Apr

In a World of Worry?

by Joyce McGreevy on April 28, 2020

A wall with a small opening reminds the author that cross-cultural tips for care can help you stay calm, even when the world is in crisis. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

When we feel walled off and overwhelmed, we can still find an opening for calm.
© Joyce McGreevy

10 Cross-Cultural Tips for Staying Calm

As sheltering in place continues and some news proves more stress-inducing than helpful, staying calm is not always easy. Happily, there’s a world of ways to maintain equilibrium. Oh, I see: Wherever you live, cross-cultural tips like these can help restore your inner balance.

1. Begin Where East Meets West—Meditation

Meditation’s stress-reduction benefits are backed up by science. While silent meditation works wonders for some, others may prefer guided meditation. The app Ten Percent Happier is geared to skeptics, first timers, and the downright fidgety.

TIP: To help people cope with lockdown, co-founder Dan Harris launched Ten Percent Happier Live, a free daily “sanity break,” available through the app or on YouTube. Join Harris and meditation teachers across cultures as they stream from their homes to homes around the world.

Dan Harris, meditating in Times Square, offers cross-cultural tips for staying calm through the app Ten Percent Happier. (Image © Samuel Johns/ 10% Happier)

Pre-2020, TenPercent.com founder Dan Harris finds calm in NYC’s Times Square.
© Samuel Johns/10% Happier

2. Travel from Nepal to . . . Dreamland

Is anxiety triggering insomnia? On the app Calm, cross-cultural “sleep stories” transport you to Chitwan National Park in Nepal, lavender fields in Provence and so on, while helping you wind down.

TIP: Calm‘s blog currently offers a wealth of premium content free—no jet lag, no travel restrictions.

3. Emulate the Japanese—Celebrate Imperfection

As Meredith Mullins explains elsewhere on OIC Moments, wabi sabi is a Japanese aesthetic . . that treasures how we are rather than how we should be.”

TIP: Dare to see the beauty in something imperfect—like your children’s messy bedroom, which also means your kids are healthy and active.

A dog looking amused by an owner’s silly Christmas slippers reminds the author that a sense of humor is a cross-cultural tool for staying calm during a crisis. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Spring wardrobe a bit outdated? Relax, the fashion police aren’t stopping by.
© Joyce McGreevy

4. Do Indian-Inspired Yoga

It began in the Indus-Sarasvati region of India 5,000 years ago—today, it’s popular across most cultures. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in the U.S. alone, 1 in 7 adults and 1 in 12 children practice yoga. During the COVID-19 crisis, many rely on yoga to stay calm.

TIP: It’s no stretch to find good resources. From Mindbody’s illustrated list of calming poses, videos like “Yoga to Calm Your Nerves,” and the app Kids Yogaverse, the options for wellness are well within reach.

5. Cope American-Style—Commune with Your Pet

Researchers say ours is a pet-obsessed culture. America spends more per pet than anywhere else in the world. But all our pets really want us to “spend” is more time with them. So cuddle that cat, roll over with Rover, talk to your turtle, and partner up for yoga.

If video does not display, see the whole new take on “downward facing dog” here.

TIP: Do consult with your dog first if you intend to do “cat pose” . . . .

6. Dance Around the House, Nigerian Style

Afrobeats is proof that you can calm yourself down by revving yourself up with great music.

TIP: Unfamliar with Afrobeats? View this marvelous 8-minute histor y, which includes recommendations.

Irish chickens drinking water from a trough remind the author that, across all cultures, staying hydrated is helpful tool for staying calm during a crisis. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

DO: shake your tail feathers. DO: stay hydrated. DON’T: get in a flap.
© Joyce McGreevy

7. Savor Swedish “Fika”

Sweden’s calming ritual centers around coffee, but fika is even more about setting aside a moment and savoring it. Traditionally, it’s sociable. In Swedish workplaces being “too busy” for fikarast (coffee break) is unthinkable. But whether you’re Zoom-ing with co-workers, cocooning with loved ones, or sheltering solo, take time to feel the fika.

TIP: Short on Swedish pastries? Make cinnamon toast.

A toy dog sharing Swedish fika shows that a sense of play and cross-cultural tips help one stay calm when sheltering in place during the pandemic. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Bedford joins me for fikarast.
© Joyce McGreevy

8. Do Something Irish—Read a Poem

Ireland is one of those rare countries where almost everyone appreciates poetry. In hard times across cultures, poetry is a ready source of comfort. And when a poet expresses the seemingly inexpressible, it crosses over into magic.

TIP: Read one of Ireland’s most popular poems, Yeats’ “The Lake Isle of Innisfree.” Your heart will thank you.

Flowers in a field remind the author that, across cultures, appreciating nature’s beauty is a helpful tool for staying calm during a crisis. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

What is fragile can flourish.
© Joyce McGreevy

9. Discover an Italian Art

Il dolce fare niente—”the sweetness of doing nothing”

Sure, you could turn lockdown into Self-Improvement Boot Camp and become a Productivity Powerhouse. But why? Consider occasionally doing nothing at all.

TIP: How to “do” nothing? Any way you want. Stand barefoot in grass, doze in your favorite chair, watch clouds the way you did as a child.

A collage of a dog sleeping reminds the author that rest is a cross-cultural tool for staying calm during a crisis. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

We’re gonna rest, rest, rest around the clock tonight!
© Joyce McGreevy

10. Do the World Some Good

According to Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, doing good for others is good for you, too. Altruism reduces stress, which has ripple-effect benefits for your health. Whether you adopt a global mindset or keep it local, what matters is doing or giving what you can,

TIP: Find a guide to helping during the crisis here.

A World of Support

Working from home, sheltering in place, waiting to return “Out There”—each carries its own pressures. These cross-cultural tips for staying calm are just a sampling of the world’s wisdom and creativity. What cultural calming rituals can you share with readers of OIC Moments?

Comment on the post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Joyce McGreevy 5 Comments

Clever Ideas/Crossing Cultures/Worldwide Sites

Apr

In Home Lockdown, What Sustains You?

by Joyce McGreevy on April 21, 2020

A couple preparing for Seder in their kitchen to share with friends online keep a cultural tradition during the pandemic lockdown. (Image © Jamison and Wendy Clifford Reeves)

Jamison and Wendy Reeves cook supper (above) to share
Passover Seder online with friends (below).

Friends sharing Seder online while maintaining social distance keep a cultural tradition during a global health crisis. (Image © Jamison and Wendy Clifford Reeves0

Both images © Jamison Reeves and Wendy Clifford Reeves

Keeping Cultural Traditions
Despite Social Distance

Recently in Bulgaria, Hristina Bareva’s mother celebrated an important cultural tradition—her Name Day. “Name days are a big thing in Bulgaria,” says Hristina. So big that “you don’t need permission to visit [the honoree’s] home. It’s socially accepted that you are welcome.”

Palm Sunday is designated for anyone who’s named for a tree or flower. That includes Hristina’s mother, Margarita, after the daisy. In any other year, Margarita would have spent the day offering visitors homemade cakes.

But 2020 is unlike any other year.

A woman eating cake alone during lockdown in Bulgaria due to a pandemic thinks about the cultural traditions that she usually associates with food. (Image © Hristina Bareva)

Eating cake alone is not festive, says Hristina. “I’m used to associating
food with people and togetherness.”
© Margarita Bareva

Instead, Hristina and her mother paid a socially distant visit to her brother Dimitar, his wife Lily, and their baby. “We left them food in containers and talked through the door, not going inside,” says Hristina. “This was our family time. They called us and said they loved the cake!”

Oh, I see: Cultural traditions that gather us together can also sustain us in times of separation.

A collage shows a man enjoying cake while social distancing on Name Day, a cultural tradition in Bulgaria. (Image © Hristina Bareva)

Separated by a glass door, Dimitar enjoys a family visit.
© Hristina Bareva

Back to Our Roots

Sheltering solo in California, Michael Nackley stays connected to his heritage through an online community that shares Lebanese recipes and stories.

Lebanese Okra Stew based on an online group recipe inspires a man to honor his cultural traditions even while sheltering in place during a pandemic. (Image © Michael Nackley)

When his group posted about Lebanese Okra Stew,
Michael cooked up a taste of home.
© Michael Nackley

For Quinnie Lin in Los Angeles, staying connected to family tradition includes little things, like “beating eggs with chopsticks, because that’s how I learned from my grandma.”

A young woman with a red bowl and chopsticks feels connected to the cultural traditions of her grandmother. (Image © Quinnie Lin)

Quinnie says an Irish friend “left me that big red bowl when he moved.
It makes me very happy.”
© Quinnie Lin

Adapting Traditions to Lockdown

Most cultural activities take us out into the world. From the timeless tradition of exploring other cultures through travel to such everyday customs as “meetings and greetings” during our daily rounds, we’re wired for sociability.

Baristas and customers in an Italian cafe and bakery evoke memories of life before lockdown impacted Italy's cultural traditions. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

In Italy, sociability is a traditional “ingredient” of everyone’s morning pastry . . .
© Joyce McGreevy

Italian bread pastries, riccioline, show how home baking keeps families under lockdown in Italy connected to cherished cultural traditions. (Image © Silvia Malago)

. . . but for now, Silvia Malago savors tradition by baking riccioline at home.
© Silvia Malago

By contrast, lockdown requires us to adapt the customary to the necessary. For travelers like John and Trisha Jones, connecting across cultures now means taking a “world tour” from their kitchen in Scotland: “A traditional Glasgow soup of lentils,” one night and Spanish paella the next. Next, Turkish green bean stew. “The only thing missing is raki.”

A man in Scotland who loves travel stays connected to cultural traditions by exploring the world from home during a global pandemic. (Image © Trisha Jones)

Under lockdown in Scotland, traditional “fun in the sun” travel means
a trip to the front step.
© Trisha Jones

Honoring Ancestors

In Salinas, California, the Roddy family cherish their cultural heritage. “Our ancestors came from all corners of the world. They are Irish, Italian, Spanish Basque, Indigenous Mexican-Aztec, and Sephardic Jewish,” says Michael. “The dishes we prepare reflect them all.”

His wife, Maria, who’s writing books centered on food, savors rituals that accompany cooking. These include honoring the ancestors with world music ranging from Italian opera to boleros, romantic Mexican ballads beloved by her parents.

Above all, they love cooking with their adult children. But how to do so while maintaining separation? For this family of artists, creativity provided the answer.

‘The other day we all had old tortillas in the fridge,” says Michael, “and that inspired us to make a breakfast dish called chilaquiles, with tortillas, onions, veggies, eggs, salsa, and crumbled cheese.”

With cameras ready, the Roddy family headed to the kitchen . . .

A table set with chilaquiles in Salinas, California evokes one family’s way of connecting to cultural traditions whilei in lockdown during a pandemic. (Image © Maria Elizabeth M. Roddy)

. . .in Salinas . . .
© Maria Elizabeth M. Roddy

Homemade chilaquiles in Los Angeles, California suggests one way a family under lockdown in a pandemic preserves a cultural tradition. (Image © James Roddy)

. . .and Los Angeles . . .
© James Roddy

A breakfast of chilaquiles in Oakland, California symbolizes a family’s way of connecting to cultural traditions, even during lockdown in a pandemic. (Image © Elizabeth A. Roddy)s

. . . and Oakland!
© Elizabeth A. Roddy

A Tradition of Hunting and Gathering

On New Zealand’s Stewart Island, maintaining the ecological balance depends in part on hunting. With a population of 400, the island has one market, and currently all cargo transport between the mainland is limited to essentials.

“My husband hunts for whitetail [deer],” says Jess Kany, editor of the Stewart Island News. “I cut the meat into steaks to vacuum pack in marinade. The no-steak bits we turn into stew meat and mince.”

A view of Stewart Island through a window reminds the writer of the cultural tradition of shared sacrifice that sustains a community during lockdown. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Under lockdown, one Stewart Islander posts to his neighbors:
“We are still traveling. Yesterday we visited the kitchen.”
© Joyce McGreevy

Foraging has deep roots across world cultures, and manifests in similar ways in completely different environments.

In rural Ireland, one can safely gather wild garlic while sheltering in place. Pour hot broth over chopped leaves for a fortifying soup.

Meanwhile, from Ojai, California, Julie Lovejoy’s foraging yields a moment of zen:

“Today I harvested stinging nettle for the very first time. From separating the leaves from the stems (gloved of course) and letting them steam into a soup base of onion, potato, and butter, to ladling out the deep green soup, the slow, meditative process was made deeper by the absence of people or cars. The only sounds were the constant hammering of rain on my hood as I worked, the slow chop of potatoes, and the scrape of the spoon against the bowl.”

A collage about nettle soup reflects how ancient cultural tradtions are helping us weather the current pandemic under lockdown. (Image © Julie Lovejoy) (Image © Julie Lovejoy)

A tradition of cooking nettles began in ancient Tibet, where it was
the sole food (and soul food) of the monk Milarepa.
© Julie Lovejoy

In urban cultures, “gathering ” takes on new meaning now that restaurants have closed. Diners used to gathering in groups are now gathering donations, ideas, and patience to save lives and preserve culinary traditions. Chefs and residents are gathering resources to turn restaurants into kitchens for healthcare workers and stadiums into food banks for families.

In Chicago, Jennifer Kleiman and wife Belia Rodriguez hope that people ordering delivery tip generously. “Every bit helps. We do a mix of cooking at home and ordering in from our favorite neighborhood places to make sure we’re supporting as much as our waistlines allow.”

A warm spell revived another culinary tradition: dining al fresco. “We thought it would be nice to eat on our front porch and get some fresh air, so we picked up burgers and beers.”

What beer?

“La Fin du Monde,” Jennifer quips.

A woman eating takeout reminds the writer that urban culture has changed under lockdown but cultural traditions like community spirit have not. (Image © Jenn Kleiman)

On call for her “techspertise,” Belia Rodriguez savors some downtime.
© Jennifer Kleiman

A Culture of Caring

Fortunately, the world isn’t ending, just pausing. But for essential workers, breaks are few.

In New Zealand, Kiwis value the cultural tradition of “doing your bit” for the community. That’s why Dave Aukuso and fiancée Laura Foote waited till almost sunset to enjoy Easter breakfast. Dave had just completed another overnight shift at an Auckland supermarket.

A couple in New Zealand value the Kiwi cultural tradition of helping one's community during an emergency. (Image © Laura Foote)

Traditional mealtimes take a hit when Dave works 17 hours straight.
© Laura Foote

“They’ve changed operational procedures in the supermarket, which need close moderating,” says Laura. “Only one person per shop per family. Limited numbers in store. Keeping distance. And then there’s arguments, accidents, the whole works. He loves it, though.”

A man and woman in protective masks volunteering at a food bank exemplify Texans’ cultural tradition of helping one's community during a crisis. (Image © Kathryn Rogers)

Michael Niebergal and Kathryn Rogers volunteer at the Central Texas Food Bank.
Melanie Haupt’s handmade masks helped raise more donations.
© Kathryn Rogers

Cultural Traditions in Challenging Times

Tradition sometimes seems like the opposite of change. But people worldwide are proving that cultural traditions can help us rise to the challenges of change. From holidays to daily rituals, cherished customs to community values, the cultural traditions that we sustain are now sustaining our belief in better times to come.

Comment on the post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Joyce McGreevy 2 Comments

Cultural Heritage & Traditions/Worldwide Sites

Apr

Virtual Traveler— A Journey of Note

by Meredith Mullins on April 13, 2020

The New York Philharmonic pays tribute to front-line healthcare workers. (Watch below.)
(Courtesy of New York Philharmonic/YouTube)

The Healing Power of Music and the Performing Arts

Much of the world has been “sheltering in place” for a while now. Some of us have lost count of the days, and, in fact, might not even be sure what day of the week it is.

Our exotic travel consists of taking the garbage out or exploring a closet that we haven’t visited for years.

As a result of this change in our daily life, we are becoming expert virtual travelers—happily wandering the rabbit hole of the Internet.

The good news is that artists and arts organizations are providing a rich offering of music and theatre when we most need it. (See also last week’s OIC for the opportunities offered in visual arts.)

More importantly, the arts seem to be bringing us closer together (metaphorically speaking, of course) in a time when the spirit of community has never been more important.

Music Gives a Soul to the Universe (Plato)

The power of music, whether at home or in the concert halls of the world, is a universal force. In these “stay-at-home” times, distance has not stopped the music. The virtual traveler is invited to just sit back and open ears, eyes, and heart.

Musicians and orchestras around the world are performing . . . from their homes. The virtual performances show how much music means to the musicians . . . and how much it can mean to us, the audience—a message straight to the soul.

Bolero was a popular choice among orchestras, as the New York Philharmonic (watch below) and the National Orchestra of France (watch here) both chose this dramatic Ravel piece for their first virtual performance (a good steady rhythm to keep everyone in sync).

The New York Philharmonic dedicated their performance to the front-line healthcare workers who are risking their lives every day.

If video does not display, watch it here.

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra reminded us that spring is here, even if we can’t breathe it in, with Copland’s Appalachian Spring (watch it here).

The Norwegian Arctic Orchestra paid tribute to their native son, Edvard Grieg, with a Praeludium from the Holberg Suite (watch it here).

And the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra brings it home with Hang on Sloopy, the official rock song of Ohio (watch it here). Let’s all hang on.

With all of these virtual orchestras, it is a rare privilege to see the musicians highlighted as individuals. We better understand how they play their instruments and how each instrument’s part is interwoven into the whole.

Music is a unique art, where much can be layered in each moment. This new form of performance helps us to feel that special quality.

Virtual Voices

Choirs and choruses around the world are reinventing their way of performing during this time when physical concerts are not possible.

The Camden Voices, a choir from the U.K., found a new way to stay in touch with a virtual performance of Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors. Their celestial harmony and song lyrics like “Show me your smile” and “Just call me up cause I will always be there” are particularly meaningful in these times of isolation and stress.

If video does not display, watch it here.

We are also serenaded by singers around the world, who have taken advantage of YouTube and Instagram to provide a song a day to keep our spirits up or a live mini-concert from home.

For example, listen to Rufus Wainwright (watch his quarantunes here) or Keith Urban (watch here). And if you’re a New Yorker missing one of the iconic Washington Square Park street musicians, know that Colin Huggins, a regular in that park, has moved his mobile piano indoors to continue to provide his music (watch him here).

For that often-needed humor, creative musicians and YouTube masters are offering some lockdown parodies.

If video doesn’t display, watch it here.

If video does not display, watch it here.

The Digital Stage

The Kennedy Center is streaming performances from the archives on the corona-safe digital stages of YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Don’t miss:

Beyonce singing Proud Mary in a tribute to Tina Turner
The bottle trick by illusionist Kevin James.
John Legend and Lindsey Stirling performing All of Me
And, for kids (and kids-at-heart) Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems

If video does not display, watch it here.

Lincoln Center’s online offerings include concerts, pop-up classrooms, dance, songs, puppetry, and paper weaving.

The center is also sharing a selection of master classes from female filmmakers, including Agnès Varda, Ava DuVernay, Jane Campion, Sofia Coppola, Greta Gerwig and more.

The Magic of Performing Arts During Corona

For the virtual traveler in search of culture, here is a sampling of organizations providing solace for the soul.

The New York Metropolitan Oper a offers a nightly opera for streaming. Don’t miss this week’s highlights: Rusalka (with Renée Fleming) or Madame Butterfly. Check the schedule here.
The Paris Opera is offering limited-time streaming of operas and dance. This week’s offering is a tribute to Jerome Robbins. Coming attractions include Cinderella, Tales of Hoffman, and Carmen. Find the schedule here.
The National Theatre of London is offering limited-time streaming of plays, including Jane Eyre, Treasure Island, and Twelfth Night.
Dance Companies are also sharing performances and lessons online. Watch performances of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company and the The Paul Taylor Dance Company that are a tribute to the human spirit and the majesty of movement.
The circus arts, too, are alive and well as Cirque du Soleil offers a new show every Friday.
If you like dramatic readings, visit Dolly Parton’s bedtime children’s stories or Patrick Stewart’s daily Shakespeare sonnets.
Whether or not you were able to score a ticket to Hamilton, you can be swept into Lin Manuel Miranda’s genius (and kindness). He gathers the cast to perform for a young fan in a ZOOM performance on John Krasinski’s new Some Good News (SGN) show.

If video does not display, watch it here.

A Grand Finale

As with any good musical composition, we end this collection of culture with a flourish. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (Ode to Joy) is a perfect way to lift the spirits. The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra finds a way to reach our souls from a socially acceptable distance . . . and somehow gives us strength.

For me, it was as if the whole planet lent voice to that final chorus. Oh, I see. In these tumultuous times, the virtual traveler can seek solace, connection, and inspiration through arts and culture.

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Monthly Archives: April 2020

In a World of Worry?