Permaculture: A Growing Alternative

A good friend of mine relocated to South America this year. He went to join a revolution. Not a local revolution, like some might picture when they think of South America. No one is sitting around a campfire with their cuerno de chivo (AK-47) slung over their shoulder, singing ABBA’s ‘Fernando’ as they drink tequila. The revolution my friend went to join is a global revolution – a revolt against the perceived rise of a global corporate dictatorship. He got tired of complaining about companies like Monsanto and GE raking in multi-billion dollar profits while the planet and the majority of the people on it were poisoned and pillaged, so he decided to try to be part of the solution.

[caption id="attachment_2138" align="alignnone" width="237"] Not this time, Che, you blood-thirsty bastard.[/caption]

He has settled, for the moment, near Bogota, Colombia. He has made a wide berth in his travels, even going into the jungles of Peru to take a week-long trip on Ayahuasca. Now he is getting involved in volunteer work in the area, living on a commune with some other intrepid revolutionaries, and hoping to turn the experience into a short documentary film. It may sound almost Utopian to anyone who is fed up with the current system of corrupt global governments and their greedy corporate owners.

Is it Utopian, though? How are these communes surviving? What are they doing to make the world a better place? The answer to these questions can be found in one word: Permaculture.

Thank you for reading. Good night!

[caption id="attachment_2139" align="alignnone" width="300"] A small permaculture garden[/caption]

What’s that? You don’t know what permaculture is? Well, then, read on and I will explain what little I know.

Permaculture was originally a contraction of the words “permanent agriculture,” a term that originated as the subtitle for a book published in 1929: Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture by Joseph Russell Smith. In the book, Smith discussed his experiments with an integrated style of farming, using the surplus of different types of crops as animal feed that would then be recycled as fertilizer and other helpful elements of sustainable farming. The book was a hit, and its methods soon spread around the world, most notably to Japan through the efforts of Toyohiko Kagawa, who introduced the idea of forest farming to the Japanese culture in the 1930s.

The idea that permanent agriculture could be sustained indefinitely was further expanded in another book called Water for Every Farm, which was written by an Australian named P.A. Yeomans and published in 1973. This book introduced an observational approach to farming, which launched an organization called Keyline Designs. The book's insights can be studied at their website.  A slew of other advocates of permanent agriculture popped up around the world, each adding their own experiments and results to the mosaic that was expanding beyond simple farming. Influences included the works of Stewart Brand, Ruth Stout and Esther Deans, and Masanobu Fukuoka, who advocated no-till orchards and natural farming techniques. The first systematic use of the concepts of Permaculture are attributed to an Austrian farmer by the name of Sepp Holzer, who began developing the idea as a holistic approach toward farming in the 1960s.

Since then, Permaculture has grown into a social movement. The term has come to simply mean “permanent culture” – a self-sustaining way of life. It is about ethics, design, balance, ecology, economy… pretty much every important aspect of life. According to The Permaculture Association’s website, Permaculture combines three key aspects: An ethical framework, an understanding of how nature works, and a design approach. It goes on to say:

 “[Permaculture] is about living lightly on the planet, and making sure that we can sustain human activities for many generations to come, in harmony with nature. Permanence is not about everything staying the same. It's about stability, about deepening soils and cleaner water, thriving communities in self-reliant regions, biodiverse agriculture and social justice, peace and abundance.”

Sounds pretty hippie-dippy communal Utopia, doesn’t it? The difference is, this system actually works, if done properly. For more detailed information on the ethics, principles, design, and practical solutions of Permaculture, I suggest you visit their website. For the short-hand version, keep reading.

The core tenets of Permaculture are caring for the earth, caring for the people, and returning any surplus back into the self-sustaining system – whether it be surplus crops, water, or waste (even poop!). Caring for the earth entails allowing provisions for all life to continue and multiply, leaving room for everything, because everything has a place in the system. Caring for the people means allowing everyone access to necessary resources – exactly the opposite of what corporations like Nestle are doing when they privatize the Earth’s water supplies. In Permaculture, everyone gets what they need to live – even medicines. On a Permaculture commune, the local pharmacy is right outside your door, growing in the gardens or in the forest around your communal village. These gardens grow traditional remedies that have been known for centuries and yet have been hidden, buried, or outright destroyed by big pharmaceutical companies who would prefer you pay them outrageous fees for synthetic variations of these same remedies rather than just grow your own. Lastly, the return of surplus means exactly what it sounds like: Recycling everything.

[caption id="attachment_2140" align="alignnone" width="300"] Medicinal garden[/caption]

There are twelve design principles at work in Permaculture societies, and you can read all of them here. For a brief overview, let’s look at some specific principles. The first principle is ‘Observe and Interact.’ This means simply spending time in nature, getting to know its methods and observing how it works as one system, and then taking what you have learned from studying and observing the natural world and using it to your community’s advantage. And to think, there are some people who believe sitting in a quiet glen, watching wild flowers grow, is a waste of time! When you live in a self-sustaining community, that’s time well spent. You are no longer going to a 9 to 5 (or worse) job every day to earn credits to purchase items you need from faceless corporations that would prefer to see you dead by the time you retire. Rather, you are growing and producing those items yourself, and the more you learn about their organic nature, the more successful you will be at growing them. Think of all of the tremendous strides of human achievement that have come from people engaging in that very pastime. Aristotle and biology, Galileo and Newton with physics, Washington and his hemp, Franklin and his electricity, Darwin and his… species.

Let’s get back to Franklin’s electricity for a moment. Living on a commune does not mean you must forego all of the creature comforts of modern life. The second design principle of Permaculture is ‘Catch and Store Energy.’ Permaculture communes use electricity from such innovations as solar panels, and wind and water turbines that produce just enough power for their community. Smaller needs, smaller devices, less pollution. They are entirely off the grid. Granted, you will not spend the bulk of your free time on a couch, stuffing your face with processed foods as you watch hour after hour of reality T.V. – but ideally, you won’t want to. You will get much more satisfaction out of spending your time contributing to your community’s shared lifestyle, which means a lot more time outdoors, being healthy. After you do your share of the chores – feeding the animals or weeding the gardens – you can sit back and watch nature and society. This is the seventh design principle: ‘Design from Patterns to Details.’ This helps you find new and innovative ideas to improve the way your self-sustaining system works, giving you more time to spend growing your vineyard for a celebratory batch of wine or other herbal rewards.

[caption id="attachment_2141" align="alignnone" width="300"] The Scandinavian Permaculture Festival. Nordic hippies![/caption]

The idea is to not divide and conquer the Earth but to combine it as it was meant to be – one living organism for your benefit, and thereby benefiting the whole planet. It is about finding how nature works together, not separating it into different plots, ‘Integrate rather than Segregate’ – the eighth design principle. Putting certain crops or resources together, you develop a relationship between those things that can benefit the whole. For example, keeping chickens next to annual beds that need occasional tilling or pest control. Droppings of pigs and other animals can be shoveled into underground containment barrels to produce usable methane gas for more energy. As The Permaculture Association’s website puts it, “A healthy vibrant ecosystem is a mass of connections and relationships. That's what we are trying to create with a permaculture system.”

[caption id="attachment_2142" align="alignnone" width="300"] Who knew a chicken could be so useful?[/caption]

Again, you can read and watch a video about all twelve of the Permaculture design principles here, and you can get more details about the Permaculture lifestyle from the Permaculture Association website. You can also find all sorts of educational videos about this “Quiet Revolution” online, like this one:

http://youtu.be/uG2eHQ9Q078

And while you're at it, check out this video on sustainable housing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMNzoWkXTtc

As the world moves closer to whatever cataclysm, real or imagined, that people may or may not expect – be it all-out Armageddon or just greedy corporations trying to take ownership of and sell you things that should, by right, be yours for free – Permaculture offers an option, a choice if you care to choose it. It really does mean giving up the lifestyle you may have grown accustomed to: Driving to the grocery store to pick up a pint of ice cream to eat as you sit on the couch watching Downton Abbey or whatever the devil it is you’re into, texting and tweeting pictures of yourself to all of your friends who are doing the exact same thing… but imagine, just for a moment, the peace and serenity that may come with waking up in a little apartment in a self-sustained building on a communal farm where your schedule consists of playing with some baby goats as you contemplate the way the leaves on a nearby bush collect rainwater. Or shoveling a bunch of poop into a smelly hole (hey, Utopias don’t just happen).

Utopian? Perhaps. Necessary? Well, if current reports of impending food shortages, drought, and dwindling fuel supplies are to be believed, YES. The world is changing. How it changes may be up to us. The United Nations has been aware of this since 1992. Perhaps it is about time we took the initiative to break the cycle of destruction and constant pollution that results in an ocean full of plastic trash and an irreparably damaged food chain. Either that, or let the corporations mandate who gets to eat what and for how long. And why not? Haven’t they done a bang-up job of taking care of us and the Earth since they came into power?

Permaculture. It’s a thought. I was just chatting with my friend in Colombia, and he is very happy there. He feels he is doing what he is supposed to be doing. Sure, there is a slew of old hippies, horticulturalists and humanitarians down there doing this, but there is also a steadily growing number of young people who have just reached a point in their lives where they want to tell Monsanto and the corporate toadies in government to suck it. Similar revolutions are cropping up in other countries, in Canada and around Europe. My friend keeps encouraging me to take that step off the grid and, dammit, the more I think about it… it is a thought.

 

"Be not a cancer on the Earth -- leave room for nature -- leave room for nature." -- Tenet #10, Georgia Guidestones.

[caption id="attachment_2143" align="alignnone" width="300"] The Georgia Guidestones. Conspiracy or Conservationism?[/caption]

 

 

 

The Amber Road

My family comes from Latvia, a beautiful Baltic country made up of various trees, rivers and lakes, and a very wide range of biodiversity. While Latvia is well known for its amazing architecture and extensive liquor making, Latvia is also often sought after its beautiful and very resourceful Amber coast.

Since I was a child, special beads, bracelets, necklaces, and other ornaments made of Amber have been passed around in and outside of the family. My elders and even young cousins still tend to ooh-and-ah over all of the various colors, shapes, sizes, textures, and even insect surprises they find in their amber pieces. Needless to say, it has always been an honor in our small Latvian-American culture to receive a new piece of Amber.

Amber essentially is translucent, fossilized tree resin which varies in color from orange, yellow, cherry, green, and in rare cases, blue. Although over 90% of amber is found in north-eastern Europe on the Baltic Coast, there is a surprising amount found in the Caribbean and Dominican Republic. In the Dominican Republic, blue and florescent amber is dwelled out from big tunnels and shipped around the world for profit. Amber can be sold in its rawest, most natural form, or it can be modified, reconstructed, and even bonded.

What makes Amber so special? Perhaps it is the way it is made. Perhaps it is the prehistoric and legendary history. For my family, it has always been the heart-warming feeling when holding onto something from ‘home’. For Latvians, Amber generates a lot of trade and tourism for the country. For others, the amber may be considered special because of its natural beauty as it is often used as jewelry, in glass blown smoking pipes, as folk medicine, and even in perfumes.

Amber is often referred to as “The Gold of the North”, as it has been used as a trading resource since before the Stone Age. Even more interesting, there are pieces of amber which contain flies and mosquitoes which date back 40-60 million years ago.  Amber has also  been found in the ancient tombs and temples of popular ancient rulers throughout Egypt, Syria, and surrounding the North Sea. This is includes ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamen and even Apollo of Delphi. The best way to trade and ship amber in the past and today was by use of the Amber Road. The Amber Road makes up multiple routes throughout the Baltic States, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, France, and other parts of Central Europe. The Amber Road continues to bring trade and tourism to the continent, especially in the Baltic States.

Culturally, amber is the result from an Amber Palace bursting at sea in The Legend of the Sea Queen, as told by many Lithuanians. In the Baltic legend, Queen of the Sea, Jurate, lives in an Amber Palace. When her father finds that she in love with a fellow named Kastytis, he jealously destroys her palace leaving the sea and shore with pieces of her beautiful-resin made estate.

The real Amber Palace perhaps is the Palanga Amber Museum found in Lithuiana. This beautiful museum houses all forms and sorts of amber from all over the world. My family and I cannot wait to go and visit.

Repent or Die: How ISIS is Changing the Gulf

Some of you may have heard that the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis has returned to Earth and is wreaking havoc in Iraq, with plans to expand her new empire to engulf the world. Well, you heard wrong. The ISIS in the media today has nothing to do with Egyptian mythology. Who is this ISIS, then, you ask? To answer that question, first we have to look at the two main factions of the Islamic religion: Shiite and Sunni.

[caption id="attachment_2110" align="alignnone" width="214"] Egyptian Goddess Isis: Not involved[/caption]

Fundamentally, both sects follow the same basic teachings of Islam. The main difference is one of politics and not religion, and it reaches back through the ages to the death of the Prophet Muhammad himself. Upon his ascension, there was a debate over who should carry on as the leader of Islam. The Sunnis followed the beliefs of many of the Prophet’s companions, which stated that a new leader should be elected from a group of those qualified to take up the mantle. The word “Sunni” itself means “One who follows the traditions of the Prophet.”

The Shia (Shiite) Muslims believe that leadership should have stayed in the Prophet’s family line, and should have passed to Muhammad’s son-in-law, Ali bin Abu Talib. Shiites have refused to acknowledge the leadership of elected Muslim officials. Rather, they follow Imams that they feel would have been appointed by the Prophet or by God Himself. The word “Shia” simply means a supportive group of people, but the Shiites have also gone by the name Shia-t-Ali, meaning “Supporters of Ali.”

ISIS is a Sunni group that has grown out of al-Qaeda forces fighting against the FSA (Free Syrian Army) in Syria. ISIS takes their Jihad to a whole new level, however – a level so extreme that even al-Qaeda has disowned them. After securing territories near the Syria-Iraqi border, ISIS carried its Jihad into Iraq to combat the U.S.-established Shiite government under current president, Jalal Talabani. Talabani is the first non-Arabic leader of Iraq, as he is from the Kurdish side of the tracks. He is known as “Mam Jalal” or “Uncle Jalal” among the Kurdish people. ISIS moved into north-western Iraq, where there are several disenfranchised Sunni tribes, many of whom are hoping to restore the Sunni glory days as they were under Saddam Hussein before the U.S. invasion.

Gaining support in the region, ISIS spread quickly, taking control of Anbar, the largest province in Iraq, and then securing cities, from their stronghold in Al-Qaim to places further south such as Rawa, Ana, and Husaybah, which is only 100 Km (62 mi.) from Baghdad. Recently, ISIS has strengthened its grip on this territory from Syria to Iraq so much that it has officially declared itself an independent Islamic state, calling itself the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

[caption id="attachment_2111" align="alignnone" width="300"] ISIS annual Black Pajama Parade[/caption]

ISIS has swept across Iraq enforcing brutal control, putting down any resistance from Shiite-friendly fighters and moving itself into a position that could potentially topple the Iraqi capital and the government therein. Their ultimate goal, they say, is to bring the Muslim regions of the world under their direct control, starting with regions like Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Cyprus, Palestine and even Israel. I may not know much about the geopolitical climate of the region, but I am fairly certain that if ISIS ever does attack Israel… well, suffice to say, I will be getting the hell out of this part of the world ASAP.

So what does all of this mean to the Middle East? What new sort of wackiness has the sudden rise of ISIS brought to the region? Strangely, it has proven to be somewhat of a unifying force, bringing together different (and often conflicting) Muslim peoples and governments in a unified front against the push of what they see as Takfiri militants. “Takfiri” is a term used for a Muslim who accuses another Muslim of apostasy, or the abandonment of their religious beliefs. ISIS is basically calling other Muslims infidels, and other Muslims are basically telling ISIS to shut their collective pie hole. Indeed, the CCG (Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf) is rallying together to face this sudden and unexpected threat, and it is actually kind of beautiful in a horribly bloody way. Enemies are becoming friends, which is always a good thing – and yet it is due to horrible violence, which is never, ever a good thing.

Wouldn’t it be kind of nice if ISIS’s plan the whole time was to play Devil’s Advocate with the true intention of uniting the differing factions of Islam? They play the bad guys in order to unite Muslims against a common enemy created by ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a bid to bring about peace and brotherhood through turmoil. In truth, then, their intentions would actually be kind of noble, if misguided. I would like to believe that this is the truth behind the atrocities… I would like to believe it, but I can’t. In reality, ISIS is most likely just out for blood against those they see as not being true to the faith.

Back in reality, there is even more strangeness afoot, as the rise of ISIS is not just making new alliances among the Muslim nations, but several other nations are getting in on the mutual admiration game. Case in point, the United States – the empirical power that many see as the root cause of the unrest in Iraq – is reaching out to its old enemy Iran for two reasons that, on the surface, may appear separate, but in truth are very much tied together. The first reason is, of course, the U.S.'s ongoing battle against nuclear proliferation. Rumor has it that Iran is working on a bomb, and the U.S. and its allies – particularly Israel – take issue with that. The other reason the U.S. is reaching out to Iran is that Iran has both the military might and the ideology to be the greatest force against ISIS in the region. Iran is already placing its elite IRGC forces in preparation for an all-out assault on ISIS. The U.S. and the rest of P5+1 (AKA the U.N. Security Council plus Germany) have a vested interest in seeing Iran not only enter the fray, but to emerge victorious. To that end, the new discourse being broached by the U.S. with Iran to broker a new nuclear deal is very telling, as they may use these negotiations to get Iran to fight on their behalf against what the P5+1 sees as the REAL threat: ISIS.



In short, the U.S. needs Iran to quell the growing influence of ISIS in the region. Iran considers this a win-win as it not only will mean more negotiating power in its nuclear deals with the U.S. but it also means greater influence over the Gulf region as it will use its sacrifice in the struggle against ISIS to establish itself as a recognized world power. This probably does not sit too well with the CCG, but they, too, are relying heavily on Iran’s strength to stop the spread of ISIS. The Saudis already have troops placed on the border they share with Iraq, but regional geopolitical experts have warned that an intervention now by the Saudis could serve only to exacerbate the situation. Some say the best path to resolving the conflict will be through an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran. As journalist Bob Dreyfuss wrote in an article for The Nation (14 July, 2014):

"The easiest way to resolve the Iraq-Syria civil war is through an accord between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Although Saudi Arabia supports the Sunni side in a broad, regional proxy war throughout Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Persian Gulf and into South Asia, and Iran supports the Shiite side, neither side tolerates either Al Qaeda or ISIS. Both Riyadh and Tehran are worried about the rise of ISIS, and the common ground is there for both countries to establish a détente and try to resolve the civil war."

Dreyfuss also states that the chances of ISIS progressing much further are zero. Still, the region waits on pins and needles, as here in the Gulf we are in the midst of the holiest month of Ramadan, and both sides are using this time to build up support for what many see as inevitable conflict. ISIS is recruiting downtrodden Sunnis in Iraq, growing their forces the same way they did in Syria, and Iran is rallying its forces and brokering deals with the West. Sides are forming for what could be a major kerfuffle here in the Gulf: A unified front of Islamic nations led by Iran and backed by the U.S. against ISIS, a terrifying and fast-growing new threat to stability in a region that is not known for its stability. Keep in mind that much of the military equipment that the U.S. left in Iraq is now in the hands of ISIS, ISIS has taken control of a large chemical weapons plant in Iraq, and they are not hurting for money as they have begun selling off the oil from fields that they have taken so far at a rate of $1 million per day. ISIS is serious, as their ultimatum/motto “Repent or die” would seem to indicate.

The climate is always changing, and there really is no way to predict on which side of the line the ball is going to drop. If the conflict in Iraq boils over, we will see a lot more bloodshed in the region. If not, then perhaps we can find a silver lining in that ISIS may have served, in a limited extent, as a blessing in disguise by opening constructive discourse and creating a path for cooperation in the region.

As it stands, the peoples of the Gulf will prepare for war, and pray for peace.

World Cup Brazil: What the media didn’t cover

Many people from each corner of the world joined to enjoy the festivities at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The matches were exciting and the stadiums were filled to the brim with supporters from around the world. Fans cheered, cried, and supported their teams as they watched them win, lose, or tie against other teams.

Germany took home the trophy as they stood as the soccer champions of the world. The climb to the top was not easy as they played against tough opponents like Brazil and Argentina. In the end, they overcame their adversaries and won.

German fans went wild, their cheers drowning out any other sound within the stadium. The mood within the stadium was that of the utmost joy and pleasure, but outside the stadium, the atmosphere was different.

A year prior to the Brazil World Cup, the Brazilian government made some policy changes in preparation for the spectators that would make their way to the soccer stadiums in a year’s time. The first was raising the bus fare. This started the mass protests.

Some of you may ask, “Raise the bus fare? So? How much more could the bus fare rise anyway?”

The problem does not lie within the bus fare itself, but the principle behind it. However, it wasn’t just the bus fare being raised. Many of the services and products to which the average and underprivileged Brazilians grew accustomed, became more expensive.

Due to the vast expenses hosting a World Cup incurs, the Brazilian government began taking measures to raise funds for World Cup facilities. The expenses eventually fall onto the citizens of Brazil through taxes and increased retail prices. Brazilians are in need of more public services and facilities such as hospitals and shelters, but rather than utilizing public spending for the good of its citizens, those funds were allocated to hosting the World Cup. And it’s not just the money that has incited Brazilians to protests against their government.

[caption id="attachment_2083" align="aligncenter" width="430"] Building soccer stadiums didn't come cheap for Brazil.[/caption]

Brazil is famous for its favela, or slums. About 11 million people in Brazil live in these favelas, where there are virtually no public services or any regulations. They are almost secular to the rest of Brazil, and they are practically governed by the gangs within the favelas. The Brazilian government never really paid any mind to what went on in these slums. But due to the World Cup, the government began clearing out the favelas of anyone affiliated with gangs. The government wanted to remove any stains that would hurt the image of their country. In the end, special tactics and police units pummeled their way through the slums and had surveillance cameras installed. The favelas were now under the watch of Big Brother.

[caption id="attachment_2086" align="aligncenter" width="419"] Soldiers are ordered to hunt down gang affiliates in the slums of Brazil.[/caption]

For those that only kept up with the matches, they may have expected the streets of Brazil to be party central, but the truth is, most Brazilians are, to say the least, unhappy with the way things have been handled in this year’s World Cup.

[caption id="attachment_2082" align="aligncenter" width="429"] "Go Home FIFA” can be seen throughout the streets as protestors voiced their disgusts against the government and the international football association.[/caption]

Big international events like the World Cup are a great way for people to get together and enjoy fun times. But always be sure to recognize and understand how much toil, hardships, and sufferings the host must take on. Having fun is great and all, but if we really want to get to know one another, understanding each other is vital. Just know behind the façade of happiness, there may lie sadness. Let’s accept and understand everything that makes up a culture and its people. We just need to dig a little deeper to find out.

R16 - More than just dancing

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc1k9OrP2dw]

R-E-S-P-E-C-T. That’s what the “R” in “R-16” stands for. The R-16 is an annual event held in Korea where the world’s top b-boys battle each other for the title of world’s best.

Crews representing  Switzerland, Australia, USA, Russia, China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea stood present, ready to duel one another for the championship. But before the crew battle took place, a performance battle preceded the main event.

Each crew prepared a showcase to razzle dazzle both the audience and the judges. And it worked. Everyone in the crowd roared in cheer and jumped up and down in place as the beats of the music blasted through their entire bodies. From old school hip hop to modern dubstep, the crews executed their moves to their own beats as they flew through the air. Though each country performed their utmost and showed the audience what b-boy was all about, it was Russia’s Predatorz crew that took first place in the Performance Battle.

[caption id="attachment_2059" align="aligncenter" width="608"] Pictured: razzle dazzle[/caption]

The Crew Battle that immediately followed really showed off each nation’s b-boy talent. In the first round, China’s Jokester crew went up against USA’s Super Cr3w; Australia’s SKB crew faced Korea’s own Gamblerz crew; Double Kill of Taiwan battled Japan’s infamous Body Carnival; and the Swiss crew, KFM, went head to head against Russia’s notorious Predatorz crew. Each crew battled with ferocity and tenacity, but in the end, the top two winners of the knockout tournament stood against each other – Gamblerz vs. Predatorz.

[caption id="attachment_2061" align="aligncenter" width="551"] The final battle between Gamblerz and Predatorz[/caption]

You could really feel the heat of the battle emanating from their bodies. Neither crew backed down as they repeatedly pulled off incredible moves like air tracks, shoulder spins, and head spins.

Once the noise from the crowd abated, the president of the R16 organization stepped onto the stage. The finalists stood on either side of him, tensed and hoping to hear their crew’s name as the champions. For what felt like a year, silence rang through the entire stadium.

“The winner of the R16 Korea 2014 is… Gamblerz crew!”

[caption id="attachment_2062" align="aligncenter" width="484"] The Gamblerz crew is beside themselves in happiness[/caption]

The stadium blew up as every Korean audience member cheered in unison. The Gamblerz crew members jumped up and down in utter ecstasy, and some members even had tears flowing from their eyes. Gamblerz crew had faced many hardships throughout their long b-boy career, but it was all worth it, just to be able to enjoy that moment of happiness and cheerfulness.

IDigCulture had the opportunity to interview Gamblerz crew after the battle. The following are comments directly from the Gamblerz crew.

Comments translated from Korean to English by Scott Song.

 

[caption id="attachment_2063" align="aligncenter" width="481"] The crew shows off their R16 Champions rings[/caption]

 

IDC: How do you feel about winning the tournament?

Gamblerz: We are very happy. It was a kind of comeback. We re-gathered together after a long break thinking that the coming 12 years are more important than the past 12 years. Very luckily, we could win this honorable tournament and we are very satisfied with these great results.

 

IDC: When did you feel the most nervous during the competition?

Gamblerz: We felt most nervous at the very last round of the tournament because we poured out entire heart into what we have done such as practices. Waiting for the result was really suspenseful.

 

IDC: Which crew did you worry about the most?

Gamblerz: I think the most powerful team was Predatorz. We imagined our battle against this crew during practices. We kept thinking that it might be the hardest battle. As we expected, we faced the crew and became very nervous during the entire battle.

 

IDC: What were some of the challenges you faced?

Gamblerz: During our preparation for the R16, many members were injured and our whole team was very worried. But we could be on the stage cheering because of our fans. Even though we won the R16 Korea, we can lose next time. But we will get over the hardships and do our best. Gamblerz will go on and Gamblerz will continue to exist even after 10 or 20 years.

 

The R16 World Finals is a great competition, where crews from around the world participate in heated b-boy battles. However, it also has great cultural values. People from around the globe travel to watch support their native crews, but in the process, they have the opportunity to mix and mingle with people from different corners of the world. These spectators rouse around this world event and learn to socialize and at the very least sample cultures they’ve never seen before. The international crews communicate with one another in a way that language barriers cannot prevent: dancing.

The way the b-boys and b-girls express their hearts and souls on the battle requires no verbal communication. Through their bodies, they speak their minds and present themselves to the other crews. In a society where smartphones and other technological advances are slowly but surely replacing human interaction vis-à-vis, the R16 shows us the best way we can respect each other is by physically expressing ourselves.

7 Things to do in Nepal when You're Dead

Flying into Kathmandu from Oman is an easy four-hour flight, so last February I picked up a bottle of Bombay Sapphire at the Muscat duty-free shop and boarded a plane. By sun-down I was in Kathmandu, and the first things that struck me were the friendliness of the people, and the absolute chaos of the traffic. While I waited for my friend to meet me, I struck up a conversation with some cab drivers, explaining that I had come to Kathmandu from Oman with hopes of enjoying a cooler climate and, since it was technically the middle of winter, maybe even seeing a little bit of snow. The cabbies informed me that it had not snowed in Kathmandu in nine years. Since my hopes of frolicking in fresh snow were dashed, I had to find other ways to occupy myself in the City of Temples. Below is a list of must-dos when visiting Kathmandu.

1. Enjoy the Night Life

One of my new cabbie friends drove us to the location of the cheap little hotel I had booked in Thamel, a part of the city known for its touristy vibe. The smaller hotels in Kathmandu are very cheap, and you can usually get a room for around $24 USD a night. As we drove through the crazy rush of oncoming headlights and the beeping horns of cars and motorbikes, I noticed that a lot of the streets were dark. I saw a lot of vendors along the side of the roads, with portable little shops set up on the backs of motorbikes, illuminated with candles. This is due to the fact that Kathmandu has daily black-outs for half of the day to conserve energy. This can be a hazard because the streets of Kathmandu are not very well maintained. There were lights at the hotels, powered by generators, and each hotel room has at least one generator-powered light, but the TV is not hooked up to a generator. Not a problem, however. After all, who comes to Kathmandu to watch TV? We made a few drinks with the Bombay Sapphire and some tonic water delivered to the room by the hotel staff, and set out to see some night life.

After dropping our room keys at the front desk (a good idea when travelling in unfamiliar regions with the intention of imbibing), we wandered down to some shady streets where we were beckoned into several lively-looking bars and clubs. We chose one for its colorful lights display, and were soon seated inside. Once our hosts learned that the girl I was with was neither my wife nor my girlfriend, they weren’t shy about introducing some of the local ladies to our table. We drank, took pictures, and smoked a lot of shisha before venturing out to visit a few other places. We went to a few pubs, including the Kathmandu Irish Pub. The place was dead, but we had a few drinks with the owner and his friend, and they gave us free reign over the music selections. After several tunes from The Pogues and some requested Billy Joel from our host, we decided it might be fun to see some live music. Oman has no live music scene due to a strange law that says three or more musicians cannot be onstage together at the same time because, you know, music leads to dancing and dancing leads to sex and sex leads to Hell.

[caption id="attachment_2040" align="alignnone" width="300"] Hell, I tells ya[/caption]

Outside the Irish Bar, we walked down the confusing, winding, and dark streets as shady people shuffled by and muttered offerings of hash, weed, even mushrooms. It reminded me of the guys in the parking lots of Grateful Dead concerts who would walk quickly through the crowd muttering, “Buds! Doses!” to the Deadheads, trying to make a sale. We walked down the street until we heard live music coming from a place called Pub H20. We went in to discover a very talented little band playing in a very tiny little bar. The place was crowded with friendly expats, so we stayed to listen to a few familiar songs, then headed out to a bar that became a favorite: The Buddha Bar. This is a shisha bar hidden down a little side street with a very cool, hippy-like vibe inside. You sit at low tables on thick floor cushions and smoke shisha while the staff bring you drinks. The music was good and we got to meet a lot of the local Nepalese night owls, so I really enjoyed it. I even bought one of the Buddha Bar T-shirts.



Over the course of our visit, we made several friends. I have met a lot of friendly people in my travels, but none as sociable as the Nepalese. During my 12 days in Nepal, I made three new Facebook friends and still get WhatsApp messages and phone calls from two others.

2. Shopping

The next day, we headed out to do a little shopping. Nothing, not even the random offers of drugs, reminded me more of a Dead Show than the many, many shops along the maze of streets around Kathmandu. As a Deadhead, or a fan of the band The Grateful Dead, the city reminded me of one big Dead show that never stopped. Even after the band had picked up and moved on, the hippies had set up shops where their tents and VW buses had been. Hence, the reference to “Dead” in the title of this article. The parking lot had become a winding, confusing network of streets, and these streets were maintained about as well as a Deadhead might maintain them. Most places are smooth and dusty, while others are littered with rubble and loose cobblestones. You may even encounter one or two big, deep, open holes along the roadside, dug for some reason and yet not filled in, and not marked with any kind of reflective tape or warning sign, so watch out. Keep one eye on the road in front of you as the other eye soaks in the colorful shops.



And the shops are colorful. The shops of Kathmandu are very similar to what Deadheads called “Shakedown Street” which is the vending area of the parking lot scene of a Grateful Dead concert, named for the album and song of the same name. You will see a plethora of colorful tie-dyed clothing, woven items of multicolored yarn, and a wide assortment of colorful jewelry, pipes, and posters that the hippies sold to finance their long, strange trip. In Kathmandu, Shakedown Street is known as Freak Street, and there you will see a lot of similar items, often made from hemp or yak hair, as well as tie-dyed T-shirts, colorful handbags and hats, bracelets and necklaces, hacky-sacks, and the occasional pipe or bong of colorful blown glass.



There are, of course, lots of cultural Nepalese and Tibetan items varying in price from hundreds of dollars to a few rupee. Popular gift items include singing bowls, used in Buddhist monasteries for meditation and ritual purposes (you can get the smooth machine-made ones or the traditional hand-made, and they all sound very relaxing when rung). You can also get some very beautiful and elaborate Mandalas, hand-painted by monks and students at the local monasteries. There are lots of tea shops where you can buy traditional Nepalese teas grown in the mountains of Nepal. You will also see a wide selection of statues, knickknacks, and funky power-animal hats made, again, from yak hair. You’d think it would be very itchy, but it’s really just very warm.



It is easy to get lost wandering around the streets exploring, but just when you think you can’t find your way back to your hotel, there you are. It reminded me a bit of my first Dead show when we couldn’t find our way back to a friend’s van after the concert. Positive energy… and this city is full of it, in the strangest of places if you look at it right. If you do get lost, there is no shortage of rickshaw drivers who will take you exactly where you need to go for a very small fee.

[caption id="attachment_2036" align="alignnone" width="275"] Buddha Eyes are a very common sight in Nepal. They are on everything from temples to T-shirts. Deadheads might call them 'Eyes of the World'[/caption]

 

3. Safari!

After finding gifts for my niece and nephew back in the U.S., I bid farewell to my friend and hopped a bus down to Chitwan, a little province about five hours south of Kathmandu. The bus ride offers some tremendous views as you bounce along the mountain roads along the blue Trishuli River, which provides some fantastic white-water rafting. It is very naturalistic, and it is not uncommon to see young women bathing in the many little waterfalls along the way. Again, it reminded me of the hippie version of a Utopian lifestyle.



After a few stops, I arrived at my destination. The driver from the Sauraha Resort picked me up at the bus stop and drove me to what would be my home for the next three days. The owner was very nice, if a little surprised that I had come on my own. He sat down with me while I had my complimentary lunch and went over my itinerary for the weekend. First, a quick tour of the wildlife reserve’s museum, then sitting on the shore of the river in deck chairs with other travelers to drink beer and watch the sun set over the park. The next day would include a river tour in a canoe, then a walking safari through the jungle to spy on whatever animals may be around. Then a trip to the elephant breeding grounds before returning to the resort for a late dinner. My final day would consist of an elephant safari (riding elephants!) before I was taken to the bus for the return journey back to Kathmandu.

The museum had photos, footprints, and skulls of some of the local fauna: Elephants, buffalo, rhinoceroses, crocodiles, tigers, and assorted birds. Poaching is very much a problem here, so there are armed guards posted around the park as well. I stood by on the paths in the woods outside as some of the tamed elephants came lumbering past. They really are beautiful animals, and the expressions on their faces tell you exactly how they are feeling at any given moment. Mostly, they are bored, it seemed, but once in a while one of them would think of something amusing and a smile would break out on her huge face. Even their eyes smiled in those moments, but those moments were rare from what I could see.



The next day, I went with a guide to the river and we plopped ourselves into a long, narrow, leaky wooden canoe. The oarsman shoved us away from the shore with a long pole, and we began our lazy cruise down the river. It was so peaceful and quiet. At one point, I draped my arm over the side and let my hand drag along in the cool water. My guide quickly suggested that this may not be a good idea, and later I saw why: Huge crocodiles. We saw several of them that day, but the first one was a really big sucker, lazily sunning himself on the banks of the river. I asked my guide what kind of crocodile it was, and I must have misheard him because it sounded like he said “Mass-murder crocodile.” I apologized for not understanding his accent, and asked him to repeat it. Again what I heard sounded like “Mass-murder crocodile” which did little to ease my nerves as the oarsman moved us closer and closer to the big, scaly beast. That croc would have no trouble at all in toppling our little canoe and dragging us all down for a death-roll. But the big fella didn’t even move his tail. My guide explained that the croc had just eaten, and would have no interest in returning to the waters for a while.



We continued drifting down the river, and saw all sorts of birds and buffalo, and women on rocks at the shoreline washing clothing in the waters as children played nearby. Everything here seemed to be included in the great balance of nature, and it was all beautiful. After about two hours, the oarsman pulled up to a path that headed off across the reserve. My guide and I got out, thanked the oarsmen, and watched as the canoe drifted away. Then we walked up into the grasses of what looked a lot like how I imagine the Serengeti would look. My guide politely asked if he could excuse himself as he was feeling his own call of nature. A minute later he was back, and excitedly telling me to follow him.

“What is it?” I asked. “Rhino!” he replied.

Soon we were off and running across the water’s edge, down to some lowlands at a fork in the river. I realized how out of shape I have become as my chest was pounding in less than a minute and I was breathing so hard I was sure I would scare the rhino away. Looking back, I realize how silly that is: Scare a rhino away? Luckily, we did not have far to go, and soon we were slowing down and I could see the large prehistoric-looking creature wading through the waters, eating some plants from the river bottom.



My guide kept a low profile, so I followed suit. We crept a little closer. The rhino was a good distance away in the water, but my guide informed me that they could go from 0 to 60 very quickly. Fortunately, their eyesight is very poor, but their hearing is very good. We crept around quietly in the grass as I took pictures. This sort of an excursion deserves a much better camera than the little pocket camera I had. My guide offered me his binoculars to get a closer look. It was much more impressive than the colorful birds we had peeped at before. At this point, I felt very satisfied in my one-man safari: I had seen crocodiles and birds, and now a rhino, one of the great endangered species of our planet.

Once back on higher ground, my guide spotted something in the dirt: A big paw print. “Tiger!” he said, circling the print with his walking stick. This was so other safari guides would see it and be alert for the presence of the big cat. Sadly, that was as close as I got to an actual tiger on that trip. Perhaps that is a good thing. We walked past some cameras hidden in the brush that had been placed there to help count the tiger population. They took our picture as we walked by.

The best part of this safari came a little farther down the path, when off to our right we heard bushes rustling, heavy breathing, and vegetation being munched. A big, gray mass moved slowly behind the brush about fifteen yards away – another rhino! My guide waved to me to follow him, very quietly. I figured he knew what he was doing, and I really wanted to see a rhino up-close, so onward we crept. We moved very slowly, and whenever a twig snapped or a branch rustled, we’d stop and listen. Sometimes, the rhino would stop her munching and listen, too. This made me nervous as I remembered what my guide had said about their hearing. At one point the munching stopped and the rhino lifted its huge head, its horn jutting above the grasses it was dining on. My guide turned to me and asked very, very quietly: “Can you climb a tree?” My heart stopped and my eyes went wide. Just the look on my face must have been answer enough, because then he said “Hide!” I crept as quickly and quietly as I could behind a nearby bush. My guide found one of his own and none too soon, as the big horned behemoth casually trudged between us onto the path we had just been walking on. It paused, and looked around. I was very quietly raising my camera to snap a very quiet picture. How could I not? But my guide saw what I was doing and reached out for my camera. I gave it to him, thinking he was going to put it in his pocket where I couldn’t use it to get us both gored to death. Instead, he took it and began creeping up behind the rhino! He got a good shot of it, and then we ducked behind the grasses. At this point, we had traded places with the rhino. It continued across the path and disappeared into the brush on the other side. We quickly and quietly continued on our way in the other direction.



The rest of the safari consisted of some crazy tree-killing vine (seriously, the thing creeps up the tree and takes two years to strangle it. I could imagine the tree screaming as trees do, creeping the hell out of the other trees), some amazingly blue birds, a wren, some more elephants, and another crocodile. The rhino had been the crowning jewel. We left the jungles a couple of hours later and headed for the elephant breeding grounds.

4. Gawk at Elephants (but maybe don’t ride them)

The elephant breeding grounds, I am sad to say, are little more than an elephant brothel where the women are forced to work. Domesticated female elephants are chained up under high wooden roofs with some hay to munch on as they await the midnight marauding of the wild males that live in the park. Tourists don’t get to see any actual mating as it all takes place at night. Now, I agree that the world needs more elephants, but is this method ethical? Do the females get any say in who they mate with, being all chained up out there? At least they get the company of their children, as several of the mommy elephants were accompanied by cute little baby elephants… but then again, is this something that children should have to see? Their own mothers? And what mothers! These poor animals are pregnant for nearly two years before the baby is born! Can you imagine that? At least it is two years of not being chained up in an elephant whorehouse. While they are gestating, the big girls get to relax in the open fields and forests of the breeding sanctuary, no doubt in the company of any children they already have.



The next day I awoke before dawn to go out with my guide and ride one of these big, lovable, intelligent beasts. The morning was cold and very foggy, which played hell later on with the cold I was developing. One of the hazards of international travel: Every new climate brings a slew of new bugs and viruses into your system. I rode out on the back of my guide’s motorbike to the elephant ride launching area. There, you climb atop wooden scaffolds and wait for the driver to park his elephant under your feet. Then you just step over onto the big bastard and slip into the crated frame strapped to its back. Three other people climb in with you, one person to a corner to maintain balance. Once we were all situated, the driver nudged the elephant and we were off into the morning mist. First we waddled down a huge, muddy embankment into the river, crossing over to the other side where the good jungle was. It’s a good thing they balance those crates with a person in each corner, because on more than one occasion I felt certain we were going over the side.

The ride through the early morning was a delight, and I got to see a few more animals that I had missed the day before: Deer, peacocks, wild boar, and an ornery chicken. Still, I must say that I felt bad for partaking in what I now realize is animal slavery. The elephants did not seem happy. The drivers would coax the elephants to move by driving their big toes into a little spot at the back of the elephant’s ears that looked like it had been jabbed to the point of being very tender. If that didn’t motivate the elephant, a stick was administered to the top of the elephant’s head. Not a big stick, thank God, and not a hard hit, either… more just a firm tap. But still… I was happy to see our elephant mount a bit of a protest at one point. The big girl just stopped by a tree to reach up with her trunk and pull off some particularly tasty-looking branches. She stood there, enjoying her breakfast, apparently impervious to our driver’s toe-jabs and stick-taps. He whistled, he barked, he jabbed some more, but she remained where she was. Finally, she swung the uneaten portion of the branch over her head and hit our driver right on the ol’ coconut. Good for her, I thought. The driver didn’t seem to mind. I guess that happens a lot.

[caption id="attachment_2024" align="alignnone" width="225"] Toe-jabs keep the pachyderms moving[/caption]

Later that day, I said good-bye to my gracious host, the manager of the resort and his family. I left my guide a hefty tip and gave some decorative Omani weaves to the manager’s two young daughters. As we drove away, I saw the two little 3- and 4-year-olds tying them into each other’s hair. It’s always a good idea to bring little gifts when you travel for just those occasions. I took some more pictures of the mountains and river on the ride back – including one of a bus that had gone off the road and dropped a ways down the edge of a cliff some time ago. It does happen.

5. Get to Know some of the Locals

One of the best things you can do when you travel is to meet the locals. Spend time with them. In a country like Nepal, it is very easy to do, as the local population is very gregarious, and it is not uncommon to be invited into someone’s home to meet the family. Don’t be shy… do this. Not only does it show the people of the world that the people from your part of it are cool, but it will give you a very rewarding experience to remember fondly. Remember before when I said I found some gifts for my niece and nephew? I found them, but I had not yet bought them. I didn’t want to have extra stuff to carry when I traveled to Chitwan. Now, back in Kathmandu, I went to pick up the presents. The man who sold them to me was a very kind fellow who also owned a tea shop. We went to his tea shop, where he introduced me to his wife and daughter and made us some delicious milk tea. We chatted, comparing life experiences… he had worked in the fields and saved money all his life to move his family to Kathmandu and open some shops. He was living his dream, and he was a happy, friendly man for it.

Later, I ran into another fellow on the street who asked me where I was from. He offered to show me some of the temples around Kathmandu. His name was Prem, and I spent the day with him, getting some great pictures.



He showed me the proper way to pray at the entrances to the temples, and explained that it is proper to move clockwise around the inside of the temple. As in most Asian countries, it is also customary to remove your shoes before entering. He also told me the names of the various deities. He showed me how to apply the red paint to my forehead for the Third Eye. He even took me to Boudhanath, the famous Buddhist temple in Kathmandu where the Buddha’s bones are said to be interned. I asked him later if I could give him some money for his guide services. He refused it. He said his family lived near Boudhanath, and asked me if I would come visit his home. How could I not?



He led me across the busy street, behind the row of shops and down to a small, dingy collection of shanties and tarp-covered huts. We went into his one-roomed house that he had built himself. His wife and young daughter, he said, were away, visiting a sick father in another part of Nepal. He introduced me to his sister and young son, who chewed relentlessly on a stick of sugarcane. His sister made us tea while we chatted about his life and where I came from. Later, his brother joined us. I spent the afternoon with those people, and they never asked me for anything. They said they just wanted foreigners to see them, to know how many Nepalese lived. No one ever came to see this part of Nepal, but it was important that people should. I took pictures and they made more tea. The room was little more than two large wooden-plank beds covered with various blankets and stacks of boxes and containers around a central post and a small wood stove. So much poverty and squalor, and yet so much kindness… and just across the street from one of the most famous Buddhist Temples in the world.



He and I still talk. He has my phone number here in Oman. This is why traveling is important.

6. Visit More of the Temples

Aside from Boudhanath and the many smaller temples hidden throughout the city, there are other major temples that are worth a day to explore. One is Swayambhunath, or the Monkey Temple. It got this name because of all of the cats that run around the temple steps. Did I say cats? I meant monkeys, of course – monkeys everywhere! Before you enter the temple, there is a marking of the Buddha’s footprints by the entrance. It is considered good luck to touch these and then touch your forehead before entering. This temple, as most temples in Nepal, is decorated with spinning prayer wheels, some small and lined along the walls, others huge, and by themselves in little side-rooms to the temple. It is important that when you spin one of these cylinders, you spin it clockwise. If you spin one of the larger ones with its own room, walk around with it three times and pray.

[caption id="attachment_2033" align="alignnone" width="300"] Prayer wheels. Remember to spin them clockwise.[/caption]

The steps leading up to the temple are many, and it is an exhausting hike, lined with fortune tellers, artists, and craftspeople making all sorts of Buddhist-themed jewelry and other souvenirs for sale. Some of the salespeople on the stairs can be very pushy – pushier than most travelers would like. If you do not wish to buy, do not engage them in conversation. Keep your eyes down and keep moving up. A simple word of kindness here can get you a very annoying traveling companion. Even if you finally explain, “Look, I have no money! A monkey stole my wallet!” they won’t believe you and will keep following.

[caption id="attachment_2028" align="alignnone" width="300"] Boudhanath, where the Buddha's bones are said to be interred[/caption]

That’s no exaggeration about the monkeys, either. They are crafty little thieves. My friend had her juice box stolen from her when she sat down with one of the fortune tellers. The monkeys will swipe anything that is set down for a moment that looks colorful or tasty. Sure, they are cute, but they can be little jerks, so watch yourself and don’t make eye contact with them, either. No eye contact with monkeys or salespeople.

Do remember to be respectful, as always, as the Monkey Temple is the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage site. For followers of Tibetan Buddhism, it is second only to Boudhanath. As with the temple at Boudhanath, it is proper to walk around these temple sites in a clockwise fashion, three times for the best results. There are a few rules of etiquette to remember when visiting any holy site, and even though Buddhists have a reputation for being very laid back, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with them before visiting a temple.

[caption id="attachment_2029" align="alignnone" width="300"] Swayambhunath, or the Monkey Temple[/caption]

If you visit the Monkey Temple, it is a short trip to another picturesque site, Three Buddha Park, where you can see the statues of the Three Buddha of Swayambhu. The one in the center is the Amitaba Buddha, and the statue is the largest Buddha statue in Nepal, measuring in at 67 feet (20.4 meters). Each represents one of the dominant types of Buddhism: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana.

[caption id="attachment_2030" align="alignnone" width="300"] Three Buddhas of Swayambhu[/caption]

7. Get Drunk and Fly a Plane Around Everest

On my last night in Kathmandu, I went out with a friend I had made who worked at my hotel, a fellow named Shantos. He and his friends invited me to go drinking with them, and we soon ended up back at the Buddha Bar. We drank and smoked shisha. The shisha severely aggravated my sore throat from the cold I caught while riding elephants in the early-morning mist, so I started drinking ginger brandy. I mentioned that I was sorry that I did not get to see Everest. It is a long way from Kathmandu, really, and requires a grueling twelve-day trek to see it up-close. Shantos said they fly airplane tours to see Everest. He offered to book one for me through the hotel. The price is a little steep – around $150 USD, but I felt it was something I needed to do, so I readily accepted.

The next morning, I awoke blurry-headed and still drunk. The pounding in my head turned out to be Shantos pounding on my hotel room door as he tried to wake me up for my flight. I jumped out of bed (luckily I had slept in my clothes) threw on my shoes and jacket, and headed out. Before I knew it, my hangover and I were circling Mount Everest in a little prop plane. If you arrive drunk and sit in the wrong seat, they even let you fly the plane for a bit… Obviously, they were just having fun with me. Although I got to hold the controls for a few seconds, I could tell it was the co-pilot who was really handling the plane. Or perhaps I had replaced the co-pilot? I really have no idea how planes work. As we got closer to the mountains, I was relieved of my pretend pilot position. Still, I got some great picks through the cockpit window. When we landed, I even got a little certificate that says “I did not climb Mt. Everest, but I touched it with my heart.” I call it my “I pussed out and took a plane” certificate. Afterwards, I returned to the hotel for some rest. The next day, I did some last-minute shopping and then booked a cab to take me to the airport. I said goodbye to my new friends, and that was that.

[caption id="attachment_2031" align="alignnone" width="300"] See that square-shaped peak that looks like the top of a cowboy hat on the far right? That's Everest.[/caption]

Parting Shots

Nepal is not the cleanest tourist destination, but it really is fulfilling on a spiritual level. I would have liked to have been able to travel into Tibet while I was there, but it can be pricey and there is a long waiting period for the necessary VISAs and I didn’t have the time or the money. It was nice to see Everest, even from the air, but it would have been nicer to actually set foot on it… even walk up a few feet just so that I could say yes, technically, I had climbed Everest… not all the way to the top, of course. The trek to Everest is a popular thing for the more adventurous travelers with more time and money (and physical health) at their disposal, but for a guy like me… Hell, I was lucky I woke up in time to catch the flight. All in all, it is a very good experience. But do be careful… a report came out recently that Kathmandu, for all of its friendliness, leads the word in kidney theft. Yes, you read that right – those urban legends you have heard? It actually happens in Kathmandu… but usually not to tourists. It is more of a local problem. Just the same, don’t be stupid, no matter where you travel. Keep your wits about you and don’t wander off down any dark streets with any strangers for any shady kind of dealings. According to recent news reports, people begging for money for kidney operations is common in Kathmandu. I did not see anyone specifically begging for kidney money. I did see a few kids involved in a scam where they ask a tourist to buy them some milk in a grocery store for a sick sibling back home. Tourists just offer to give them money, but the kids refuse, and instead insist on taking them directly to a nearby store. This adds a bit of legitimacy to their tale – until you realize that the grocers are in on it and the cost of a carton of milk is suddenly around $30 USD.

Either way, keep a tight grip on your wallets and purses and kidneys. Be friendly, but be safe wherever you travel.

[caption id="attachment_2032" align="alignnone" width="300"] Another view of the temples around Boudhanath with prayer flags flying[/caption]

 

North Korea: Security threat or not?

North Korea has proposed to its southern neighbor for an immediate cease on all provocative military actions to “better” the relationship between the two countries, according to media outlets.

The proposal comes mainly due to the annual joint military exercises between South Korea and the U.S. The timing for North Korea’s offer for amicable relations couldn’t be funnier. The isolationist state recently test fired missiles into the East Sea, and it drew much criticism from the international community.

North Korea has pulled off this trick more than anyone can count. Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, provokes the international community with its nuclear weapons test, missile launches, and its many threats of military action against South Korea. However, North Korea also requests bilateral or multi-lateral talks with countries like South Korea and the U.S. Pyongyang makes numerous claims for peace on the Korean peninsula, but in less than a year, they always break their “promises” for cooperation.

The question everyone should ask themselves is, “Is North Korea a security threat to the world?”

First, let’s define what security threat means. According to Wolfers (1962), “Security, in an objective sense, measures the absence of threats to acquired values, in a subjective sense, the absence of fear that such values will be attacked.”

Basically, security threats can be summarized into two categories: 1. A threat is present if one actor (a state or organization) is about to literally attack another state. 2. A threat is present if a state feels like they are under danger, regardless of whether or not an actor will really attack.

In these cases, how much of a security threat does North Korea pose? It’s true North Korea has been a security threat both in the objective and the subjective sense. The South Korean Cheonan naval ship was brought down by the North in 2010, which was a direct attack on the Republic of Korea (ROK). Its nuclear weapons tests and ballistic missile launches, although they weren’t fired directly at any other state, are provocations that make the reclusive state to be deemed a security threat. These actions are considered security threats, but what exactly is the North’s purpose for causing such a scene so often?



As most are aware, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is in economic turmoil, and its citizens constantly suffer from malnutrition. The CIA World Factbook estimates the GDP in North Korea to be roughly $1,800 USD per capita. However, the UN estimates North Korea’s GDP per capita at $506 USD. The economic sanctions placed against the state don’t help economic growth either.

Because the nation is in poverty, the DPRK has to find alternative methods to bring in money. At the moment, the North relies upon foreign aid to help feed its people. The DPRK causes ruckus in order to grab international attention. Its pleas for attention come in the form of nuclear weapons and military threats.

The DPRK has struck deals with the U.S. to dismantle its uranium plants for food and energy aid. The U.S. kept up its part of the bargain and helped the impoverished nation, but once the North got what it wanted, they always went back on their word. North Korea joined the Nonproliferation Treaty in 1985, but the North has always restricted access to certain facilities whenever the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) made their inspections. North Korea always pledged to halt all weaponizing of nuclear material in return for aid, but they have never followed through with their vows. They merely took and never gave. It seems the only leverage the DPRK has is the threat of military force when it comes to negotiations. So, it comes down to whether or not North Korea will actually use nuclear weapons or declare war. Sure, they are very aggressive when it comes to foreign policy or diplomacy, but they also know it would be highly ill-advised to attack the U.S. mainland or try to invade South Korea again. As long as they wave around their threat to do something impulsive, negotiations will continue through bilateral or multi-lateral talks. And as long as concerned state actors come to the table, they can ask for foreign aid (which they often do get).



North Korea does provoke other nations, and sometimes those provocations are pressing security threats. However, most of their threats are a cry for attention and the international community must keep that in mind when they are dealing with the Stalinist state.

Alien Encounters from Around the World

We’ve all heard the stories: Someone is out in the middle of nowhere late at night when they spot strange lights in the sky. The next thing they know, they are on a table surrounded by shriveled gray beings that insist on inserting things into their butts. What is this? That episode of 'The Golden Girls' that was too “raw” to air? No! It is the so-called UFO phenomenon as it is perceived by most people in Western culture. Strangely, this is not at all how most encounters with UFOs usually – or ever – go. So what are we to expect from this psychosociological phenomenon? Despite stereotypes and media hype, these strange experiences are recorded differently around the world. Let’s take a look at the Top 5 reports of alleged encounters with the other-worldly in various cultures and see in what ways they differ, and in what ways they are eerily similar. Let’s start with one that most UFO fans are familiar with, and which fits the usual description of such encounters.

5. USA: The Travis Walton Experience

In November of 1975, Travis Walton was working on a small logging crew under contract to remove brush from a state forest in Arizona. His boss, Mike Rogers, was behind schedule to complete the contract on time, and so had his crew working overtime, often from 6 a.m. to nightfall. On one such night, the crew was in a truck driving back to their nearby town of Snowflake when they saw a light glowing from behind a hill. When they drove over to investigate, they saw a silvery disk hovering several feet off the ground. Travis jumped out of the truck and ran toward the disk, ignoring calls from his coworkers to get back in the truck. The disk started to make a sound like a “large turbine” and began to wobble in the air. As Walton started to back away, a blue-green beam shot out of the disk, knocking Walton to the ground, his arms and legs sprawled. The men in the truck then apparently fled the scene.



When they got to town, they alerted the authorities, saying only that one of their team had gone missing in the mountains. When police arrived, however, the men were “visibly distraught,” two of them weeping as they recounted the full story of what they claimed happened. The police on the scene said that if they were acting, they were “awfully good at it.” A search ensued immediately as police were worried that Walton, if left in the wilderness, could easily die of hypothermia. He had last been seen wearing only a T-shirt and jeans and it got extremely cold in the mountains at night. Despite the crew’s harrowing account, there was no physical evidence indicating anything unusual at the location they specified. Walton was missing for five days. The crew took and passed polygraph tests – all except for one man who did not complete the test. Walton’s mother, when told of the news, seemed remarkably calm, simply asking to hear the story again, and then asking if anyone else besides the police had been told. Some, including Sheriff Coplan who knew the family, attributed this to her tough nature resulting from raising six children on her own.  However, as the days passed, she began to show emotion for her missing son.

Travis eventually reappeared five days later. His brother Duane took him to a “doctor” that was sponsored by a local UFO investigation group. Upon realizing the man was not an actual doctor but rather a hypnotherapist, Duane and Travis said they left the man’s office after only forty-five minutes. The hypnotherapist and the head of the UFO investigation group disagreed with this account, claiming that the two Waltons had been in their care for over two hours. When Walton did finally consult two physicians, they reported two strange findings: First, a red mark in the skin above Travis’s elbow indicative of a hypodermic needle (although it was not near a vein), and second, an unlikely lack of ketones in his urine. Had Travis been lost in the woods, his ketone levels would have risen as his body broke down fat to survive in the elements. Skeptics would claim this was evidence that Travis had been hiding in the home of an accomplice, perhaps his own mother. Other evidence was proposed by debunkers, such as the fact that NBC had aired a TV movie about the famous Betty and Barney Hill UFO abduction just weeks before Travis disappeared, although nothing in Travis’s account was similar to the Hill abduction. Travis claimed he never saw the movie. Also, some claimed that Rogers had concocted the story to get out of completing his forestry contract on time, but others say that this was not a big deal. Forestry contracts often went past the contract deadline for various reasons, and Rogers never tried to enact the “Act of God” clause to get out of it.

So what did Travis claim he saw after his alleged abduction? Travis claims that after he was hit by the beam of light, he awoke on an inclined hospital bed. The air was heavy and wet around him, and he was surrounded by strange beings in orange biohazard-type suits. He said their eyes were exceptionally large, and mostly brown (as opposed to the black most abductees report), showing only a little bit of white. He said their noses and mouths looked very small, but that may have been because their eyes were so large in comparison. He claims he jumped out of the bed and grabbed a glass tube from a nearby table and tried to break it to fashion a weapon, but the tube was unbreakable. Instead, he used it to threaten the beings, and they left him alone in the room. He ventured out on his own and found his way into a large, circular room occupied by a single high-backed chair. He sat in the chair and played with a sort of control stick, which caused the room to light up with a pattern of stars, similar to a planetarium. When he moved the stick, the stars would move. He then says he noticed what looked like a rectangular doorway. When he walked over to it, he encountered a tall man with “golden eyes.” The man wore a glass space helmet on his head. He didn’t respond to Travis’s questions, only gestured for Travis to follow him. He led Travis down a ramp, exiting the disk and walking out into a large hangar area with other disk-shaped objects within its high walls. He was led into a room with two other golden-eyed beings – two men and one woman. The woman put something like an oxygen mask over Travis’s face, and he blacked out, only to wake up outside a gas station on the outskirts of Snowflake. A silver disk hung in the air over the road nearby, and when he saw it, it shot off and vanished. He called his brother-in-law from the payphone at the gas station, and soon was back home to tell his bizarre story.

The whole thing became a book, which then became a movie called “Fire in the Sky” which met with moderate success, yet told a completely different account of what Travis claims he experienced.

4. China: The Strange Case of Meng Zhao Guo

China has had more than its share of UFOs and extraterrestrials (or waixingren as they are called in China) appearing in the local lore. Even Sun Shili, a retired Chinese foreign ministry official, claims that these waixingren walk among us here on Earth. Many Chinese scientists are said to agree with him. Meng Zhao Guo may also agree with him after his alleged encounter, which shares two very similar traits to that of Travis Walton: First, Meng was working in the mountains on a logging crew when his encounter occurred, and secondly, he was also hit by a beam of light. However, unlike Travis Walton’s story, Meng’s gets kind of sexy – in that he claims he had sex with a ten-foot-tall female alien with six fingers and braided leg fur. Despite her large size and extra fingers, Meng said the alien “looked completely like a human.” Meng also said this was the first and only time he broke his marital vows to his wife, but she was apparently cool about it. “I told my wife all about it afterwards” he said. “She wasn’t too angry.”

[caption id="attachment_1999" align="alignnone" width="246"] I don't know what this is, but YOU try finding a picture to fit Meng's description.[/caption]

Meng’s erotic encounter took place in June of 1994 when he and two other workers at the Red Flag Logging Camp noticed something unusual in the sky over Phoenix Mountain. In 2003, he met with Zhang JingPing, a UFO researcher based out of Beijing, and agreed to hypnosis and a lie detector test to be administered by police psychologists in Beijing. The results were that Meng was telling the truth. Zhang also noted Meng’s scars, which he said were not indicative of any normal injuries or surgeries. Obviously, they could only have been caused by getting freaky with a ten-foot-tall alien with six fingers (allegedly).

Meng had very little formal education, despite having spent most of his life in the Wuchang province. Wuchang was one of three cities that merged into modern-day Wuhan, the capitol of the Hubei province of China. He says he had never heard of UFOs or anything related to that sort of tale prior to his own experience.

After his encounter, Meng claimed that the oversized aliens continued to harass him (apparently word had gotten out in the Big ‘n’ Tall Lady Alien circles that Meng was a love machine). He also claimed that on the 17^th of July of the same year, the aliens abducted him again and took him to Jupiter, which they claimed was their home world. Although most UFO buffs in China believe the initial encounter may have actually happened, no one believed Meng’s subsequent stories, choosing instead to believe that he was just milking it for publicity.

In other accounts, Meng is said to have claimed that his alien copulation took place while “floating above his sleeping wife and daughter.” Freaky. The scar he suffered is said to be on his thigh. When the aliens returned to abduct him again, he is said to have claimed that he levitated through a wall to board the alien spaceship. He was told he could not see his alien mistress again, but that on a distant planet, his alien love child would be born in 60 years.

Today in China, there is a growing interest in UFOs, and many Western tourists have reported that Chinese citizens will approach them and ask them if they have seen any UFOs in their countries. Sadly, despite the Meng case being the most famous account of an alleged alien abduction in China, not many other details have been released. Perhaps now, however, the aliens have learned that Wuchang Clans ain’t nothin’ to f*** with. (Sorry, I could not resist).

3. Russia: Hill 611.

Most Americans are familiar with the story of the alleged Roswell UFO crash of 1945. Similarly, in Russia, a few privileged people are aware of a similar event that occurred on the romantically Russian-named Hill 611, located in the extreme east of Vladivostok. This crash was reported to have involved a “flying sphere” that crashed into the hill in 1986. Although most of the object disintegrated on impact, specialists from the Academy of Sciences were able to recover some debris.

On January 29^th, at around 8:00 p.m., residents of the small town of Dalnegorsk reported seeing a red ball about half the size of the full moon. It flew silently and slowly (around 15 meters per second, or 34 mph) over the ground. As it approached Hill 611, it tried to ascend but crashed into the hill. Eyewitness accounts of the crash differ, with some saying the sphere vanished after a brilliant flash, and others saying that it yawed unsteadily, emitting an array of bright lights before it finally hit the earth. Three days after the crash, a team of ufologists led by Valery Dvuzhilny climbed the hill and found a crash site a few meters in diameter. The area looked as though it had been exposed to high levels of heat, with the rocks baked to a shiny black, and there were the remnants of a burnt tree in the center of the site. Strange beads and bits of tear-drop-shaped metal were found scattered around the site, along with a strange mesh-like material. The beads and drops were analyzed, and said to contain mostly lead, silicon, and iron, although some of the drops also contained bismuth and rare earth elements. Some of the rocks at the crash site were covered with drops of silvery lead which was determined to be of a different variety than the local lead. The radiation levels of the grounds around the site were normal, although when the team took pictures using two different cameras, all of the pictures developed blank.

Years later, a TV special on the incident concluded through “scientific testimony” that the materials found at the crash site were not of man-made origin but were from “somewhere else.”

Since this account is even shorter than the Meng case and doesn’t have all the exciting trappings of alien erotica, I will also relate a famous mystery that occurred in Russia which many have attributed to possible alien involvement. The now-famous and creepy story is known as the Dyatlov Pass incident. It took place in January of 1959, when nine young students and a ski instructor from the Ural Polytechnic Institute went on a skiing expedition in the Ural Mountains. None of them ever returned. Their bodies were recovered a month later, and some of them showed very unusual injuries. Five of them were found frozen to death outside the tattered remains of their tent. The others were found buried in the snow in a clearing further from the camp. One had a crushed skull, and another was missing her tongue. The evidence at the scene indicated that they had fled in sudden terror, leaving key survival equipment – including coats and boots – behind. The official cause of death was a “compelling unknown force.” Strangely, soon after, the entire case was filed away as ‘Top Secret.’

The ski team was scheduled to arrive in Vizhai on February 11^th and send telegrams home to their families to let them know their trek had been a success. By February 19^th, when no telegrams arrived, concerned families demanded the Ural Polytechnic Institute send out a search party, which they did. Soon concern was at such a heightened state that the Soviet military got involved, combing the Ural region with helicopters and foot soldiers. It was these soldiers that eventually made the grim discoveries.



The tent had been ripped in half, and all of the camper’s gear had been left behind. Around the tent, the footprints of eight people could be seen—some bare, some in socks, and one wearing only one shoe. About 1,500 feet from the tent, the footprints were covered in snow. Nearby, however, the soldiers found the frozen, half-naked bodies of two of the men near an extinguished campfire beneath an old pine tree. Why had they not gone back to the tent to retrieve their clothes? Even weirder, the soldiers noted that the branches of the tree had been broken off up to fifteen feet above. My first guess, as I am sure yours would be, was that the men had been breaking off the branches for firewood. The soldiers, however, claim that they broke the branches off in a frenzy, shredding their hands to bloody pulps. 900 feet away, the bodies of the others were found, one clutching a birch tree branch in one hand and holding up another frozen hand as if warding off some unknown attacker. A girl was found with her tongue missing, although accounts vary as to whether it had been cut or bitten out.

Even stranger, later analysis of the tent material indicated that it had been ripped from the inside. Damage to the bodies was said to be equivalent to that suffered in a car crash. The crushed-in skull had been hit with a heavy object, and other victims had crushed ribs. No animal tracks were found nearby… in fact, no tracks other than those of the campers were anywhere to be found. There is one cryptic phrase that was found written in one of the camper’s journals: “We now know the snowmen exist.” Of course, this could have been written as a joke, as at the time, a popular activity among students was to create their own newspapers as a rebellious act against the state-run media. To this day no one knows what really happened out there in the Russian wilderness. Theories include hostile local tribes, a top-secret military exercise, and –



2. Malaysia: Mini-Alien Invasion

After that creepy Russian account, you may welcome a tale of the more… campy variety of alien encounters, what with the multi-colored tunics and ray-guns and little green men. Well, we need look no further than Malaysia! And the little green men were really little – no more than six inches (15.2 cm) high. “Why heck” you might be thinking, “That’s not scary! I’d like to capture one of those and put it in a mayonnaise jar! He’d be great for show-and-tell!” Yes, he would be – if it weren’t for the fully-functioning ray-gun he toted. Let’s look at the “facts.”

From the 1970s up into the mid-80s, reports of tiny alien invaders were popping up all over the little South-East Asian country. They arrived in tiny little spaceships, no more than 3 feet (91.4 cm) wide. Aside from the larger eye-to-head size proportion common to most aliens, some of these little doo-dads also sported two antennae atop their heads! Adorable. So adorable, in fact, that no one seemed to mind that their favorite places to explore seemed to be children’s playgrounds. No one minded, that is, until the devious little suckers brought out their ray guns.



One case occurred on school grounds in Johor Bahru in 1969. A group of schoolboys ran into their headmaster’s office to report seeing a small flying saucer in a small wooded area near the playground. They claimed they saw six little beings, all wearing red suits, milling around on the forest floor. As soon as they spotted the boys observing their activities, they scrambled and hid in a hollow beneath a tree root and their “spaceship” vanished into thin air. A search of the area in question turned up nothing unusual – except for a small burn mark about the size of a dinner plate where the spaceship had allegedly landed to recover its crew.

A similar sighting occurred near a middle school in Bukit Mertajam, where a group of children reported seeing a small spaceship land and a tiny ramp emerge. Then five 3-inch tall humanoids marched in “military fashion” down the plank. Four wore matching blue uniforms while the fifth, who seemed to be the leader, wore a yellow tunic and a helmet with spikes on top. They ignored the children and proceeded to climb a nearby tree to erect some sort of aerial device. One of the children apparently decided the little buggers would make cool pets and went to capture the leader. The little aliens had other plans, however, and opened fire with their tiny ray-guns, the beams from which stung and burned the children, who promptly ran away. One of the boys exhibited small burns on his thigh, presumably a result from the tiny laser blasts. Remarkably, very few details such as specific names, are available. Chroniclers of these occurrences claim that this is due to the lack of accurate record keeping by Malaysian authorities at the time.

1. Australia: Aliens from another dimension?

The Dandenong foothills, near Belgrave, Victoria, were the scene of one of the strangest UFO encounters on the books. It involved a woman by the name of Kelly Cahill and her family, and she would later describe her alien tormentor as one with no color… and no soul.

It was August, 1993, when Mrs. Cahill was returning from a visit to a family friend, along with her husband and three children. Her husband was driving, and the kids were nodding off in the back seat. It was soon after midnight when the Cahills noticed a circular craft hovering over the road. It had multicolored lights glowing underneath, and windows all around it. Kelly told her husband that she thought she could see people moving around inside the object through the windows. Then she noticed that they weren’t people. She started to scream, telling her husband to drive around the object and get them out of there. Suddenly, the craft disappeared in an intensely bright flash, and they found themselves alone once again on the deserted road. Kelley later said she kept asking her husband, “What are you going to do?” and “What happened? Did I black out?” Her husband remained silent and quietly drove the family home.

Soon after, Kelly kept smelling an obnoxious odor “like vomit” but could not locate the source. She soon pieced together on her own recollection that they had somehow lost nearly two hours of time on their drive home that night. Two hours, as any ufologist will tell you, is the standard amount of missing time associated with most alien abduction scenarios. She also noticed a tiny, triangular mark above her naval. In the weeks that followed, Kelly suffered from minor health problems, including a urinary tract infection. She also reported frequent stomach pain.

Over the next two days, she gradually remembered the harrowing details of the family’s experience. She said that they had encountered the UFO again after it had disappeared that night. Further down the road, they had seen it hovering in a gully. In a “trance-like state” she sat quietly as her husband drove over to the area and stopped the car. They each got out of the vehicle and began walking toward the craft, which she described as being very large – around 150 feet (46 m) in diameter. As they got closer, they could make out something moving in the field around the craft. She could see several dark creatures, humanoid in shape, about seven feet (2 m) tall. And when she said they were dark, she meant dark. She said they were completely devoid of color, except for a large pair of glowing red eyes. Other than those eyes, it was as though light did not exist in them. She described them as having “no soul.”



She got a sense from them that they were evil. As they watched the aliens move about the ground, she was aware that they were not the only witnesses there. Another car was parked on the other side of the craft. She could see the aliens were moving in groups, and one group floated over to the other car. Another group soon surrounded her and her husband and led them into the craft. Then she blacked out and awoke back in the car. Later, she would claim to recall one of the dark entities hovering over her nude body like it was kissing her naval, and she would say that she got a distinct feeling from them that they were “intruding on our dimension.” They were taking up space, but reflecting no light.

Soon after her story was made public, people claiming to be the witnesses from the other car came forward and described the same details – including details like the nude examination that were not made public. Coincidence? Probably. More likely, however, I would suggest that the Cahill’s story is actually very similar to many alien abduction accounts, including the famous Betty and Barney Hill story referred to earlier. It is therefore possible that the other witnesses simply filled in the missing information with common traits of other such encounters. Either that, or….



While these stories may be interesting, they are a mere speck of the entire canon of ufological accounts of bizarre encounters with strange beings. There are stories about aliens of all shapes and sizes, from little hairy trolls to large, blonde Nordics. There are spooky “black-eyed children” and reptilian lizard people, and even an account of aliens that made pancakes for a Wisconsin chicken farmer. And – of course – there are the ever-popular “grays.” Are all of these stories fake? Some of them do offer some compelling physical evidence, while others just make us laugh. Some scare the crap out of us (like that Russian story… sure, it may not have been aliens, but really – WTF?!) All told, they represent an interesting reflection of human psychology and culture. And who knows? Maybe some of them even offer a glimpse into one of humankind’s greatest questions: Are we alone? I, for one, sure hope not. If we are, then we have some serious psychological problems.