Even Superman Wore Shorts

I've heard it all now. On CBC radio, they interviewed a student who complained about his London, Ontario high school. Why? They had an issue with him wearing a spandex/lycra body suit to school. Yes, it  covered his arms and legs and went up to his neck. That was not the problem. The contention was over the body parts which were clearly on display.

It made me think of my high school years and our dress code. It's not that I agree with this, however, "back in the day", girls were allowed to wear dress pants one day per week. The rest of the time it was necessary to freeze in dresses and skirts while boys were permitted the comfort of long pants. Boys didn't all get off that easily either. There were many reports of the principal hauling young men to the town barbershop when hair length was deemed unacceptable. There was no argument and no running off to the press to complain.

In this day and age, we are of course all grateful for our many rights and freedoms. Things have changed significantly in fifty years, many for the better. Just as my years in secondary school were in some ways extreme, I believe the pendulum may have swung too far in the opposite direction. Sixteen year olds should not have the right to wear offensive clothing to school and administrators should be able to do something about it. In this case, all they requested was that he at least wear shorts over the suit...a reasonable compromise.

Sadly, it's impossible to teach common sense. It has to come from home. Although the young man in London helps give credence to all arguments favouring school uniforms, I can do one better. My mom's simple wisdom always worked. "Don't go to school in anything you wouldn't wear to a job one day."

Can't much argue with that logic.

Paint Nite...in the Day

Subtitled : When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade

My friend had a birthday and it's always a challenge to come up with a new and original experience. This one was neither, but since we hadn't participated before, I booked a paint nite (www.paintnite.com) for noon on a Saturday. The hours which I keep are daylight hours and this was the best choice. We were both interested in attempting this painting entitled, "Fireflies". I had to venture into the big city, an hour and a half drive downtown. As always, the parkway and some other major routes were closed...maintenance, races, protests and the like.

We arrived at the venue early as suggested and had an overpriced lunch while we waited, waited, waited. Then we discovered an email sent half an hour earlier saying our event was cancelled. We were unimpressed, as were dozens of other people. We left and headed for Kensington Market. What fun! Not only did I finally get to see the Rick Mercer rant alleyways but it was comic book day!                                  

Squid seems to be a recurring theme in my life.

Colourful shops to say the least.

Rant time!

I believe I have the same outfit...without the little army that is.

Super...er....bearded....er...well, I recognize two of the three characters anyhow.

 

There was art all around, including this colourful likeness of the city's infamous mayor. As one of my friends pointed out, they've left room in the bricks to add a crack pipe.

A fascinator fit for a royal visit....at Halloween that is.

We had a terrific day and even the marijuana march which held up traffic even more, didn't deter us from coming back for our rescheduled paint nite the following week. I picked my friend up and we grabbed some less expensive lunch, this time at an awesome pizza joint. I don't normally like pizza, but yum. Double yum.

We entered the Office Pub and found our room. The easels were set up and our aprons were ready.

While we waited, we practiced our still life photography skills with a pint. We called this piece of art "Beer in hand in front of easel."

The instructor demonstrated the steps for us to create our own "Fireflies" painting.

After we left, we continued our adventures with a trip a trip to the famous Maple Leaf Gardens Loblaws store.

It was a fun and worthwhile experience. As we strolled through the store, admiring the giant cheeses, the massive meat displays, the floral displays, and the bakery, we were serenaded by musicians.

Our interest in macaron making was re-ignited when we spotted this cabinet in the bakery, complete with $2.49 per cookie price tag.

This will definitely be the year of the macaron. We shall succeed and there will be a final chapter to all the macaron making disasters.

A Tree Grows in the Tropics

There's been a huge resurgence of concern in North America about the spreading of the giant hogweed plant. It's an invasive species which originated in Europe and Asia and has been around since the 1940's. To me, it looks much like Queen Anne's lace. The difference is that the giant hogweed, as the name suggests, has huge spiky leaves and, the plant is much greater in size. It is also a health hazard since the sap can cause blisters, lesions and swelling on the skin particularly when exposed to sunlight. It sounds awful, but I've heard of something worse.

In the Caribbean there's a species of tree that is so highly toxic, it can kill you. Before it does so however, it will cause you to erupt in burning blisters all over your skin. You might lose your voice and you could go blind. This tree is called the manchineel tree, nicknamed the manzanilla (little apple).

As I bent over these apples to take the photo, the tour guide yelled at me
to keep away. He feared I was attempting to touch them.

The tree is prolific in many of the islands because it's been left to grow for shade. In some countries, there are warning signs. In others, there are red X's on the tree trunk. In some, for example Bonaire, there's nothing to indicate an issue. You have to know.

Some islands have more sophisticated signs, but this hand painted
one makes the point in several languages.

We were told that should we ever be on a beach and see a tree with nobody lying in its shade, not to go near it. In fact, this same tree, is so toxic that when wet, it will drip, stain and discolour the ground or burn the paint off a vehicle parked beneath it. In other words, if it does that to the ground or to a car, don't use it as refuge during a rainstorm. Often, the trees are found on beaches and near water. The apples have even sometimes been called beach apples.

On desert islands, the manchineel trees are supposedly left for shade. On the other hand, disposal is challenging. Attempting to burn the trees will spew toxic smoke into the air that can cause blindness and breathing issues. Natives once used the sap from the trees to poison the tips of their arrows. Google has some interesting sites with further details which even suggest that explorer Ponce de Leon died from exposure to this tree's toxins.

As for the giant hogweed, I suppose we'll just have to steer clear and wait to see if anything is done about it. It is currently not listed among the world's top ten most poisonous plants. The manchineel tree is.

Take a look to see if you recognize any of the other nine. Copy and paste if necessary.

http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/top-5-poisonous-plants1.htm#page=1

Easter Fun 2014

I haven't been home much. After a recent trip, I came back for about a week before I began my annual work session. Since I was once again living in a hotel, this time for two weeks, I had to find some way to entertain myself. I no longer felt the need to go into the city or to an event. Old age and exhaustion in the evening seem to have curtailed my gallivanting.

I recently dreamed up the idea to have an Easter egg hunt for my adult children. After all, who doesn't love to relive their childhood with a little fun? While strolling through and enjoying the dollar store, I had an idea. I would spend my Holiday Inn evenings making a papier-mâché  head of each of the "kids".

Styrofoam balls seemed like an easier choice than balloons for the base, although they didn't totally replicate the head shapes of everyone. On the other hand, if you want to make these using balloons, you could use these as Easter baskets and fill the heads with Easter goodies...slightly creepy. I didn't have enough time to put that many layers of papier-mâché on balloons. 

So I sat. Evenings were spent in the hotel room creating heads with papier-mâché while watching baseball. I wondered about the potential reaction of the housekeeping staff upon discovering these in the room, but figured at this point, they'd pretty much seen it all. 

 I inserted doweling in the bottom of each styro ball in order to make it easier to hold while working. I also used sponge and other smaller styrofoam bits and glued them for ears and noses. It was pretty easy. I had brought a flour salt mixture from home and only needed to add water. The hotel supplied a daily newspaper. I covered each ball with one layer of newspaper in very small strips and when dry, one layer of white paper (one sheet, liberated from the hotel printer)

Inserting the doweling into an empty wine bottle was a good way to get the heads dried evenly. It is essential to drink wine prior to, and during this activity in order to have an empty bottles.

For  hair and eyes I relied on my craft bin and costume collections. Most things however, are available from the dollar store including paint. I found the mouths to be challenging. I had no idea how to create these and my heads were mouthless until I was back home.

My son's head was most difficult since he has some unusual piercings and ear holes. An earring through the nose and magnets to represent his ear plugs looked ok. Since I haven't seen him without a cap in eons, I also created a hat for him. His girlfriend had purple and black hair last time I saw her. I was in luck on that one with an old purple wig. (Unfortunately, she sported green hair this weekend...too bad). I decided to print their mouths from a photo and glue them on. It worked.














So those were the finished heads. What did I do with them you ask?  I used them as the beginning of an Easter egg hunt.

At the dinner table, each person had a small treat box. After dessert, they opened the box. There were goodies and a slip of paper saying, "Find the head that represents you and there you'll see your very first clue."

Each subsequent rhyming clue lead them around the house where they located things like candy, eggs, toys and a gift card. In order to avoid disputes, they each had their own clues and colour of baskets with gifts. The last clue asked them to find a golden egg for an additional treat. The whole thing was quite a big hit, although the most fun of all was the laughter when they first laid eyes on the heads.

How To Drive on a Desert Island

Hopefully, my "how to" tips on self timed photography have been of some help to my friends. I don't profess to be an expert on everything; however, I have attained another skill during the past month. I have garnered many driving hints and tricks which will probably work on other Caribbean Islands...unless of course they drive on the left side of the road. That would add an additional dimension to one's stress level.

On my past trip to Curacao, I rented a car...twice. Each time was for one week. This brings me to my first suggestion. If you can do a bit of research, and deal with a local independent car rental establishment, you might not have to promise your first born in order to acquire a vehicle. The local places have autos which are a bit older, up to three years old, in good condition and considerably less expensive than the rental chains.

Driving Tip #1 The Need For Speed

Drive fast. Don't look in your rear view mirror. You don't have time to be distracted by the guy riding your bumper. Honk your horn frequently for no apparent reason. Don't worry about where you're going because you won't get lost for more than a day. It's an island. You'll always end up in the same place. You will be aware that you are driving too slowly by the constant sound of horns and whizzing of cars on either side of you whether there's a road or not. Do not attempt to pull over. There's usually no place to do this anyhow and shoulders are unheard of. I've become certain that the first skill taught at a Caribbean island driving school is without a doubt the all important horn honking.

Driving Tip #2  Wildlife

Again, not to worry. There will be roosters, goats, potcakes, iguanas and wild boar on the road. If you hit one, they are dispensable. The only problem is that they aren't dispensed with. You will view the same deceased wildlife for which you were responsible (in varying degrees of decomposition) every time you pass said location. On the bright side, the island will eventually gain another speed bump. Speaking of speed bumps, there are many. Someone who ran out of swampland to sell seems to have found an alternate entrepreneurial opportunity...selling speed bumps to desert islands.

Driving Tip #3  Traffic Lights

These are sparse...and by sparse I mean they exist, but you're lucky if you still see it once you get to the stop line. Traffic lights are not found on every corner as in north America. There isn't one on the other side of the intersection so make sure you stop when you see the one light on the median. If you drive up too far, you will be unable to locate any other traffic lights to help you decide when it's time to burn rubber. If you make the mistake I did, one time only, don't panic. Stay put. You can't back up because of reason in tip #1 (bumper riders). Wait patiently, wipe perspiration off your brow and accelerate rapidly when the traffic behind you leans on their horns.

Driving Tip #4  Street Signs

Ha,ha...forget it. You'll be lucky if you get any kind of indication of a road you're on. I found one...count 'em, one street sign and that's only because I was not driving, but I was a walker on that day....aka in Dutch laufer (get it? See photo). The good news is that there are area signs. For example, an area in the city of Toronto would be Scarborough, East York and so on. In Curacao, there are areas of Willemstad...Punda, Otrabanda, Scharloo etc. and the signs are listed as such. These will give you an approximate clue in which direction you're travelling. Should you venture very far from the city, you might even see a sign with its name. You will frequently see signs that say Bushalte. Do not confuse this with a street name. It's a bus stop.

Driving Tip #5  Escape from Circular Driving

If you are looking for a place, once you find it, it's hard to escape. In other words, you will keep finding it over and over again. This happened to me. I found Seaquarium after a day of searching. Curiously, I couldn't escape the area once I was there. All signage then pointed to the Seaquarium. Now I see the problem as I look at my photo. Here's what I finally did. I found a tour bus and followed it. Any bus might do for that matter. Buses, if you can keep up to them, can get you out of most areas.

Driving Tip #6   Traffic Circles/Roundabouts

These are tricky. You yield, kind of, then cut off anyone who may be coming around the roundabout too slowly or on more than two car wheels. Zoom into the mix quickly, honk your horn and pretend you're  a local. Traffic circles are of particular benefit when you miss your turn, as you often will at the speeds you are forced to drive. Some of the circles have an added feature of a yield sign in the middle of them. If you make the mistake of yielding when someone else actually has a mid roundabout yield, horns will honk.

Driving Tip #7   Parking

Anything goes. Nose to nose, left wheels against the curve, abandonment of vehicle. Be selective however. There are some obvious places where you might not want to park (see first photo). Once parked in some areas, it's almost impossible to move. Since I did not use one of the local car rental establishments, but rather had a brand new vehicle, I made the decision to park in the Renaissance Hotel parking garage when possible. It is multi level, free, central to Willemstad and a bit more secure. Many things were within walking distance and there is a security guard near the entrance for ornamental purposes. He automatically lifts the barrier for anyone who drives up with their window open ready to ask for admittance to the garage.

Driving Tip #8   Acquiring Gas

All gas stations have a prepayment requirement. Usually, there's either a little booth where you pay and they give you a pump number or you go up to a pump and go to the building to pay, telling them your pump number. There is no competitive pricing. While I was in Curacao, all gas was $1.25 a litre and I drove to my heart's content for a week on one tank. (Actually, I was mostly lost and driving in circles. They make their money from tourists I suppose). Sometimes, someone will pump your gas. I'm not too clear on where this person originates. It's quite random. They just seem to magically appear from behind a cactus or something after you've pulled up. Also, there are two types of gas...diesel and super. Use super lest you regret it and end up purchasing your rental car. Super has a yellow handle on the pump. Use the yellow handle if pumping yourself. Warning too - Should you neglect to put in sufficient gas in your rental car before dropping it off, you will be charged double their estimate of the amount missing.

Driving Tip #9    All Roads Lead To...

This is more of a specific tip for Curacao. Not to worry. You can't avoid this bridge no matter how hard you try. Any time you get lost, you will travel over this bridge...many times. It can be helpful in fact since it always takes you back to the same place. There are no lane marker lines. If someone honks, you've wandered over the imaginary lines. There might be three lanes on the bridge. That's as yet undetermined by me. It all depends on how much space the cars/buses/trucks that are travelling beside each other take. Also, if the bridge makes you nervous, don't be. It only collapsed once early on during its creation. The cruise ships fit, trust me. My only warning is, don't be distracted by the spectacular view, the submarines and the like. Keep to the left when going onto the bridge. Should you accidentally forget this and drive on the right, exit at the ramp. Don't try to get back on (as do highway drivers in Ontario). It's a steep drop between the ramp and the bridge lanes with only a few pebbles, a tree branch, and a goat or two to keep you from being suspended in mid...er....well, just keep left or exit if you make a mistake.

You Don't Know What You're Missing...or do you?

Why do people insist on using the expression, "you don't know what you're missing"? I do not like it. In fact, I tried researching the expression and even "Google" didn't have much to contribute. I found no origins and no real use for this saying. There were no jokes, no posters and only this one cartoon which I might add, I don't understand. There is a George Strait song announcing "You don't know what you're missing until it's gone". The song meaning to me is something different from the expression which is the source of my current ire.

Here's my complaint. Recently, when I went to the gym to use the equipment, I was told to join the tail end of an exercise class which I had been, for various good reasons, trying to avoid. After responding with "No thanks, I'll just wait," I received the "you don't know what you're missing" response. It annoyed me. How on earth did this instructor know this about me? First of all, I could see exactly what I was missing and, had I thought I was in fact missing anything, I would have joined in. Secondly, I have been to more exercise classes than she could possibly imagine including cardio, zumba, body pump, aqua fit and spinning. If you've done it before and opt not to participate on this particular occasion, don't you already know what you're missing?

To me, "you don't know what you're missing" sounds like something a parent would say to try to trick or entice a child into doing something they don't want  to do.

Mom :   "Amy, try some of this delicious ***squid ink pasta."
Amy:     "Yuck, yuck, pooey."
Mom:    (using a cheerful melodic tone) "You don't know what you're misssssinnnnggg."

Methinks that Amy might know exactly what she's missing.

Besides, had mom been more wise, she would have merely called it "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" spaghetti. Kids understand weird coloured items associated with Dr. Seuss.

I also can't help but think about Tom Sawyer. If he had asked his friend Ben to whitewash the fence by saying "you don't know what you're missing", would he have suffered the ridicule he feared? Instead, by making the chore seem fun and special, he was able to get help completing the task.

It's fine to have a desire to introduce something to someone who has doubts about trying  it. If that is the case, then there are certainly different ways of approaching the task. Saying "you don't know what you're missing" simply embarrasses and puts an individual on the defensive. It's insulting.

One could simply ask, "Have you tried it before?"

Or...they could empathize. "I didn't really think I'd like it at first".

Talking about benefits or advantages or enjoyment of a certain food, task, chore, or activity might give someone more information and a different perspective.

So I'm wondering how many people have this expression in their vocabulary. I haven't heard it often and I certainly hope it doesn't creep back into common usage.

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***I was trying to come up with something absurd and thought I invented this particular food item....wrong! Note that squid ink comes from the butt of a squid and that you can learn how to harvest this delicacy on youtube! You can learn anything on youtube.

I also found this at a local store recently.

Photo Self Timer Tips - Ready or Not

The 2013 word of the year was selfie. For the most part, this refers to photos taken of yourself while holding a cell phone or digital camera at arm's length. Easy. There are rules, hints and tips for taking good selfies. I could not find similar tips for using a camera timer so I decided to share my helpful advice and expertise for taking good timed photos. I recently traveled alone and my options were to trust random strangers to take pictures, or take my own photos in all types of weather, light, and landscape conditions. I am quite proud of my work. Here are my tips for taking perfect timer pictures just as I recently have.

Hint #1- Gulliver's Travels view

When you place your camera on a pier, you're never quite certain how far back you need to stand to be included in the landscape photo. Besides that, the camera sometimes vibrates, or succumbs to gusts of wind and those are big, hazardous, cracks in the dock. Place camera on one of the wider slats, set your timer for ten seconds, run a few feet away without vibrating aforementioned slats, turn around and bend over to get yourself into the optimal picture position.

Hint #2 - The Framed Shot

I've heard it said that you should frame a shot. If you are unclear as to what that means, a good way to perform this task easily is to point the camera, timer on, in the direction of your intended scene. Then, stand in front and use whichever body parts best emphasize your desired picture. What better way to save time, effort and expense later, than to perform this framing task in advance? If you are unsuccessful, after several attempts, you can always get a cheap frame from the dollar store once you're back home.

Hint #3 - The Sky's The Limit    

                                                                                                                  

The hood of a car is the perfect place to put your camera if you want a photo of yourself high in the clouds. This will not necessarily be your most flattering angle, particularly if the camera is leaning against the windshield. Also, should the camera shift in mid shot because of gale force wind or natural disasters, you might wind up with buildings protruding through some body parts. This of course will ruin your intended illusion.

Hint #4 -  It's All In Your Perspective                                                                                                           

                                                                                                      

                                                                                                      

If you want to include several landmarks, or beer bottles in your picture, it's important to find a stable place to put your camera. In this case, I located large tables in both instances. The one on the left held not only the camera, but my backpack. On the right, again, an assortment of things. I feel that adding this additional "stuff" (backpack straps, table top, bottle, umbrella pole) to the pictures gives them some added realism, contrast, and perspective thus making them look less like vacation bragging type photos.

Hint #5 - Bigfoot Was Here                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                       

  

Know that your face doesn't have to be in every picture. Sometimes, if you want a shot of an interesting statue or landmark, just set your timer on two seconds, then take a step away from the camera. This will still provide proof that you were "there" while at the same time, guaranteeing the safety of your device should you be visiting a less desirable area of town.  The second photo is from the statue's perspective. Don't forget that this can add some depth to your portfolio...same legs this time seen from the point of view of the sculpture. 

Hint # 6 - Water Hazards                                                                                                                            

Be sure to check the landscape very carefully before attempting a timed photo near water. Look where you are going, do not back away from your camera in fear that the timer will go off before you're ready.  If it does, it will be a lovely shot of you looking off over the water rather than a shot of you potentially in the water. In photo two, the terrain was even more rugged with coral, lava, shells and beer bottles. In that case, I walked toward my intended spot and scoped out the distance first. When it came time for the picture, I went back to the same spot, whipped my body around against the trade winds, and after the giant wave receded, I heard the familiar click                                                                                                                        

  

Hint #7 - Stay Positive Through Failure                                                                                                         

Sometimes, our timed photos are unsuccessful and boring. What's worse than a picture of  greenery, a rock wall, a person and a few pillars? If this happens to you, stay positive, follow my previous hints and try, try again.