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18

May

A Celebration of Spring

by Meredith Mullins on May 18, 2020

In search of paradise (A Bird of Paradise, that is)
© iStock/Waltkopp

Flowers Around the World—the Scary, the Exotic, and the Reassuring

Spring came . . . just as promised through the ages. Not even a global pandemic could stop the natural rhythms of the earth. (This story begins like an ancient myth, doesn’t it?)

The clenched tree buds exploded into gentle leaves of green almost overnight. Flowers bloomed everywhere around the world making the words “riot of color” less of a cliché because the description was so true.

A celebration of spring—poppies in the Paris Jardin des Plantes
© Mavis Negroni

We welcomed the renewal/rebirth metaphor of spring, especially in this time of corona. The change in seasons was one small way to gauge the strange time warp that had enveloped the world during sheltering-in-place/confinement/lockdown.

But we all knew the truth. The celebration of spring would have to be different this year. Many of us could not leave our houses. Many could travel only within a small radius of home. And, in most cases, our favorite public gardens were locked up tight. What’s a lover of spring to do?

The elegant White Egret Flower (Habenaria radiata) seems to take flight.
(From Japan and East Asia)
© iStock/Magicflute002

A Journey for a Virtual Traveler

To put myself in the mood, I started a virtual tour of spring by searching for exotic flowers around the world.

Why not search for flowers that stretch the imagination? Yikes!
(The Monkey Orchid, Dracula saulii)
© iStock/Beatrice Sirinuntananon

The Ballerina Orchid (caladenia melanema from Australia) is an elegant addition to the world
of exotic flora (and a little less “Little Shop of Horrors” than the Monkey Orchid.)
© iStock/Beatrice Sirinuntananon

From Central and South America to the Mediterranean to the Far East, these unique flowers are works of art, although some were clearly transforming themselves into creatures from a Star Wars bar scene, heroines from fairytales, or dancers from vivid lockdown dreams.

Wildflowers (Calceolaria uniflora) from South America. Do they belong
in a Star Wars bar or on stage, starring in a modern version of MacBeth?
© iStock/Gerhard Saueracker

Had I been in “confinement” for too many days? Were exotic flowers mutating into alien beings before my Netflix-weary eyes?

An alien or a flower—you be the judge.
(The Darth Vadar flower from Central and South America.)
© iStock/Gyro

The good news: I wasn’t alone in imagining the anthropomorphic qualities of these blooms. Others had seen the same qualities (and not even during lockdown).

Does everyone see a naked man here (or is it just me)?
(Orchis italica, otherwise known as The Naked Man Orchid)
© iStock/Carlos Pérez Romero

The names were clues and something to cling to on the edge of sheltering insanity. Still, these images had the potential of continuing to enter my dreams, so it was time to experience whatever part of spring I could bring to my limited world.

Is this a costumed bee on an orchid or the strange totality of the Laughing Bumble Bee Orchid?
(Ophrys bombyliflora from the Mediterranean.)
© iStock/Andi Edwards

The Real Flowers in Our Lives

As loyal OIC Moments’ readers might know, the past two blog stories have celebrated a connection to nature, no matter the circumstances. (See Recovering Our Awe of Nature and We’ll Always Have Paris.)

Following suit, we now move past scary lockdown dreams of monkey orchids and happy aliens to this spring’s reassuring flowers and gardens.

Discovering a private world of nature during lockdown
© vjonesphoto

People around the world rose to the challenge of seeking refuge in their own gardens or discovering nature wherever they happened to be sheltering. For some, like Virginia Jones in Alabama, going out to photograph the emergence of spring was “a welcome and safe way” to raise her spirits.

For Carol Starr in Maryland, who had a bit more freedom to wander, several gardens were within reach—the annual cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin, the towpath of the C&O Canal, and several open gardens.

A celebration of spring in Maryland
© Carol Starr

She was able to visit week after week to see the progression of blooms. She even brought nature to a blank page for all to see in her subsequent paintings, proving that there are many ways to share the beauty of spring.

Spring arrives by inviting creativity.
© Carol Starr

For Pamela Spurdon in the center of Paris, there were no woodside paths or formal gardens. Her world was more limited due to the strict confinement rules in France. But she connected to nature every day. She thanks the “awesome azalea that greeted me every single morning of the confinement: irrepressible joy of spring!”

The awesome azalea
© Pamela Spurdon

Gardeners Now and Forever

For those who are gardeners at heart, the connection with nature is a given, especially when there is a magical garden in the yard.

Three garden lovers on the Monterey Peninsula of California share a similar reflective theme during their shelter-in-place order.

Lynn Bohnen calls her garden “her savior” and explains that there is nowhere else she’d rather be during the stay-at-home order.

“I can’t feel my fingertips because I’m constantly digging with them; but to me, it’s pure joy,” she says. “It’s a very positive thing when you have time to reflect about what is really wonderful in this world and what really gives you great joy.”

Discovering what gives you joy
© Lynn Bohnen

Janelle Gistelli shares that same feeling of peace. “During this time of anxiety and stress, my garden has given me a place to “just be.” I can escape into the smallest details as I do my daily puttering and grooming, while I listen to the birds and wind chimes. My garden has been my solace during this time.”

Magic in one’s own backyard—a place to “just be.”
© Janelle Gistelli

Elizabeth Murray (author of several garden/creativity books) adds “My garden is a sanctuary of renewal, beauty, and joy. With the gift of slowing down I am also blooming with creativity, especially when I am fully present to draw and paint my garden.

Drawing and painting in a garden sanctuary
© Elizabeth Murray

Elizabeth has been making folding books and drawing flowers from her garden during this corona time as a way to be focused during the pandemic. Through Instagram and Facebook, she has introduced the idea to artists and garden lovers around the world.

The creativity of a folding book
© Elizabeth Murray

Generosity of Spirit

Every spring, Robin in Oregon gives away homegrown vegetable plants to her neighbors to get their summer gardens started. This year was no different, except that her friends couldn’t come to her house for pickup and there were no in-person chats.

Vegetable plants ready for spring delivery
© Robin Koontz

She had to deliver the plants to the road’s edge at a safe distance from each neighbor’s house. The reward in these challenging times, she says, was “knowing that we all would have a garden to tend to help keep us sane and healthy.”

Beth in Cambridge, Massachusetts inherited a truckload of daffodils as spring was emerging. She decided to brighten the day of all her neighbors by putting the flowers on the street and offering them to anyone who needed a smile of spring.

Generosity does, indeed, brighten the day.
© Beth Pendery

The Art of Celebrating Spring

Most of us missed our usual spring rituals, but nature prevailed. For many, the change in focus inspired a renewal/rebirth of creativity.

Mavis Negroni was not able to walk through her favorite Paris park this spring—the Jardins des Plantes.However she vividly remembers its beauty and the fact that it is “a frenzy of color and light in three seasons of the year.” We can feel that appreciation in her creative expression during this confinement.

A spring collage, perhaps inspired by the Jardins des Plantes
© Mavis Negroni

“I love visiting the tiny water features when the frogs mate and the tadpoles and dragonflies arrive,” she says. “I love the banter of crows and parrots, the shreiks of children, the stream of joggers, and the tai chi and fan classes.”

Donna Leiber, from Southern California, also shared a vivid corona tale in the form of a single rose, which she describes as a piece that shows both freedom and constraint.

Beauty in aloneness and strength in self-reliance
© Donna J. Leiber

“She needs no companions to be complete, keeps intruders at a safe distance with her thorns, and weathers many storms no matter how fragile and delicate,” Donna says of her rose.  “I painted her during these surreal COVID-19 pandemic times to remind us that there can be beauty in aloneness and strength in self-reliance.”

Yes, spring came . . . just as promised. Not even a global pandemic could stop the natural rhythms of the earth.

Oh, I see. We shared a celebration of spring, inspired by flowers around the world. And, just like the single strong rose, we will weather the corona storm.

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

 

Art of Travel/Nature Discovery/Worldwide Sites

28

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 history, 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.

 

Clever Ideas/Crossing Cultures/Worldwide Sites

21

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.

 

Cultural Heritage & Traditions/Worldwide Sites

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