Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Extreme Body Mods In Japan

subdermal implants, ear surgery, elf ears, bod...
subdermal implants, ear surgery, elf ears, body piercing (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When someone asks you to think about body modification you probably instantly think about tattoos and body piercings. However, just recently a brand new type of extreme body modification has become a craze with the Japanese. They have taken body modification to a whole new level with something that has become known in the English speaking parts of the world as the “bagel head”.

Bagel heads have entirely grasped the imagination of a whole host of cheerless youthful citizens devoid of any sense of worth. Japan being the realm of strangeness and a location where their populace enjoy a good freak show, have dared to come up with a totally contemporary means of body modification which is universally known as a bagel head.
A saline suspension drip is infused by specialized piercers into a precise place, which brings about an exaggerated immune response by the body causing swelling and distension. Luckily, the saline jabs are not everlasting and the actual bagel contour only persists for in the region of twenty-four hours.

The places that are most commonly injected and the most prevalent body parts for creating these swellings are the forehead, a place where more often than not a couple of bagels are created and also the tops of the arms are injected to give the appearance of a Popeye style large bicep muscle.

As well as giving the impression of being a absolute fool and looking as if they require a dollop of cream cheese on their head swelling, this kind of extreme body modification may induce some side effects akin to headache, contamination, skin elasticity, a sensation of pressure, and giving the appearance of having a dodgy eye.

It looks as if, thanks to the Japanese the missing piece of the extreme body modification jigsaw has been discovered, but it does beg the question, what will they come up with next?


Monday, August 27, 2012

Tourism in Queensland Flourishes Despite Flooding

English: Coolum, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, A...
English: Coolum, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are many times when some kind of natural disaster wreaks havoc on a country and the long term effects can be devastating. Not only do the residents have to rebuild their lives, but often the local economy suffers as well. A few months back I travelled to Queensland, Australia which you may remember was hit by devastating floods in January 2011. The good news is that they do not seem to have had a lasting effect in terms of tourism in the region. All of the major coastal resorts such as Brisbane, Rockhampton and the Gold Coast as well as the smaller towns and islands along the Sunshine Coast seem to be pretty much business as usual.

Talking with some of the locals about the recovery of the area in such a short time, the overwhelming response I got was that it is all because of the residents of Queensland. The locals are strong and resolute. They were not going to allow the tragic floods to ruin them. The area has seen thousands of volunteers from the surrounding areas come right into the heart of the most badly affected areas and start helping locals with the clean up operation. This was a mammoth task. There was sewage and chemical spills dangerously polluting the standing water so that had to be removed first of all and then there was the task of disposing of ruined furniture, toys, clothing and so on. The existing refuse sites were unable to cope with the additional waste and so long abandoned quarries were re-purposed as temporary tips. One of the biggest dangers was that the destruction of some buildings had dislodged asbestos fibres, so it was important to Queenslanders to get this clean up mission under way very quickly to minimize exposure risks.

So it is business as usual for the Australian tourist industry, but there is still much repair work needed especially to roads which have been riddled with potholes following the flooding. Donating to any legitimate charity flood appeal will help repair them, but if the locals are to be believed, these proud people would actually prefer that you just came by for a visit keeping tourism booming allowing them to fund their own repair efforts. So why not take a trip 'down under'.



Tuesday, August 21, 2012

From the Alps to Easter Island

Moai at Rano Raraku, Easter Island
Moai at Rano Raraku, Easter Island (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you have ever travelled to Africa, you may have learned a little something about body modification. Stretched earlobes in particular are very common with a number of the native tribes including the Maaia in East Africa and the Mursi in Ethiopia. However, traditional body modification is not soley found in Africa, ear stretching is also common in Asian countries like Thailand and in South America stretched lobes are commonplace among member of the Huaorami who lives in the Amazon Basin. Of course you probably wouldn't need leave home to see ear stretching as it is becoming so common these days, but I always think it is good to see where things originated on and that is why end up going off on a tangent researching stuff on the internet!

Ötzi the Iceman while still frozen in the glac...
Ötzi the Iceman while still frozen in the glacier, photographed by Helmut Simon upon the discovery of the body in September 1991 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In fact, that is how I came across Ötzi the Iceman! Ötzi is a 5300 year old mummified body which was discovered in the Alps somewhere between Austria and Italy. He is believed to be one of the oldest specimens with body modifications. His body is not only adorned with several tattoos, but he also had a stretched earlobe about 11mm in diameter. Pretty cool huh? (WOW! Bad joke). Another famous example of body modification can be seen in the infamous giant heads on Easter Island many of which have stretched ears. They are often referred to as 'long ears'. There is a story that goes along with the statues. Apparently, the statues were carved in honour of the inhabitants of Easter Island and depicted their stretched ears. However, when a rival tribe of 'short ears' arrived on the island they were enslaved by the 'long ears'. The numbers of short ears increased over time and they were soon able to overthrow the long ears which is why the heads are toppled over.

Throughout history, people have engaged in ear stretching for various reasons. In certain cultures it is performed as a coming of age ritual while others do so to enhance their attractiveness. One of the things I love most about travel is that it allows me to get to know other cultures! Maybe I should add Easter Island to the bucket list.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Foot Binding In China

X-ray of bound feet, China
X-ray of bound feet, China (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

About a year ago, my girlfriend and I took a trip to China. It was a beautiful country and there was a lot to see and do there. I absolutely love the culture there and I really want to make another trip sometime soon. What I wanted to talk about today was something we learned so much about on our trip and that is the ancient art of foot binding. We have all heard about this form of body modification, but very few people actually know much about it. The Whence Foot binding Museum was one of those places I just went to because my girlfriend wanted to, but I found it to be fascinating, and I'm not going to lie – a little bit heartbreaking.
Chinese shoes for bound feet, The Children's M...
Chinese shoes for bound feet, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The ancient custom was first practised during the Shang Dynasty and continued well into the 20th century. It is estimated that up to 2 billion women in China had their feet broken and bound to make their feet tiny in order to fit the ideal of physical perfection. Sadly, this practice was still being carried out as recently as the nineteen fifties.

Footing began among the rich Chinese ladies looking for a husband. The practise was performed on very young girls while the bones of the feet are soft and able to be broken much more easily. Once the feet are bound, there is no going back. This is a permanent body modification. As of around ten years ago there were still 300 women with bound feet. The ritual takes around two years of constant pain and rebinding several times per day before the healing begins. The subjects are in constant pain and were unable to walk properly. Even although the feet would eventually heal, the deformed shape made walking faster than a shuffle impossible. Although tiny feet were seen as beautiful, many accounts in the museum from survivors of this extreme body modification said that the feet resembled twisted dead caterpillars.

It is believed that foot binding added to the subjugation of women because the restriction in movement had the effect of enforcing chastity and meant they would never wander far from home. This made them dependant on their husbands. 

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

A Town Called Mold


Remember a while back I blogged about a town called Asbestos? Well, it turns out I found another less than inviting destination to try.. Mold, which is a small town in Flintshire, North Wales. However, to give Mold its due – it isn't home to a potentially deadly mine passing itself off as a tourist destination! In fact, the only undesirable piece of Mold's history I could see at a glance was that it was the backdrop for the Mold Riot in the summer of 1869 following a bitter dispute in which coal miners were not only banned from speaking their native Welsh language, but also given a pay cut!

In fact, the little market town – which is just 10 miles west of the border with England looks like a nice little place for a visit. I mean I doubt I would travel to Wales just for Mold, but if I was touring that area of the UK it would be on my list! It provides traditional Welsh culture and a lively atmosphere, and has attractions ranging from prehistoric artefacts to historic churches. One of the main visitor attractions is St Mary's Church, a historical place of worship that sits proudly overseeing the town. The church was rebuilt in honour of Henry VII, the very first Tudor king of England and it features architecture from as far back as the 14th Century. Other local attractions include Iron Age hill forts and a number of stately homes and ancient monuments. The local museum proudly displays a replica of the world famous Bronze Age Mold Gold Cape – a priceless bronze age relic which was discovered in the local area and dates back to around 1900 BC.

Looking at this little town made me realise all of the hidden gems out there. I really think I want to start choosing a country first and then looking for tiny little towns with special moments in their own history. I think it would make for more rewarding trips than hitting the big cities!

Friday, August 10, 2012

Top 5 Bachelor Party Destinations

A stripper working at a bachelor party.
A stripper working at a bachelor party. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Everyone knows that a bachelor party is sort of like a rite of passage for a man when he is going to get married. Sort of like a last hurrah before saying goodbye to the single life. I'll admit, most of my buddies that got married already said that it is not really any different. I think that we are maybe in a society where it's fine to spend time with your friends, there isn't so much responsibility because you got married, but regardless, the bachelor party is a tradition and we have already started thinking about next year when my buddy Willem gets married.

The thing is, the bachelor party is no longer a few ours on a Saturday night, these days it's a week long holiday! Since we do our regular bachelor trips anyway this is fine with us! So I have been looking at the most popular bachelor party locations. We are actually going to go away for two weeks to America, the girls are coming too and the first week is vacation, then the second will be the bachelor and bachelorette parties! So, we figured out the best choices for the celebration.

  1. Whistler, British Columbia (Canada)

    We aren't looking to do the while strippers and beer thing, so we are considering skiing and snowboarding. Whistler Mountain is considered some of the best slopes in the world, plus if we really do need to see some pretty girls then what better than Canadian snow bunnies?
  2. New Orleans, Lousiana

    What more can I say other than Mardi Gras? Where else can a guy ask to see a girl's rack without getting slapped in the face? Is that not the perfect bachelor party destination? I have always wanted to see Bourbon Street and Mardi Gras is the ultimate carnival – Good Times guaranteed.
  3. South Beach, Florida

    Sun, Sun & Surfer Chicks. South Beach is also renowned for the nightlife, but I have to say that this one isn't my first choice! We got all of that right here in South Africa and may as well hit the Cape!
  4. Montreal, Quebec (Canada)

    I doubt the girls will sign off on this one! Montreal is the stripper capital of the world. It's one of the few places which allow full contact so you can actually touch your dancer as she lap dances for you – it's even encouraged! I know the girls won't like it and if I am being honest, it does sound a little it seedy to me too!
  5. Vegas!

    Sin City, here we got it all. Casinos, Strip Clubs, Shows, Bright Lights and City Sights! This gets my vote, but the girls wanna see Vegas too so maybe this will be our vacation spot before the bachelor party week!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

How To Check Your RV Seals

English: A Class A motorhome with the slide-ou...
English: A Class A motorhome with the slide-out extended (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So I spoke about the woes of damp inside an RV or trailer and advised that you perform regular maintenance to avoid the problem of mold, but how exactly do you maintain the seals? Let's find out!

It is very important that you maintain your seals and adhesives within your Recreational vehicle in order to avoid dampness from getting into and doing damage to RV elements. When cleaning your Recreational vehicle, examine the seals for signs of drying out and general wear and tear. Be aware that weather conditions, sunlight, and road vibrations will affect seals, making them dry out, split, or separate. If you're unclear about things to search for, have your dealership advise you, as well as demonstrate the right way of renewing the seals. Should you prefer, your dealer should be able to conduct seal maintenance for you instead.

Some experts, suggest that you caulk the seals twice every year, once at the start of the travel season and once more before packing away at the end of the season. The first step is to wash down the entire RV with mild soap and warm water. Inspect your entire camper for any damage to the seals. This includes those that are cracked or coming loose. It is useful to pay particular attention to areas where the fixtures meet roofs or walls. Any existing caulk should be removed by using a very strong citrus based cleaner. You will likely need to invest in a good quality scrapper tool to help with this. Once removed, wash the cleaner off with more soapy water as it will dissolve the new caulk if left. With the help of a caulk gun, seal the body and the roof of the RV. You will then need to wipe away excess caulk and the best way I have found is to use a spray ottle to dampen your fingers with soapy water.

It will then need to be left to dry for a minimum of two hours. It is essential the RV is not exposed to rain during this time. Some brands of caulk may need up to 24 hours to set properly so check the packaging. If you carry this out properly twice a year you should be able to eliminate the problem of mold in your RV.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Rolling Around In A Leaky RV

English: Side profile of a 2011 Sundance trave...
English: Side profile of a 2011 Sundance travel trailer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you travel a lot using either an RV or trailer, then you may already have experienced the pain of having moisture seep in and cause mold! Over time water and other moisture can result in mold and even structural damage which will result in some pretty expensive repairs. There is nothing worse than going to prep your gear to find that your trailer is overrun with mold or your RV has rotten floorboards, so it's best to check things out well ahead of the travel season every year.

Pursuing water leaks inside the RV or travel trailer isn't any fun! My parents own a RV and we once spent a complete traveling season with wet carpeting inside the sleeping quarters. We didn't alter our trip plan, but water difficulties did "dampen" our travel mood. Each time it would rain, we'd all cringe, realizing we added in additional work to our day; soaking up water from the carpeting and extra loads of laundry for any towels we subsequently used. Post vacation time we spent the winter months removing walls, examining seals for leaks and evaluating water damage and mold. We discovered several water leaks, in a number of spots, although the water all moved to just one nook in the trailer home. Aha! That's why each of our earlier "solutions" had been unsuccessful! There seemed to be substantial damage to the floor and we were forced to replace one third of the whole trailer's floorboards, together with the carpeting. We have had a dry RV ever since, but we consistently examine the trailer home every single year for dampness and moisture so that we can address problems before they become destructive issues.

Here are some tips on handling humidity in your RV:
    1. Inspect and repair water pipes, toilet, bathtub or shower
    2. Check and repair damaged or brittle window and vent seals
    3. Inspect walls for evidence of hidden water problems annually
    4. Inspect your roof annually, and seal if needed
    5. Control moisture in your kitchen and bath with ventilation fans
    6. Make sure refrigerator and air conditioner vents, typically vented outside, are clear of debris
    7. Clean or replace all filters once a year
    8. Professional inspection of your furnace and air conditioner ensures proper operation
    9. Use moisture-thirsty micro-fiber cloths and towels whenever possible
    10. Hang High Capacity Humidifiers in closets, bathroom and any other small enclosed space (Even storage containers)