Matador Network's Blog, page 2170

Race and diversity in Spain

Photo: rafael-castillo

THE MOMENT my friend’s sentence left his mouth, he instantly regretted it. There was a brief pause in the conversation as he looked at me with his eyes wide open and cheeks that suddenly had a rosy hue.

I knew what was coming next. I had been around that block many times before. It was that awkward moment when someone who may or may not have forgotten about my presence makes a comment about black people.

The comments are usually harmless, but when my existence is suddenly remembered, people have a tendency to assume I’m offended. That’s when the profuse apologies and explanations begin.

Change the country and change the language of conversation, but the format of these uncomfortable situations stays the same. My clearly embarrassed Spanish friend apologized, told me he didn’t mean what he said in a negative way and that he of course had no problems with black people. After all, we were friends, he added as if that should be proof enough of his allegedly prejudice-free world. Obviously the conversation wasn’t awkward enough for him.

I assured him I wasn’t offended and that I knew he didn’t have any bad intentions. When the situation was finally diffused to the relief of everyone there, we got into a candid conversation about race and diversity in Spain.

“Trabajo de negros” was the phrase that sparked the fire of this talk. Roughly translated to “black people’s work,” it is a saying used to describe a physically demanding job that doesn’t pay well. Essentially, it alludes to the idea of slavery, which is why my friend thought I wouldn’t take it so well. Honestly, if he hadn’t stopped to plead for my forgiveness, the phrase would have completely gone over my head, but with the spotlight on his interesting choice of words, I was more intrigued than insulted. From a sociolinguistic standpoint, that the saying even exists in the 21st century and is still used, although rarely, speaks volumes about how Spaniards view and deal with racial differences.

That incident was neither the first nor last of its kind that I have experienced since moving to Spain. Now I find myself reflecting on how the color of my skin has influenced and shaped my experience living abroad.

Differences As An Identity

Within a few days of living in Spain, you will quickly learn that those little corner stores that sell snacks and drinks are usually owned by people who have emigrated from Asia or are of Asian descent. Those are referred to as “chino” stores. “Chino” as in the Spanish word for Chinese. The stores that sell the most random assortment of goods from shoes to school supplies to paintings are usually owned by Moroccans. Those are called “tiendas de los moros,” which is Spanish for “the Arabs’ stores.”

Basically, Spaniards do not pride themselves on being politically correct. There is simply no other way to put that, but I must say I somewhat admire the frankness of it all. In the US, we sometimes tiptoe around the idea of race because it can be a difficult, uncomfortable and sensitive topic to casually bring up in everyday conversation. That’s not the case in Spain. Spaniards are well aware of racial differences and are unafraid to point them out or use them as a means of identifying people. I learned that lesson within my first few days of being here, when the men catcalling me on the street made me well aware of what my new label was: “Morena.”

“Morena” is a term I have heard many people here use to describe me. It’s a word that can be used to describe anyone with dark hair and eyes. In my particular case, however, it becomes my main identifier because of my skin, which my English-speaking Spanish friend described as “golden brown” or “Rihanna-ish.” Yes, Rihanna as in the singer.

Although, I have lived in New York, California, and Florida, which are some of the most diverse places in the US, in my towns and schools, I was always in the minority. I got used to being the only black girl in my classes, on my sports teams, and at the frat parties I went to in my university days. My differences went fairly unnoticed to me. Other than the occasions when people pointed out to me that I was the only black girl in my high school’s honors classes or when people at parties would expect me to perform all the latest dance crazes and would drunkenly scream “Jessica, teach me how to dougie!” I did not feel different.

In Spain, however, because it is impossible for me to blend in for so many reasons even apart from my appearance, what makes me unique here also makes me feel different and at times even alienated. My differences have become my identity, my trademark, and my calling card. Sometimes it works in my favor, like when people take a genuine interest in who I am and where I’m from, or when the cute Spanish boys want to know who is that morena at the bar. In some cases it can be negative like when I am walking down the street and people shamelessly stare at me as if I am a member of a newly discovered species. Thankfully, those occasions are rare.

Usually, I love to relish in my differences and enjoy the attention or teachable moments it brings. Now, it is somewhat strange, however, to have the color of my skin so closely linked to my identity. It is not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s very different for me. Before being a black girl, I have always thought of myself as just a girl.

“Why are you black?”

The most interesting encounters I’ve experienced have all occurred at the elementary school where I work. As the saying goes — kids say the darndest things.

I know as a teacher that I shouldn’t play favorites, but I’ll be honest and admit that one brown-haired, blue-eyed little girl has stolen my heart. My favorite student, let’s call her “Mary,” is one sassy five-year-old who always speaks her mind. One day, as I sat with Mary, she began to play with my hair and tell me how strange its texture was. Apparently my hair was softer than she had expected. I laughed it off. At that point I was already used to Spaniards’ obsession…I mean interest in my very different hair. I can’t begin to count the number of times the people here have implored me to stop straightening my hair because they think I would look so great with an afro. Imagine their immense disappointment when I had to break the news to them that straightened or not, my hair simply does not grow that way.

Mary, however, had a different concern on her mind that day. With my hair still in her hands, she looked up at me with a slightly serious face and asked, “Why are you black?” The question caught me off guard, but luckily I was able to come up with a quick-witted response. “Why are your eyes blue?” I asked. With all of the fabulous attitude I have come to expect from Mary, she answered my question with her hands on her hips and even a little neck rolling. “Just because!” she said as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. I used her perfect response to explain that I was black “just because” too. I told her I was born this way just like she was born with blue eyes. Everyone in the world is just different.

Mary seemed satisfied with my answer and went back to playing with my hair. I will never know if what I said stuck in her mind, but it was definitely the perfect Full House moral-of-the-story kind of moment. I hope the spirit of my words remain and is reinforced by others as she grows up.

Although my conversation with Mary was lighthearted and funny, we all know that kids can be just as cruel as they are cute. I’ve seen this firsthand on countless occasions, but one case in particular stood out to me.

One day, a little girl from the first grade came crying to me during recess. When I got her to calm down a bit so I could at least begin to understand her Spanish, she told me she was crying because some boys were calling her “la china” which translates to “the Chinese girl.”

That first grader was indeed a Chinese girl, but her family had moved to Spain when she was so young that culturally speaking she was more Spanish than Chinese. I knew why she was upset because I could imagine the taunting tone the boys used when they called her “la china.” I knew because just a few days earlier a kindergartner used the same kind of tone when he told me that I was “painted brown” and started chanting “Africana. Africana.” The words literally came from a snot-nosed little kid and still it bothered me a tiny bit so I can only sympathize with how this seven-year-old felt when the hurtful words came from her peers.

I wish I could say that these race and nationality-fueled comments only came from the kids, but they don’t. I once overheard two teachers laughing about a student’s French mother who came to the school asking if there were any resources for people interested in learning Chinese. They made fun of her accent and said she needed to finish learning Spanish first. I know these teachers, and they are great people. I was shocked to hear them saying those things. I was especially taken aback when one of them turned to a student in the library and said, “Tell your mom to brush up on her Spanish, then she can worry about learning Chinese.” All along the French woman’s daughter was sitting right next to them as they ridiculed her mother.

That situation, however, was nothing compared to what I overheard when the mother of a half Moroccan, half Spanish student came to the school to speak with some teachers about the problems her child had recently had fighting with other students in her class. After the Moroccan mother left, one teacher complained to the others about how the mother was wasting her time. My jaw literally dropped when I heard her say, “I didn’t say this, but I wanted to tell her, ‘Why are you complaining about the kids fighting when you come from a place where they pull out your teeth and pour acid on your face if you do something wrong?’“

I had to look away to hide my disgust. One of the younger teachers saw my reaction and assured me that it was mostly the older generations that had these prejudices against different races and immigrants in Spain. They simply were still getting used to Spain becoming a more diverse country, he explained. I understood exactly what he meant, but the encounter still left me with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Spain: A Country in Transition

Up until a few decades ago, there were virtually no black people or any immigrants at all in Spain. Mass immigration to Spain is a phenomenon that only began in the 1990s. Before that time, Spain was considered to be a very poor country by European standards, and so many Spaniards migrated to other countries throughout the continent. In the early 1970s, as other European countries also began to fall on economically tough times, many Spaniards began returning to their home country. From that point until the 1990s, migration in and out of Spain was about equal. Then, the scales tipped dramatically towards more immigrants flowing into Spain than those leaving. According to Spain’s National Institute of Statistics, in 1991 there were approximately 360,655 foreigners living in Spain, which only accounts for 0.91% of the population of Spain at the time. That number has now increased to 5,711,040 in 2012, which makes up 12.1% of the country’s population.

Spain is a country in transition, not only demographically speaking but also politically, economically, and socially. Like anything in transition, the growing pains are inevitable. The incidents I have mentioned here do not change the fact that I absolutely adore Spain, and living here has been an amazing experience. It is a beautiful country with beautiful people and a rich culture. I think my background simply gives me a noteworthy perspective on what is an interesting time period in the history of this country.

The United States has been a country of immigrants since day one, and you can still see examples of xenophobia and racism rear its ugly head in that melting pot of a country.

Spain is new to this so it is understandable that there will be some friction with these changes. In the meantime, I will reserve my judgments and use every opportunity that arises to break the stereotypes and barriers that exist. I will have to endure the occasional stares and awkward moments with patience, but I don’t mind at all.

This post was originally published on She Dreams of Travel, and has been reprinted with permission.

Lima is more than a layover

Photo: Chimi fotos

IT WAS ON THE FLOOR of a Barnes & Noble in American suburbia when I first opened a guidebook to Peru. I was being sent to Lima for an internship program so, with bubbling excitement, I set to work dissecting every travel guide I could find.

You can imagine my discomfort when, upon flipping to page 64, I was greeted by an opening line that read something like, “Lima is the ugliest, darkest, most depressing city on Earth.”

The next book was no better. “You will have to swim through 6-foot piles of soot and dirt to make your way around Lima, all the while avoiding rabid dogs and over-stuffed pigeons.”

I left without a guide, telling myself that six months in a city where the sun doesn’t shine and I could be attacked by a band of savage street children would only make me stronger (if it didn’t kill me).

Two years later, I am still in Lima.

I’m convinced the people who wrote those reviews were tourists who stopped in Lima only as a layover to Cusco and hid in their hotel rooms watching BBC World News.

With Machu Picchu having won the title of one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, there has been an influx of visitors to Peru. Many, though, aren’t inclined to stop in Lima. But stay a while and you will discover how undeserving of those obituary reviews this city really is. This isn’t Paris, but Lima is a developing metropolis with culture and style.

Here are 8 reasons to spend more than a layover in Lima:

1. Parque de la Reserva

Photo: Kenneth Moore

Located right next to the Estadio Nacional downtown, Parque de la Reserva puts on a water and lights show called Circuito Magico de Agua (entrance fee: less than $2). The park itself consists of a series of fountains, lit up and synchronized with classical and Peruvian music.

Even if fountains aren’t your thing, watching the hyperactive children dodging their way through the squirts of water is well worth it.

2. Barranco

Photo: Martin Garcia

Barranco is one of the trendiest places in Lima, especially at night, because of its edgy, artsy vibe.

One of the best locales in Lima for live music is La Noche. Along with many of the most popular clubs and bars, it’s located on the end of Bolognesi Street.

3. Larcomar

Photo: Martin Garcia

Though Larcomar is one of the tourist hot-spots in Lima, I still recommend it. The complex is a mini mall — complete with Pizza Hut, Starbucks, and even a KFC — built into the cliffs above the beach in Miraflores.

The best place for breakfast (or a 6pm sunset drink) in Lima is one of the cafes that hangs over the cliffs, which has nearly unobstructed views of miles of shoreline.

4. Lima’s Center

Photo: David Almeida

The main Plaza de Armas in the center of town is home to several colonial government buildings. From there, take a stroll down Jiron de la Union, once the center of commercialism and capitalist success stories, and now a slightly decaying reminder of downtown Lima’s former grandeur.

While you’re in the center, I also recommend visiting the catacombs in the San Francisco church/convent and taking a trip up to San Cristobal, a hill with a huge cross and a view of Lima’s sprawling expanse.

5. Polvos Azules

If you’re thinking about buying souvenirs (pirated DVDs, cheap clothes, or stereo systems) do it at Polvos Azules. It’s right near the center of town (a few blocks from Plaza de San Marcos) and is an enormous warehouse filled with privately owned stands.

Peru is famous — in large part because of economist Hernando de Soto — for its “extralegal” economy, a result of the restrictions to entering the legal market. What you will see at Polvos is mostly illegal, but tolerated and accepted as the normal means of doing business.

6. Las Brisas del Titicaca

Photo: Kristian Golding

One of the most professional places to see live Peruvian dancing is Las Brisas del Titicaca (located at the first block of Brasil Avenue).

Their show features music and dancing spanning decades and cultures. As an added bonus, the audience is invited onstage to show off their dance skills between numbers.

7. The Museo de la Nacion

This museum has an extensive exhibit of photographs from the 20 years of violence Peru suffered from 1980-2000 at the hands of the terrorist group Sendero Luminoso and the National Army.

Other displays of interest, such as the history of the potato (now claimed in international politics to be the key to solving world hunger problems!), are also on show.

8. Peaceful parks

Photo: Chimi fotos

Lima has some great hidden parks. If you’re craving a picnic lunch in a peaceful environment, my personal favorite is in San Isidro (another great district rarely trod by tourist boots) called Parque el Olivar for the olive trees. Warning: don’t pick any olives — there’s a fine!

This article was originally published on April 6th, 2009.

Behind the shot: Loggerhead turtle

Photo: Petros Mitropolous

THIS BEAUTIFUL loggerhead turtle was making her journey hundreds of miles to the place she was born when she was attacked by dogs. A passerby found her and contacted ARCHELON, the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece.

Treated and rehabilitated, she was released back to Mediterranean Sea at the Costa Navarino Resort in Pylos, Greece. I was able to be there and I wanted not just to capture the journey back to the water, but the human interaction — the throngs of people there to cheer the turtle on.

As fate would have it, they scheduled the release at the same time as golden hour, when the light would be perfect, warm, and soft. To get this shot, I moved beyond the last photographer in the line and actually stepped into the water. I got low and wide and was able to capture the turtle, the water lines, the faces, and the shadows all in one frame. I am really pleased with this image and the mood it conveys, and to top it all off, this image made it to the Daily Dozen on National Geographic’s website.

6 gifts for adventure travelers

Click to see this collection on Polyvore

FORGET THE DEODORANT AND CANDY CANES — grownup holiday revelers require an extra bit of hardcore in their stockings this year. Treat the adventure traveler in your life to something special with these personalized gift picks:

1. A lightweight, down-filled Jacket. I like having a featherlight-but-warm outer layer for traveling between hot and cold climates. Eddie Bauer’s MicroTherm® StormDown™ Jacket serves this purpose perfectly. Lightweight but tough against the elements, this jacket is great for adventure travelers looking to spend a lot of time in wintery or rainy conditions. It’s compact enough for travelers to roll it up and stick it in their bags (or stockings) without creating extra bulk.

2. Versatile footwear. There usually isn’t enough room to pack extra shoes while trekking, but Chaco footwear has engineered a perfect alternative. The ReversiFlip allows me to change up the style of my sandals with interchangeable straps. I can choose a wild and colorful pattern for a night out, or black suede for more subdued events.

3. Portable alcohol. Part of any awesome camping trip is sitting around a fire with a couple of drinks, but when space is tight, cans of beer are the last thing I want to drag around. Thank the travel gods for Pat’s Backcountry Beverages, which ingeniously transforms normal drinking water into a tasty brew. Watching my filtered water source transform into an IPA via Pat’s in-bottle carbonation system is pretty magical (drunk or sober).

4. Sunglasses that stand out. Revo has designed several types of fashionable sunglasses, like the Otis, that stand up to tough conditions on the road. Travelers benefit from intuitive technology like anti-slip nose pads, and polarized lenses, in a stylish, lightweight design. These shades can be worn all year long, blocking 100% of UVA, UVB and UVC rays, and providing wearers with a crystal-clear vision of the world around them.

5. Heat-retaining headwear. This winter hat by Stio offers combines snowboard-style with practical defense against the cold. Ears stay warm with a hidden layer of fleece lining, and heads experience the comfort of a soft Merino wool blend.

6. A cooler that doesn’t suck to carry. Hardcore travelers will replace their stockings entirely in favor of Yeti’s latest portable cooler. Trekking deep into the wilderness is great if I want to go “off the grid,” and the Hopper 30 helps me avoid foraging for sustenance by providing me with a durable, leakproof cooler. It’s a soft-sided, easy to carry container that keeps ice cold for days, so the food I bring with me is fresh wherever I choose to eat it.

A tribute to cold water surfing

JUST BECAUSE IT’S THE DEAD OF WINTER doesn’t mean that you have to stop surfing. Surfing has spread far and wide enough these days to span all climates and temperatures. Cold water surfers are even more gung-ho: the 20-minute struggle to peel off soaking neoprene with spaghetti arms feels way more hardcore than a 3-hour session in tropical climes.

So keep your coral reef breaks, and hold the zinc oxide. Here we present some of the many lesser-appreciated cold water spots around the world that demonstrate that one’s love for surfing can transcend the thermometer.

This article was first posted on September 1, 2010. 




1

New Jersey

First, a shout-out to my home turf: the New Jersey shore, more specifically Long Beach Island. There are many more pluses to this part of the mid-Atlantic than MTV allows, but that's cool. We'd rather keep our beaches free of bar fights and tramp stamps and measure a man's strength by the art of his cutback versus the cut of his abs. Check out the new hi-def film Darkfall for more on Jersey surf.

Image by Todd Binger

2

Chile

Considering the length of its coastline, the brutal water temperatures of the Pacific, and the relatively sparse population, uncrowded line-ups are ripe for the picking in Chile, but only for those not faint of heart. Pictured is the central beach town of Pichilemu, where the year-round temperature hovers around 13�C/55�F.

Image by Christian Cordova

3

South Africa

The Atlantic frigidity running from windswept Cape Town to points west will forever provide the mother of all cold water breaks (unlike those embraced by Durban's Indian Ocean to the east). While the world-class drops at Dungeons bring in international talent, young Saffers need to start somewhere less intimidating. They break them in early to deal with temperatures that range from 10�C/50�F to 15�C/60�F.

Image by Xavi Talleda

4

Northern California

South Africa has Dungeons, and the United States has Mavericks. On top of the hair-raising paddle out or the poop-inducing fear when you realize you're in over your head (true stories overheard), try wearing a 5mm suit while avoiding Great Whites and the jagged boulders at the end of the ride. Mavericks helped make surfing a spectator sport for this reason.

Image by jurvetson

5

Central and Southern California

Not to be outdone by their Northern neighbors in terms of temperature, Southern Californians also weather the Pacific's wintery wrath. For some reason, non-West Coasters often equate California surf culture with Gidget and bikinis. Obviously they've never been to Cardiff in October. Pictured is Morro Rock, about 90 miles north of Santa Barbara.

Image by Mike Baird

6

Iceland

Word has unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on who you talk to) gotten out about the new darling of the cold water surf world. Supernatural landscapes combined with unsurprisingly sparse line-ups plus a weakened currency make it a fairly appetizing spot for those who don't mind bobbing around in the Celtic Sea.

Image by dalli58

7

Lake Ontario, New York

Surfing's Biggest Fan Award goes to this lone dude paddling out into a snow-laced Lake Ontario to ride some windswell. Considering the fact that the lake's temperature doesn't budge much from 4�C/39�F, this guy is the real deal.

Image by rengel134

8

Ireland

Nudged along by The Malloy Brothers in the well-known surf flick Step into Liquid, Ireland's reputation for perfectly formed Atlantic waves is sealed. Between the popular breaks at Lanhinch, pictured, and the big waves of Mullaghmore, Irish surfing makes for a great road trip.

Image by rengel134

9

Portugal

Portugal has a deceptively cold coastline considering its association with the Mediterranean. The waves from Ericeira to the Algarve are saturated with color and, as with all the beach breaks, really fast. They are also competition-worthy, and only the truly brave go in with less than a 4mm suit on, even in the summer. (And while this is a bodyboarder, note that temperature, unlike surfers, does not discriminate.)

Image by Pedro Simoes

10

England

The craggy coast of England's North Sea lends itself well to a variety of breaks, although the water temperature can go as low as 6°C/43°F. For surfers not looking to travel west to Ireland, there are plenty of alternatives in North Yorkshire.

Image by Allan Harris

11

Vancouver Island

The open coast of Vancouver Island, BC, Canada is enticing for various reasons. Add the mixture of rock reefs and the storm swells originating from the Gulf of Alaska, and surfers get pure, cold Pacific beauty. It's probably the closest, aesthetics-wise, that cold-water surfing gets to Hawaii.

Image by Pat Ong

12

Germany

When the only other alternative to their landlocked city is the generally flat beach of Sylt, Munich surfers will wait their turn for a ride on the manmade river wave at Eisbach, or �Ice Creek." The name says it all--water temperatures range from 1�C/34�F to 8�C/46�F--so wetsuits are required year-round, but at least post-session meals of currywurst and schnitzel are heartier than typical beach eats.

Image by Rand Will

13

Lofoten Islands, Norway

Though they're technically in the Arctic Circle, where it's frigid cold and the days are short, surfers in the Lofoten Islands have got it figured out: ready-to-go hot tubs sit on shore for whenever you want to pop out to thaw. Image by Bigot Manual

14

Thurso, Scotland

Thurso, the northernmost town on the Island of Britain, somehow has an insanely good surf culture. They've hosted several cold water international surfing competitions, and it's a nice spot for sea kayakers, too. Image by Fluffykins Blackavar

15

Alaska

Surfing is beginning to catch on in Alaska, particularly in the Yakutat Peninsula. The swells are pretty huge, and the surrounding scenery is unparalleled. Image by landrovermena

6 things the Finns love to hate

Photo: Kevin Bongart

1. Winter

From March until November, Finns are like characters from Game of Thrones. All they can say is, “Winter is coming” over and over again. And when winter comes, it is cold, dark, and unbearably long. Its darkness makes us tired and the cold ensures we stay indoors. As a result, during the winter months, our level of social interaction matches the temperature outside: -10. There is nothing else to do other than freeze at a bus stop, sweat inside a bus because of heavy winter clothes, work, freeze at a bus stop, sweat inside a bus, stay home, and go to sleep. And this goes on for 6 months out of 12.

2. The Swedes

The Swedes are top of the list of things we can’t stand. We hate everything about them. Their tender politics, their hair styles, their fancy clothes, good manners, and social abilities. We hate their ice hockey teams, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and Ikea (although we buy everything from there — it’s so cool, cheap, and handy!) We hate their accent and the fact that the richest Finns have Swedish as their mother tongue.

3. Laziness

When I go to family gatherings, my relatives always ask what I do for a living. They shamelessly ask the same questions each year, because they never pay attention to my response — they just want to make sure that I am doing something which is not lacking ambition or / and paid by the government (studying is okay, but only for a short period of time).

Finns can’t stand laziness — if one person does nothing, we all feel affected by it since we all pay high taxes to ensure the unemployed are supported by the state. Despite the fact that only a smaller than negligible amount of taxes is given to people who are voluntarily unemployed, we are persistently worried about them screwing us over.

Usually, the conversations I have with my extended family go like this:

Aunt: “So what do you do exactly at the moment? (Slightly worried tone.) You studied languages, right?”

Me: “Ehm, sociology. I’m still studying, and working part-time. I’m about to graduate. It’s just that I have been working quite a lot lately.” (What I am trying to say here is that the late graduation has nothing to do with the student parties.)

Aunt: “Very good! Will you continue to work there after your graduation? So, what did you study? Psychology?”

Me: “Yeah, maybe. I’m studying sociology.”

Aunt: “What was that?”

After this conversation I can guarantee that she’ll be happy to report to everyone that I am doing fine, working (not lazing around) and studying biology.

4. Rich people

In Finland, it’s difficult to find a shockingly expensive car or house the size of a castle, and there’s a reason for that: Finns don’t like rich people. To be more precise, we don’t like people who show off their riches. I can’t explain this phenomenon in any other way than jealousy. Finns don’t like that their neighbours earn more than they do or drive a cooler car than them, and we aren’t ashamed to admit it. A famous research about the life of Finnish Lotto millionaires was done in the 1990s and, when the journalist responsible for the piece finally met the winners, he found out that many of them had hardly told anyone about their winnings and lived in exactly in the same way as before they hit the jackpot.

5. Non-drinkers

What is wrong with them? The best social events in Finland include drinking. Everyone’s relaxed and is enjoying getting tipsy, and there stands one of those freaks drinking lemonade. There should be an alcohol guard on every door keeping sodas and other suspicious substances out…especially at this time of the year when all the companies offer free booze for their employees to celebrate Christmas. Oh well, more for me!

6. Our prime minister

The prime minister is one of the most hated people in Finland (just behind the entire population of Sweden). In the past eleven years there has not been one prime minister who made it until the end of their mandate. Those who are not ousted by the media / an angry public, resign claiming that they “need to face new challenges.”

After the majority of powers switched from the president to the prime minister, the Finns have never really forgiven the latter for not being former. One of the great differences between the two is that the president is elected directly by the people, but the chairman of the leading party becomes the prime minister. The unpleasant surprise is learnt after every election in which we voted for a nice neighbour (not the rich one), but ended up electing the party’s chairman. We’re always happy to blame the prime minister for everything that’s wrong in the country: unemployment, the distress of poor families, the helplessness of some elderly people, and the rising number of non-drinkers.

What it's like to be gay in Korea

Photo: ryanhsuh31

DURING MY FIRST MONTH in South Korea, my boss asked me if my coworker was going on a date with a guy or a girl. I immediately froze. I was panic stricken. He was trying to make a joke, but it took everything I could not to burst into tears.

I busted out of the closet when I was in 6th grade. I have never hidden my identity from anyone, until now. I’ve been in Korea for nearly a year and have learned there are no laws protecting LGBT people, and very few laws protecting foreign expats. After my boss’s comment, my thoughts raced. I mentally calculated how much money I had in savings. How much would it cost for me to get a flight home in the dead of night? From then on I made sure I had that amount, in case I ever needed to make a run for it. The constant fear of being exposed in Korea makes me think about all the times in college when I said variations of “why don’t you just come out?” to people who weren’t ready. I know how they feel now.

In one generation, Korea went from dirt roads to Samsung and the world’s fastest Internet. Due to their history of imperialization, Korea has a tendency to be wary of foreigners. Their homogenous population and rapid modernization has created a culture that often lags behind in social issues like LGBT rights. An attitudes study conducted by Pew Research Center in 2007 found only 18 percent of South Koreans felt that gayness should be tolerated. In 2014, that figure nearly doubled to 39 percent. South Korea had the biggest jump of the 39 countries surveyed. Despite the growing acceptance, South Korea is still one of the least accepting modernized countries in the world and there are still no laws in place to protect LGBT people. I spent my first weeks in Korea anxious and nervous about these facts, waking from nightmares of being outted and losing my job.

Gayness is not illegal in South Korea, but that’s because being gay is so underground — there are no policies even mentioning LGBT people.

I teach elementary school during the day and adults in the evenings. My adult classes are all centered on current events and culture, which offers a lens into the thoughts of my students. My minority status as a foreigner allows me to ask questions and have conversations that wouldn’t normally be had outside of a foreign teacher’s classroom. In a recent class, one Korean woman in her forties casually said, “I saw gay show in Bangkok.” I was startled for a minute because in my narcissistic fear, I immediately thought she was going to segue into asking me if I was gay.

I took a sip of tea and collected my nerves before responding. “Oh, that’s nice, was it fun?”

“No, no — Korean hate the gay” she said. After she described the show and the performers in a less than accepting way, I got brave.

“Oh really? Koreans don’t like gay people? What happens to gay Koreans?” I asked.

She looked to her classmates for support and continued on, “They very sad and the gay — he kill himself for shame.”

I was stunned, bordering on angry, but I knew I’d lose the teachable moment if I let my anger get the best of me. “Wait, there are no gay Koreans?” I asked.

The woman responded to a chorus of nodding heads. “No, gays all kill himself.”

Later in the lesson, another student made a disparaging comment and I used it as an opportunity to bring up bias and discrimination. I asked for evidence of the lack of gay people in Korea, but no one seemed to have any clear understanding where that information came from, only that it was “true.” Korea has a particularly difficult time with progress in LGBT rights because of the government censorship of LGBT affirming websites and materials. While there are ways around the government blocks, it’s not exactly easy to access websites that have resources for LGBT people, and it’s even more difficult to access websites in Korean.

For me, the Korean Queer Festival clearly illustrated how far Korea still has to go. There was a unique juxtaposition of outright — well — pride, but, everywhere you looked, there were police officers and protesters. Dozens of evangelical Christians laid in the street blocking the floats and hundreds of chairs were set up in the middle of the festival grounds where a church was holding anti-LGBT sermons. At the same time, rainbow-covered trucks blared a mixture of Lady Gaga and KPop tunes. After several articles about the festival circulated through the internet and the Western world, I began to notice many LGBT expats who felt that any negative comments about Korea’s lack of LGBT equality were personal attacks on the community they had worked so hard to build. Their theme was that the festival was a major success for Korea.

In my time in Korea, I’ve had to walk a delicate line between social education and self-implication. I had to appear supportive of LGBT people without actually being one myself. Each time this has happened, it’s been a very bizarre experience. I’ve enjoyed my work, but I also feel like I can’t be my most authentic self for fear of slipping up and mentioning a detail of my life that I shouldn’t. It’s weird, to have to think and censor my thoughts on average details of my life. I can’t talk about my past work in LGBT activism. I can’t talk about my friends. I have to water down my personality. But I’m still a foreigner, I have the money to buy that plane ticket and the freedom to use it if times get tough. Many LGBT Koreans don’t have that same freedom.

8 reasons travelers should be happy

Photo: Daniels Lee

1. American travelers may soon be able to go to Cuba.

For over 50 years, American travelers haven’t had easy access to one of the most beautiful islands in the world, an island that lies just over a hundred miles from our shores. But as 2014 drew to a close, Cuban President Raul Castro and President Obama signaled that they would like to try and normalize US-Cuban relations. This is good news for a billion reasons besides travel, but if all goes well, US travelers will finally have access to what is, by all accounts, a truly amazing country.

2. We can now see the world anew thanks to the GoPro and drone revolution.

An entirely new world is now open to us as a result of the combinations of GoPro cameras with personal drones. Want to see what Burning Man looks like from above? Done. Want to go into crevasses in an Alaskan ice cave that you could never explore yourself? Done. Want to see what surfing looks like from above? Done. Want to stage an elaborate single-take music video that shoots high up into the air? Done. Travel photography and filmmaking is only going to get more spectacular and innovative as a result of this revolution, and those of us stuck at home in front of YouTube are its greatest beneficiaries.

3. The economy sucks less now than it did five years ago. So we can travel more.

While young people such as myself who graduated in the middle of the recession tend to be pretty cautious about their money-making opportunities, the US economy is improving steadily. And more money means more traveling.

4. You probably have vacation days to spare.

Want to take a trip? Go ahead. Do it. Seriously: if you have vacation days and you’re not using them, you’re wasting good travel. A study earlier this year found that the average American was leaving eight days of paid vacation on the table each year — meaning that collectively, Americans are skipping a million years of paid travel time each year. A million years! Take the vacation time! You’ve earned it!

5. Americans are traveling more and more.

That old cliche you’ve heard about only 10% of Americans having passports? Yeah, that’s no longer true. The number now is much closer to 46%. And while we’re still not sending enough students to study abroad, the numbers have been increasing over the past 15 years, and the number of foreign students coming here to study has gone up, too. This can only be good news: an America with a serious travel culture is going to be a smarter, more worldly America.

6. Affordable space tourism may be available in our lifetimes.

This year was an up-and-down year for spaceflight. On the one hand, we landed on a comet for the first time. On the other hand, the Antares rocket exploded a few seconds after launch. But then NASA announced we’re going to try and get humans on Mars in the 2030s! But on the other hand, the Virgin Galactic crash set back space tourism a little bit.

Right now, space tourism is prohibitively expensive for most people. But so was air travel early on in its development. We could easily be looking at space tourism being an option for middle-class families in our lifetime. And suddenly, the focus of our wanderlust will become infinitely larger.

7. Young people who want to travel can get a free education along with it.

More countries have begun offering college education for free to their students, including their foreign students. So if young people want to travel but don’t think they’ll be able to afford to if they take on massive amounts of student loan debt, they’ve now got a solution: get your education in Germany.

8. The world is becoming more peaceful.

While sometimes the news may seem to indicate otherwise, the world is actually becoming a safer, more peaceful place. Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker points out that overall, the trend seems to be towards fewer and less violent wars, but the news doesn’t reflect this because peace isn’t news. “Look at all the places that aren’t blowing up,” he told PRI, “That is not going to be on the news. You never see a reporter standing on the streets in Mozambique or Colombia saying there’s no war this year. But there were wars in past years, and we forget about them because they are not news.”

A safer world is good for everyone everywhere. But a nice side effect is that a lot more of the world becomes open to travel.

2014 events made Filipinos proud

Photo: International Labour Organization – ILO PHOTOS

“PINOY PRIDE.” It began as a phrase describing one’s joy and excitement upon hearing of a fellow Filipino making it big, especially internationally. This slogan, although much-debated, has evolved into a battle cry of patriotism, now encompassing more than just global milestones, but also stories of spirit and heritage. Amidst political and social issues that plagued the Philippines this year, there are also stories that made us proud of our country. Here are eight moments of Pinoy Pride that stood out in 2014.

1. The Philippines named destination of the year

This accolade came from the annual TTG Travel Awards, which recognizes the best travel accommodations and destinations in Asia-Pacific. Philippine Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. graciously accepted the award in October during the ceremony in Thailand, where he announced our 2015 tourism slogan, “Visit The Philippines.” We all know the Philippines is an incredible place to call home — it’s time the world took notice too!

2. Typhoon Haiyan survivor stories

It’s been a year since the strongest typhoon to make landfall in recorded history devastated central areas of the Philippines such as Leyte, Eastern Samar, and Bohol. While there are millions still blighted by Haiyan (Yolanda to locals) and living in temporary shelters, there are also stories of hope, such as successful rebuilding efforts and communities coming together rather than breaking apart. Social networking hashtags such as #AfterYolanda, #AfterHaiyan, #TindogLeyte, and #Yolanda document these stories of bayanihan; the spirit of communal unity and cooperation.

3. Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA World Cup

In August, Philippine basketball team Gilas qualified for the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) World Cup for the first time in 36 years. Although they didn’t make it to the next round, defeating Senegal after five tries was a moment that uplifted the spirits of Gilas fans because it was the team’s first win at the World Championship since 1974. Despite knowing that the odds were against them, Gilas players gave it their best until the very last second, with fans chanting “Puso!” (heart!) throughout.

4. Vigan named one of the New7Wonders Cities of the World

The heritage city of Vigan was recently recognized as one of the New7Wonders Cities of the World, according to a poll conducted by non-profit foundation New7Wonders. The capital of Ilocos Sur, Vigan is famous for preserving its cobblestone streets lined with colonial houses that fuse Filipino, Chinese, and Spanish architecture.

5. Palawan voted best island in the world

When Condé Nast Traveler ranked the 30 best islands in the world, Palawan topped the readers’ choice awards, and our other popular getaway, Boracay, made it to #12. One of 7,107 islands in the Philippines, Palawan is home to one of the New7Wonders of Nature — Puerto Princesa Subterranean River — some of the cleanest and bluest waters in the entire world, and a bounty of waterfalls, lagoons, and beautiful, though endangered, creatures. We’ve known for ages that Palawan is a brilliant place to explore — it’s nice to have the rest of the world see that too.

6. Filipinos cast in Miss Saigon

It’s been 25 years since the first Filipino, Lea Salonga, played Kim in the West End musical Miss Saigon. For the show’s silver anniversary, many talented Filipinos made the cut — Rachelle Ann Go was cast as Gigi, Jon Jon Briones as The Engineer, Tanya Manalang and Julia Abueva as Kim understudies, Ela Lisondra (swing), Christian Rey Marbella, Ariel Reonal, and Fil-German Romeo Salazar (ensemble), and Fil-American Eva Noblezada as the lead, Kim.

7. Manny Pacquiao dominating Chris Algieri

You can count on Manila traffic going from Carmageddon to zero whenever there’s a Pacquiao fight, because everyone’s guaranteed to be away from the streets and watching the match somewhere. When he dominated the formerly undefeated Chris Algieri in November, it helped welterweight champ Pacman strengthen his status as a Pinoy icon.

8. Pope Francis coming to visit

When the Roman Catholic Church announced that the Pope is coming to visit the Philippines in January next year, government officials began contemplating whether they should declare the 5-day visit a holiday to give our predominantly Catholic population a chance to see the events. When Pope John Paul II celebrated the World Youth Day mass in Manila back in 1995, it drew about 4 million attendees, and so news of the new Pope’s visit is electrifying for many — practicing Catholics or not.

2015 will be ripe with Pinoy Pride moments, including when the Pope actually arrives — especially as he’s set to visit Leyte to break bread with the victims of Haiyan.

Raul Castro to Obama: Thanks, Barack

Photo: GlobalPost

For such a historic speech from a Castro, it was curiously short.

Cuban President Raul Castro spoke for just nine minutes, starting at noon Eastern time, to respond to the momentous changes being simultaneously unveiled by Barack Obama in Washington.

Given that his famously verbose predecessor and brother Fidel’s longest speech was recorded at more than seven hours, one might have expected more.

Maybe it was old age. Raul, after all is 83. And it showed, as he read slightly shakily on live TV from a clutch of paper notes.

Nevertheless, in that short time, he did manage to cover enough ground to both graciously accept and rhetorically return the US olive branch with interest, while also insisting that the “heroic Cuban people” would continue to ferociously assert their island’s independence.

“As the result of a dialogue at the highest level, including a telephone conversation that I held yesterday with President Barack Obama, we were able to advance in the solution of certain issues of interest to both nations,” Castro began.

He then went on to underline how Obama’s breakthrough towards Havana deserved the “respect and recognition” of Cubans and name-checked the returning Cuban spies.

Maybe, the end of Cuban sanctions really will, over time, herald the advent of genuine democracy on the Caribbean island, as Obama is calculating.

Raul went on: “Based on humanitarian reasons, today the US citizen Alan Gross was also returned to his country. In a unilateral way, as is our practice, and in strict compliance with our legal order, the corresponding prisoners have received prison benefits, including the liberation of peoples in whom the United States government has shown an interest.”

“Equally, we have agreed the re-establishment of diplomatic relations. This does not mean that the principle [problem] has been resolved: The economic, commercial and financial blockade, which has caused enormous human and economic damage to our country should end.”

“Although the blockade measure has become law, the president of the United States can modify its application using his executive powers.”

“On recognizing that we have deep differences, fundamentally in the areas of national sovereignty, democracy, human rights and internal politics, we reaffirm our willingness to discuss all these issues.”

“We exhort the US to remove the obstacles that impede or restrict the links between our peoples, the families and the citizens of both countries, in particular those relating to visits, direct post, and telecommunications.”

“The advances achieved during the exchanges that have taken place show that it is possible to find the solutions to many problems. As we have repeated, we should learn the art of living together in a civilized manner, with our differences.”

Maybe, the end of Cuban sanctions really will, over time, herald the advent of genuine democracy on the Caribbean island, as Obama is calculating.

Yet Raul Castro’s intention could hardly be more different, as he again spelt out his regime’s top goal: “The modernizing of our economic model, to build a prosperous and sustainable socialism.”

It remains to be seen whether that model really can outlive the Castro brothers, especially as Cuba now slowly rebuilds economic, cultural and social ties with its outsize neighbor, the US.

By Simeon Tegel, GlobalPost

This article is syndicated from GlobalPost.