In the vast and rugged terrains of Central Asia, the practice of bride kidnapping—an age-old tradition involving the abduction of women to force them into marriage—continues to challenge and intrigue. Known as…
With the outbreaking pandemic that has been stayed for quite long, have you wondered how has the pandemic changed the way we travel? This is my observation of traveling in five European countries in June to July 2022 for 1.5 months when health protocols were relaxed even though it was still declared a pandemic.
Since the pandemic began in March 2020, I have actually traveled abroad, which is Turkey in September 2020. I am really waiting to be able to travel abroad again after the vaccine is full and when the country no longer enforces PCR tests and quarantine. As soon as the world started to loosen up, I was ready to get out! Nervous? Of course! Imagine, it’s been two years since I’ve traveled solo abroad!
It turns out that things have changed after 2.5 years of the pandemic, at least in Europe. In general, here are the summary:
1. More Expensive.
First, because it was opened during the high season of the summer. No wonder once the protocol is loose, many people has became “travel enthusiast”. After being quarantined for so long, people are traveling in droves at the same time.
Second, because of the Russo-Ukrainian war, the prices of raw materials and fuel in Europe rose.
Third, the information on the tourism industry sites is not updated, so often prices have gone up, so the budget has swelled.
Lastly, here’s my personal opinion: because 2.5 years of the pandemic have made low income, I have become more appreciative of money because it’s really hard to get it! With the currency exchange rate getting worse, I was shocked!
2. Longer Queue
During the two years of the pandemic, many airports were not operating, so they laid off their employees. Once it has been opened again, the airport became short of employees.
As the result, the queue is long as it is served by very few people. Not to mention causing flight delays, cancellations, or loss of baggage. High season and understaffed is a confusing combination. Not only at the airport, but also in other public transportation. The business of making a visa also takes longer than usual because of the large number of applicants.
3. No Health Protocol
This depends on the country and city. In Dubrovnik, Croatia, local people shouted at me to take off my mask. Contrary, on a public bus in Milan, Italy, the bus driver shouted at passengers who didn’t want to wear masks. While on the plane, depending on the airline regulations. Long-haul international flights are still mandatory, but flights between cities/countries in Europe are mask-free. I still wear a mask when I’m on an airplane and in intercity public transportation, and other passengers see it too!
It feels like social distancing doesn’t happen at all. No temperature check. Hand sanitizer is no longer provided, although some restaurants still provide QR codes for menu access.
It’s a bit scary, but I watched the Queen & Adam Lambert concert at the Bologna stadium, 99% of the crowd didn’t wear masks!
4. The Group of Asian Tourists is Deserted
Currently, many tourists are traveling independently, not joining a tour group from their country. Groups of Asian tourists who are often annoying because they are noisy and take up the space of tourist attractions, are nowhere to be seen.
Maybe they haven’t been allowed to leave their country, or visa matters are getting more difficult and longer, or it’s just not the right time. One more thing, because of the war, Russian tourists were not seen.
5. No Longer Staying in Hostel Dorms
The reason, of course, is that I’m still paranoid. It’s just too lazy to share a room at night with many unknown people in a narrow room that often has no windows. Not to mention sharing a bathroom. Yes, the pandemic makes me a bit germaphobia! At first I was worried too, because hostels are places where we meet fellow travelers, so there are friends to chat and hang out together.
This time I chose to pay more to rent an apartment or stay at a hotel. But it turned out that my trip went smoothly and I was still able to make new friends from outside acquaintances.
6. Don’t Bring a Camera, But Bring a Laptop
Before the pandemic, I often wrote travel articles for magazines, so every time I traveled I brought a DSLR camera so that the quality was worthy of publication.
Unfortunately, during the pandemic, many magazines were closed! So I don’t carry a camera anymore. Now all photos and videos from cellphones are for social media purposes.
On the other hand, I usually don’t take my laptop with me (unless I’m away for a very long time), now I take it instead. Understandably, in this pandemic, all matters have been moved online, such as meetings and webinars. It’s also hard to find the right time because the time zone is five hours apart!
7. Outdoor Activities
In order to reduce the risk of transmission, this European trip was meant to swim at the beach. Fortunately, I have visited several cities/countries before so I don’t need to enter a museum or do indoor activities anymore. I ate at the restaurant and sat outside. clubbing? Not occur!
When you go on vacation abroad and visit some countries in the world, there is a chance that you will see some strangest festivals that are not usually done in other places.
There may be a certain event that is so respected and special for the local community in a city that it is celebrated by holding a festival. As a tourist, seeing the festival can make us surprised, smile, and amazed because of the strangeness of the festival being held. And every country certainly has a festival that is different from one another.
With that, here are the 9 strangest festivals around the world that will make you scratch your head.
1. Beer Floating Festival – Finland
If you’re a beer lover, then you should attend the beer floating festival in Finland. You can participate in this festival by going to Helsinki which is the capital of Finland.
This festival involves a lot of people where you can drink, swim and have a beer bath together. You will find all kinds of beer and beer-related activities in this festival.
The fun fact is that there is no official event organizer or committee that manages this festival. People who love beer will come there, drink beer, swim, board the boat, and drink beer together with people who take part in the Beer Floating festival.
2. Pamplona Bull Run – Spain
Fighting with bulls has been a common festival in Spain for decade. Among all type of the bulls game, there is one famous one: Pamplona Bull Run.
This festival is usually held in July every year. A number of bulls will be released on the streets and will run in all directions randomly. People who take part in the festival must escape from the pursuit of the bull group.
There is no specific goal from this festival other than being able to escape from the bull’s chase. This festival has high risk with the possibility of someone being injured and even dying.
3. Festival of the Horns – Rocca Canterano
Affair is one of the problems that arise in romantic relationships. Usually, when there is an affair, this will be a sad ending for both side.
However, it turns out there is one city that celebrates the moment of the affair. A city outside Rome called Rocca Canterano celebrates infidelity by women with a festival called the Festival of the Horns or Festa del Cornuto. This festival has been carried out long ago in the era of the Roman Empire.
In times of war, men will leave their homes. After returning from the war, not a few of these soldiers were having affair with others. The term cornuto is a term used to designate people whose partner cheated on them. Then these cheated men will take action on the streets by destroying objects given by their ex. It is hoped that this festival can entertain and honor the male soldiers.
4. Moose Dropping Festival – Alaska
In Alaska, you can witness moose falls from the sky. It’s not a natural phenomenon, but the residents of Talkeetna have deliberately dropped moose droppings from the sky.
Moose droppings are painted white and then dropped from a helicopter or hot air balloon. Festival attendees at the bottom will guess where the dirt will land. This strange festival has been held since 2009 and still very popular until now.
5. Cat Food Festival – Canete
Canete festival or also known as the Cat Food Festival is a festival that uses cat meat to be eaten by many people. The festival indeed raise a controversy from the animal lovers, especially cat lovers.
This festival is held once a year, which is in September. About 50 cats are used to celebrate this festival. The cats will be killed and their meat will be taken.
Cat meat will be processed into Canete specialties such as schnitzel, hiacatay, or greaves. According to local beliefs, cat meat has properties as an aphrodisiac and prevents bronchial disease.
6. Monkey Buffet Festival – Thailand
In Thailand, there is this festival called as Monkey Buffet Festival when the locals are treating the monkey all you can eat buffet for a day. This festival is a feast for monkeys. In Lopburi province, the monkey population there is very large. The people there think that monkeys are respected animals and can bring good luck.
As a form of respect for the monkeys, the people of Lopburi provide food for the monkeys to eat. The food consists of fruits and vegetables that are the monkey’s favorite.
7. Blackawton International Festival of Worm Charming – UK
Worms are the animals that are considered disgusting by some people but have benefits for the environment. Worms can help fertilize plants naturally. However, you might not expect if there is a festival that use worm as the main theme.
Precisely in Southeast England, Devon, there is a strange festival called the Blackawton International Festival of Worm Charming. A number of people must be able to catch worms from the ground in a predetermined time. The rules require participants to be able to catch worms with any effort and not to dig them.
Some tried to take the worms by singing, using musical instruments, pouring special liquids, and so on. The point is not to take it by digging.
8. Jalilkatu – India
India, a country strong in tradition and there are many festivals held to celebrate something. Among all the many festivals, there is one festival that is considered strange because of the high risk but is still held and attended by many participants. The festival is called jalilkatu or bull-taming.
The festival is held in Tamil Nadu and is part of the Pongal celebrations. A bull will be released in a crowd of people. Those with big guts will try to jump and sit on the bull. As much as possible the participants sit for as long as possible. Of course the risk of injury is very high.
This festival was first performed in the 3rd century BC and was performed by the ancient Ayars. In 2017 the festival was banned. However, because local residents protested loudly, the authorities finally lifted the ban.
9. Day of the Dead Festival – Mexico
In some countries in the world, there is a tradition where there are special events held to honor the deceased family. Mexico is one of the countries in the world that has a strong tradition of respecting ancestral spirits. And they celebrate by holding the Day of the Dead festival.
This festival is somewhat similar to Halloween celebrations where people take to the streets dressed in horror style. But in Mexico, the festival is more spiritual. Those who are still alive will dress up like ghosts in spooky and colorful costumes. This colorful outfit depicts a soulful and uplifting atmosphere.
According to the study, in the next few decades, Japan and South Korea will lose 50% of their population. Their population will drop by up to 50%. So, what’s behind the South Korea and Japan’s population decline?
Economy Impact
This demographic crisis will have a dark impact on their economy. The reason is simple: when a nation loses 50% of its population, their economic turnover will also collapse at a relatively similar rate. Their market share will drop 50%. And their economic output will also experience a significant fall. Who else will produce and buy their products when 50% of the population is gone?
Currently, such a dark demographic crisis has slowly undermined the strength of the Japanese economy. Grind slowly but the impact is very crucial. For example: in the suburbs of Japan, now many villages and sub-districts are transformed into ghost villages. Because literally, all of the population is extinct. There are thousands of houses left empty, because the occupants died and there was no longer a successor generation. Dead cities like this will slowly ambush various cities in Japan and Korea.
Kindergartens and Elementary School Are Closing Down
More and more kindergartens and elementary schools are closing because there are no more students registering. Because there are no more new babies born. There is no next generation who every year flocks to register for kindergarten. The supply of her new baby had disappeared.
The cause of this brutal demographic crisis is very simple. The reason is: more and more young people in Japan and Korea are reluctant to get married and have children. There are many of them choose to be single forever. Meanwhile, those who choose to get married, decide not to have children forever (childless family).
The result is fatal: no more new babies were born. And this is a disaster: because the parents who died, no longer have a successor generation. They do not have children and grandchildren who can continue civilization.
In Japan, for example, last year there were 1.4 million people who died (mostly yes because they were old and died naturally). Well, when young families in Japan are reluctant to have children, the number of deaths of 1.4 million is no longer a substitute. In other words, every year the Japanese population will decrease significantly every year.
Demographic Crisis
Such a phenomenon also occurs in Korea and China (China’s population will also drop 50% in the next few decades because many young people there are reluctant to have children now).
These three giant countries, Japan, China and Korea, experienced a demographic crisis with fatal consequences. Every year, the number of babies born in the three countries is always far below the number of elderly people who die.
Reasons of Low Birth Rate
The question is: why are more and more young people in Japan, Korea and China reluctant to have children? The answer is simple: because having children is complicated and very expensive. Many young families in Japan, Korea and China can’t afford to buy a house.
On the other hand, the cost of living to raise children, and finance children’s education funds, in the three countries is also increasingly expensive. While the income of many young people there is also mediocre. They are worried that they will not have enough funds to support their children’s life and education.
Government Solution
The governments of Japan, Korea and China themselves began to fear the demographic crisis that kept this time bomb. They are aware that without any improvement, the economic condition of their nation will collapse. Because 50% of the population will be irreplaceable.
There are three possible solutions that may be feasible by the governments:
1. Provide Low-Cost Housing
First: they must provide low-cost housing to young, newly married millennials. Don’t let private developers take possession of the land, and then set house prices too high. The governments of the three countries must aggressively build adequate flats, at affordable prices, so that young, newly married families will have more freedom to have adequate housing. The hope is that with this, the cost of living will be more affordable.
The policy is expected to encourage young people to be more willing to have children, because their government also subsidizes the cost of owning or renting a house (an important element for a young newly married family).
2. Subsidy The Child Care Service Cost
The second solution: provide quality child care services at low prices, or even for free.
Good child and baby care services, widely available, and at low cost or even free, will make young newly married families not have to worry about the burden of caring for their newborn baby. The hope is that this will encourage the young generation of Japan, Korea and China to have children.
3. Lift Up The Foreign Immigration Rules
The third solution: the three countries, especially Japan and Korea, should make it easier for foreign immigrants to come from various countries to work and become citizens of their country. So far, Japan and Korea have somewhat limited the presence of foreign workers.
It is better if the governments of Japan and South Korea begin to relax foreign immigration rules. Let thousands of foreign workers to find work and even settle down as Japanese or Korean citizens. Even the Japanese and Korean governments need to encourage the foreign workers to become their citizens and also marry local Japanese or Korean citizens.
These are the three concise solutions that the governments of Japan, Korea and China need to implement in overcoming the threat of the demographic crisis in front of their eyes.
As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close, we rounded up 10 celebrities who’ve been open and candid about dealing with depression, anxiety, and other issues surrounding mental health.
1. Daniel Radcliffe
No one glanced at the figure of Daniel Radcliffe until he was finally involved in the Harry Potter films. Harry Potter was originally a novel by J. K. Rowling that tells the story of the wizarding world. Daniel Radcliffe plays in the film as the main character, Harry Potter. This British actor is known to have a mental disorder called OCD.
OCD or obsessive-compulsive disorder makes Daniel Radcliffe quite tormented. He said that he had OCD since he was 5 years old. It was because of this mental disorder that Daniel Radcliffe had to consult an expert. Not an easy journey but it must be done so that mental problems can be resolved.
2. Katy Perry
Pop music lovers may not know the singer Katy Perry. The singer of the song Roar is included as one of the successful singers in Hollywood. Always able to create hits and looks strong, it turns out that Katy Perry has a big problem and it makes Katy Perry depressed.
In the case of Katy Perry, she had a dead end when she was in her 30s. She was so depressed that she was unable to compose songs. One of the causes of her depression was that she broke up with her spouse. After going through those tough times, Katy Perry managed to get up and re-create songs.
3. Leonardo DiCaprio
The popularity of Leonardo DiCaprio is unquestionable. Its high popularity is certainly not without reason. Leonardio DiCaprio is highly appreciated for his excellent acting skills. It had been a question why an actor as great as himself did not get an Oscar. Finally, the wait was over when he got it in 2016.
An actor as great as Leonardo DiCaprio is not a perfect human being. He also has a serious mental disorder. DiCaprio admits that he suffers from a mental disorder known as obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD for short. OCD causes sufferers to have uncontrollable and repetitive thoughts and urges and compulsive behaviors.
4. Robin Williams
When someone is sad and wants to find entertainment, one way is to watch comedians. But, have you ever thought what if the comedian is sad? Where should they run and seek help? This is roughly what the comedian actor, Robin Williams, experienced.
Robin Williams died shockingly in 2014. He died by suicide. After being investigated, it turned out that Robin Williams had suffered from severe depression throughout his life. The actor suffered from depression, dependence on alcohol, was sentenced to dementia, and Parkinson’s. This is what made him decide to end his life.
5. Zayn Malik
2010 was the year One Direction was born. One Direction is a British boy band consisting of 5 handsome men. They are Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik. The boyband has been on hiatus for a long time and some of its members have solo careers, namely Zayn Malik.
Zayn Malik through an interview, open to the public by telling how he suffered from mental disorders. In the interview he admitted to having problems with anxiety and depression. This mental disorder makes it difficult to live life and make decisions. He also had an eating disorder when he was still in One Direction.
6. Chris Evans
Marvel has always been selective in choosing which actors will play the characters in the comics. Robert Downey Jr., Hugh Jackman, Chris Hemsworth, and Chris Evans were very well chosen to play superhero characters from Marvel comics. From some of the names that have been mentioned, it turns out that Chris Evans, who became Captain America, has a mental disorder called social anxiety.
In an interview, Chris Evans shared how he struggled with social anxiety. He realized that if this was not addressed immediately, this could threaten his career in film. Social anxiety is a mental disorder that causes sufferers to experience unreasonable anxiety when engaging in social interactions. Sufferers can feel panic, fear, and shame when they have to face other people.
7. Camila Cabello
The appearance of the girl group Fifth Harmony in 2012 gave a new color to the music world. Fifth Harmony is from America and consists of Ally Brooke, Normani, Dinah Jane, Lauren Jauregui, and Camila Cabello. One of its members, Camila Cabello, decided to leave and go solo in 2016.
This Cuban-American singer has become one of Hollywood’s top singers. Young, beautiful, and can write her own songs, very talented. In 2022, Camila Cabello talks about her mental health. She has anxiety and OCD. OCD is what makes her experience anxiety. This disorder bothered her so much until she didn’t even want to work until her mental condition got better.
8. Adele
There are many singers with extraordinary vocal power. Adele became one of the many singers who have extraordinary vocal power. And plus it turns out that Adele is experiencing problems with her mental health.
The Grammy-winning singer opened up to the public about her mental health. She admitted that she had experienced postpartum depression after giving birth. Postpartum depression is a condition when a mother feels sad, guilty, and other common forms of depression for a long time after giving birth. Adele doesn’t have any medical procedures or talk about it with anyone and that really bothers her.
9. Lady Gaga
Have you ever heard of PTSD? PTSD is a mental disorder that causes the sufferer to experience trauma after experiencing a traumatic event. It could happen because he experienced or even witnessed. PTSD stands for post-traumatic stress disorder, and is usually experienced by soldiers.
A number of famous Hollywood celebrities suffer from this mental disorder, including one of them is Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga, who is known for her eccentricity, bombastic songs, and unique style of dress, admits that she suffers from PTSD. The PTSD she experienced was because when she was 19 years old, she had been a victim of rape.
10. Dwayne Johnson
Starting as a wrestler following in his father’s footsteps, Dwayne Johnson has now transformed into a famous Hollywood actor. Even his name was included in the list of the highest paid actors in the world. Even actors who have tall and burly bodies have experienced problems with their mental health.
It seems we really can’t judge people from their physical appearance alone. Dwayne Johnson as a child had depression. The deep depression he experienced was because he had seen and saved his mother from an attempted suicide. It is very painful to see the person who gave birth to him wanting to end his life.
Dia de los Muertos is perhaps the most popular holiday in Mexico, symbolized in the classic skull painting. While it’s look like a Halloween for foreigners, Dia de los Muertos has actually other meaning behind it. Let’s check out what does this tradition really represent!
Dia de los Muertos, The Day of the Death
In Mexico, there is a unique tradition to remember the dead that called as Day of the Death or famously known as Dia de los Muertos.
In contrast to most of the culture, while the family members will be mourning during the death date of someone they love, Mexican are actually celebrating it in the form of festival. It has similar concept with the Ma’nene tradition from Torajan, while the villagers are celebrating the life among the death.
The Lady of The Dead
The Day of the Death festival exist since 2,500 to 3,000 years ago while the origin villagers are celebrating the soul of the dead. The tradition was actually dedicated to a Goddess of Mictecacihuatl or also known as “The Lady of the Dead”.
The Aztecs and other Mesoamerican peoples do have a unique tradition of keeping skulls in their homes and will display the skulls during festival activities. The tradition of displaying the skull symbolizes death and rebirth.
Symbolize Life Guarantee After Death
Death has always played an important role in the procession of worshiping the gods and performing rituals in ancient Mexican civilization. The Aztecs believed that when a person died in childbirth, or as a sacrifice for others or died in battle, it was a blessing. They believe that people who die in these conditions will get the desired life guarantee after death.
However, when the Spanish Conquistadors arrived in Mexico, they considered the celebration impolite and changed the date of the celebration to coincide with the Christian holidays of All Saints’ Day and the Day of the Spirit which fall on November 1 and 2. The combination of European Catholic traditions and indigenous Mexican traditions eventually formed the current El Dia de Los Muertos celebration.
Now, El Dia de Los Muertos is celebrated every November 1 and 2 by Mexican, Central and South Americans and by Latinos living in parts of the United States and Canada to honor deceased relatives and friends.
November 1 is known as Dia de Los Angelitos and is dedicated to the memory of the spirits of children. Meanwhile, on November 2, it is called Dia de Los Difuntos to commemorate the spirits of adults.
The Altar Decoration
During the Dia de Los Muertos celebration, each family will make an altar decorated with various colorful trinkets ranging from photos, Aztec Marigolds (Mexican death flowers), calacas and calaveras (skeletons and skulls), skull-shaped candy, papel picado ( a kind of Mexican ornament), the deceased’s favorite foods, drinks, and items during the dead’s lifetime.
The celebration of Dia de Los Muertos is indeed identic with altars or commonly known as ofrendas. These altars were erected and decorated to honor deceased relatives. Mexicans believe that this celebration makes it easier for the souls of the dead to visit those who are still alive during the two days.
Not just that, Mexicans also believe that these spirits will come to eat and party with them during the festive day. During the celebrations, family members will offer prayers to the deceased in the hope that the dead will hear them.
During the festival, The Mexicans will also visit graves and place offerings on the graves of their relatives. They will also clean the tomb and decorate it with beautiful ornaments and light candles around the tomb. During night of the festive day, the atmosphere in the tomb actually looks very beautiful with thousands of lit candles.
Not only at homes and cemeteries, but the streets will also turn lively when Dia de Los Muertos festival is held. Everyone in the community will feast on ghost costume parades, art exhibitions, musical performances, and more.
Welcome Food For The Dead
The Mexican believes that the spirit might be hungry and thirsty after the long journey from the spirit world to the living world. Hence, the family usually will present the favorite food of their dead loved on the altar. The offering of the foods are usually consist of what the person enjoyed when they were still alive.
However, the most common meal in the altar offering is Pan de muerto, or also known as bread of the dead. In Mexico, Pan de muerto is usually presented at most of the bakeries and supermarkets by middle of October. Mexican honor the loved ones who passed away and leave them offerings at their gravesites or at altars made at home.
Mexicans do not see death as the end of life, but interpret it as the beginning of a new life. That’s why Dia de Los Muertos is performed in a cheerful and colorful celebratory setting.