Since the early sixteen hundreds, it is said that a group of English colonists (pilgrims) celebrated a harvest along with the Wampanoag people (North-American Indians) which was the starting point of the biggest celebration both in the United States and Canada. However, it was not that simple because before it was established their number one holiday, it took many years and the decision of many leading people. At first, The New England colonists were accustomed to regularly celebrating “Thanksgivings,” days of prayer thanking God for blessings such as military victory or the end of a drought. It did not become an official holiday until  the Northerners dominated the federal government. In 1883, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln stated a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26. The holiday was annually proclaimed by every president who usually chose the last Thursday in November to be it but there was no final agreement. In the end, it was President Franklin Roosevelt who designated the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving.

Afterwards, as the country became more urban and people began to live farther, Thanksgiving turned into an opportunity for families to gather and it continued to be that way until now. Food has a very special place in it and it is among the things that people enjoy the most. Nonetheless, these are not the only reasons why families gather but also the connection with unity it has, as many visitors and immigrants have joined it. It is a Northamerican celebration which has become special and known worldwide.

Many people usually say that the 20s are the best! Well, they are kind of the best but as any other stage in your life they have both advantages and disadvantages. I also think everything depends on your own personality, aspirations and dreams in life. Of course, now that I am in my mid 30s, I agree that in my 20s I did and didn’t do a lot of things but I learnt a lot as well. Let me tell you some things I used to love and enjoy when I was in my 20s.

I used to be single. That would sound selfish but It was pretty terrific!. I just used to take care of myself, I used to have plenty of time, eat whatever and whenever I wanted and basically I was ‘free’. But now, I’m used to being married and being a mom and It could sound boring but by the end of every single day there are people waiting for me and needing from me. I’m so used to sharing time with my small family. 

I used to be a University student. I will remember this particular stage forever. It was definitely the best time of my life. I used to get together with my classmates to either go out or study. Yes, the study part could also sound dull but I used to enjoy the sense of being surrounded by an Academic atmosphere! I used to be very anxious and wanted to go the extra mile at everything. Now, I’m used to being more relaxed and worrying less.  

I used to concern myself with what others could think about me. I used to try to please almost everyone around me but I eventually realized that no matter what I did, I could never satisfy others and now, I’m just used to caring about me and my significant others. 

I used to live in my home country. Now, after 5 years of having moved to a new country I’m so used to living abroad! I’m used to eating the food I have here, I’m used to the unique accent in this city, I’m also used to walking in the neighborhood I live in, I’m used to the routine itself. I’m still getting used to doing some other new things in the city but I absolutely won’t change them.

I used to speak less English five years ago. Yes! Believe it or not, since I moved to another latin american country, I felt the need of perfecting my spoken English as an English educator. I used to challenge myself to try to copy an acceptable American standard accent. I’m still getting used to learning new words, deepening my understanding as close as an American person would do it. I got used to listening to different types of accents in one country or many others as well!

I used to have a better metabolism. When I was in my 20s I used to have tons of mayonnaise to my meals, I used to have junk food on a regular basis and I never got overweight. I didn’t used to exercise at all either. Now, I have to be more careful with the things I consume, because my metabolism is slower and I would like to age well. So, I’ve been getting used to eating clean, exercising on a weekly basis to be and feel more active. 

What did you use to do in your 20s?

The story behind Halloween ☻

The other world

Since the beginning of humankind, at the same time as we were developing our intelligence, our body and improving our tools, a mystery kept growing around things we couldn’t explain. This conundrum led us to develop specific theories and organizations to search for answers. We created rather complex stories and these organizations saw how easily impressed we were. They decided to maintain these stories alive as truths and, at the same time, not really allow anyone to solve the mystery or change the stories. Can you guess what this mystery I’m talking about is? I’ll just tell you: I’m talking about the mystery of the afterlife. Have you ever wondered where we go after we die? Well, in case you haven’t, don’t worry, Humankind’s been on it since the beginning of time.

Along with the discussion on the afterlife and organizations – I’m talking about churches and religious institutions if you are still wondering – another world started to be developed. A world that we don’t have easy access to nor ways to communicate with. I mean, some people swear that they can communicate with and access this world. Do you know what world I’m talking about? I’m talking about the world populated by the dead. *Suspense music*

Regardless of geographic location, religion or culture, we all have a destination for people’s souls when they die. Some talk about other dimensions, heaven or constellations, which are distant from the world of the living. Therefore, when a person dies, the soul goes somewhere far from us. However, some cultures (don’t you love humanity’s pluralism?) believe they are actually very close to us and on some specific days of the year, we can communicate with them. It’s as if a portal opens and the two worlds become one. *More suspense music*

All Hallow’s Eve 

It doesn’t matter if the dead person still had things to do in the world of the living or if the person died satisfied with her or his life, on All Hallow’s Eve, the portal between the two worlds is open (by the way, who opens the portal?) and the souls can communicate with the living as they wish. The portal opens on October 31 and only closes on November 2, which is considered the day of the dead. That’s right, the portal is open for 3 whole days! Therefore, when people celebrate what today is called Halloween, they are actually celebrating the very first moment when all souls come out to play.

There are a lot of different ways to celebrate this delicate yet powerful moment that the living and the dead share. Catholics believe these are not a very safe 3 days. They pay their respects to the dead – usually with prayers and visits to their graves – but they also believe that all kinds of souls are around, especially the bad ones… especially the worst of all: the devil! *Very loud suspense music* Yes, for the Catholics these are auspicious days for the devil to come, lure people to sinful deeds and then, take their souls away with him.

However, in Mexico for example, they don’t pay much attention to the devil during these days. They see them as an opportunity to reconnect with the deceased loved ones; they don’t mourn in a sad or negative way, instead they celebrate all good souls that have walked the earth. That’s why they have colorful celebrations and all of those skeleton figures playing music and drinking tequila.

There are also other cultures that believe the soul has unlimited powers and can access any place or mind in this world. Therefore, Halloween is a good day to ask for favors. Have you ever seen those movies about witchcraft, where they draw a circle or a pentagram on the floor, light up candles and evoke the spirits? Well, that’s all based on real pagan rituals. Depending on the favor or the kind of spirit you evoke, the ritual can be evil or good. It all depends on your intentions and what you ask for. Spirits won’t judge you, but they do follow one simple witchcraft rule: What you wish on others, comes back to you three times stronger.

Modern Halloween

Nowadays, even though the mentioned traditions and rituals still happen and have great power over people’s believes, Halloween has become more of a fun and lighthearted holiday. Who doesn’t like a theme party, am I right? Halloween is a time for people of all ages to have fun. The little ones put on scary costumes and go around their neighborhoods asking for treats. If they don’t get candy, the house gets some tricks!

Adults throw parties! They decorate the place with black, purple and orange; they lay out paper mache bats, black cats, witches flying on broomsticks, vampires. They carve pumpkins with scary faces and they hang up white sheets to mimic ghosts. Due to the massive amount of horror movies the world produces, these days are also perfect for scary movie marathons! Especially because Halloween is a current favourite for movie topics – just google “halloween+movies” and you will see what I mean.

The United States is the original country that spread this modern concept of Halloween, but all countries eventually adapted the celebration to fit their particular tastes. In Brazil, trick or treating is not very common, but we do throw a lot of good Halloween parties!

How about your country? How do you celebrate Halloween?

*Note that this article uses British spelling.

Blurs of colour blend into one another

Moments don’t have a beginning or an end

Lost in a continuous wave of intensity

Your face becomes as familiar to me as my own

As I learn to turn to it for the same rush

Over and over

The world spins

Nothing can bring us back to solid ground

I see everything so vividly now

A melody that flows into the next note while the other still echoes

It’s all so fast

There is no time

No order

No logic

The intensity so high

This is what they meant by feeling alive

Turns out it was only you who could show me

A life lesson in an idiom.

Have you ever heard the idiom “a change is as good as a rest”? Do you have any idea what it means? Well, just in case, I will tell you: it means that changing your life somehow can be even better than just taking a few days to relax or to travel when you have a difficult situation in hand. Sometimes aspects of our lives are not very pleasant or not happening the way we wanted. That’s normal and maybe even biological! I mean, do you know anyone completely and 100% satisfied with their lives? I guess humans were made to be a little unsatisfied, in order to keep evolving.

Therefore, this expression is a challenge. It says that it is better to face our problems rather than just getting away from them for a while. It’s not always easy, but when we do it, we see the advantages, don’t we?

We all have many examples of the positive consequences of changes in our lives. From bad habits to daily routines, changes can improve our quality of life or just make things easier.

I would like to tell you my friend’s story to better illustrate my point. Her name is Lisa, and today, Lisa is a changed person.

Life changes

My friend’s name is Lisa. She is 30 years old and lives in Capital Federal, Buenos Aires. Lisa is a graphic designer and used to work at one of the biggest publicity agencies in the city. She worked on projects for big clients, such as Nike, Carrefour, and Colgate. She loves being a graphic designer. She is very creative and she has been using technology since she was a little kid, when she used to play video games with her brother. She also draws really well! She is the type of artist that looks at something and can instantly draw it on a piece a paper. However, when she started working at this big agency, she had no time for her art! In fact, she had no time for anything but her job. On a normal day, she was used to working from 9:30 am to 7 pm; when she was working on a big project, she used to work from 9:30 am all the way till midnight! Then, on weekends, she was so tired that she just wanted to sleep.

So, Lisa was very successful but something was missing. She had great recognition amidst the designer world, but no time to celebrate her victories with friends. She is a very talented illustrator but she never had time to produce her own art. She lived in a great apartment next to a park but she never invited friends over or went to that park… Lisa was getting depressed. At work, she began to mix up the projects, and to lose track of deadlines. She even began being rude to her colleagues!

When her boss finally went to talk to her, he said: “you need to rest, why don’t you go on vacation now? You will definitely feel better when you get back”. When Lisa heard what her boss said, she had an epiphany! “It was like everything froze and I could see myself going on vacation, coming back and starting the cycle all over again. I couldn’t let myself lose any more time! A voice in my head said that I knew what I had to do… and I did it”. Yes, Lisa woke from this trance and answered her boss that she appreciated his concern, but she was quitting her job. Lisa left the agency that very same day and never returned.

Lisa had to change many things in her life. It wasn’t an easy process. She had to get used to a new lifestyle. Lisa

established that she would work 6 hours a day and never on weekends. That meant more free time, but less money. She also had to get used to saying “no” to new job offers if she was already working on something else. She had to get used to a lower income. She also sold her car and bought a bicycle, moved to another apartment with another friend in order to pay less rent, left the gym and started running in the park.

Interestingly, with less money, she started realizing that many of the good things in life don’t depend on money. Actually, once she reduced her dependence on money and increased her free time, she felt lighter and happier. “If you take the challenge seriously, by questioning some familiar concepts, you can have a better life. You can find the lifestyle that suits you. If you realize that you liked your old life better, perfect! The important thing is to keep growing as a person”, advices Lisa.

That’s my friend’s life-changing experience. How about you? Are you ready to change?

What kind of traveler are you?

If we sit back and take a look around, we will see a lot of different people. We will see many worldviews, many ways of facing problems and joys in life and many different ways of having fun. However, there are some things we all (at least the majority of us) have in common. Today I would like to talk about our shared interest in traveling.

Maybe we still have some nomadic instincts deep inside us and we get the urge to walk the earth like the good old days, or maybe we just need a break from the modern routine every now and then. Perhaps we feel that it’s important to experience different cultures and different perspectives or we might be looking to practice our communication skills… maybe we want to rock a nice tan after two weeks at a paradisiac beach in Brazil. There are many reasons why we are interested in traveling, as you can see. In my opinion, they are all good reasons!

However, depending on the reason why we like to travel, our traveling style will be very different. Hence the question in the title: What kind of traveler are you?  In order to illustrate my point, I will talk about two extremes. On one side, the backpacker looking for intense and true cultural experiences; on the other side, the tourist looking for leisure and beautiful landscapes.

The Backpacker vs. The Tourist

Packing Abilities

The first difference between a backpacker and a tourist is their packing abilities. The backpacker’s objective is to cover as much ground as possible and the more “off road” or alternative, the better. For this reason, he or she needs a light backpack, practical items, and comfortable clothes. Instead of worrying about how many shoes they should pack, they will focus on packing items such as a pocket knife, a flashlight, extra batteries, a raincoat, trekking boots, sleeping bag… the more useful the better!

On the other hand, a tourist prefers sightseeing, traditional restaurants, and guided tours through historical parts of a city. The tourist wants to look good while they are strolling around the city, that’s why they are prepared with different outfits for every possible type of weather. They usually end up buying things they didn’t pack, such as batteries, power adapters, flip-flops, sunscreen… Moreover, an easy way to differentiate a backpacker from a tourist is by checking the type of luggage they carry: a tourist likes to use big suitcases with wheels while backpackers carry everything on their backs!

Budget

The second difference is related to the traveling budget. Backpackers usually spend less money than tourists; not because backpackers have less money, but because the idea is to avoid depending on consumerism in order to enjoy the trip. For instance, backpackers will cook most of their meals and they will visit museums and other touristic sights when they are free of charge (in many countries, you don’t need to pay to visit places like museums-at least in one day of the week). Backpackers are interested in human experiences more than anything, they will easily trade one meal at the best restaurant in town for a cup of coffee and a beautiful sunset with new friends. Tourists, however, are looking for experiences very different from their daily routine. They want to do all the things they don’t usually do, and that means going to fancy restaurants, staying at luxurious hotels and being pampered by the staff.

Accommodation

The third difference has a lot to do with the previous one: accommodation choices. In order to keep a low budget and guarantee a social environment, backpackers choose a hostel and its bunk beds rather than a private room with 24-hour room service. The tourist, however, is looking for privacy and luxury. Just the thought of shared bathrooms is enough to make a tourist shiver!

Traveling Intentions

The fourth and last difference is in relation to the intentions. In other words, what does a backpacker or a tourist look for when they decide to travel? I guess it’s safe to say that both are looking for something different from their routines. However, the backpacker wants to know how the routine is in other places. Therefore, they will look for the places the locals usually go to, eat where the locals usually eat and visit non-touristic areas of the city where the locals usually live. Backpackers believe this is the way to get the best cultural experience possible, which is something they are definitely looking for. On the other hand, even though tourists also look for cultural experiences, they rely on activities with an international structure. The restaurant must have an international menu, the hotel must be ready to indulge any special needs and the visited spots must be in an international tourist guide. They want safety, air conditioning, and they prefer McDonald’s over the local burger joint.

I know it may seem that I prefer backpacking to a touristic trip, and you are right. However, I don’t see the tourist as a bad person or someone that doesn’t know how to enjoy life! It’s just a different perspective. I guess it’s safe to say that I’m a backpacker!

How about you? What kind of traveler are you?

Do you like sports?

People generally like sports. There are many kinds of sports. People can practice sports alone or in groups; they can be competitive games or healthy personal activities. Sometimes people need to wear uniforms, but they always need to wear comfortable clothes.

In the modern world, sports are important to keep people healthy. However, a lot of people don’t practice sports. They usually prefer to watch them on TV. Today, we talked to Lisa, Nelson, and Kelly. We asked questions about sports, let’s check out their answers!

What is your favorite sport?

Lisa: My favorite sport is running. I run every day! I wake up at 6 AM and I run for 1 hour and 30 minutes. On weekends, I run in the afternoon, and I take my dog with me. I also like basketball! I’m a big fan of the Chicago Bulls, an American team. I don’t practice basketball, I prefer to watch it on TV.

Nelson: My favorite sport is soccer! I’m a River Plate fan, I go to the Monumental stadium for every game. When I was a kid I played soccer all the time, now I prefer to watch it on TV. I don’t like practicing sports. I work too much, so I prefer to rest and spend time with my family in my free time.

Kelly: I love sports! I want to be a physiotherapist and work with athletes. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I play soccer; On Tuesdays and Thursdays I swim in the morning and do Yoga at night; On Fridays, I run in the park, and on weekends I hang out with my friends or ride my bicycle around Palermo.

What do you do to stay healthy?

Lisa: Well, I avoid processed foods in general and I only eat candy on weekends. Because I run every day, I eat a lot of cereal bars and drink a lot of water.

Nelson: I usually have a wholesome breakfast, and I eat a lot of vegetables at lunchtime. Although I frequently eat pizza or hamburgers for dinner, I try to balance my diet by also eating fruits during the day.

Kelly: I always have a fruit smoothie in the morning, and I take some mixed nuts with me everywhere I go. I also frequently cook my lunch and dinner; I eat a lot of quinoa and whole foods, too.

How about you: What sports do you practice? What do you do to stay healthy?

Inflation.

Why not choose hibernation?

Sleep like a bear, wake up when the crisis is over and the country is fair.

I want a beer at a bar, but happy hour is far.

Toilet paper is rough, buying the one with puppies on the front is tough.

Trying to find my Coto discount card, bread on sale.

Take it home and eat it – damn it’s stale.

No security at the train station, the coast is clear.

No way I’m paying, my dear.

Discount code for the movies, 2 for 1.

Forget the popcorn; don’t look, just run.

You may imagine I am poor, without a job.

A phone snatcher out to rob.

In fact, I’m a professional with a degree.

But nowadays, that’s no guarantee.

But this depressing story is no allegory.

In my story, there is no glory.

In the sky, I see red, green, purple, fuchsia.

I see magic, I see life.

I sit here alone and I think:

‘Where is she?’

I feel the sand on my toes.

I touch it with my hands.

The ocean is beautiful and calm. I hear it in the distance.

She is in my heart. I am in her heart.

She remembers me. I remember her.

Together we are life. We are magic.

——–

But the magic never lasts.

I fight ‘them’.

Inside my head, I fight them and they fight me.

They laugh at me because they know the truth.

There is no ‘I’ and there is no ‘they’.

There is only ‘me’.

I don’t destroy ‘them – I destroy myself.

——–

The fireworks stop. I sit alone.

Where is she?

All I see is darkness.

Guinness World Records: an annual record of human beings’ achievements

We humans are a fascinating species, aren’t we? Different from other animals, we’ve transformed every basic survival instinct into an event. Feeding and sleeping have never been the same since dinner parties and queen size beds were invented! Survival itself has also acquired a different meaning. In order to survive, we basically use creativity and imagination (we don’t have big claws or hibernation periods). With creativity and imagination, among other things, came a sense of humor and a desire to acknowledge good ideas – basically to recognize human achievements!

The largest human mattress dominoes took place in China.

Eventually we started mixing our sense of humor with our achievements. The result? An annual record of all human achievements – the Guinness World Records. With our wild imagination we travelled to outer space – undoubtedly a great achievement. Then when we combined this creativity with humour, one of the many results was the largest human mattress dominoes.

From early beginnings to the wacky present

The Guinness World Records started off in the United States, as a national idea that made possible the registration of the biggest achievements of their citizens every year. At the end of each year they would publish a new edition with updates and demonstrations. Nowadays, the whole world is involved and the organizers of the annual project are recognized as official authorities to determine who or what holds a world record. Year after year, people try to break specific records or create new ones in order to be a part of this international phenomenon.

Benny Harlem and his 52-centimeter hairdo.

That’s what I love about us: no matter the achievement, if a person puts great effort towards it, we think it should be recognized and celebrated. For instance, our friend Benny Harlem. Not only does he have a creative hairstyle, but also the tallest high-top fade in the world! Can you imagine the effort it takes to sustain a hairdo like that? He surely deserves a place in the Guinness World Records.

The top funniest/weirdest world records

Some world records are more popular than others. Records such as the fastest or tallest person in the world, the biggest dog or smallest horse, the youngest or the oldest bodybuilder in the world, are disputed frequently. In other words, these are some of the records people (and animals) try to break every year.

However, some world records are not that popular. Better said, they are too outlandish and people are not very interested in breaking them (not most people anyway). I have selected some of my favorite Guinness World Records to share with you. Of course by “favorite” I mean the most bizarre and quirky world records I know. Let’s check them out!

• The most straws stuffed into a mouth without using your hands(!) is 400. It was achieved by Simon Elmore, who held them there for 10 seconds. This unique moment happened at the Mark ‘n’ Simon Show in Germany, on August 6, 2009.

• The longest distance pulled by a horse while on full body burn is 500 m. Because it’s not enough to just be pulled by a horse, you have to be on fire too, don’t you? It was achieved by Josef Tödtling in Austria, on June 27, 2015.

• The longest sword swallowed so far was 58 cm long. It was achieved by Natasha Veruschka on Sword Swallowers Awareness Day, on February 28, 2009. Talk about having total control over your body, right?

• The most clothes pegs clipped to the face in one minute is 51 pegs (sexual fetish alert!). It was achieved by Silvio Sabba in Italy, on December 27, 2012.

• The longest french knitting (which is done on a spool with four nails to produce a narrow length of wool) measures 31.42 km and was created by Edward Hannaford in the UK. He started in 1989 and it was verified on April 12, 2016.

• The fastest 100-metre hurdles wearing swim fins (is he going for a swim afterwards?) was completed in 14.82 seconds and it was achieved by Christopher Irmscher on the set of Guinness World Records in Germany, on September 13, 2008.

These are some of the most peculiar yet hilarious world records we can find in this even funnier and weirder world! How can we not love humans? If I got your curiosity going, you can check out other world records at the official Guinness World Records website.

If you check the website and find other records that are even funnier than these ones, or if you have your own personal amusing records, please share them in the comments below!