After six months in Jasmine’s village, the group decided to move on to their next project. In an unusual step, Ashley and two other volunteers from the group decided to stay for a few more months that lasted about three years. During this time, Ashley saw Jasmine advancing in school. She read and wrote effortlessly in the local language. She also learned quite a bit of English. Ashley loved Jasmine as though she was one of her children. But unfortunately, at some point, she and the others had to re-join the rest of the group. The day Ashley told Jasmine she was going to leave, the poor girl didn’t stop crying. Ashley wasn’t just a teacher, she was also a mother figure for her. Ashley used to encourage her, comfort her, and showed her a lot of love, something her mother never did.

Ashley promised Jasmine she would come to visit her when she could. In addition, she went to see her family. Since Ashley could already speak the local language, this time she communicated directly with Jasmine’s father without a translator. She made him promise he would allow Jasmine to continue attending school. In return, Ashley assured him she would send the family some money every month, as long as he kept his word. Ashley was well regarded in the village, and the residents loved her because of her kindness.

She helped many people during her years in the village, therefore she gained their trust. Before she left she asked some of her local friends to keep an eye on her favorite girl. Ashley gave Jasmine her address and encouraged her to stay in touch. Jasmine used to write to Ashley at least twice a week. She updated her with the latest news from the village and what was going on in her life. The agreement between Jasmine’s father and Ashley lasted until Jasmine was 14 years old. Then her father decided to marry her off to a man who was double her age. When Jasmine was told her father found a husband for her, she felt like the sky fell on her. She begged him to cancel the agreement with the future husband, but he just dismissed her.

He claimed that if he waited any longer he wouldn’t find a good match for her. Jasmine knew very well he was lying as he didn’t care about any of his daughters. He just sold them to the highest bidder as though they were cattle. Over the years, she saw her sisters suffer from their abusive husbands while her father did nothing to help them. She also saw him humiliate and abuse her mother as well as other females in the family. Jasmine couldn’t even update Ashley with the news, because by the time she learned of her upcoming marriage, she was already married. Besides, her father warned her not to say anything about her marriage to Ashley since he was afraid of losing the monthly payments. But the news made it’s way to Ashley and she put a stop to them.

After her wedding, Jasmine had to leave her parents’ house and move to her husband Ali’s house in another village, which was a little bit far from the village she grew up in. She didn’t know anybody in that village. Her husband’s family was in much better financial condition than her family, but it didn’t make her life any easier to live there. They were engaged in the carpet trade and sold souvenirs as well.

Jasmine’s husband had seven siblings, 4 brothers, and 3 sisters. The brothers never left their parent’s house. Any of them who got married brought his wife to live with the family. All the females in the family worked as carpet weavers. The males in the family sold carpets all over the country and abroad. Jasmine had four sisters-in-law. The oldest of them was barely 18 and the youngest was called Sarah, who was 11.

The sisters-in-law always looked miserable particularly Sarah who was in her latter stages of pregnancy. She was petite with a huge belly that made walking difficult for her. Her mother-in-law Amina called her a lazy cow and frequently punished her. She used to tease her daughters-in-law and said: “I had 8 children while I also took care of my husband’s family, without complaining.” She was a cruel woman and when Jasmine compared her to her father, he looked like an angel. One of her mother-in-law’s favorite punishments was to withhold food from the girls. It gave her pleasure seeing them suffer……..

 

To Be Continued……………….

One of the amazing things about moving to a new country is learning the new culture. When I moved to Canada, I didn’t learn just about Canadian culture, but about many others as well, as Canada is a multicultural country.  I must point out that some of the cultures which I was introduced to surprised me, but not in a positive way. Especially the way women are being treated. I heard all kinds of unbelievable stories from newcomers which made me realize how lucky I am to have grown up in a free and democratic country. Here is one of the stories I heard.

Jasmine came from a country where women are treated as second class citizens. In addition, violence against them is an integral part of their daily lives.  She grew up in a small village where many of the women don’t know how to read and write. She grew up in a big family and has six siblings, four sisters and two brothers. Jasmine is the second youngest. When she was born, her parents were disappointed as they hoped to have a son. Jasmine’s parents were poor like most of the residents who lived in their village.

They made a living from farming which wasn’t enough to support their large family. Jasmine came from a culture where girls are considered a burden for their parents. They cannot make any decisions about their lives at all and are completely dependent on the men in the family. When her sisters turned 13 or 14 her parents married them off to the highest bidder against their will, because they could not feed them.

By the time her sisters turned 18, they already had a few kids and they looked much older than they actually were. Some of her sisters were compelled to marry a man who was old enough to be their grandfather. The poor girls had no say about their future. The arrangement was between the men and the bride was the last one to know. Jasmine was terrified when she saw her sisters were full of cuts and bruises. She knew they were assaulted by their husbands and was afraid her day would come.

Unfortunately, none of her sisters were allowed to go to school because her parents objected. They thought if they allowed them to go to school, they might have difficulty finding them a husband in the future. Besides, a woman’s place is in the home……… Unlike her sister, Jasmine was lucky. When she was 5 years old, a group of volunteers from North America, Europe, and Australia came to her village. The group built a school not too far from where she lived. Some of them even spoke the local language.

The group went from house to house to convince the parents to send their children to school for their futures. It wasn’t an easy mission, but they were determined to succeed and they did. Jasmine was the only girl in the family that got permission to attend school, which gave her a little bit of hope. The group taught the children how to read and write. They also taught them math and basic English. Jasmine enjoyed attending school which wasn’t just an educational institution for her. The school was also a refuge for several hours from the harsh atmosphere at home. She was a good student and was well-liked by the teachers, especially Ashley, the teacher from Australia.

Ashley was an elementary school teacher for 20 years. When she heard from her colleague about the group of teachers who volunteered in third world countries, she jumped at the opportunity. She was divorced for a long time and her children were already grown up and left home. She thought she could use some excitement in her life and knew she had a lot to offer. When Ashley decided to join the group, she didn’t know any of them. They became like family to her after a short time.

The group of teachers went to undeveloped areas and built schools. They stayed for a few months, hired local teachers to replace them, and moved on to the next location. They were delighted every time they succeeded in establishing a new school. Anyway, Ashley really liked Jasmine as the little girl was curious and had a strong desire to learn. When Ashley gave Jasmine homework, she used to do it in no time, while most of the other students didn’t do it at all.

Jasmine’s father frequently prevented her from attending school so Ashley used to visit the family and explained to him how important it was for her to be in school. Ashley thought the girl had the potential for a better future if only her family would allow her.

To be continued………………………..

 

Personal hygiene is extremely important not just for your health, but for the health of others as well. Many times when I used a public restroom, I saw people leave the bathroom without washing their hands, or just rinsing their hands with water which is not enough. Then they go out and spread their germs all over. Sometimes you meet people who are always meticulously dressed and you admire them. Then you bump into them in the washroom and you find out they don’t wash their hands before leaving it. In a second you change your mind about them.

The truth is I am disgusted with people who have poor personal hygiene. I went to school with someone a few years ago and we were pretty friendly. She always seemed like a person who was careful about cleanliness. We would occasionally give each other cakes we baked at home. We even invited each other over for dinner, until I saw her bathroom habits.

The lady barely rinsed her hands with water before leaving the restroom. From then on I threw her food in the garbage. I have to say this wasn’t easy for me as I’m very much against throwing out food. I will only do it as a last resort. Another thing that surprised me was when I saw a young lady cleaning her teeth with toilet paper in the washroom. I offered her a kleenex which she declined even though I drew her attention to the fact that the toilet paper was full of germs and might have had fecal bacteria on it. This lady had a one-year-old baby at the time. I could only hope she was more careful around him.

I think these people who have poor personal hygiene are just being lazy. For them doing this basic and important act is just a suggestion but not a necessity. Sadly, a significant portion of the population is unaware of the serious consequences of not washing their hands in the bathroom, and in general. When you don’t frequently wash your hands, you can catch a cold more often. But the risks can be much higher and more devastating. For example, respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, flu, etc. It also has implications for people around you, especially those with weak immune systems such as children seniors, and people who are ill.

According to the C.D.C. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), by washing your hands properly, you significantly reduce your chances of catching various illnesses and infections. When I decided to write about hand washing before leaving the restroom, I didn’t know there is such a large percentage of the population that has poor bathroom habits. When I read the excuses people gave why they didn’t wash their hands, I nearly fell off my chair………..

Here is part of the reasons why they just walk past the sink (after they did whatever in the bathroom). (1) they don’t have to wash their hands as they didn’t touch their genitals (2) they don’t have time (3) since they didn’t pee on their hands, they don’t need to wash them (4) some people said they occasionally wash their hands in a public washroom when there are other people around, but not at home (5) it isn’t good for your skin to be continuously washed (6) several people said they don’t believe anybody washes their hands when they are alone.

Well, they didn’t ask me, because I always wash my hands….. yes even when I am alone. Anyway, there are countless ridiculous excuses for why people aren’t washing their hands. Can you imagine the person who just prepared your food in the restaurant, left the bathroom five minutes before without washing their hands? Can you imagine hospital employees who jeopardize the health of your loved one because of their poor personal hygiene? I would be horrified! It is well known that there are people who catch a bug while in a hospital and die from it.

Unfortunately, those situations are out of our control. On the other hand, you can control your personal hygiene and not put your beloved family, especially small children, at risk. Not washing your hands after using the bathroom or more often is irresponsible and can even be life-threatening. Therefore, parents must teach their children the importance of personal hygiene. They should instill in their children the habit of washing their hands particularly after they use the bathroom, play outside, touch animals, before eating, etc. This way they will build a strong foundation and awareness for good personal health.

We hadn’t been in Europe for a long time. We discussed different places to visit and decided on Switzerland even though the weather in October can be overcast and rainy. It could also snow, especially up in the mountains. Late fall is an in-between season and this made it difficult to plan what clothing to take with us.

It took a while deciding on an itinerary because Switzerland has many excellent places that are worth visiting. Finding hotels wasn’t difficult, although the prices were higher than we thought they would be.

Getting our luggage after we arrived took about 20 minutes. We were cleared through customs in just a few minutes. This process went smoothly which was a relief as you never know what will happen with your luggage and at the customs counter when you land at an airport.

People in Switzerland are friendly. Everyone tries to help you even if they don’t speak much English. We heard almost everyone speaking German and some speaking French. We learned that Switzerland is divided into roughly 3 areas where they speak mainly German, French or Italian.

We were surprised at the number of tourists we saw everywhere walking around taking in the sights, window shopping, also on the trains and at the airport in Zurich. Most of them were Asian, and not many from North America. This is understandable as the summer is vacation time in North America. By the time September comes, people are back at work and back to school. The next break for North Americans will come in December.

Finding your way around is easy. One can use Google Maps or Waze to get directions. We used the Swiss Rail Mobile app to book tickets on trains, which was convenient and easy to use. They email you a ticket with a bar code that the conductor scans with his cell phone to confirm the ticket and your payment. So much easier than going to a ticket counter and standing in line, or printing out a ticket. That is all ancient history. We strongly recommend using the app.

The trains are comfortable, clean, rarely too crowded, and run to the minute you see on the schedule. They had trains running regularly between all the locations we wanted to visit, which made it easy for us to plan and make the best use of our time.

The Swiss are committed to keeping the environment clean. The sidewalks and streets are clean. You don’t see litter everywhere you look. I’m told there are large fines for people caught littering in Switzerland. Almost no one in Switzerland uses single-use plastic bags. Everyone brings canvas or multi-use plastic bags with them when they go shopping.

We stayed at two hotels, one in Zurich near the airport, the other in Interlaken, which we used as our base. The hotels were quiet, clean and located within a five minute walk to train stations. The rooms were a little smaller than we expected, but it seems that hotel rooms in Europe are smaller than in North America.

The staff was friendly, professional and eager to help. One thing that surprised us was that neither hotel had air conditioning. When we asked about this we were told almost none of the guests complained that the rooms are too warm, particularly in the summer, which is a little hard to believe. We found the room in the hotel in Zurich very warm. It would have been helpful to have air conditioning to bring the temperature down.

Each hotel offered free breakfasts to all of its guests. We thought that it would be a simple continental breakfast. But in fact, it was quite generous, with scrambled eggs, an assortment of cheeses, bread, croissants, fresh fruit, vegetables, cereals, juices, plus tea and coffee. It is exactly the way I like it. It filled us up and gave us a great start to our day.

Interlaken is situated between two lakes. On the way into the city by train from Bern, we had a nice view of Lake Thun. We saw quite a few sailboats out on the lake. It was a lovely sunny day with barely a breeze and the water on the lake had barely a ripple on it. Interlaken is surrounded by mountains all covered in trees, whose leaves all changed colors from green to orange, yellow and red, exactly like in Canada.

It is a good place for walking. Everything we needed was close by to the hotel and we spent some time exploring the main streets looking at the stores, and the other people walking around. Most of the stores were selling high-end products geared for tourists. There was also a variety of restaurants in the area.

We went on two day trips from Interlaken. One to Grindelwald, the other to Wengen/Mannlichen. Both were easily accessible from the nearby train station and took less than an hour to get to.

The scenery along the way is amazing. You see mountain fed streams alongside the railway tracks, lush green grass, pastures with cows and goats grazing, houses built on the sides of hills, and deep valleys surrounded by trees and hills. Every house looks well cared for, not in need of repair or a paint job. The Swiss care a lot about things being in their place; everything is clean and tidy, etc.

It is difficult to put into words the feeling we got seeing the Alps coming into view. In Grindelwald, we had excellent views of the Eiger, the Monck, and the Jungfrau. The village is situated in a valley at the foot of the Eiger that towers over it. The day of our visit was sunny and with barely a cloud in the sky. We saw hang gliders taking advantage of the weather to launch themselves into a long, slow glide from a ridge to the west of the village. There was almost no wind at all that day and the gliders seemed to go in slow motion in their descent down to the ground.

I admired their courage and was also a bit jealous as they must have had sensational views of the mountains and the valley below them. Grindelwald had a lot of visitors the day we were there. The streets surrounding the train station were crowded with tourists and locals.

The hill opposite the train station was filled with a number of hotels, stores of all kinds, and many new homes being built. The wooden homes were all built in the same style, with a large veranda facing the street below. Although they all looked beautiful, I wouldn’t want to have to take the steep walk uphill to reach them.

We enjoyed our visit to Grindelwald. It is a picturesque village with wonderful views of the nearby mountains, and the countryside. As nice as it was, our trip to Wengen/Mannlichen the next day was breathtaking. The train trip from Interlaken had spectacular views of deep valleys, waterfalls, and lovely green pastures.

Wengen is a small village about 3000 feet above sea level. It is much smaller than Grindelwald and was less crowded. We went on a Sunday and almost all of the stores were closed. We did some hiking in the trails outside of the village but this was very challenging as the trails were very steep. While we were struggling to keep moving, the locals didn’t seem to be having much trouble at all. Some of the hikers were seniors who were walking at a brisk pace and were clearly enjoying themselves. We also saw a number of people racing their bicycles downhill at high speed and having a great time doing it.

The highlight of our visit was taking the cable car from Wengen to Mannlichen which sits high up on a hill. The trip took about 10-15 minutes. Mannlichen is about 7,300 feet above sea level, with close up views of the 3 mountains visible from Grindlewald; the Eiger, Monck and Jungfrau.

Mannlichen is used as a beginning point for a ski run in the winter. It also has a number of hiking trails, all leading downhill from the top of this ridge, all the way down to Grindlewald, several hours away on foot. If you are hungry, there is a large restaurant right next to the cable car. Looking down from Mannlichen you have views of the two valleys and the villages below. All the buildings in the valleys look like dots on the ground. However, the overriding feature of this spot is the feeling of being up close and personal with these majestic mountains.

It is one thing to see pictures or videos of the mountains. However, in this location, you are so close to them, you feel you could reach out and touch them. Standing there looking at them …and then slowly turning to get a 360 degree view…it simply takes your breath away. The mountains have stood in their place for thousands of years, quietly watching everything around them. After being at Mannlichen for about 45 minutes, the sun was slowly sinking behind the mountains, and the temperature dropped. It was time for us to leave and we were soon on our way.

 

Losing weight is hard, but keeping the weight off is much more difficult. Weight loss depends on age, metabolic rate, muscle mass, etc. There are people I know who went on diets many times in their lives. They tried all kinds of methods to lose weight, including methods that can harm their health. At some point, not only did they stop losing weight, they gained weight. Some dieticians said that it’s probably because the body adjusted to less calories.

Many people today aren’t satisfied with their appearance. They look at the beautiful pictures of others they see on social media, and are sure this is what they look like in real life. There are a number of reasons why some people don’t accept and appreciate their bodies.

1. Societal pressure where everyone thinks they are an expert on diets. Those so-called “experts” do more harm than good, although in most cases, they have good intentions. They give free advice to others on what they should eat and what they shouldn’t, and criticize them at the same time.

2. People have a picture in their minds of their ideal appearance, and how they are supposed to look. They always feel that just a few pounds separate them from happiness. They are willing to do anything to reach their goal. I know at least 3 people who took appetite suppressant pills for a few years. In addition, they used to live on a diet of coffee and cigarettes. Believe me, none of them look like Twiggy today (a model who was very thin). Shortly after they started eating normally again, they gained weight and became even heavier than before.

3. The reality shows and pictures on social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc) have set high standards for how you should look. Suddenly everyone wants to be a star and strives to be thin because this is the western ideal of beauty.

I don’t see any problem when a person wants to lose weight for health reasons or to improve their appearance. Also, it is perfectly fine when the person takes small steps and perseveres, as long as they keep it in proportion and have a realistic target weight.

It is well known that there is a lot more pressure on women than on men. Women are always judged on how they look, while the rules are different for men. In my opinion, women who are curvy look more feminine, and are maybe even more popular with men. Anyhow, I think women should do what makes them happy and not what pleases others.

However, a lady who I went to yoga class with once told me, that she went to a psychotherapist for years to improve her low self-esteem. She said kids at school used to tease her as she was overweight. I was very surprised as I knew her for a long time and she seemed comfortable with her appearance. She had a lot of confidence (more than most people I knew) and always looked happy and approachable. Then I heard her story.

She struggled with her weight since she was a teenager. She was always chubby and thought she wasn’t attractive. While her girlfriends would hang out with boys, she would stay home because she had a low self-image. She used to wear clothes that were much too big on her just to hide her body. Once in a blue moon when she went with her friends to the beach, she never wore a bathing suit.

Anyway, one day she decided to go on a diet. Since she wanted fast results, she would skip meals and she soon started losing weight. She lost 15 pounds in a short period of time and received a lot of compliments on her new appearance. She soon realized that she couldn’t skip meals, as she didn’t feel good and suffered from dizziness. She started to eat a little more and gained weight. So she took appetite suppressant pills and lost weight again. She abused her body for years and as a result, she suffered from anxiety and depression.

One of her friends recommended she go see a psychotherapist, and she did. She wasn’t thin when I met her, but she looked very confident, and finally learned to accept herself and love how she looked.

Anyone who lives in Toronto has encountered a raccoon at least once in their life. Raccoons are an inseparable part of life here. You can usually see them at night looking for food. I remember before we bought the treadmill, I used to walk outside in the mornings. I would see raccoons lying dead on the pavement pretty often, after they were hit by a car overnight. It doesn’t mean that they are not coming out during the day, especially if there is a food source available.

They like to search for food in the garbage and occasionally break into houses. Many people see them as a nuisance and some people even see them like rats. Sometimes they build their nests in the attic of a house and then it is difficult to get rid of them. Although raccoons are naturally cautious around people, they can sometimes be dangerous and aggressive especially when they carry rabies. Therefore, people should be careful around them and certainly not feed them, as then they would come back for more.

However, I lived near a family who had a beautiful backyard with all kinds of fruit trees. In the season, the mother used to pick the fruit, and put them in baskets in the dining room and the living room. One day when she wanted to pick some fruit, she noticed that there wasn’t as much fruit on the trees as before. Also, the baskets in her house which were full of fruit the day before were now empty.

It seemed strange to her but since she was raising three teenage boys, she thought maybe they were eating the fruit. Anyway, a couple of years ago for her husband’s birthday, she invited his family for a special dinner. A few days before the event, she started baking some desserts and planning the meal. The day before the dinner party, she spent all day in the kitchen cooking the main course and some side dishes. It was quite late at night by the time she finished cooking. The food was too warm to be put in the fridge, so she decided to leave it on the kitchen table to cool off.

She planned to wake up early in the morning and would put the food in the fridge then. When she finally went to bed she was exhausted and fell asleep in a minute. A loud noise coming from the lower floor woke her up in the middle of the night. She was sure it was one of her sons who had just returned home from a night out with his friends. Perhaps he bumped into some furniture and knocked it over. But when the noise grew louder, she knew it came from the kitchen and decided to go see what was going on. She was in shock when she turned on the light. All of the food she cooked the night before was now all over the kitchen, and three raccoons were eating it. They looked at her as though she broke into their house and was disturbing them in the middle of their meal……

At first, she was so frightened that she froze. She wanted to scream but no sound came from her mouth. Anyhow, she immediately regained her composure and ran to the bedroom to wake her husband. They opened the door and the windows, hoping the raccoons would leave the house. But the animals were busy with their meal and did not hurry to leave. In the meantime, the children woke up as well and the entire household was up in arms.

After a long wait, they saw that the raccoons had no intention of leaving. They decided to call wildlife removal. By the time they arrived, two of the raccoons had already left. The third one, who seemed particularly hungry, remained to finish the meal. The remaining raccoon was removed by the guy from the wildlife removal company who used a snare pole. The poor family stayed up the rest of the night cleaning up the mess, washing the kitchen with bleach. Later on, the family learned that the raccoons got into the house through the chimney, which they covered with a steel chimney cap right away.

Since the raccoons ate the birthday meal, they decided to go to a restaurant to celebrate. At the end of the meal, they invited the family to come back to their house for dessert. Luckily for them, the dessert was in the fridge and was the only part of the meal the raccoons couldn’t get their claws on……… 🙂

I had to move several times throughout my adult life and occasionally had to deal with noisy neighbors. Some of them made a lot of noise both day and at night. A few years ago we had a neighbor who lived above us that liked to do her chores early in the morning. She used to clean her house and do the laundry almost every day around five in the morning.

She made noise by repeatedly opening the shutters on her balcony to hang clothes to dry and shake carpets. Our landlord warned us about her before we signed the lease and said she was a trouble maker. But we took the apartment anyway because he was wonderful and the location was convenient.

She used to wake us up two hours early almost every day for a long time. We tried to speak with her about it a number of times. Every time I knocked on her door, she never opened it although she was at home. She always managed to avoid me somehow when I saw her on the street…..

However, one day the noise stopped and we realized the woman had moved. Suddenly it was quiet in the morning, but not for too long. I remember it was a Friday when the new tenant moved into the apartment. She cleaned the apartment and threw some dirt out the window which landed on our balcony. I immediately went upstairs and told her she was throwing dirt on our balcony. She apologized and said she didn’t do it on purpose. I thought what she did was stupid and irresponsible but I accepted her apology.

A few days later, we started hearing music in the middle of the night. The first time we thought it was a one-off event so we didn’t say anything. Then she and her friends often played the guitar in the middle of the night, which kept us awake. We would hear her friends laughing in the stairwell even before they got to her apartment.

The party would begin at midnight and end at 4 AM. My husband spoke with her several times and asked her to stop making so much noise at night. Her answer was that she was a musician and could not practice any other time. By the way, we weren’t the only ones suffering from the noise. The tenants who lived across the hall from her used to complain as well.

When the noise was unbearable, they would pound on her door and then it was quiet for a while. At the same time, we tried to find out who owned the apartment. To our surprise, we found out that the owner was the previous tenant…….. 😦 It’s not that we had any illusions about her helping us, but anyway we thought she should be in the picture. One day I came across her in the stairwell of the building, and for a change, she didn’t run away. I told her about her tenant and demanded the noise has to stop otherwise we will call the police. She mumbled something and went on her way, as expected.

The next time we heard music in the middle of the night we called the police. They came and there was quiet for a couple of days. The noise didn’t stop so my husband went to the police station to file a complaint. I don’t remember if she was fined but the disturbances continued until we moved.

Many years ago I knew someone who told me he had neighbors who lived next door to him and frequently made a lot of noise. He and his wife had a baby at the time, while the neighbor had three energetic boys. The boys played with a ball inside the apartment. They slammed the doors all the time. They also used to shout at each other. It was a nightmare for my friend and his family. The constant noise disturbed the baby and he was crying a lot. They went to his parents or his in-law’s home on the weekend, just for a few hours of quiet.

He told me he spoke with the neighbors several times and told them his baby was suffering because of their behavior. He would always see tears in the woman’s eyes which subsequently turned out to be crocodile tears………. They promised they would let their kids play in a playground and they would be more sensitive to the noise they were making.

He said they sounded very sincere and he believed them every time he talked to them. But they never kept their promise. Since the noise occurred during the day there wasn’t anything he could do. They felt powerless under the circumstances. At some point, they considered moving and then his brother-in-law suggested they make their neighbor’s lives miserable, and teach them a lesson……….

My friend put speakers on his balcony and played loud music from the afternoon until 11 at night including weekends. They were staying with his parents at that time. Their neighbors put letters in their mailbox as they couldn’t be reached, begging them to stop the music. Approximately a week later, my friend agreed to meet with them and reach a written agreement. Then it was quiet.

In conclusion, in cases like this, it’s best to fight fire with fire……………

Everyone knows how important it is to stay healthy. But with so much information out there available to us, it can be overwhelming and confusing. I’m a big believer that making a few small changes can add up to much larger benefits than the sum of the parts. However, this isn’t an all or nothing choice. But if you implement some of what I’m outlining below, you will increase your chances to get and/or stay healthy.

1. Eat less processed food, less carbs, and less deep-fried food. Eat more fresh veggies and more plant-based food. Don’t overdo the protein and eat a moderate amount of fruit. Pass or at least cut down on fast food like McD’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, etc…. even though I like them!
2. Try to exercise for at least 45 minutes a day. Every day. Walk, swim, dance, bike, play tennis, golf, whatever you like. But get moving. It’ll keep the circulation in good working order. Exercise will help keep your weight down especially when combined with the right diet. It can also improve your mood. Research tells us exercise lowers your chances of getting a number of nasty illnesses as it strengthens the immune system. If you aren’t already meditating, you should be. It works and can help in many areas of your life.
3. Stay away from drugs.
4. Don’t smoke.
5. Minimize your alcohol consumption to not more much than a glass of red wine a day.
6. Try to get a good night’s sleep. If you don’t sleep well, it affects your waking hours and really messes up your day. Do not look at a screen at least 1 1/2 hours before bedtime. Try to go to bed the same time every night. Change your pillow every few years and your mattress every 10 years or so. Do not skimp on a cheap mattress. Buy the best one you can afford.
7. Religion or belief system. I have read a number of times that people that have a faith that they follow are generally healthier and live longer than others. Maybe this is because they feel connected to others that have the same beliefs, or they find comfort in their beliefs. Whatever the reason, it will add something to your life.
8. Be social. Be around others, and don’t stay by yourself. Get outdoors. Visit a park. TV’s, cell phones, computers, email, and the ubiquitous social media all have their place and their benefits. Sorry folks, but they cannot compare to a face to face conversation with another human being, Or being outside around trees and birds Or yes, even snow. Invest in relationships with friends and family. Smile, say hello or good morning to a stranger. You don’t know where it may lead, and you may put a smile on their face and brighten their day.
9. The flip side of that coin is to have a healthy skepticism about some people we meet along the way. Sometimes we have a nice connection with others, sometimes so-so, other times not at all. If after talking with someone, you feel like your gas tank is close to empty, maybe it’s time to back away from them. Relationships should be a 2-way street, and not in one direction only.
10. Attitude. Try to laugh as often as you can. Watch more comedies and less news. Watch something that you can learn from, something that will fill you up instead of the mind-numbing nonsense the TV networks offer us now. Try to see the glass as 1/2 full even though life can be difficult, and painful. Everyone has their challenges and problems. It’s part of life, no matter who you are, and where you live. The grass ‘aint necessarily greener at the neighbor’s house, despite what you may think. You’d probably be surprised to know that there are a lotta people who would change places with you, despite all your problems. Please don’t let things sit inside of you. Speak to someone; a friend, a counselor, a health professional. Talk about your feelings, your troubles, and reach out for help. We’ve all been there.
11. Be flexible. At least be open to the possibility of doing something differently, something new, or looking at a subject from a different point of view or angle. If your plan A isn’t working out the way you’d like, it’s time to get out of your usual approach and try something else, something you would not normally do, or something you hadn’t even considered before. Is this easy? Maybe not. Impossible? Absolutely not. Worthwhile? Definitely. How I am so sure? I don’t claim to be an expert. But I have a lot of life experience. I don’t have all the answers for my own life, let alone for others. But if things aren’t working out for you now, you have to tear up your playbook and do something unorthodox, something out of the envelope. I wish you much success and good health on your journey.

Who wouldn’t wish to stay young forever and preferably without any wrinkles at all?! Our appearance is very important. This is the first thing you look at when you meet someone for the first time. Still, from my point of view, some people take it too far. They spend most of their time and money on how they look. They become obsessive about it and frequently have plastic surgery.

It is normal not to like everything about our appearance and to even make small changes which will make us feel good about ourselves. But people need to know when to put a stop to it in order not to go overboard and look ridiculous.

There are risks involved with cosmetic surgery like with any intrusive procedure. The patient undergoes surgery completely healthy (at least physically), but doesn’t necessarily come out of it in the same condition. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the age of people who undergo cosmetic procedures has declined in recent years. Some of them are under the age of 14. I wonder, where are their parents?  Why don’t they prevent it? Obviously, I am not talking about essential surgeries. In fact, under a certain age, the patient must receive their parent’s approval for any surgical procedure.

However, a few days ago I saw a documentary about people who had cosmetic surgery. Some of them were really young and were accompanied by their parents who encouraged them to have the procedure. I should mention that most of the patients were teenage girls. Some of them wanted breast enlargement, while others wanted a breast reduction. As well, quite a few wished to undergo liposuction, which is a very popular procedure among youth today. From what I saw, another popular procedure is having the nose re-shaped. They go through these processes in order to have a modeling career or to improve their self-confidence. Sometimes they want to look like the celebrities they admire. When I watched the documentary, it frequently looked like those parents who escorted their children are fulfilling their dreams through them. I am not an expert, but aren’t they still developing?!

Anyway, several years ago I met this woman at the gym who was a little chubby. After countless attempts at losing weight, she decided to undergo liposuction. As far as I remember, she had it on her stomach, and after the surgery, her stomach area was bruised and swollen. It took her some time to recover but she was pleased with the results. After a while she underwent liposuction on her thighs. This was just the beginning. I always thought she looked good the way she was, but apparently it wasn’t enough for her.

From time to time she would disappear for a while and when she came back, we found out she had a breast enlargement, Later on, she had a nose job. What can I say, the woman kept her plastic surgeon busy…… 🙂 She used to work just to pay for all her cosmetic surgery. She was lucky she was married so her husband could pay the rest of the expenses…. 🙂

Anyhow, at some point she stopped attending the gym, and the connection between us slowly faded away. A few years ago I was in the States on vacation and I went to a mall to buy some clothes. When I stood at the cashier, I felt I was being looked at by the woman who stood in the line next to me. I glanced at her but she looked away. The woman called my name just as I was leaving. We looked at each other and she asked how I was doing. I was embarrassed as I didn’t recognize her until she reminded me who she was. My embarrassment turned to shock….I thought to myself, what the hell has she done to herself?

When she noticed the expression on my face she said “I know I look a little different as I had a few small cosmetic treatments…… Do I look younger, or what?!”  I stared at her and felt sorry for her and didn’t know what to say. Her face looked frozen…. I’m trying to describe what I saw…..and the only thing that comes to mind is the woman looked like a stuffed animal…….. The sad part is that she wasn’t even aware of it.

People love their pet dogs as much as they love their children. According to scientists, the feeling is mutual. I know some people who treat their dogs as part of their family. A couple of them even consider themselves parents, even though they have no children.

A few years ago I received an email from someone I was friendly with. She said that after a long wait, she finally had an addition to her family. I was invited to give a toast at the happy event. I was surprised by the content of the email, as I didn’t know she was expecting or in the process of adopting. I was happy for her and of course I confirmed my attendance. I didn’t know if it was a boy or a girl, or even twins, since the email sender was vague about the gender, and when I  asked, I got an evasive answer. So I decided to buy some toys for the precious addition.

I met two of our mutual acquaintances on the day of the event, after I parked my car near my friend’s house. We said hello and the first question we asked each other was it a girl or a boy. They bought her some unisex baby clothes. When we knocked on the door, we heard lots of loud laughter coming from inside the house. We entered the house which was full of people, most of whom I’d never met before. I looked for the hostess so I could congratulate her.

When I found her, she looked so happy. She was holding two gorgeous puppies. It was obvious they were females by the pink ribbons tied in their hair. They looked so cute. ” I became a Mom,” she said to us with sparkling eyes. We congratulated her and asked if we could see the newborn. At that point everybody in the room started laughing as if we told some joke. I tried to think what are they laughing at…….then she dropped the bomb and said “you already met my babies, I’m holding them”…..   🙂 We looked at her in disbelief and I thought it was probably her sense of humor, which I wasn’t aware of until now. Then we joined in the laughter.

I really enjoyed the evening and it was a pleasure meeting the guests who were almost all dog owners. Anyway, since our hostess was always active with charities, she assured us that all the gifts she received during the special evening would be donated to a children’s charity. We were all pleased to hear that the gifts would go to a good cause.

However, I heard a very touching story from one of the guests at my friend’s party. She said that her grandparents raised two dogs with a lot of love. They used to take them wherever they went. Over the years it became a little difficult for them to take care of the dogs. In addition, the extreme weather in Canada made it harder to take them outside for a walk. Still, there wasn’t a day that the dogs weren’t taken outside.

Every night the dogs slept next to their owners on a blanket on the floor. One day the grandmother went shopping while her husband stayed at home with the dogs. The gardener came to cut the grass that day. When the grandfather saw him he went outside to say hello and offered him something to drink. The grandfather went to the kitchen to get the drink, and then he collapsed.

The dogs started barking loudly and scratched the door to get the gardener’s attention. The barking got his attention as the dogs never behaved this way before. The gardener entered the house and noticed the grandfather lying on the floor. He immediately called 911 and the grandfather was rushed to the hospital. He was diagnosed with a stroke and the doctor said he would have died had he not reached the hospital so quickly………

While the grandfather was hospitalized, the dogs used to wait for his return at the front door. Several years later when the grandfather died, the dogs didn’t want to leave his grave. The grandmother refused her children’s request to give the dogs away after her husband passed away. She said “you don’t give family away” and kept them with her until she died.