Reads For The Road: The World Without Us by Alan Weisman

by Lindsay Shapka in , , , ,


Written by award-winning journalist Alan Weisman, The World Without Us is a fascinating book that examines all aspects of a simple question:

What would happen to the planet if human beings just disappeared?

Now, Weisman is quick to clarify that this disappearance would not be because of something violent like a natural disaster or nuclear war. No, he is examining what the result would be if all of us just suddenly vanished into thin air. 

What would happen to the land, the cities, the ocean, the climate, our garbage, our art? How long — if ever — would it take for all human traces to disappear? 

Weisman’s does a great job of approaching these questions from all angles and taking readers through his journey of discovery and research.  

The New York Times Book Review called it “A fascinating eco-thriller…” and I couldn’t agree more — I couldn't put it down or stop talking about it with my friends and family (sorry guys). 




The Swiss Guard: From Mercenaries To Pope Protectors

by Lindsay Shapka in , ,


Like the Queens Guard, standing serious and at constant attention outside of Buckingham Palace, the Swiss Guard stands in full (colourful) uniform outside of the Vatican buildings with the sole purpose of keeping the Pope safe. 

Why do the Swiss guard the Pope? 

During the 1400s and 1500s, Switzerland was an incredibly poor, overpopulated country and unable to support themselves at home, thousands of Swiss men would hire themselves out as mercenary soldiers.

The use of revolutionary battle tactics made them the most powerful army of the 15th century and because they had a reputation for being courageous, noble and loyal they were an integral part of wars in France, Spain and Italy. 

The modern-day Swiss Guard, the ‘military’ of Vatican City, is the smallest active army in the world and has been responsible for the safety of the Pope since 1506 when Pope Julius II invited them to Rome himself.

They are now the only military regimen that exists at the Vatican for both ceremonial and active roles. (They once shared these roles with the Palatine Guard and Noble Guard that were both disbanded in 1970 under Paul VI) There are usually between 100-150 members, who act as bodyguards, ceremonial guards and palace guards, present in Vatican City at all times.

Requirements for being a member of the Swiss Guard

Becoming a member of this elite army is no easy feat. You must be:

  • Swiss

  • Catholic

  • Single

  • Male

  • Between the ages of 19-30

  • Must have basic training in the Swiss military

  • Must have a professional degree or high school diploma

  • Obtain certificates of good conduct

  • Be at least 5ft 8.5in tall

If you have every single one of these characteristics and pass the application process, you will be sworn in on May 6 (the Anniversary of the Sack of Rome) and pledge your loyalty and life to the Pope for a term that can last anywhere from 2-25 years.

The Swiss Guard uniforms

Their uniforms are so close to a costume that many visitors assume that the men inside of them are actors on display for their benefit, rather than real soldiers. Looking like they stepped out of a Renaissance painting, the official uniform is composed of bright blue, red, orange and yellow, the colors of the Medici family (the wealthy Renaissance family from Florence).

Weighing 8lbs, it may be the heaviest uniform in use for any standing army and is by far the most complicated to construct-154 pieces, 32 hours, 3 fittings. 

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The Vatican Swiss Guard
 



To Tip, Or Not To Tip? Your Guide to Tipping Around The World

by Lindsay Shapka in ,


The plates have been cleared, dessert is finished and the last sips of coffee have disappeared.

Your waiter or waitress has left your bill, face down on the table, for you to deal with whenever you are ready —but you aren’t ready.

You are not in your own country and you forgot to do your research which has left you with an etiquette challenge.

To tip, or not to tip? 

Don't worry, I've got you covered. Here are some basic tipping guidelines for countries around the world. 

Canada and the United States

If you are in Canada or the United States, you will be expected to leave a 15-20% tip.

Tips make up the majority of a server’s income in these two countries, so not tipping is literally taking money out of their pocket. Most servers make minimum wage at the most and, depending on what province or state you are in, this is not enough to live on. 

Latin America and the Caribbean

Latin America and the Caribbean have similar tipping guidelines to Canada and the US, but only around 10% gratuity is expected. 

Europe

Europe is a whole lot more complicated because each country has different rules and customs associated with tipping.

In most countries, a 5-15% gratuity will be added to your bill automatically and unless you think the service you received deserves more, it will usually suffice. If there is no gratuity added, it will be expected that you will leave the 5-15% on the table yourself.

The two exceptions I could find are Iceland and Amsterdam where tipping is not expected at all. 

Tipping Around The World

Russia

Tipping has just recently become more common in Russia. A 10% tip should be more than enough. 

Asia

Asia is where you must be careful.

Leaving a tip of any kind can often be taken as an insult (especially in Korea and Japan). The majority of restaurants in Asian countries are small, family run business and leaving a tip is like telling them that you think they have a poor business and need a handout. The few establishments that do not take it as rude will be confused by the extra money and will probably try and give it back to you.

Restaurants located in touristy areas of Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia will accept tips, but it is not necessary to leave anything if you don’t want to. 

Australia and New Zealand

Tipping in Australia and New Zealand can be controversial because it is often looked at as an unwanted imported custom. It is becoming more common, however, so leaving 10% for great service should be fine.

South Africa

I don’t know much about the rest of Africa, but in South Africa, it is common to leave a 10-15% gratuity for your server. 

How do you know for sure if you should tip or not?

The best way to avoid an awkward cultural moment during your culinary escapade? 

Do some research ahead of time. In my experience, travel guides are the best places to look for specific, up-to-date, dining customs.   

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Your Guide to Tipping Around The World
Your Guide to Tipping Around The World



The History of Making and Eating Kimchi in South Korea

by Lindsay Shapka in ,


It was fall in South Korea, which meant kimchi-making time, and for a full week, I walked by a group of focused women, perched on small red stools in the middle of the sidewalk, pulling apart and washing hundreds of bright green heads of cabbage.

They wore long powder blue plastic gloves and were surrounded by large, chocolate brown, glazed clay pots that would hold the finished kimchi until it fermented and was ready to eat.

The concrete sidewalk under them was soaked with water running from a nearby hose and they wore plastic slippers and rolled up pant legs to keep from getting wet.

Their bodies were covered in shapeless rubber aprons and their hair was pulled back and tucked under handkerchiefs. Serious and focused, they worked non-stop, oblivious to the world around them.

If Norman Rockwell had done a South Korean version of ‘fall’, I am sure that they would be it.

If I asked any of the people that I met in South Korea what their favorite breakfast food was, they would answer, “Kimchi!”. The same question regarding lunch and dinner would garner the same response. 

What is Kimchi?

South Koreans learned a long time ago that vegetables were easier to grow, and less of a strain on dwindling resources, than filling their land with domesticated animals. Until recently, the majority of South Koreans ate like vegetarians, getting all of their nutrition from the way they prepared their vegetables, tofu, rice and soup.

Kimchi has few calories and low levels of sugar but is extremely high in fiber, vitamins A & C, calcium and iron. The fermentation process also creates high levels of lactic acid bacteria and acetic acid that protect the body against getting cancer, and other germs, and because it is so nutritious, storable, and long-lasting, it became a staple in the country and the basis of the majority of traditional dishes.

The kimchi that is served with almost every meal, and the kind that the women in the street were making, is tonbaechu kimchi, made from Chinese cabbage that is aged and fermented in spicy, red peppers, anywhere from a few hours to years. Though the most common, according to the Korean Food Academy, it is only one of hundreds of different kinds of kimchi, as any vegetable can be preserved using the same process. 

I pity the foreigner who can’t stomach it because if you don’t like kimchi, you don’t like Korean food. It is a part of almost 90% of traditional dishes. 

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History of Kimchi in South Korea
 



Why are we scared of the number 13?

by Lindsay Shapka in , ,


Why are we scared of the number 13

For those of us that reside in the western world, fear or superstition of the number 13 is pretty common.

In fact, this fear even has a name: Triskaidekaphobia.  

The number holds so much power that it is often omitted from hotel rooms, the floors of tall buildings and some people won’t even get out of bed on Friday the 13th.

There is no one reason to explain where this superstition comes from, but the many that I have come across pose very intriguing ideas rooted in historical or religious beliefs.

Why are people afraid of the number 13? 

  • There were 13 people at the Last Supper where Jesus revealed that one of his disciples would betray him.

  • On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the Knight’s Templar arrested and killed.

  • 13 is a lucky number in Judaism, and so, some say that a fear of the number comes from anti-semitism.

There is also evidence that a fear of thirteen comes from a fear of women, witchcraft, and disorder. 

  • 13 was once a number used to represent femininity because it corresponds to the number of lunar menstrual cycles in a year (13x28 days=364).

  • Witches gathered in covens of 12 with the devil joining them as the 13th member.

Other reasons seem a little more random.

  • There are 13 turns in a hangman’s noose and 13 steps up to the gallows.

  • 12 is universally considered a perfect and harmonious number and 13 represents a step too far and throws this harmony into discord.

Did you know that the number 4 is unlucky too? 

When living in South Korea, on the 13th floor, I noticed that though 13 was never omitted from buildings and hotel room doors, the number 4 was.

I discovered that the explanation for this superstition is a lot more cut and dry than the western superstition around 13. Apparently, countries in Asia and South East Asia familiar with Cantonese, avoid the number 4 because it is nearly identical in pronunciation to the word ‘death’. 

Many product lines developed in Asia, like Nokia, omit the 4th series, jumping right to the fifth while hotels and high rises will often omit any floor with the number 4 in it (ie: 4, 14, 24… etc.) 

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​Exploring The Great Mosque in Xi’an, China

by Lindsay Shapka in , ,


The market was a tempting, chaotic maze of hanging lanterns, silk robes, and kitschy Mao paraphernalia. Glimpses of blue sky were visible through gaps between colorful tarps stretched over my head, as I wove through the crowd that was browsing the over-stuffed stalls.

It was taking all of my willpower to stop myself from pausing to get a closer look, but shopping could come later. I had a destination to get to.

The enormous wooden door was only part way open when I finally arrived at the entrance of the Great Mosque. The doorway was protected by a blue tarp, tied overhead, that was shared with a stall selling small copies of religious texts and colorful silk pencil cases.

I handed 12 yuan (approximately $2) to a bored looking woman sitting on a wooden stool (the Mosque is free for Muslims to enter) and stepped through the half-open door into an unexpectedly magical place.

The Great Mosque in Xi’an is one of the largest mosques in China and, from the outside, is disguised to look like a typical Chinese temple.

Other than four palm trees located just inside the entrance, the gardens leading to the temple are decorated with rocks and archways that look typically Chinese. Even the enormous, turquoise roofed prayer hall, located deep inside the complex (and not open to visitors), is designed to look like a large pagoda from the outside, hiding its telltale dome.

The mosque is said to have been founded sometime in the 8th century, and I assume its survival can, in large part, be attributed to this clever disguise.

High, thick stone walls shut out the craziness of the market that I had left behind and I took a deep breath as I started to walk through the garden — it had been too long since I had heard birds and smelled fresh air. 

There were very few people in the large complex and none of them looked like tourists.

It struck me all of a sudden that my status as an "outsider" might be a problem, but none of the men dressed in black robes and white caps seemed to care about my presence. 

This left me free to wander in and out of pagodas, small rooms with latticed doors and under blue tiled archways in quiet seclusion.  

Without warning, my solitude was broken suddenly by chanting being broadcasted loudly through a hidden speaker. Curiosity drew me towards the source of the hypnotic sound, and I soon found myself at the entrance of the Great Mosque itself.

A row of square doorways across the front of it — with shoes neatly lined up outside — were open to the garden.

I didn’t dare get too close but peeking into one of the dark doors from a distance, I could see a cavernous room filled with men kneeling on an elaborately tiled floor. Their white-capped heads were lowered towards a figure, who had his back to me, at the far end of the room. I sat beside one of the doors, alone and out of sight, to listen to the chanting echoing inside the hidden dome.

Not wanting to get in the way I left the mosque before the chanting stopped.

I meandered back under the blue archways, past the four palm trees and finally, with one last deep breath of fresh air, stepped through the half-open door and back into the chaos of China.

Planning your visit

Open: Daily 8:00 am to 7:00 pm

Admission: March to November: CNY 25 (Approx. $4) December to February: CNY 15 (Approx. $2.50)
* Muslims can enter for free

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The Great Mosque Xian China