In Another Month.

It will be covered in snow.

 

Looks Like This

 All the leaves have changed color.

Cyber Bullying Vs Traditional Bullying

 

Today's topic came out of a thought that body shaming is a type of cyber bullying.  In fact, I got to thinking about the differences between cyber bullying and traditional bullying.  Cyber bullying refers to bullying that takes place online where as traditional bullying takes place in person.

The internet has been around long enough that scientists have conducted studies to see what is going on with cyber bullying.  One conclusion they've reached is that cyber bullying is quite different from the traditional bullying.  Cyberbullying is defined as deliberately and repeatedly harming someone via a digital or electronic device.  It does not involve face-to-face interaction and this makes it so much easier.

In cyberbullying a person makes a "joke" or "comment" via text or a post and it is not funny at all.  In fact, when the "jokes" or "comments" are repeated it can cross the line into cyberbullying. Think of it this way, a person can set up an online persona protected by an e-mail address that they can hide behind. This provides a feeling of protection that they can say and do what they want because they have a certain level of anonymity they can hide behind.

A study from the University of British Columbia  indicated that cyber bullying is more prevalent than the traditional bullying among the young.  They discovered that 25 to 30 percent of people surveyed indicated they have either experienced or taken part in cyberbullying. Furthermore, 95 percent of the young people indicated that what they put online was supposed to be a joke and the other 5 percent posted material meant to harm someone.

When bullying takes place in person, each person is involved in only one role.  They are either the bully, the victim or the witness.  In cyberbullying each person may play multiple roles at once.  They could be the bully, victim, and/or witness.  In addition, cyberbullying is not usually premeditated while traditional bullying is because the bully has to plan what they will do to their victim.  

Furthermore, there are certain elements present in traditional bullying that are not present in cyberbullying.  In traditional bullying, the bully has a need for power and control while actively targeting the victim and is an outlet for aggression. In cyberbullying, teens have become desensitized to the devices and they are more likely to say something online they'd never say in person.  

In fact, people can post comments, photos, and other things on line that will remain there forever.  They can post anything be it nice or hurtful without any supervision.  This means many sites focus on one person that they tear apart, post photoshopped photos, and other hurtful things.  Often the posters see what they publish as a joke, not as bullying. Unfortunately, these items can end up on social media, You Tube, someone's personal site, or other place.

It is important to help all people learn the rules to follow if they find they are being cyber bullied, otherwise it will continue and might lead to someone committing suicide due to what is being published.  The first rule for young people is to talk to a trusted adult.  Next everyone can contact the site or host providers about the inappropriate material that's been posted.  Make copies of everything that has been published for proof should it be needed.  Ignore rude comments and always take time to cool down rather than shooting a nasty comment off because it could cause the situation to escalate.

Do not share username or passwords with anyone and make sure your security settings are set for a secure as you can make it.  Make sure you only post things on line that will not come back to bite you.  Choose friends wisely and do not accept all friend requests.  It is important to protect yourself no matter what age you are. Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great weekend.

Choosing Shoes For Travel

 

I have done quite a bit of traveling this year and some of the travel involves going from somewhere warm to somewhere colder and vice versa.  The last trip took me from Alaska in the fall meaning I need shoes to Belize where sandals are more comfortable.  I have had other trips where I'm going from frosty fall weather to snow on the ground.  So over the course of the past few years, I've figured out which shoes work best and how to pack them so I don't take an overwhelming number of pairs with me.  Usually, I only take two pair with me.

The thing to remember about travel shoes in general is that you are going to focus on comfort rather than looks and you want a shoe that will provide protection so you can go everywhere without a problem.  Some folks recommend you skip taking sandals or even flip flops as neither one offers protection but I always have a pair of sandals with me.  I have taken flip flops on occasion when I was staying at a place like a hostel where I was sharing facilities with others.

In general, the type of shoe you take will depend on where you are going and the season you are doing in. For instance, if you are mostly in towns with hard sidewalks, roads, or public walkways you share with bicycles, you will want a sneaker or running shoe.  You don't have to get the most expensive ones, just know you will be racking up distance if you are walking all over.

On the other hand, if you are doing a lot of walking along trails or terrain that is a bit more rugged, you might want to look at a light hikers or trail runners because they are sturdy, protective, and are made for long excursions.  In additions, most of these shoes are designed to be water resistant so they are great for wetter weather.  If you won't be doing a lot of hiking, you might not bring a pair like this with you.

If you need a shoe for dressier events, you might want to focus on shoes that are more comfortable rather than being fashionable.  This type of shoe might be similar to one you'd wear if you had a job where you have to be on your feet most of the day.  It doesn't have to look great, it just has to do the job.

To see if the shoe is going to work, you will have to do more than just put them on and walk a few steps around the store.  You should first pick up the shoe so you have one hand around the heel and one under the toe.  You need to bend the toe upwards.  You are looking to make sure the shoe bends under the ball of the foot. Then twist the heel and toe to see if the sole feels like a wet noodle or if there is a bit of resistance.  You want a shoe that has a bit of resistance.

If you can, walk down an incline to see how the shoes feel and react.  Make sure your toes are not touching the front of the shoe, if they do, look at a different pair.  Then walk up some stairs to see how they work.  You want to make sure that your heels are not lifting in the shoe more than one-eighth of an inch otherwise you have the possibility of developing blisters.  

The last thing to keep in mind is that you do not want to skimp on cost.  If the shoe you like is on sale, great but don't settle for a cheaper pair of shoes due to cost.  Most of the time when you are traveling, you are going to be walking around and you need to take good care of your feet.  Spend the money because you are investing in yourself and your trip. You don't want to be sidelined due to hurting your feet.

If you end up bringing a light pair of shoes and heavier boots, then pack the lighter pair and wear the heavier shoes to save weight in your suitcase.  I usually wear the heavier one and slide the lighter pair in my backpack where I have a specific pocket for shoes.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

Xunantunich - Mayan Ruins

It turns out Belize is home to so many different Mayan ruins and Mayan caves that one could spend several weeks just exploring them.  I got the opportunity to check out two ruins.  The first I wrote about Friday and last Thursday, I got a chance to tour Xunantunich, a Mayan ruin, located near the Guatemalan boarder.  It is so much bigger than the last one I spoke about.  

The photo to the left shows all the different places that house Mayan ruins and caves.  They are almost in a strip heading towards Guatemala from Belize City.  The one to the furthest left is in Guatemala.

Normally, the tour vehicle crosses the river on a ferry and then it drives about 1.5 miles up the road to the parking lot.  From there, everyone is required to walk the rest of the way but due to a river that was higher than normal so the vehicles couldn't get on the ferry since it was about 6 inches above ground.  

To get the ferry across, a worker turns the hand crank and you go across the river.  When you reach the other side, you disembark and head up the road.  We were lucky in that there was a sprinkle of rain that lasted a short bit but the day never really got super sunny till after we were done.  They did tell us that if the level of the river went up, they would call us and we'd have to leave.  The river stayed the same level the whole time we were there.

After a nice walk up the road, we finally reached the sign telling us, we'd reached our destination.  It is at this point, you head into the reserve which has a very nice visitors center.  Xunantunich is also known as the stone lady. The story goes that a young man was up at the ruins and saw a beautiful mayan young lady next to the temple.  He followed her into the temple but she disappeared.  He called others to help find her, yet the could not find her again.  That is the short version of the story.  Who knows if he saw her?  

Once past the visitors center, you finally reach the ruins themselves.  It is so big with two ball courts, a huge temple, and lots of other buildings.

This is the temple. It is 137 feet tall from the plaza which is the grassy area in front of it.  The place is here everyone met to listen to the rulers but there is a small area behind the temple that you cannot see from here where the rulers and upper classes would have their own private celebrations.

To climb up to the top, you start climbing the stairs and follow it up to the white band you see.  From there you veer off to the left side and take more stairs up and around to the back where you finish your hike.  The view was fantastic from the top.  I could see a village over in Guatemala, and one located behind the temple.  

On the west side is a frieze that runs all the way across the temple.  As you can see, there are steps going up to a level area and above the level area is the frieze.  If you turn right at this level, you can walk across the front and then go down but if you turn left, you follow the path around back and then continue your climb up to the top where you come in from the back.

The nice thing about the climb is that there is a nice flat green area with other small buildings.  There you get a nice rest before you start climbing again.  This made it so much nicer when climbing.

There is another frieze on the east side of the building you can see when you are going down.  This one I was able to get a closer up shot but the frieze didn't go all the way across like the one on the west.  

Not all the buildings in the ruins have been excavated.  Many of the buildings are slowly being dug out as time allows and some may never be touched.  

The guide told us that the Mayans from the place in Guatemala, came and took over the temple so the residents of this place, fell back and build more facilities until they could kick the invaders out.  I'm not sure they ever managed it but it explains the way the village grew.

View from the top of the temple.

Once we were done with viewing the ruins, we walked back down the road before taking the ferry back across to the main road.  The river was definitely up as you can see from the photo.

The ferry boat captain asked about ages and did we climb all the way to the top.  I was proud of making it all the way up and I was able to look out and take photos.  I have a fear of heights but I've learned as long as I am not too close to the edge, I can handle the heights so it was good.  

After we left the ruins, we stopped in the closest town for lunch.  Rather than going to a restaurant, we stopped by the market place to buy some Pupusas which are a thick corn tortilla thing stuffed with beans and cheese with a Cole slaw on top, and finished with a tomato sauce.  It was sooooo good.

All three tours were awesome and our guide, Albert, of A Plus Adventures Belize was fantastic and made me wish I was staying longer so I could see more.  I'm just going to have to come back.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

Bats

 First time seeing fruit bats in the wild.  They were cool.

Pupusas

 

Pupusas are such good food.  Thick corn tortillas with stuffing of beans and cheese, topped with a Cole slaw type mix and finished with tomato sauce.  So yummy.