probably follow the meal with an espresso and a cigarette.

Fish and chips – You’re torn between your craving for seafood and your strict budget. Sorry, but this won’t satisfy either.

Smoked brisket, macaroni and cheese, and a hot roll – You’ll forget about the fact that this is enough food to satisfy most people for three meals, and you’ll order banana pudding for dessert.

Egg salad – You didn’t like anything on the menu, anyway. This will make good leftovers for your dog.

Where to swim w/ whale sharks [PICs]

I was snorkeling off the Pacific Coast of Mexico with my friend and former dive instructor, Ceci, when I saw what looked like a spiny tetherball with a beak spiraling from the depths towards the surface. I lifted my mask and Ceci lifted hers, preempting my question.

“It’s a blowfish,” she said, matter-of-factly. Then, “All fish are weird.”

To wit: the whale shark. Not a whale at all, and only technically a shark (with a cartilaginous skeleton, gill slits, and pectoral fins it belongs to the shark family of fish), the whale shark has an enormous mouth with up to 350 rows of tiny teeth and 10 filter pads. Like baleen whales, they’re filter-feeders and eat by straining algae, plankton, and krill from the seawater, but their name more likely derives from the fact that at sizes of up to 40 feet long and 47,000 pounds, they are the largest fish on the planet, and can live for up to 80 years. Weird, right?

Whale sharks live in all tropical and warm temperate seas, so the regions where you can swim with them — they’re known to be gentle with divers — are numerous. Whale shark numbers, however, are dwindling; the animal is on the endangered species list.

The migration patterns of whale sharks aren’t fully understood, but there are ways to increase your chances of a sighting. Where you catch up with the whale sharks will depend on the time of year and the region you’re in.

This article was originally published on November 19, 2012.

1

Oslob Cebu, Philippines

When: Year Round

Skill: Snorkelling for Beginners, Dive option included too.

Do it: Oslob Whale Sharks

Photo: Pacific Klaus

2

Mahe, Seychelles

When: August - October


Skill: Beginner to experienced


Do it: Aqua-Firma, Dive Seychelles, Big Blue Divers


Photo: Bunn

3

Isla Mujeres, Mexico

When: May - September; the annual Whale Shark Festival typically takes place in mid-June

Skill: Beginner to experienced. SCUBA not permitted; snorkels only

Do it: Enrique’s Unique Dives, Searious Diving, Ceviche Tours

Photo: kozyndan

4

Puerto Ayora, Galapagos, Ecuador

When: May - October; best month is July

Skill: Depends on the dive but strong currents make this region unsuitable for beginners

Do it: Aqua-Firma, Academy Bay Diving, Galextur, Scuba Galapagos

Photo: tobze

5

Belize Barrier Reef, Belize

When: March - June

Skill: Beginner to experienced

Do it: Splash Dive Center, Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort, Seahorse Dive Shop

Photo: Martin Spragg Photography

6

Ningaloo Reef, Australia

When: April - July

Skill: Beginner to experienced

Do it: Three Islands Whale Shark Dive, Ningaloo Dreaming, Ningaloo Blue Dive

Photo: Zac Wolf

7

Tofo, Mozambique

When: November - April

Skill: Beginner to experienced


Do it: SCUBA Mozambique, Diversity SCUBA

Photo: Whale Shark Conservation, Mozambique

8

Ari and Baa Atolls, Maldives

When: May - December on the western side; December - April on the eastern side

Skill: Beginner to experienced; no SCUBA required

Do it: Maldives Dive Travel

Photo: Rory Moore

9

Donsol Bay, Philippines

When: February - April

Skill: Beginner to experienced. SCUBA not permitted in the bay; snorkels only

Do it: Donsol EcoTour

Photo: Darren A.

10

Richelieu Rock, Thailand

When: Feb - May

Skill: Intermediate to experienced

Do it: Blue Guru Diving, Sunrise Divers, Sharkey Scuba

Photo: Marcel Waldis Underwater Photography

11

Utila Bay, Honduras

When: Year round, but Utila Dive Lodge and the Whale Shark and Oceanic Center partner each year to offer "Whale Shark Weeks," during which divers can participate in whale shark research, photo ID, DNA sampling, and tagging (pictured).

Skill: Beginner to experienced

Do it: Utila Dive Lodge, Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Center

Photo: Vladimir Levantovsky - Effervescent Photography

8 things Americans can learn from Cz

Photo: Kristofer Trolle

1. How to be alone.

In Prague, it’s pretty common to see single diners at a restaurant or café, people walking around by themselves in parks or shops, loners having a drink at the pub, or people dancing with no one but themselves at a club. It’s not because Czechs have no friends, but more because they are totally okay with — and appreciate — their alone time.

Even in New York, a person doing things on their own is usually scrutinized. “Are you waiting for your boyfriend? No? Are you waiting for your friends?” are common questions I get asked when I try and grab a drink at a bar by myself. I get odd looks when I reply that I’m here on my own; people don’t understand why I’d want to be by myself, that I must be crazy or something, because I don’t have a gaggle of girlfriends, or I’m not cozying up to a dude.

2. How to express happiness.

“You should smile more often, aren’t you happy?” is another annoying question I get here in the USA. I don’t need to smile in order to show you how happy I am. Yet Americans don’t believe me unless I’m grinning like a fucking idiot.

Czechs are practical people — my friends don’t like exerting more energy than they need, and thus, they don’t walk around with weirdo smiles plastered across their faces for no reason. If they are happy, and they want you to know, they’ll tell you. But most Czechs don’t feel the need to prove themselves in such an outward manner.

3. How to drink.

I’ve never seen a Czech puke once from a night out on the town — they have this amazing way of holding their liquor like I’ve never seen before. They can consume a lot of it, like sixteen beers’ worth, and never show signs of acting like an asshole. Czechs drink more beer per capita, and there is even a political movement going on to keep beer as the cheapest beverage you can order at any restaurant. They hold their liquor (and their liquor intake) with such a high regard that it makes me wonder what things would be like in the USA if our drinking age was lowered and there were no open-container laws.

4. How to structure politics.

The first president of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel, was a political activist who spearheaded Charter 77 and the Velvet Revolution, and was also a successful playwright. During major elections, citizens are allowed to vote for anyone within the multi-party system, including those who are part of the Czech Pirate Party, the Friends of Beer Party, and The Party of Common Sense. Offering these options allows for many issues to be represented, and keeps people from voting for “the lesser of two evils.” In the US, maybe our issues would be more easily solved if we had better representation than just Republican and Democrat ideologies.

5. How to overcome illness.

“You have a sore throat? Here, take a shot of Becherovka.” Alcohol was consistently prescribed for whatever sickness I might have had back in Prague. Kofola, a spicy soda, was also used to cure my hangovers.

In the USA, I’m barraged by costly prescription medicines, doctors who couldn’t care less about my actual state of health, and this attitude of, “Work it out, sissy! Go for a run! Go to work! Fight through your head cold!” Czechs, on the other hand, will tuck themselves up in bed and sleep through most illnesses, waking only to sip on some broth. The American version usually leaves me exhausted and sick for another two weeks, but I’m usually good to go in a day or two after self-medicating the Czech way.

6. How to cook.

Czechs don’t concern themselves with health trends. They’ve been cooking the same five things since the beginning of time – meat, bread dumplings, potatoes, cheese, and cabbage are pretty much a part of every meal. Most of my friends and neighbors were rail-thin, and the more portly folks don’t concern themselves with their body image at all.

I’m constantly monitoring my diet in the US though. Between veganism, gluten-free and other foodie revolutions, it’s no wonder my diet yo-yos so much. Czechs also enjoy walking and being out of doors, which helps burn off the otherwise heavy dishes like svíčková, smažák, and ovocné knedlíky.

7. How to spend our free time.

Most Czechs have a summer cottage that was granted to them under the Communist regime, a strange combination of the Sudetenland Crisis, the seizure of private property beyond one residence, and then an excess of unclaimed housing that resulted in everyone getting a house in the city and a house in the country. Many Czechs use these cottages as a retreat on the weekends, especially during the summer.

In the USA, second houses are a luxury granted to those who can afford a second mortgage. But even if people have them, they rarely spend beyond their allotted vacation time in them. I’d love a pied a terre that I could escape to and be inspired in, or even just a nice place to really break from routine and go off the grid for a while.

8. How to party.

Aside from the beer slugging, Czechs party like it’s 1999 — seriously, every club and bar I hung out at had a penchant for Chumbawumba,and Aqua’s “Barbie Girl.” Places like Cross Club and Karlovy Lázně have more foreign clientele, and that’s where more up-to-date music is played, but any decent Czech DJ knows that a throwback to the ‘80s and ‘90s is the only way to get down on the weekends. Maybe it’s nostalgia for the end of Communism, or maybe they aren’t as interested in Drake, Lil Wayne, and Chris Brown, but when an entire room is rocking out to Limp Bizkit’s “I did it all for the nookie” for non-ironic reasons, I have a better time than trying to “twerk” along with Miley Cyrus.

Why SE Asia's skies are so chaotic

Photo: Omair Haq

BANGKOK, Thailand — The motto for AirAsia, the carrier that recently lost a plane full of passengers off the coast of Indonesia, is “Now Everyone Can Fly.”

That slogan might help explain why Indonesian flights have been so prone to both small mishaps and outright disasters in the past decade.

Not everyone can fly in Indonesia, where roughly half of the 250 million people gets by on less than $2 per day. But the island nation — along with the rest of Southeast Asia — does have a booming middle class that can finally afford to fly instead of taking a creaky bus.

Their appetite for inexpensive flights is fed by a dizzying number of budget airlines, many of which are quite new. But AirAsia is the region’s undisputed budget flight king, a carrier known for hostesses in snug red skirts. Its network is huge and covers podunk towns, major capitals, and all points in between.

Its flights are also dirt cheap.

The jet that disappeared — flying from Surabaya, Indonesia’s second largest city, to cosmopolitan Singapore — travels on a route offering tickets for as little as $28. AirAsia flights lasting under an hour often sell for less than $100.

AirAsia’s founder, a charismatic Malaysian named Tony Fernandes, is unabashedly frugal. An aviation industry colleague previously told GlobalPost that “Tony is the guy who would come to conferences and collect all the free pens to save money.”

Since the 1970s, Singapore Airlines has tried to project an image of glamorous travel to Southeast Asia. But today, the typical flier here is a workaday commuter packed into an AirAsia flight eating $1 instant noodles.

AirAsia’s popularity has inspired quite a few budget airline imitators. Southeast Asia’s skies are now more crowded than ever. Case in point: when pilots on missing flight 8501 sought permission to ascend to 38,000 feet, the request was rejected because there were too many other jets flying nearby.

The tempo of flights over Southeast Asia is set to increase even more. There are more than 800 small, single-aisle airplanes operating in Southeast Asia today but, according to Boeing, that figure will explode to nearly 3,000 in the next two decades.

All those added flights require a rapid expansion of skilled air traffic controllers, ground crews, pilots and safety officials. Some worry the region’s aviation system could crack under the pressure.

In Indonesia — a sprawling archipelago known for low pay and corruption — the prognosis is a bit worrisome.

The last decade has seen at least four crashes involving hundreds of fatalities along with recurring non-fatal mishaps and various other scandals, including one airline called Lion Air that fired multiple pilots for getting high on meth. Indonesian aviation has seen a safety turnaround in recent years yet all but a few carriers are deemed unsafe to fly into Europe.

While AirAsia’s safety record was solid until Sunday, the flight 8501 disaster comes at a woeful time for Southeast Asian aviation, which is still reeling from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which mysteriously vanished, and flight 17, downed over Ukraine.

AirAsia’s Fernandes, who told GlobalPost in 2009 that he’s an “incorrigible optimist,” described the plane’s disappearance as his “worst nightmare.” But there is little indication that the crisis will dent the demand for more and more cheap flights, which keeps putting pressure on an already overtaxed aviation system.

By: Patrick Winn, GlobalPost



This article is syndicated from Global Post.

25 crazy New Year's traditions

Photo: Anthony Bouch

1. Belarus

On New Year’s in Belarus, single women place piles of corn on the ground in front of them, and then a rooster is set loose. The first woman whose pile of corn the rooster approaches will be the next to get married.

2. Brazil

In Brazil, partiers wear white on New Year’s to scare away bad spirits. Brazilians also jump over seven waves — one for each day of the week — while making seven New Year’s wishes. Those who aren’t near the beach jump three times on their right foot. Brazilians also offer a tribute of flowers to Iemanja, the goddess of water.

3. Bolivia

In Bolivia, people will cook a coin into a cake. The person who finds the coin while eating the cake gets good luck in the next year.

4. Chile

Chileans looking to make a lot of money over the next year will eat a spoonful of lentils on New Year’s Eve. In the Chilean city of Talca, locals will spend the night in the cemetery with their dead relatives.

5. Colombia

Want to spend the next year traveling? Do as the Colombians do: walk around the block once with your empty suitcase.

6. Denmark

Danes throw dishes at the front doors of their close friends. It’s considered lucky to have a lot of broken dishes at the foot of your door at the end of the night, as it’s a sign of a lot of friends.

7. Ecuador

In many South American countries (also Bolivia, Venezuela, and Brazil) you’re supposed to wear colorful underwear on New Year’s Eve. Wear yellow undies if you want to make lots of money next year, and red undies if you want to fall in love.

8. El Salvador

An hour before midnight, Salvadorans crack open an egg into a glass of water. They let it sit as the year changes, and then the next morning, they’ll try and interpret the shape of the egg, and what it might foretell in the New Year.

9. Estonia

Traditionally, Estonians try to eat seven times on New Year’s Day, to ensure strength and plenty of food in the New Year.

10. Finland

Similar to El Salvador’s egg tradition, Finns throw molten tin into a glass of water, and then try to interpret the shape of the tin as an omen for what will happen in the New Year.

11. Germany

Germans watch the British comedy sketch Dinner For One every New Year’s. The sketch is so popular that its catchphrase, “Same procedure as every year,” has now entered the German lexicon.

12. Ireland

Single women in Ireland sleep with a mistletoe under their pillow on New Year’s in the hopes of finding a husband in the next year.

13. Italy

In Rome, divers jump from the Cavour Bridge into the Tiber River. The tradition started back in 1946.

14. Japan

In Japan, people dress up as the zodiac animal of the upcoming year (2015 is the Year of the Sheep), and attend a temple where the bell is rung 108 times — a lucky number.

15. Panama

Panamanians like to burn effigies on New Year’s of anyone famous. The idea is that the effigies — called muñecos — are representative of the old year, and you are burning them to move on.

16. Peru

Residents of Chumbivilcas Province in Peru celebrate the festival of Takanakuy. The festival — which happens on December 25 — involves dancing and, most notably, fighting. People will get into fistfights to settle old beefs so that the slate is clean when the New Year rolls in.

17. Philippines

In the Philippines, it’s considered lucky to eat round foods on New Year’s. This is because round shapes are supposed to represent coins — so eating a lot of round foods means you’ll make a lot of money in the New Year. Children in the Philippines will also jump up and down as the New Year rings in, in the hopes that it will make them taller in the coming year.

18. Romania

Romanians participate in a 2,000-year-old tradition where a young man dresses up in a bear costume and dances around to scare off bad spirits.

19. Scotland

Possibly the best (and least safe) celebration is Hogmanay, in which residents swing fireballs around their heads. The fire is said to bring sun and purification in the New Year. Scots also partake in “First-Footing,” where the first person to step over the threshold of a home brings good luck. Tall, dark men are the most lucky; red-haired and blonde men and women are less lucky. First-footers are also supposed to bring whisky and bread into the home.

20. Serbia

In Belgrade, it’s tradition for an Eastern Orthodox priest to throw a crucifix into the icy waters of the Danube. The first person to dive in and retrieve it will be blessed with a healthy year.

21. Siberia

In Siberia, divers cut a hole into the ice on Lake Baikal and dive to the bottom of the lake with a tree trunk to “plant a tree” at the bottom of the lake.

22. Spain

At midnight, Spaniards try to eat a single grape for each toll of the bell at midnight.

23. Thailand

In Thailand, for April’s Southeast Asian New Year, people throw buckets of water on each other, and smear each other with talc.

24. United States

The most universal tradition in the United States is have someone to kiss when the New Year rolls in at midnight. The tradition is very nice if you’re in a relationship, but can be super depressing if you’re not.

25. Vietnam

In Vietnam, “Little New Year” is celebrated on January 23 in honor of the Kitchen God. Because the Kitchen God is said to ride to heaven on a carp to report on each family on the day of the festival, families keep a bowl of carps set aside as they eat a meal and decorate the Kitchen God’s altar.

Say

Photo: Ginny

According to Ethnologue, the world currently has 6,909 living languages. Here’s how to wish someone a happy new year in 40 of them.
A-E


Language
Spelling
Pronunciation


Afrikaans
Gelukkige Nuwejaar

gha-likkikga-neeva-yaarr (“gh” is a throat scraping guttural sound)



Albanian
Gëzuar Vitin e Ri
gu-zoo-ar vi-tin e ri


Arabic
سنة سعيدة
sana sa’eedah


Azerbaijani
Yeni iliniz mübarək
ye-ni i-li-niz myu-ba-rack


Bahasa melayu
Selamat tahun baru
selamat tahun baru


Basque
Urte berri on

err-te berr-rri on



Bosnian
sretna nova godina
sr-et-na no-va go-din-a


Bulgarian
Щастлива Нова година
sh-tast-liva No-va go-din-a


Catalan
Feliç any nou
fe-LEES A-nee n-Ou


Cebuano (Philippines)
Mabungahong Bag-ong Tuig kaninyong tanan

ma-boon-ga-hong bag-ong too-eeg kan-een-yong tan-an



Czech
šťastný nový rok

SHTU-stnee NO-vee rrr-ok


Dutch
Fijne oudejaarsavond (Fine New Year’s Eve) / Gelukkig Nieuwjaar (Happy New Year)

fei-nee ow-de-yaarr-sa-vont / ghu-lukkikgh-neew-yaarr



Estonian
Head uut aastat
hed oot ah-staht

Photo: Tom Bricker

F-L


Language
Spelling
Pronunciation


Farsi
سال نو مبارک

sale nou mobarak



Filipino
Manigong Bagong Taon
mah-nee-gong bag-gong ta-on


French
Bonne Année
bon a-nay


Gaelic (Scotland)
Bliadhna mhath ur
bleenah vahth oohr


German
Frohes Neues Jahr / Gutes Neues Jahr
frohes neuyis yar / gutes neu-yis yar



Greek
Καλή χρονιά

kali chronya



Gujarati
સાલ મુબારક
saal mubarak (happy year)



Hebrew
שָׁנָה טוֹבָה
shana tova



Hindi
नये साल की हार्दिक शुभकामनायें
nayye saal ki haardik shubh-kaam-nayen



Hungarian
Boldog Új Évet / Buék
bawl-dawg-uuy-aevet / boo-ayk


Irish
Athbhliain faoi mhaise dhuit / Bhliain nua sásta
awh-tvleen fwee mm-hay-sheh gutch


Italian
Buon anno / Felice anno nuovo
boo-on ah-nno / fae-lee-chae ah-nno noo-o-vo


Japanese
あけましておめでとうございます

akemashite omedeto gozaimasu



Korean
새해 복 많이 받으세요

seh heh bok mahn ee bahd euh sae yo

Photo: Jeff Krause

M-Z


Language
Spelling
Pronunciation


Maltese
Is Sena it -Tajba

iz sena it taybah



Mandarin Chinese
新年快乐
xīn nián kuài lè


Maori
Kia hari te tau hou
kia hari tay tau ho


Polish
Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku
shch-eng-shlee-vego novego roku


Portuguese
Feliz Ano Novo
feh-liz an-oh noh-voh


Quechua
Allin wata kachun qanpaq (singular) / Allin wata kachun qanqunapaq (plural)
all-yin wa-ta ka-chun kan-pak / all-yin wa-ta ka-chun kan-koon-a-pak


Romanian
La Mulți Ani
laa mooltsi ani


Russian
С Новым Годом

s novim godom



Spanish
Feliz Año Nuevo
feh-liz an-yoh n-way-vo


Thai
สวัสดีปีใหม่
saa-wat-dii pi-mai


Turkish
Mutlu yıllar (happy year) / Yeni yılınız kutlu olsun (May your new year be celebrated)
moot-loo yill-lar / yen-ee yill-uh-niz coot-loo ohl-son


Urdu
نايا سال مبارک

nayya saal mubarak



Welsh
blwyddyn newydd dda

BLOOdhin NEHwidh dha

Do you know how to say Happy New Year in any other languages? Share in the comments section below to get us closer to representing the world’s 6,000+ languages!