How's the weather over there?

It is so cold, it hurts.
How does cold hurt, you ask?
Well for all you warm people from somewhere other than north-central Saskatchewan and don’t understand what -35 C actually means, I’ll tell you.

1. When you spend two seconds outside, even while wearing gloves, your fingers start to freeze. It makes my knuckles ache.
2. The cold wind literally sucks the moisture out of you. I have cold rashes and dry skin on my hands, face, lips, hips, arms and parts of the body you just really don’t want dried, cracking skin.
3. When you breathe in, it feels cold all the way down to your lungs.
4. You shake and your teeth chatter uncontrollably.
5. Snow hides nails, so when frantically jogging across the parking lot to get out of the cold, you step on an old board and puncture both your shoe and the bottom of your foot with a rusty nail.

Admittedly the last one was less of the cold hurting and more of my being a klutz, but I wouldn’t have taken the route I did except to cut down time and get out of the cold.
The good news is I have had a tetanus shot in the last 10 years.
The bad news is that it’s still really cold.

Lets think HIV positive

Medicins Sans Frontiéres, what we in English-speaking Canada call Doctors Without Borders, has an HIV/AIDS awareness slogan, "HIV Positive."

During one international AIDS conference, I looked everywhere to see if I could find this T-shirt with the slogan on it.

The question: Would you wear a T-shirt that would announce you were HIV Positive?

It's not talking about physically being HIV-positive, but it's about attitude.

I've always loved the concept. I like the idea that people can be as positive about finding treatments and a cure for HIV as much as they can be about cancer fundraising.

For some reason, and likely because it was first associated with gay sex and then injection drug use, HIV/AIDS has always carried a stigma. It was seen as a disease that only affected people on the fringe.

But, it's not.

And it needs to be talked about by people infected and their families, friends, partners and communities.

People who are sick shouldn't have to hide it.

Many Canadians who are HIV-positive have no idea. To me that is far scarier than knowing someone who is HIV-positive. Often people would rather not know than be tested and start treatment.

The Ministry of Health announced Tuesday that rapid testing will be provided as a pilot program in Prince Albert. At first I was excited, but currently it's only being offered to people deemed at risk.

I would like to see testing offered to everyone, thus eliminating the idea that only certain people can become HIV-positive. Yes, it is more likely for someone to be infected if they share needles, but unprotected sex with a trusted partner can lead to learning too late they haven't been totally honest.

Like with other diseases, early detection means early treatment and a healthier life. As an added bonus, earlier detection of HIV and treatment also means a decreased chance of transmission.

According to a poster recently released by the Canadian AIDS Society, one in 584 Canadians is HIV-positive. A statistic long used in HIV organizations is one Canadian becomes HIV-positive every two hours.

These statistics alone should be enough to start reducing stigma.

Recently, U.S. President Barack Obama announced the end of the United States protocol of restricting entry for people living with HIV, effective Jan. 4, 2010. The end of government-sponsored stigma against people with HIV will also be a big a positive step to openly discussing the virus.

Knowing there are so many barriers in place for people living with HIV shows the power of many thousands of activists.

"HIV teaches about hope and the human spirit ... people with HIV are amazing," a caseworker said to me recently.

She's right.

So many people with HIV I have met from around the world have amazing inner strength.

In Uganda I met women who would get tested for HIV and then drag their partners in for testing as well. Sometimes their partners would leave them, but they would bring their children in and start everyone on medication.

If these women, who have to carefully budget their money to pay pennies for the bus that takes them to the clinic, can be comfortable with the decision to be tested, then maybe we can too.

While World AIDS Day is a good starting point for discussions, it shouldn't be the end point. Here in Saskatchewan, the HIV rate is only going to increase for the next little while as more people access testing.

As a community we need to encourage people to make healthy decisions and to learn their status. The most important way to protect public health is not by discriminating against those who have HIV, but by openly talking about AIDS.

Then we can all be HIV Positive.

Angela Hill is the Herald's health reporter.

This article first appeared in the Prince Albert Daily Herald Dec. 2

Eid al-Adha

I was invited to the local mosque for Eid al-Adha, the last day of the Hajj and a festival celebrated by Muslims worldwide.

The so-called sacrifice festival is to honour Abraham, who nearly sacrificed his own son to prove to God how devote he was. God then told Abraham that it was a test and sent him a ram to slaughter.

This sounded very familiar to me, having heard the story from the bible many times.

The women that invited me were thrilled I figured this out.

“Yes, it’s the same,” they told me over and over, before pointing out several other prophets that are the same.

One God shared by many religions. Too bad we all can’t see the similarities.

The mosque is a small store front in a strip mall, but the community gathers the same as if they were shouting the call to prayers from a minaret.

Here are some images from Nov. 27.

On route to a book deal

I spend a lot of time kicking myself for not working harder at keeping my blog constantly updated.
I have excuses, such as writing for a living, being exhausted after work and trying to spend the minimum amount of time on the computer when I am not in work.
On more than one occasion I have considered just reposting my columns from the Prince Albert Daily Herald, but they are much longer than the average blog post and seeing a link here is just boring.
All of that said, I kick myself a lot harder when I go into book stores and it seems like every blog I used to read with any regularity has become a book. There are the ones everyone knew about such as, Waiter Rant or PostSecret, but latest ones have made me stop short.
Vegan Lunch box, has not one, but two cookbooks out.
The Pioneer Woman Cooks also has a cookbook now.
It seems dedication on a blog is a sure fire way to a book deal.
So, the Story of Angela: following Chinese fortunes from the cookie, not coming to bookshelves anytime soon.
Hopefully I will start to spend more time writing.

Flogging Molly

You can listen to a band countless times on CD or an ipod, but nothing beats seeing them in a good live venue.
And it has to be a good venue - you can't watch a punk band perform in a concert hall.
Fortunately I saw Flogging Molly in an excellent venue this weekend, there was room to dance and places to sit, and not too big.
It was just what a venue should be.
And for a group of guys that have been around since the mid 80s they still put on an excellent show.

Want to see who I am talking about?

xkcd takes a stab at airport security

I swear I have been there...
Both making the argument and cringing listening to someone else.

How's the weather over there - A post for Blog Action Day 2009

This morning I heard on the radio that farmers are staying optimistic for next year as for some, this year's crop is snowed under.

They are looking forward to trying again next year.

I hope the weather improves or at least starts back to normal, but I am also afraid that we are setting the "new normal."

Last week, when it started snowing, I had my first moments of thrill. Admittedly, I love watching the snow float down. Then I realized that it was still the first full week of October and I liked it a little less.

Then it didn't stop.

I would like to point out to Mother Nature that no one sang about dreaming of a white Thanksgiving and that "have a jolly holiday" was less about changing leaves and more about mistletoe.

Our leaves here didn't even have a chance to change: they just dove off the tree freezing cold and still green.

My Thanksgiving plans were cancelled because I wasn't sure how safe the roads out of Prince Albert would be. Road clearing isn't going on because it just shouldn't be snowing yet.

Despite disappointment in not enjoying as much of my favourite time, I am not really surprised.

We were given a mostly ugly summer, with many people complaining about not getting enough good weather to go to the lakes. When we finally got summer it lasted about three weeks ... or so I am told, because I managed to miss the only hot weather that came through Prince Albert.

Is this part of a growing pattern of climate change? Well, the researchers I have spoken to say yes.

Climatologists are moving away from using the phrase "global warming" because that's a pretty hard sell in Saskatchewan right now.

"Global warming? We could use some of that here," seems to be how the joke goes.

But whatever the term, the punchline isn't so funny.

Warmer weather in one part of the Northern Hemisphere, (say British Columbia) caused by El Niño is the same pattern that leads to cold weather on the Prairies because of the way the jetstream works.

It's not just here that the weather is becoming uncomfortable. The other day, I saw the Disney movie "Earth." It talks about animals on our planet and how they live. After watching a great white shark devour a small seal and a pride of lions take down an elephant, the part that bothered me most was the polar bear.

As the Arctic ice grows thinner the bears have less time to hunt. Sometimes bears make poor hunting decisions, while others stray too far out to sea where, without ice to climb on, they eventually drown.

Everything else in the movie was part of the circle of life, but the plight of those polar bears seems to be the fault of humans.

There are those that claim the world is in an endless cycle of hot and cold spells - they might be right, but after the hot comes an ice age ... and seeing as I am not such a fan of the cold, I can do without.

If it is possible that the little things we can do like turning off our lights, eating locally or petitioning our government to control big businesses might make an impact, then wouldn't it be easier just to try?

If that doesn't help, oh well, if you've been turning off lights and using less electricity the worst thing that happens is smaller power bills.

With small steps we hopefully can make a change.

Then, like the farmers, I could also be optimistic about good weather next year and hope no one will sing about the snows of Labour Day.

My column usually appears every Wednesday in the Prince Albert Daily Herald.
Posted on my blog as part of Blog Action Day 2009

Ramadan

Yesterday marked the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting for Muslims, where they refrain from eating, drinking, smoking or indulging from dawn until sunset.
It reminded me of being in Bosnia and Herzegovina during Ramadan.

While in Sarajevo, I heard a cannon fire at 7:20 p.m. the first night I was there. Seeing as I had spent the entire day learning about the siege of Sarajevo, it startled me.
Nothing followed the initial blast so I didn’t think anything of it until it happened again the next night.
Turns out it is the marker for the end of the day of fasting.
In Mostar, a city in the south of the country, it was even more marked, with cannon fire, fireworks and loud music marking the chance for Muslims to eat again.
It was a very cool experience being in cities where Muslims and Christians mesh so well.
I know it wasn't always like that and hope the peace is permanent.

Are we there yet?

One of the most annoying ways to end a trip, especially after very teary goodbyes, is to get stuck before you even get on the plane.

Air France found a technical problem, Bad.

That they managed to fix within two hours, Good.

That meant we missed our connecting flight before we even got on the first plane, Bad.

But, there were going to be Air France people in Paris to help us, Good.

They told us there were no more flights we could be on (to anywhere in North America) that day, even though it was only 11 AM, Bad.

They paid for a hotel, Good.

Now, I am in Paris and hoping very much the rest of the flights go as planned.

Soccer Fever

Everywhere, with the exception of North America, soccer is a national sport and pastime.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is no different than the rest of Europe.
When their team played Turkey last Wednesday night, it felt like the whole country was gathered in front of the television or packed the stadium in Sarajevo.
We joined a group at a local bar in Mostar that was projecting the game on the wall outside.
Everyone moved as a group.
A team member got a break away everyone was on their feet cheering.
A collective Boo, when he missed.
In the end they tied, which was worthy of a celebration!
Bosnia and Herzegovina faired much better than Croatia, who was loosing five to one to England, when I got disgruntled and turned off the TV.

Dubrovnik

Reaching Dubrovnik after an entire trip well off the tourist path has been a significant shocker.
Stalls selling trashy souvenirs, people yelling at locals in Spanish, Italian, and English, and overpriced, less than delicious food have taken away from the awe inspiring town.
But if you get your timing right, you’ll have a few blissful minutes to glimpse the sun setting behind the fortress wall – all alone.

Internet

Finally a half decent internet connection and one I am pretty sure I can’t destroy.

I managed to knock out internet in a small and overly expensive café in Sarajevo. I disconnected the keyboard so I could plug in my USB key and file a couple of photos for work.

Apparently I knocked something I shouldn’t have.

The guy came over randomly pulled on something then shook his finger at us.

The internet flickered to life.

I hit send on my e-mail.

Then I pulled out my USB key.

The internet died completely.

The e-mail did get through somehow.

But, we high-tailed it out of that café pretty quickly.

Kraška Ohcet

Images from Kraška ohcet, a traditional wedding festival for Slovenians living in Italy.

Getting ready

The groom heads a procession to meet his bride

On their way to the church

Dancing in celebration of the wedding

Going home to meet the parents

More mosquito complaints...

I’ve got good news and bad news.
The bad news is that the mosquitoes in northern Italy love me as much as the ones in Cuba, Saskatchewan, Uganda and Thailand … which is good news for the mosquitoes.
I currently have six of the ugliest welts/bruises around mosquito bites. The bites are almost a week old – this is beyond ridiculous.
Seriously, who is allergic to mosquito bites? Besides, apparently, me.
I guess the good news for me is, here I don’t have to worry about West Nile or Malaria.

A walk in the park?

The difference between hiking and mountaineering is subtle until one is actually on the side of a mountain.
Then it becomes extremely obvious.
Hiking is a gentle stroll through alpine meadows while singing and enjoying water from little streams.
Mountaineering is virtually climbing – clinging to cliffs, scrambling across rocks and sliding down trails of slippery shale.
I, unfortunately, was not hiking. And I didn’t realize it until stepping off the gondola at 2,300 metres.
Then I was committed, or I should have been.
Everyone I was with kept pointing out beautiful little wildflowers or the amazing views. I’m not going to lie. I didn’t see much except the next place I would put my foot.
In the end, my experience on Mt. Kanin, in North West Slovenia, was positive.
I survived, had only two moments of refusing to step any further and ate delicious soup at a little mountain hut, the fourth highest in all the Alps.
Today the biggest climb I will make, is out of bed.

On eating well

Slovenian food is amazing.
Everyone talks about going to Florence and Tuscany seems to be the buzz word in foodie circles these days, but seriously they’ve got nothing on the things my Teta (great aunt) Mira can whip up.
I’ve had fresh strudel with apples, raisins, ground walnuts and almonds and chocolate. There has been peppers stuffed with ground beef, pork and risotto rice, and bathed in rich tomato sauce.
We had a spinach and cheese pastry with hommade goulash.
With every meal is bread with a crusty outside and soft inside and fresh sheep’s cheese from a huge round.

Let me put it this way – it’s a good thing I am walking lots!!

For her the bells toll

The bells at the local church chime at every hour all day and all night. Usually during the night I can ignore them, but they do a particularly loud and musical chime at 6 a.m.
It is the official wake up bell for the community.
I am looking forward to sleeping through it.

Equally loud, but significantly longer is the chime at 8 p.m. Historically, this was the time when all the girls in the village had to be home.
My guess is the long chime before the hour marks was to give the girls a chance to get home.
So the tradition has stayed in place, the bells sound amazing, but the girls get to ignore it.

Unattended Bags

So being on the road again has given me the urge to restart my blog after almost a year.
There always seems to be a common thread when I travel and that is a significant dislike for pointless, overzealous security.
And unfortunately for me the French seem particularly good at this.
While flying through Paris on route to Slovenia I had to switch terminals, which meant leaving a secure area, clearing immigration and taking a bus.
Before reaching the exit doors everyone was rerouted by angry looking, but mysteriously quiet airport security. People from at least three or four flights were funnelled away from the exit doors in to baggage holding areas where they left us for almost 45 minutes.
No one said anything until almost the end, when the rumour moved through the group that the police had been called because of a left bag.
Apparently it was third time it had happened that morning – it was only 11 a.m.
Left baggage in the departure area seems worrying, but in the arrivals? Maybe the person got stuck in a long line in immigration.
Isn’t an unattended bag less scary once it has been taken off the plane??