Matador Network's Blog, page 2209

Drone footage of surfers in SoCal

It’s a well-established fact by now that it’s impossible to film surfers and not make it look amazing. What’s difficult is capturing surfers in new and interesting ways.

Enter Air Reel Productions, which recently released Above the Wedge. They flew an aerial drone quadcopter over the surfers at Southern California’s famous surfing spot, the Wedge in Newport Beach, and managed to capture absolutely killer images of the surfers, bodysurfers, and bodyboarders catching massive waves and then apparently disappearing beneath them.

Combat food waste with this new app

Photo: Wikimedia

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans waste about 30-40% of their yearly food supply, despite the fact that more than 50 million Americans don’t have enough food to eat on a daily basis.

Food waste is a problem all over the world, but one company has created a mobile app to tackle the issue in the United States. The PareUp app will be launched in New York City first, where, according to the PareUp website, 6.5 billion pounds of food are thrown away daily. And that’s just in the Big Apple.

The biggest wasters of food are ironically those who profit from it: restaurants and food retailers. PareUp’s app aims to connect the individual consumer with these businesses, allowing both parties the opportunity to buy and sell food that would otherwise go to waste. So restaurants and grocers are able to sell food they would normally throw away, while consumers are offered access to quality sustenance at a discounted price.

PareUp has created a win-win for all parties involved. And with food waste taking up the vast majority of space in America’s landfills, the environment wins as well.

So why is this food being thrown out in the first place? PareUp says that “retailers often toss food to protect their brands.” When a vegetable is misshapen, it doesn’t even make it onto the floor. When a sell-by date is approaching, the item is pulled from the shelf and tossed in the dumpster out back. Sometimes food is chucked solely because there isn’t enough room left on the display shelves. In most cases, this food is still entirely edible. “It’s still delicious,” PareUp says.

The obvious solution for this waste is to donate it to those in need through local shelters and food banks. But the food-safety regulations for many of these organizations disallow them from accepting it. Additionally, it often just doesn’t make sense for them in terms of the resources that go into collection and transportation.

Personally, I also think the donation solution reveals a bit of flawed, privileged thinking. Donating food to those in need is usually a positive idea, but if this “unusable” food isn’t good enough for the general public to consume — in the eyes of most restaurants, retailers, and members of society — why is it then okay for the underprivileged to consume? It reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where Elaine doesn’t understand why the homeless shelter turned down her muffin stumps, left over from her Top of the Muffin to You! enterprise. Why should the homeless be robbed of the best part of the muffin?

The PareUp app seems to solve a lot of these donation woes by putting the responsibility in the consumer’s hands. It’s their choice if they want to purchase food that would otherwise not be served or sold on the business floor. It also offers a fairly private way of purchasing discounted food, which sadly is a sign of belonging to a “lower class” and a source of shame and embarrassment in Western society.

If this app comes to my area, I’ll certainly use it proudly. As a person who grew up where poverty and hunger were very present, I’m happy that PareUp is tackling the status quo and making use of a resource that’s quickly going to waste.

Meet the youngest RTW sailor ever

In 2010, Laura Dekker, a 14-year-old Dutch girl, tried to become the youngest person to successfully sail around the world. She’d already been held up for over a year by Dutch authorities who thought it was unsafe, but in 2012, she finally completed her circumnavigation.

Jillian Schlesinger, a filmmaker, managed to follow her for much of the trip, and has now turned the voyage into a feature-length documentary called Maidentrip.

This video is just a short clip from the movie, but it features fantastic footage of Dekker sailing into French Polynesia and trying to explain to a customs bureaucrat why she doesn’t know when she’ll be leaving the islands: “I don’t know, it’s a sailboat. You go when the wind is good.”

20 of the world's best aquariums

IF YOU’VE EVER OWNED A PERSONAL AQUARIUM, you know how hard it can be to maintain. You’ve got to keep the water clean, you’ve got to make sure it has the right level of saltiness, and you need to ensure the fish you put into it won’t eat each other. I once made the mistake of putting a goldfish into a tank with a Siamese fighting fish (also known as a betta). When I woke up the next morning, the betta was gone, and my goldfish was incredibly fat. Even if the pet-store clerk hadn’t led me astray, it was not the outcome I would have expected for that fight.

So naturally, it’s infinitely more impressive when major aquariums put together million-gallon tanks with thousands of fish and hundreds of different species. It’s a feat of planning we typically don’t recognize, beyond looking at the fish and saying, “Oooh, that’s pretty!”

And with our oceans in the state they are, these aquariums are often hubs for research and conservation projects, spearheading the movements to save our seas — while others may be mistreating their animals or obtaining them through sketchy means. The list below includes both.




1

Monterey Bay Aquarium

The Monterey Bay Aquarium in California does a huge amount of marine research, and was the first aquarium to successfully keep a great white shark in captivity. It's also one of the few places where you can see an ocean sunfish.
Photo: Angelo De Santis

2

Hotel Atlantis Dubai

The Hotel Atlantis in Dubai offers these "underwater" rooms built right up against huge aquarium tanks. It’s a cool view, but I’d be terrified of it breaking in my sleep...
Photo: Werner Bayer

3

Okinawa Churaumi

The Kuroshio Sea is the main tank at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan. It held the record of the world’s largest tank when it opened in 2002, but has since been surpassed by the Georgia Aquarium.

Photo: Sonotoki

Intermission





Which of the ‘Big 5′ animals from each continent have you seen?
by Matt Hershberger



10
40 of the world’s most impressive “second cities”
by Alex Scola



2
51 natural wonders so amazing it’s hard to believe they exist
by Matt Hershberger












4

New England Aquarium

The New England Aquarium in Boston also doubles as a whale watching spot because
of its location near the harbor, and many of its staff participate in marine animal rescue operations.

Photo: Theresa

5

L'Oceanogràfic

L'Oceanogràfic is in Valencia, Spain, and has a total capacity of up to 11 million gallons of water in all of its tanks. It also happens to be a particularly beautiful building.

Photo: Nickolay Pirogov

6

Aquarium of Genoa

The Aquarium of Genoa is the largest in Italy, and has a number of different marine habitats, including North Atlantic, Caribbean, and Ligurian Sea tanks.

Photo: Castgen

7

Chimelong Ocean Kingdom

The Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Hengqin, China, broke five world records—including largest aquarium—when it opened earlier this year. Unfortunately, it’s come under a lot of criticism for its methods of obtaining the animals.
Photo: Sina

8

Deep Aquarium

The Deep is an aquarium in Hull, England, that is the world’s only “submarium.” It also functions as a charity and a research center, and happens to be pretty beautiful from the outside as well.
Photo: Adrian S Jones

9

AquaDom Berlin

The AquaDom is a cylindrical, 25-meter-tall aquarium in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Berlin. Inside the cylinder is a glass elevator.

Photo: Jamie Mead

Intermission





89 of the world’s most mind-bending 3D chalk drawings
by Alex Scola



3
21 examples of you-fall-you-die photography with the world’s most insane skywalkers
by Darmon Richter




SharkCam stands up to some of the world’s most dangerous predators
by Matt Hershberger












10

SeaWorld

Probably the most (in)famous aquarium in the world, SeaWorld is known for its shows with marine animals, particularly killer whales. It came under a ton of criticism for its treatment of those whales recently, thanks to the documentary Blackfish.
Photo: Chris A

11

Hilton Maldives Undersea Restaurant

The Hilton in the Maldives has both underwater suites and an underwater restaurant. The Maldives is actually at risk of sinking into the sea, due to climate change and sea level rise, so this might be the way the whole country is going.
Photo: Christian Jensen

12

uShaka Marine World

The uShaka Marine World in Durban, South Africa, is the largest aquarium on the African continent. It’s also connected to a water park and has SeaWorld-like shows.
Photo: Cat

13

The aquarium bed

Okay, so it’s not the largest by any measure, but I would’ve killed as a five-year-old to fall asleep with fish swimming over my head. And the sound of the aquarium must be insanely soothing.
Photo: Wicker Paradise

14

TurkuaZoo

The TurkuaZoo in Istanbul, Turkey, has the largest aquarium in Europe. It also allows visitors to go diving with sharks.
Photo: Pixage

15

Shedd Aquarium

The Shedd Aquarium has been in Chicago since 1930, and for a long time it was the largest aquarium in the world, though it has since been dwarfed by a lot of these other spots.
Photo: Smart Destinations

Intermission




17
75 places so colorful it’s hard to believe they’re real [pics]
by Alex Scola




45 eerily beautiful abandoned places [pics]
by Claire Litton-Cohn



16
44 surreal scenes from Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
by Scott Sporleder












16

Georgia Aquarium

The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta was the largest in the world when it opened in 2005, and it remains the largest in the United States. It's home to 500 different species and holds a total of 10 million gallons of water.
Photo: Melvin "Buddy" Baker

17

Newport Aquarium

The Newport Aquarium in Northern Kentucky is probably best known for its shark petting exhibits.
Photo: Ken Colwell

18

Dubai Mall Aquarium

The largest mall in the world also has one of the largest aquariums in the world—the Dubai Mall Aquarium has a single tank with 33,000 animals in it.
Photo: Salis

19

Shanghai Ocean Aquarium

The Shanghai Ocean Aquarium has one of the longest underwater tunnels in the world, and is located right next to the Oriental Pearl skyscraper in Pudong.
Photo: Aapo Haapanen

20

National Aquarium Baltimore

The beautiful National Aquarium in Baltimore Harbor is technically partnered with the National Aquarium in Washington DC, but Baltimore’s aquarium is significantly cooler. It’s home to 750 species and can hold 2.2 million gallons of water.

Photo: Jeff Kubina

13 signs you're an au pair

Photo: Cams

1. You swear you’ll never have kids.

All the tantrums, fights, unbelievable requests, and time putting children before yourself has you swearing you’ll never have kids. It also has you in awe of your own parents who raised you without the help of an au pair. How did they do it without going completely insane?

2. You’ve forgotten what it’s like to have a 9-5 job.

Routine? Nope, not as an au pair. Your wakeup time changes more regularly than Katy Perry’s hair, and you’ve morphed into the most flexible person on the planet. “Very adaptable to change” should be bolded and underlined three times on your resume.

3. You know more parents than people your age.

The sad truth of au pairing is that a large part of your social life revolves around organizing kids’ play dates. You have more phone numbers of fathers than guys your own age, and a trip to the supermarket can result in an impromptu Mothers’ Club meeting in the cereal aisle.

4. You’ve responded to “mum” or “dad.”

If your host parents are the type to spend more time at work than with their children, the whole “whoops, I called you mum” thing is bound to happen. Best thing to do is laugh it off and move on. Like, to another job.

5. You’ve seen Frozen at least 18 times and know all the words to all the songs.

Ah, Frozen, the Disney movie of the year. Admittedly it’s one of Disney’s best, but after watching it every afternoon for a month, even cute little Olaf can start to drive you bonkers.

That said, the fact that you can sit down and watch a movie while your friends back home are probably slaving away at some soul-crushing job definitely makes you feel a little smug.

6. A big night out consists of bitching about your host families with your au pair friends while seeing how far you can stretch five euros.

When moving to a new country or city to au pair, the easiest friends to make are other au pairs. Though as time goes on, your conversations tend to focus on whatever crazy request your host parents made of you, or how many beers you can get with your last bit of pay. It can get monotonous, but then again, it makes the week go faster.

7. Your handbag resembles a war zone complete with snacks, toys, makeup, at least two phones, several bottles of water, plenty of tissues, and the kitchen sink.

Mary Poppins and her bottomless bag is pretty much on point.

8. You think about what to make for dinner before you even finish breakfast.

Chances are, by the end of your au pair stint you’ll be able to pull off a nutritious dinner for five that fulfills all dietary requirements and personal tastes with absolutely no leftovers. Stepford Wives move over!

9. Your social life is predicated on whether you have to babysit or not.

Nothing like babysitting on a Saturday night to squash your party plans. Or worse, weekend mornings. After trying to babysit three young children with a roaring hangover, you’ve learned to be responsible, stay at home, and give your liver a break.

10. You secretly love taking the kids out to the movies, bowling alley, theme park, etc. because you go for free.

The best perk of being an au pair is all the cool stuff you get to do for free. Sure you’re babysitting, but waiting in line for a photo with a Disney princess isn’t as lame when you’re with a 10-year-old.

Your workday can consist of playing at the beach or going to the zoo. One girl I knew got flown from the Netherlands to America to join the family holiday. Now that’s a perk!

11. You’ve employed the “count to three” threat.

The age-old trick that was used on you as a youngster now works a charm when the kids are acting up. Much like when you were a child, your kids are tempted to see what happens after three but are too chicken to find out.

12. You refer to the children you look after as your own.

You spend the majority of your day with them, live with them, feed them, bathe them, and entertain them. You know you’ve au paired too long when you utter phrases along the lines of “My girl has this new thing of only eating carrots and cheese,” or “My kids just got the new Xbox game” without thinking it sounds weird.

13. You learned the language from your kids.

Moving to a new country with a whole new language can be daunting. Most opt for a quick language course to get them through. However, your best (and freest) teachers are the children you look after. Sure, you might not be able to ask how to open a bank account, but you can ask to leave the table and watch TV with perfect fluency.

See NYC in slow motion

New York City isn’t known for being a slow city. No one has ever un-ironically called it that. So it’s especially impressive that the thought of slowing down the fast-paced life of NYC even crossed filmmaker Tim Sessler’s mind.

Sessler’s resulting short film, Streets, is an incredible take on life in New York, with all the fast elements slowed down to super slow motion. Whether it’s water balloon fights, running dogs, or kids crossing the street, Sessler’s slow look at a fast city is incredible. Give it a watch.

3 places altered by climate change

Photo: eutrophication&hypoxia

We like to think of climate change as a future event, something that hasn’t quite hit yet, that we can still stop when we decide to set our minds to it. This isn’t the case.

The planet’s already experiencing irreversible effects of climate change. While some of the hardest-impacted places are poor and remote — like the Pacific Islands swallowed by the sea, or the villages of Darfur torn by climate-influenced conflicts — others are much more prominent to us Westerners. Natural wonders, major cities, and cultural icons are all at risk. Here are just three examples, permanently transformed by climate change.

New Orleans

It’s been nearly a decade since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, and there are still areas, like the devastated Lower Ninth Ward, that aren’t close to fully recovering. Yes, the city’s full of incredible, resilient people — and that much will never change — but it’ll likely bear the scars of Katrina forever. And it remains vulnerable to future storms.

It’s impossible to confirm that Hurricane Katrina was caused by climate change, of course. Catastrophic hurricanes have been happening since long before humans started influencing their environments. But, since warm ocean waters are fuel for hurricanes and typhoons, the warming climate is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of such storms by supplying conditions conducive to their formation.

Storms of the century may become more like storms of the decade. In the US alone, with Katrina and Sandy, we’ve already had two abnormally catastrophic storms in the past ten years. New Orleans and other coastal towns will continue to be susceptible to storms and floods from now on.

The Great Barrier Reef

Not all the carbon dioxide we release into the atmosphere stays in the atmosphere. About a third of it’s absorbed by the oceans. When carbon dioxide ends up in the sea, it acidifies the water, which detrimentally affects the shells and skeletons of ocean creatures — including coral — in a process called “bleaching.”

Coral reefs are one of the most biologically diverse and important types of ecosystems in our oceans, and we depend on them heavily as fishing grounds for the seafood industry. They also help protect our shorelines, serving as a barrier to rougher seas and their erosive forces. Bleaching is a symptom of corals becoming weaker, and as reefs die, the ecosystems built up around them die too.

Not even the world’s biggest reef — the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia — is immune. According to a UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecast,

“by 2050, 97 percent of the Great Barrier Reef will be bleaching yearly.” In other words, the reef will be dying. Not only is this a disaster from an ecological point of view, but less reef means less seafood on our plates and lost revenue from tourism and recreation.

Glacier National Park

While Montana’s Glacier National Park is hardly the only or the worst example of glacial melt, as one of the crown jewels in the US national park system, it’s perhaps the most conspicuous. It’s named Glacier National Park, after all. The park is beautiful with or without the glaciers, but when it was founded about 100 years ago, there were 150 glaciers within its borders. Now there are 25. By one estimate, they’ll all be gone by 2030.

The loss of glaciers isn’t anything new in terms of geologic history — icesheets advance and retreat every 40,000 to 100,000 years. But anytime someone cites this fact as a reason for regulatory inaction, gently remind them that a) we caused this and can stop it and b) if we don’t, there will consequences.

Not only do hundreds of millions around the world rely on glaciers as a water source, but roughly one in ten humans lives on a coast that could be affected by sea-level rise.

Compared to the icesheets of Greenland or Antarctica, Glacier National Park is small beans, but it’s a horrifying example of foreshadowing.

On visiting BsAs for the first time

Photo: Gustavo Brazzalle

1. “Where are all the vegetables?”

Before you arrive, everyone will make it a point to mention how exquisite you’ll find Argentina’s steak, praising the tenedor libre restaurants around the country. And meal after meal, you’ll notice your plate is covered by large pieces of meat, leaving little room for vegetables.

Then, on a visit to the supermarket, the sticker shock you’ll experience will explain it all. Groceries, namely fruits and vegetables, are damn expensive. Suddenly, your desire for vegetables disappears.

2. “The Caminito looks much cooler in pictures.”

La Boca is where you’ll find La Bombonera, Buenos Aires’ famed stadium and home to the Boca Juniors. “Of course I have to visit.” And the Caminito, a nearby stretch of street with buildings clad in every color imaginable, will look picture-perfect. In pictures.

Upon arrival, it’ll be evident you’ve been duped. After a quick walk through the overpriced, Disneyfied block and a mediocre-at-best meal, you’ll decide it’s time to move on.

3. “We’re supposed to show up when?”

“We can’t show up to dinner on time,” your wise travel companion will tell you. “What?” It’s true — you’re supposed to show up late. On purpose. If not, you’ll be awkwardly sitting by yourself.

The first time you attempt this, you’ll still get there too early. Try two hours next time — that’s a little better.

4. “I’m ready for bed and everyone’s getting ready to go out.”

On the weekend, people will be grabbing a coffee when you’re used to brushing your teeth and taking out contact lenses. Showing up “early” means arriving at the boliche before 2am. As in many don’t open until 1:30.

“Oh, the sun’s rising now. We’re still out. This is going to take some getting used to.” On the positive side, at least you get to eat breakfast before going to bed.

5. “Wait. So wine really is cheaper than water?”

“I know hyperbole when I hear it.” Wrong. As you sit down and compare the prices of water at the pizza restaurant, the quizzical look on your face will speak volumes. Doing the calculations in your head…yes, it appears the wine is actually cheaper than the water.

Shit. Given the opportunity, you’re certainly not going to pass up a good glass of Malbec. The decision’s been made. No more water on the trip.

Photos clockwise from bottom left: « м Ħ ж », dragonflysky, Joel Richards, jamieanne

6. “I just don’t get mate.”

It seems as if everyone’s drinking it at all times of day. A simple Google search will show you how daunting the process can appear to be. Preparing the mate is one thing. Complex enough as is. Hopefully you’ll be in the presence of a gracious host who’ll handle this.

“I don’t say gracias until I’m done completely?” “I don’t stir the mate with the bombilla?” “It’s okay to make a loud slurping noise when the mate is finished?” After several chances to ingrain these customs into your mind, it’ll finally seem less intimidating.

7. “Why is everyone ‘No, no por favor‘ing me after I say thank you?”

Hearing no, por favor after saying gracias might throw you off after your first few interactions on arrival at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery. Two weeks later, you’ll be saying it to everyone who thanks you for doing anything. It’s definitely more fun than de nada.

8. “Who DOESN’T sell alfajores here?”

Everywhere you turn, every building you see, there’s a sign suggesting that alfajores are sold within. After one bite, you’re sold. While there are all different sorts, you’ll probably end up partial to the dulce de leche.

It’s said that Argentina is the largest consumer of alfajores in the world. It’s no surprise. They’re amazing. Suddenly, you’re not so confused as to why they’re sold all over. And you’re miraculously not really concerned with not getting money back for your change anymore.

9. “I don’t like fernet. This could be an issue.”

“Order a fernet and coke. Everyone drinks them.” After two sips, you’ll remember — you can’t stand black licorice. Well, good thing you’ve got all that steak and wine to take the edge off. Carry on.

Snapshots of Burning Man

Follow Matador on Vimeo


Follow Matador on YouTube

I FEEL LIKE BURNING MAN is one of the most misunderstood festivals of our generation. It’s portrayed as a wild infestation of hippies, a place of “What happens at Burning Man, stays at Burning Man” mystery, and a dream-like world where there are no laws, limits, or boundaries. Yet despite whatever crazy, out-of-body experiences might occur, what outsiders fail to see is that Burning Man is first and foremost about community.

I think this video by Evgeny justifies that concept. Burning Man is a party, for sure, but it’s so awesome because people are coming together to feel good about themselves. Some people live the Burning Man life all year round, but others only get to let loose for these few days. Having a place where both kinds of people can interact is seriously epic, and important.

The art of visiting war memorials

Photo: Wolfgang Staudt

The town of Gettysburg was settled in 1780, and by the start of the Civil War battle that occurred there in 1863, it contained a population of around 2,400 people. The battle changed everything. Not only was the town transformed into the symbolic marker of the turning point of the war, but it became the site of one of the greatest speeches ever given: the Gettysburg Address. When you visit today, the entire town is geared towards its Civil War history.

Gettysburg is also constrained by the limits of the battlefield that surrounds it. You can’t develop that land — it’s all historical sites. Homes in Gettysburg that are incredibly old aren’t torn down. They’re restored. The town is trapped in time because of three traumatic days 151 years ago. The whole thing’s become a war memorial.

I live in DC, about an hour-and-a-half drive from Gettysburg, and I’m surrounded by war memorials, too. They’re everywhere here. They were everywhere in my previous home of London. I saw them everywhere when I traveled Europe. They’re everywhere period. And there’s an art to visiting war memorials. These sites demand more attention than fleeting glances and awkward gestures of respect.

How to look at the memorial

You can usually tell how the war ended by looking at the memorial itself. The World War II Memorial on the National Mall in DC is covered in monolithic granite pillars with two giant arches on either side and a fountain in the middle. It’s a memorial with the pomp of a conflict won. The Vietnam War Memorial is much more somber; it almost sinks into the ground, strangely self-effacing for an object whose sole purpose is to be viewed. It’s a single hue of reflective rock with a simple list of names. There are no signs of victory here.

In Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, there’s a memorial museum called the War Remnants Museum. It used to be called the Museum of American War Atrocities. The message there is clear: We won, but the scars haven’t healed.

Many memorials will have lists of the war dead. If you don’t know someone on the list, try to pick a single name and comprehend that that person had a full life, family, kids maybe. Once you feel like you understand that, step back and look at the whole list.

The final exhibit at every memorial is the people visiting with you. Watch them. In DC and in Normandy, for example, you’ll often see veterans at the site. They’re the most fascinating to both watch and talk to because the memorial’s history runs parallel to their own. While you should obviously be respectful and feel out each situation, I’ve often found that vets want to talk about their experiences.

Observing the other visitors, I’m fascinated by trying to intuit how they feel about the war in question. Are they crying? Do they seem angry? Proud? Baffled?

How to feel about the memorial

In Hamlet, Hamlet says to Horatio, “There are more things on heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” Try to keep that quote in mind at the war memorial (or anywhere, really). This is a place for humility. Regardless of what your opinions are about the war — whether it was just, whether it was a tragedy, whether it was glorious — they’re allowed to be felt, but they shouldn’t be imposed on other people. Everyone is allowed to express anger or confusion or sadness or shame here. It’s not your business to judge.

War is usually depicted in reductive terms, which is moronic. War is one of the most all-encompassing, complex human phenomena there is. To convince two or more groups they need to kill each other, and then to get them to act on that conviction, takes a lot of forces working simultaneously. The force of history is behind every war, and the politics and the morality and the economics and the technology of that time all manifest themselves in the conflict.

War memorials, on the other hand, aren’t meant to be acted on in any way. They’re meant to be absorbed, then processed, then learned from. They aren’t places onto which you should project your own philosophy; instead, concentrate on allowing them to impress their message — whatever that may be — onto you.