A backpackers treat..

Mai,

If you were to go back to Europe and do another tour, say 1-2 months, which countries would you go to? Which cities? What would be a couple things you wanted to see in each city, and where would you stay? Also could you tell me what food or drink or festivals are good in these cities?

-Riel

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What a loaded question!

I would probably want to start in Italy and spend 3 weeks there. Spending time in Cinque Terre, Florence and Venice. I'd like to explore the small towns in between the main cities. Also visiting a few wineries in Tuscany. And of course I would be eating lots of bread and pastas! There is a huge snake festival in May called Processione dei Serpari that might be kinda of cool to see.. although I'm not much of a fan of snakes. For me Italy is all about the art, wine and old achitecture!

After Italy I'd go to the Slovenia capital, Ljubljana, via train. Spend a few days there exploring the old castle that over looks the city, seeing some of the many museums, and go to the antique flea market that happens every sunday. I would drink lots of wine since Ljubljana is known as the "city of wine."

Next I'd head to Croatia for 3 weeks stopping in Zagreb (the capital) first. Then going down south along the Dalmatia coast stopping in beach towns along the way all the way to Dubrovnik. In Dubrovnik I'd spend a lot of time walking throughout the old city which is one of the world heritage cites.

Ljubljana

Dubrovnik (walled old city)

toxins

Mai,

What are toxins and why does our body need to get rid of them? What are ways to get the toxins out of your body?

-Riel

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Ohhhh what an exciting question Riel... sorry it took me a week to get around to answering it... here we go..

A toxin is simply a poison that can affect the body by internal or external means. A toxin can be a chemical which occurs naturally or in synthetic form.

External toxins enter the body through food, water, air or physical contact with the skin or mucous membranes.

Internal toxins are produced inside the body through normal metabolic processes or through the decomposition of foods in the small and large intestines. For example bacterial toxins or yeast overgrowth.

Under normal circumstances, the body is able to eliminate toxins from the body via number #1, number #2, breathing out or sweating. Thus, the major organs involved in elimination are the kidneys, liver, colon, lungs and skin. White blood cells are designed to neutralize microbial toxins. The liver is the organ primarily responsible for breaking toxins into harmless byproducts, which are eliminated into the stool or through the kidneys into the urine.

So thats enough of that... since what I think your really wanting to know about is detoxing and if it works or not. Detoxing is generally something that is promoted through alternative medicine. There is no proof that our bodies even need to be detoxed and it is not something practiced in mainstream medicine. Detoxing dates all the way back to the Greeks and is used in cultures all over the world including Chinese medicine. Detoxification is about resting, cleaning and nourishing the body from the inside out by removing and eliminating toxins. Some believe it can help prevent you from disease and sickness.

So how do you detox..

First you start out by lightening up your toxin load. Eliminate alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, refined sugars and saturated fast, all of which act as toxins in the body and are obstacles for the healing process. Also minimize use of chemical-based household cleaners and personal health care products (cleansers, shampoos, deodorants and toothpastes), and substitute natural alternatives.

Stress also releases hormones into your system that slow down detoxification enzymes in the liver. So meditation and yoga are good ways to keep stress at a minimum while detoxing.

Next it's recommended to follow a fasting detox to rest and clean the organs. One that I found was only drinking fresh fruit or vegetable juices and water for 3-7 days.

10 Ways to Help Your Body Detox

1. Eat plenty of fiber, including brown rice and organically-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Beets, radishes, artichokes, cabbage, broccoli, spirulina, chlorella, and seaweed are excellent detoxifying foods.

2. Cleanse and protect the liver by taking herbs such as dandelion root, burdock and milk thistle, and drinking green tea.

3. Take vitamin C, which helps the body produce glutathione, a liver compound that drives away toxins.

4. Drink at least 2 quarts of water daily.

5. Breathe deeply to allow oxygen to circulate more completely through your system.

6. Transform stress by emphasizing positive emotions.

7. Practice hydrotherapy by taking a very hot shower for five minutes, allowing the water to run on your back. Follow with cold water for 30 seconds. Do this three times, and then get into bed for 30 minutes.

8. Sweat in a sauna so your body can eliminate wastes through perspiration.

9. Dry-brush your skin or try detoxifying patches or detox foot spas / foot baths to remove toxins through your pores. Special brushes are available at natural products stores.

10. Exercise for an hour a day. Sweating is a natural way to release toxins. Yoga is also very good for you. Also try qigong, a martial-arts based exercise system that includes exercises specifically for detoxifying or cleansing, as well as many other exercises with specific health benefits.

List of Foods Allowed on a Detox Diet

Vegetables - All fresh vegetables. Vegetables thought to be particularly good detox foods include broccoli, cauliflower, broccoli sprouts, onions, garlic, artichokes, beets, red and green vegetables

Fruit - Fresh or frozen fruit.

Rice - All forms of rice, including rice cakes, rice crackers and rice pasta. Brown rice is typically preferred.

Other Grains - Quinoa, amaranth, millet, and buckwheat can be used instead of rice.

Beans - Split yellow and green peas and lentils are easiest to digest and require the least soaking time. Other good options include kidney beans, pinto beans, mung beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and adzuki beans.

Nuts - Unsalted nuts or seeds can be sprinkled over salads or eaten as a snack. Good options include flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews and walnuts. Nut butters are permitted. Peanuts and peanut butter are usually not recommended.

Oil - Extra-virgin olive oil is a preferred oil.

Condiments - Vegetable salt, sea salt, vinegar, soy sauce or tamari, all herbs or spices.

Teas - Herbal teas, green tea.

Other Beverages - Water, lemon water, pure unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices, rice milk.

Daily Detox Do's

- Drink 8 glasses of water a day

- Take the time to chew food extra long, especially grains.

roswell

My Boy Mai!

What is the story behind Rosewell, the UFO that crashed into New Mexico years ago? Did the government really try to hide this from the world?

Your Boy Riel!

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Okay! So the Roswell UFO incident was the alleged recovery of extra-terrestrial debris, including alien corpses, from an object which crashed near Roswell, New Mexico, USA, in June or July 1947. A rancher who was out checking his cattle came across a large field covered in the debris which measured 3/4 of a mile long. The wreckage was reported as tiny pieces of shiny, metallic material. It was like nothing the rancher had ever seen so he contacted the Roswell Army Air Field and talked to major Jesse A. Marcel. News spread across Roswell with "flying saucer" reports on the front page of the news. On July 8, 1947, Roswell Army Air Field public information office in Roswell, New Mexico, issued a press release stating that personnel had recovered a crashed "flying disc" from a ranch near Roswell, sparking intense media interest. The following day, the press reported that Commanding General of the Eighth Air Force stated that, in fact, a radar-tracking balloon had been recovered by the RAAF personnel, not a "flying disc. A subsequent press conference was called, featuring debris from the crashed object that confirmed the weather balloon debris. All a little suspicious and secretive for a little balloon crash I'd say!

The case was quickly forgotten and almost completely ignored, even by UFO researchers, for more than 30 years. Then, in 1978, physicist and ufologist Stanton Freidman interviewed Major Jesse A. Marcel who was involved with the original recovery. Marcel expressed his belief that the military had covered up the recovery of an alien spacecraft. He stated that he felt pressured by the military to tell the media it was a weather balloon crash.

Additional witnesses and reports emerged over the following years. They added significant new details, including claims of a huge military operation dedicated to recovering alien craft and aliens themselves, at as many as 11 crash sites, and alleged witness intimidation. A women reported to have worked on recovering the debris and says that alien bodies were found, both dead and alive. In 1989, former mortician Glenn Dennis claimed in a personal detailed account that alien autopsies were carried out at the Roswell base.

Since the late 1970s the incident has been the subject of intense controversy and the subject of conspiracy theories as to the true nature of the object which crashed. The US military maintains that what was actually recovered was debris from an experimental high-altitude surveillance balloon belonging to a classified program names "Mogul"; however, many UFO proponents maintain that in fact a crashed alien craft and bodies were recovered, and that the military then engaged in a cover-up.

It's a crazy world out there!

working visas

My dear Riel,

I have travel on my mind and want to know about the working Visas of the world! Please tell me about traveler Visas for Australia, Britain, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

How much does it cost?

How long is the Visa for?

What do you need to do to apply?

Is it hard for Canadians to get accepted?

(you can copy and paste the questions for each country to fill out.. plus any other important information you find out)

POW

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Working Visas

Looking through all the different embassy websites its really interesting to see all the countries that have either youth exchange programs or holiday working Visas for Canadians. Australians are allowed in almost every country! Where as Americans are allowed in very few..

Its mostly Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Citizens. We are very lucky to be Canadian, life seems a whole lot easier :)

Australia

. Valid up to 12 months

. In between the age 18-30

. $230 for application fee

. Easy for Canadians since Australia and Canada are both common wealth countries

UK

.Valid up to 24 months.

. In between the age of 18-30

. Also a common wealth country

Spain

. Have to be sponsored by a job to obtain a working visa.

. Because Canada is not part of the EU its difficult to work in Spain

France

. Has a youth exchange program with Canada

. They allow 14000 Canadians per year

. 18- 35 years of age

Netherlands

-Up to a year working Visa

- 18- 30 years of age

Sweden

- Youth exchange program

- 18-30 years of age

- Take up to 100 Canadians per year ( seems low, but they have said it has never filled up ?? )

Very good Website, saying which Countries allow which citizens to have a working visa.

http://www.liveworkplay.com.au/visa.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_holiday_visa

Most of the visa requirements are between the ages of 18-30 and usually for the duration of 1 year. You must have around $4000 CAN in your account before going abroad. The Visa Application usually costs around $250. Keep in mind that if for some reason you do not get accepted, there will be no refund on your application fee. Most application process time can take anywhere from 3- 12 weeks, 3 being very lucky :)

Interesting fact-

Uk Ancestry Visa

Validity: 5 years (renewable) for Ancestry Visa

Eligibility: you are eligible to apply for a UK Ancestry Visa if:

• you are a Commonwealth citizen
• you are aged 17 or over
• you have a grandparent who was born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Mann
• you have a grandparent that was born in what is now the Republic of Ireland prior to 31 March 1922 (see note below)
• you can show proof that you intend to work in the UK
• you can support yourself and any dependants, without recourse to public funds

*Note: You will need to show your full, original birth certificate as well as the full, original birth certificate of the parent you are claiming through and the grandparent you are claiming through.

**Note: Note: If you or your parent (who you are claiming ancestry through) are adopted, you can still apply for entry clearance under this category. You must show evidence of the legal adoption with your application form.

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japa mala

what is japa mala and why does it have 108 beads?

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A japa mala or "mala" (means garland in Sanskrit) is a set of beads commonly used by Hindus and Buddhists, usually made from 108 beads. Malas are used to keeping count while reciting, chanting, or mentally repeating a mantra or the name or names of a deity. This practice is known in Sanskrit as japa. Malas are typically made with 19, 21, 27, 54 or 108 beads. These mantras can be recited for different purposes linked to the mind.

What malas are made of...

Material can vary according to the purpose of the mantras used. Some beads can be used for all purposes and all kinds of mantras. These beads are made of Bodhi Root, Bodhi seed or wood.

Appeasing mantras should be recited using white-colored Malas. Materials such as crystal or pearl are preferable. They can serve to purify mind and clear away obstacles like illness. This mala has 100 beads.

Increasing mantras should be recited using Malas of gold, silver or lotus seeds and with 108 beads. The mantras counted on these can serve to increase life span, knowledge or merit.

Mantras for overcoming should be recited using malas made of saffron, sandal wood or other forms of wood including elm, peach and rose wood.

Mantras to tame by forceful means should be recited using malas made of Rudraksha beads or bone. There are 25 beads on this mala, used to tame others. To tame by forceful means, means to subdue harmful energies, such as extremely malicious spirits, or general afflictions.

Using Malas...

A mantra is a word or series of words that are chanted aloud of silently to invoke spiritual qualities. Chanting is used as a spiritual tool in virtually every cultural and religious tradition. In the yogic tradition a mantra is a Sanskrit word that has special powers to transform consciousness, promote healing or fullfill desires. Mantras are typically repeated hundreds or even thousands of times. The practice of chanting a mantra is used as a form of meditation. Sitting in a comfortable position, with the eyes closed, the mantra is repeated over and over. The mind is focused on the mantra, the thoughts are let go of and the breath is slow and deep. The mala is used so that one can focus on the meaning or sound of the mantra rather than counting its repetitions.

One repetition is usually said for each bead while turning the thumb clockwise around each bead, though some traditions is said to do it counterclockwise. When arriving at the head, one turns the mala around and then goes back in the opposing direction. You are not meant to count the head bead, it is for the starting and ending point of counting your malas. For a mala bracelet that has 27 beads you would go back and forth along the bracelet 4 times to reach 108 mantras. You are not supposed to touch your pointer finger on the mala, but use your thumb and middle finger to roll the beads.

To empower the mala and the mantra used, JAPA (mantra meditation) should be practiced each day for 40 continuous days. When the mala becomes empowered it can be worn or lightly placed on oneself or others to transmit the energy of the mantra as well as the energetic qualities of the mala. When you use a new mantra on a mala it will replace any engery that the mala had before, so it is recommended that you use a new mala for each mantra you perform.

Why 108 beads..

There are numerous explanations why there are 108 beads. It bears special religious significance in a number of Hindu and Buddhist traditions.

In traditional Buddhist thought, people are said to have 108 afflictions or klesas. There are six senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and consciousness) multiplied by three reactions (positive, negative or indifference) making 18 "feelings." Each of these feelings can be either "attached to pleasure or detached from pleasure" making 36 "passions", each of which may be manifested in the past, present or future. All the combinations of all these things makes a total or 108, which is represented by the beads.

Practitioners of Vajrayana Buddism, use the number 108 for a different purpose. After reciting 100 mantras, 8 more mandras are done to make up for any errors that were made.

Ananda Coomaraswamy (a Sri Lankin philosopher) holds that the numerology of the decical numberic system was key to the inception of 108. He says 1 is for bindu, 0 for Shunyata and 8 for ananta.

Photo taken by Riel in little India in Vancouver. Japa Malas and the bags they go into.