Thirteen years ago I organized a canoe trip for teens from around Australia. We paddled for three days around the Noosa Everglades. I remember it being scorching hot and getting badly sunburnt. Aside from the sunburn, I have pleasant memories of, beautiful lakes, rivers, and birds.

My Friend Rob and I had been talking about doing a two week long canoe or kayak trip somewhere in Canada. I suggested we first try a three day kayaking trip and see how we go.

We met in Brisbane, and with a rented car drove north, stopping at the Glasshouse Mountains for a walk. For both of us, it was our first time there, and we can see there are many more interesting trails worth exploring.

The next day we headed out from Boreen Point in a two person sea kayak. We had a weeks’ worth of food to last three days and we ate like kings. This was pleasant change for me. Usually, I would just take a few pieces of fruit, some energy bars, oatmeal, and pasta. However, Rob and I shopped together for the food, and because Rob likes good food, we had eggs, vegetables, and quinoa to name some of it.

The weather aside from being chilly at night (below 5c), was beautiful. We comfortably kayaked wearing long sleeved shirts. And at some points even wore lightweight jackets.

We met other people along the river mostly on the first and third day. But on the second day when we went further up, we sow no one. Both nights where we camped we were the only people and camping at night was peaceful: millions of stars, fresh crisp air, and the rustling of leaves.

Rob being the adventurer he is, wanted to explore the river to its source, which we did. When we got to the point where we could go no further, Rob bush-bashed his way through the foliage while I relaxed on a sand patch.

I’m glad to say; aside from debating the most efficient timing the stroke and how it hits the water we got along well and are planning our next adventure.

Words cannot do justice for what Antarctica looks like. Even photographic images and film can only give an idea. The magnitude and magnificence of a world of, ice, rock, and snow, some of it can be captured in an image. But what of the wind that bites into you regardless of how many layers you may be wearing – as you stand on the deck late at night while the ship breaks through pack ice. You hear the ‘crunch, crunch, crunch,’ and deep down you know you are secretly thinking, what if?

Antarctica is not a place where humans belong. G-d did not intend for us to be there and it is virtually impossible to survive for any lengthy period of time without product and support form off the continent. Perhaps this is a good thing? Antarctica is an incredibly fragile place and it would not take long for man to destroy it. Thankfully, today as people visit, there are many protocols and practices in place to preserve Antarctica’s ecosystem.

I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to experience the grandeur of Antarctica with over hundred fascinating people. I was part of a group of mostly Australian Entrepreneurs who gathered together to converse in, ‘how to get to the future first.’ Together, we brain stormed ideas of what the future would look like and what we collectively, and individually, could, and would do about it.

For me, one of my concerns prior to the trip was how I would keep kosher on the boat. I was sure there would be plenty of good food, but how much of it would I be able to eat. I brought along some energy bars, instant soups, oatmeal, as well as a box of matzo, just in case.

I figured I’d be able to sort something out with the chef when I got on the cruise. Nowadays, anyone working with sophisticated western tourists are usually inundated with all the diets and eating disorders we have: vegetarian, vegan, ovo- lacto-pesco phsycotarian, gluten free, Raw, paleo, low carb, diabetic, and in my case kosher. The challenge I find though with using the term kosher, is that I have come across countless interpretations of its meaning. The most common being, ‘kosher food is food blessed by a rabbi.’ Now I wish it was this simple. I being a rabbi, would never have a problem with food anywhere in the world and could happily order anything on the menu and bless it myself. However, kosher is far more complicated than this.

I don’t want to get into a long discourse now about what is, and what is not Kosher, instead, I prefer to speak about how I kept kosher on a boat in Antarctica. For starters, it was a lot easier then I had thought it would be. When I got on the boat and spoke with the head waiter Narandra, he seemed already versed in many aspects of kosher. He began showing me the kosher certifying symbols on many of the food products. Turns out, the company gets almost all their food in a container shipped from Miami. Anyone familiar with American kosher food products will know that a large percentage of available product is certified kosher. Things like peanut butter, jams, bolted milk, cereals, biscuits, and so on, are often kosher. Thus it was easy for me to find things to eat. Even the ice cream which was served every night was kosher. And strange as it were, and as cold as I was for some reason I still enjoyed eating the ice cream.

in yesterdays post, I spoke about meals on planes. thus I figure why not talk about the people serving the food…

On my recent flight with American Airlines from Chicago to Tokyo, I must say I was served by a couple of airline stewards/s who were old enough to be my grandparents. Now please don’t get me wrong, I’ve got nothing against older people being air stewards, though these people did not seem to happy to be doing what they were doing.

Many people who fly are accustomed to the sickening, overly-smiling airline workers who seem to smile from take off to landing. I’ve always wondered how they do it. Fly Virgin Australia, Virgin Atlantic, various Asian Airlines, and many other airlines and you will most likely be served by a young-smiling-happy person. This is not the case with many of the American based airlines.
The people serving me on my American Airlines flight looked like they were in their fifties and sixties, and I did not see a single smile ONCE! They seemed to go about their job with monotony, indifference and boredom. My wife reported a similar experience on her recent flights with United Airlines; in fact, she said she had the worst flight she had ever experienced because of the negative attitude of the flight attendants.

Why is this?

Working as an airline hostess/stewardess used to be a job for young people, something they did for just a few years. They would fly around the world, get to travel, meet new people, and overall just have a good time. It was never a career decision. No one would say “I want to spend the next twenty plus years being an airline steward/ess.” It was more like something you did for 2-3 years while you figured out what you wanted to do with your life. You had to take a relatively short and easy course, and if you had a pleasant personality (and you weren’t too short to close the overhead bins, or to fat to fit down the aisle) you cold get the job.

But in America it has changed. Now there are middle-aged people who have made being an airline hostess a career, and I don’t think this is such a good thing. Instead of viewing their job as a fun adventure, they view it with resentment because it takes them away from their home and family. If you are a middle-aged person who enjoys your job as an airline host/ess and you are full of joy every day (my wife met a woman like this on a recent US Airways flight, so they do exist!), then by all means continue fulfilling your passions, but if you are no longer happy with this choice, then please move on to a new career!

Celebrating the Hmong (Mong) New Year: Traditional Tribal Outfits

When we were in Thailand earlier this year, I did a series of posts on the Hmong New Year we attended.  I know there is not much out there on the Internet about the Hmong New Year as it is traditionally celebrated – we certainly tried to learn more before we went but came up with almost nothing! So I realized I had a couple more topics to explore on the subject and thought I would share them now.

One thing that really fascinates me when I visit other cultures is the kind of clothing they wear. The Hmong people still make their own clothing.  They sew it by hand and it takes approximately one entire year to sew a ceremonial outfit.  Of course, most Hmong people today do not wear their traditional outfits every day.  Most Hmong people today wear cheap Western t-shirts and pants or simple skirts for their everyday clothing and only put on their  ceremonial outfits for special occasions or performances. One day in the year when all the Hmong people will wear their ceremonial outfits is on the Hmong New Year.

Because each person makes their own clothing, it is common to see some very elaborate costumes.  People use their clothing as a way of self-expression.  Of course, in the Western world, we also say that our clothing helps show our personalities, but it is much more true in cases where the individual has made their own clothing!  Some girls will make their outfits to match so everyone knows they are best friends, or they will try to out-do each other with how fancy they can make their outfits.

However individual the costumes may be, there are still some traditions governing the style of clothing.  Women all wear skirts that come past their knees and tops or jackets with high round collars and sleeves ending past the elbows.  In fact, traditional Hmong outfits meet all the Jewish modesty (tzniut) requirements!  Most Hmong women also cover their hair, although they have different ways of doing it.  Some wear scarves, while others wear elaborate headdresses.  Even young girls may cover their hair.

The men also wear very modest clothing.  Men will generally wear a similar long-sleeved top as the women do, although with a different cut and often not as highly decorated (although not always!).   Men wear pants that come to their mid-calves or ankles. Often they wear a kind of belt with a hanging piece that covers the upper separation in the legs.  They are very modest, too!

Another feature of Hmong traditional tribal outfits is that they wear their wealth.  The Hmong people do not have banks in which to store their money.  The Thai government does not give citizenship to all the Hill Tribes living there, so some of them may even have a hard time opening a bank account even if they can travel back and forth to a city (which is often a slow journey and many Hmong people do not have vehicles).  Therefore, most Hmong people still store their wealth the same way their ancestors did: in the form of jewelry.  They make silver bracelets and necklaces and sometimes even headdresses.  The women wear earrings and nose rings as well.  Most of the time they do not wear all this jewelry (it would be very heavy and bulky!) but they do put it all on for the Hmong New Year.

The Hmong New Year seems to be a time for a bit of showing off.  The people wear their fanciest ceremonial outfits and display all their wealth.  However, the actual clothing itself is quite modest and does not show too much skin, nor is it tight and form fitting.

Check out the gallery below for a variety of examples of different Hmong traditional tribal outfits!

This coming Thursday is Anzac Day. I am not an Australian though I have a deep sense of respect and gratitude for the sacrifices Australia has made in a number of wars over the years. In September 2012 I walked the Kokoda Track and it gave me a profound appreciation of what the ‘Diggers’ (Australian soldiers) endured. The battles along the Kokoda Track were brutal, and it would be hard to find a more inhospitable place on planet earth where a war was ever fought. The Diggers, with incredible bravery and determination, held back the Japanese who were bent on taking Port Moresby from where they could then attack Australia.

I hope over the next few days to post more about my Kokoda Track experience and how I walked it solo in both directions. For now here is an article about my Kokoda walk.

The Loritz Circus: Circus Out of Africa (a Review)

The Royal Kenyan Acrobats performing in the Loritz Circus: Circus Out of Africa

Rabbi Ben has always loved the circus.  Rumor even has it that he nearly ran away to join the circus before he became instead the Juggling Rabbi! (We almost believe it!) So when I noticed signs up advertising the Circus Out of Africa being put on by the Loritz Circus, we had to check it out.

We weren’t so impressed with their website. With bookings being taken over a mobile phone number, we really weren’t sure how good it could possibly be! But with tickets starting as low as $20, we figured we could go to the Circus for about the same price as going to see a movie in Sydney… not a bad deal!  We figured we’d give it a shot.

Boy, are we glad we did!  This circus was fantastic! It is a small traveling circus, like the ones that used to be so common but then were replaced by the massive ones like Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, and later by Cirque du Soleil.  No, the Loritz Circus is clearly traditional, and brought us back, to a certain extent, to a simpler time.

The setup was in a small tent. The seating was a free-for-all unless you bought more expensive ringside tickets (although even those were very affordable), so show up early for the best spots.  Yet, the tent really was so small and intimate that you could sit anywhere and still see everything perfectly.  When I was a kid I remember going to the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus… you needed binoculars to see what was going on! But not so with the Loritz Circus… you can see the sweat dripping from the performers’ brows, even from the back row.

The Royal Kenyan Acrobats performing in the Loritz Circus: Circus Out of Africa

As for the performers, well, they are very talented! The Royal Kenyan Acrobats are the main performers and they do all sorts of tricks that are truly impressive.  They are so strong, I think one hand from one of them is stronger than my whole body, truly!  They climb up straight poles, do flips, somersaults, and vaults into the air, and build human towers.  They really are the starts of the show, and they deserve it!

There are also a few female performers (warning: they will not be dressed tzniusly) who do some acts, too.  One is a contortionist, who can bend her body into crazy shapes (her big toe is more flexible than I am).  Another does acts while swinging on a trapeze – balanced upside down on her head.  And another is a young Australian girl who is famous for her hula hooping tricks.

For the kids, there is also a clown (although his sense of humor is really dry) and some ponies who do tricks.  This is a small circus, so there are no troops of clowns piling into tiny cars or elephants and lions to leap through flaming hoops (although one of the Royal Kenyan Acrobats does limbo under a flaming pole that is much more impressive than anything a trained animal can do).

All in all, we had a really fantastic time out at the circus.  If you get the opportunity to see the Loritz Circus: Out of Africa while it is on tour in Australia, DO IT.  It’s totally worth it, trust me. It’s a great way to spend $20 and a fun time for the whole family.

Enjoy!