UPDATE MARCH 12, 2017 (Web Photo):

The recent decision (March 2017) by a senior court in the European Union to allow the banning of any religious headgear by a businesses keeps alive the myth that some types of religious headgear are more dangerous than others.

While many kinds of head coverings are popular, particularly in cold weather Canada, some coverings, the Niqab and Burqa as two examples, often evoke a strong negative reaction in Western nations. It is not the headdress; it is the context and symbolism that brings the response to those who have not taken the time to delve into the issue.

In the photo above it is clear the woman on the left is voluntarily wearing the covering as a response to the weather. For the woman of the left, however, the covering is not only tied to religion but also to the power men hold over women. And, in the case of the Niqab and Burqa, that debate is not likely to end anytime soon.

Do similar debates take place in countries defined as Muslim.   Check out a few of the astounding discoveries made while Lynn McNeill, Esther and Garth Dunn and I were traveling through the Middle East during November and December 2013.

Is it reasonable to place limitations on the wearing of religious apparel?

When traveling, if we keep our minds open, it’s easy to find the world may be defined in a manner different than that which we have been lead to believe. While a large portion of our worldview results from our prejudice, our negative views and fears are certainly enhanced by the actions of TV and print media, politicians, social media and, of course, religious groups themselves. Our family and friends also play a huge role in our evolving positive or negative views of others.

Let’s jump to an ongoing controversy that became the turning point in the recent (2013) Quebec Election – the wearing or displaying of religious symbols by public servants. In 2017 it remains an issue being played out in the European Courts and pending European elections, as well as in Canada with the current Conservative Party leadership race being an example of how things can go negative if that may help a candidate to win a few more votes.

Graphic (Web Source): This chart was circulated by the PQ when they rolled out proposed changes to the Quebec Charter. The top three items would be approved. The bottom five would not. It was not long before the Niqab (the partial face covering bottom left) became the central issue. It is easy to see a between the application to different religious belief systems.  So the question, if what we wear does not interfere with what we do (within bounds), does it make any difference what we wear?

While the Quebec Charter amendment crossed the line on many points, it was the Niqab and Burqa that quickly rose to the top of the debate. This was primarily because those particular head coverings suggest the oppression of woman, something that is an anathema to basic freedoms in Canada. Mind you, over that past 150 years of our nation, we managed to accomplish the suppression fairly well without even referring to the Muslim headdress.

Never-the-less, our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, a relatively new document that came into being in 1982, provided our citizens with the right to practice their religion (within reasonable limits) as they see fit. It now seem’s some would prefer to limit those rights even though it conflicts with the Charter and may infringe up the rights of some women in particular. Clearly, not every country has a Charter of Rights, therefore, in those countries, and this includes within a great many religions, the equality of women is not always given the high priority it is in Canada.

It is easy to understand why this particular issue arises in Canada, as our country is made up of people from all around the world and of every religious persuasion. Never-the-less, we do amazingly well if we consider all the possible friction points that exist.

Now let’s skip back to the Middle East – Oman and Saudi Arabia in particular. In those countries, it is not hard to find women wearing full or partial face coverings (yet they are not ubiquitous). The question, do any restrictions exist?  First, look at Oman, a country ruled by a Sultan. In Oman, about half the employment is provided by the Sultanate, employment similar to our public service (e.g.teachers, government workers, hospitals, ambulance and so on).

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Raw food is a term used to describe food that has not been processed or altered, including having stayed at a temperature below 105° F. It can refer to fruits, vegetables, and nuts in their original forms, or combined to create unique dishes that often mimic some of your favourite cooked foods. (Link Here)

The Times they are a Changing

Wow!  Fifty years ago this year Bob Dylan’s The Times They are a Changin’ (lyrics in footer) hit the top of the pop charts in England. It seems certain the song carries as much relevance today as it did in 1964, when a Raw Food, Vegan style restaurant boldly dared to wedge itself between MacDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Tim Hortons in the heart of he Royal Oak Shopping Centre.

While the RAWthentic Eatery only opened its doors in the Royal Oak Shopping Centre on March 20, 2014, it is quickly becoming a favourite.  While the menu contains an array of Vegan, Raw, Gluten and Dairy Free products, there is plenty more on the menu to temp your palate.

Smoothies and fresh blended drinks like Goji Sunrise and Raspberry Zinger, Wheat Grass and a dozen other raw juices; the Combos, Salads and Entrees stand out on the long list and as you continue down the menu you will find desserts to die for.

With plenty of locally grown (whenever possible) eatery Manager Chantelle Shah-Poulin (photo left) and her staff, will soon be on a first name basis with a rapidly growing line of customers seeking a healthy diet alternative.

The Eatery continues a growing trend towards providing greater food choice for those who wish to move away from traditional fast foods, fast foods that are high in sugar, fat, salt and other additives that have come to so negatively define an entire industry that has been slow to recognize that change was in the air.

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If you have a child, it is your decision whether or not to vaccinate. But, you might stand by the strength of your conviction and stop taking your own preventative medications. Why would you want to risk falling prey to one of the side effects of those medications even if the danger is minimal?  There is no better way to show you love your child than standing side-by-side with them if your decision is to not vaccinate.

November 27, 2014  I bring this post back to the top to demonstrate how little we fear once common killers that have made a return, yet becomes panic-stricken over one “ebola” case in Texas. Calls for travel bans, additional airport screening, isolation of passengers, quarantines, cruise ships in a state of lockdown, aircraft placed in hangers for decontamination, passengers not allowed to board aircraft even after being screened, people wrapped in bubble wrap on flights, etc.  How is it that government and media can so easily push us into a panic state at the drop of a pin, yet when an outbreak of a disease that at one time killed thousands in our country and around the world appears, we just shrug our shoulders? In the face of all this fear about ebola, there is no rationale explanation as to why it has taken so long to begin the ‘War” on that dreaded disease that is killing thousands in West Africans. We could really make a difference, but six CF-18’s to fight ISIS – that’s just symbolic.

May 17, 2014.  An excellent article on “A Failure to Vaccinate” begins on Page 1, of the  Vancouver Sun. An 80-90% vaccination rate is needed to prevent a widespread outbreak.  Check the details on page A6 and A7 of the Sun or read the Post below. Think it over folks. (Link Here to the Sun Article)

Children of the 1940’s

My sister and I grew up at a time when many childhood communicable diseases such as measles, whooping cough and others were feared by every parent.  While vaccines had been developed for polio, scarlet fever and others, many killers still remained.  In every community, children were dying for lack of effective vaccines and over the course of the 18^th  and 19^th  centuries, millions of children and adults around the world died. Millions more were left with debilitating, lifelong scars. Except for Chicken Pox, my sister Louise and I luckily escaped the most serious.

Photo (Web): In this polio campaign photo a nurse stands with a recovering child.  Millions of children were afflicted with that dreaded disease and while many died, just as many were left with lifelong after effects.

After decades of careful medical research, more and more vaccines (and safer, more effective vaccines) were being developed. By the 1980’s most childhood killer diseases, including measles, were on the brink of extinction. Many others had already been taken out of existence.

Was the world was safe? Well, almost.  It did not take many years after the rate of infection had dropped to very low levels, for a few to begin to question the possible side effects. It was then parents stopped vaccinating because they feared the side effects more than the disease. Most families who refuse have never seen communities devastated by various communicable diseases. It seemed that a few pseudoscientists and celebrities carried more weight than mainstream doctors and scientists.

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Harold and Lynn in August 2013 waiting to board the Bullet Train for  Shijiazhuang, China. Join us for the continuation of our adventure with nephew Lorin Yochim. This photo is sample of our travel gear minus the two small Tilly suitcases whose little wheels have logged tens of thousands of miles.

April 12, 2014,  This post is currently under construction. Photos to be added by Sunday, April 13.

Link Here to Part 1 of the China Story

Link Here to Full Photo Story leading to and in Shijiazhuang, China

Introduction to Part II

The whirlwind we left behind in Beijing and the surrounding country left of breathless. We met so many people who hosted us in the most welcoming ways. Granted, the circles in which Lorne and his family travelled likely placed them in the “well to do” strata of Chinese Society, I would say it was still “middle class” as we might find in many other parts of the world including Canada. Poverty was clearly evident and, based on stories told by Lorin,

I think there is a much larger segment of Chinese society who suffer from what we consider the “essentials” of life, far more than we would see in many of the dozens of countries we have visited across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan as but a few examples. The other think that was evident, is a feeling the country is tightly controlled politically and economically. If you are on the “inside” things are pretty good, but if on the outside, I really don’t know as I never had a chance to taste that part of Chinese life, as, by all accounts we are “rich Canadians”.  Now back to touring.

As a partnership between a senior ‘wannabe’ and one who is well established, Lynn and I are pretty adept at handling ‘free-style’ travelling as we have travelled a good part of the world with one small suitcase and backpack each. We seldom made reservations more than a day at a time and left our means of travel (other than destination airlines) pretty much up to chance. While we never hitchhiked, we usually found an economical means of travel within and between connected countries. China, however, presented a few challenges, not the least of which was the language barrier. English is definitely not a second language in China as they likely have twenty languages of their own to keep us off balance.

While foreign tourism in China is growing at an exponential rate, most tourism is still domestic; therefore, the need for local English and other language service remains very low.  Even at the main airports and train stations, it can be difficult to find an English-speaking attendant so, for a visit shorter than five years, learning the language is not an option. Such was not the case for Lorin as he was able to handle the language barrier in a manner that kept the Chinese off balance. There’s no better way to surprise people who think you don’t know what they are saying and then enter the conversation in their language as if you were a next door neighbour. Lorin, that loveable chap, could stop all conversation in a small restaurant filled with Chinese only patrons when he began to question the waiter or some other person in their language.

Because we had such close contact with Lorin, his family and friends, our trip was turned from one in which we would have been stuck in the usual ‘tourist’ pack to one filled with continuous adventure in the most out of the way place.  Join us for Part II as we head out from Beijing on a train that will soon touch a third the speed of sound and take us through a countryside filled with the old and new.  In our travels to date, China provides the best example of a country where modernity is extinguishing the past at the breakneck speed of a Bullet Train.

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It would not be many days into our visit before we understood food would become a key part of our China experience.
Here we were hosted to a sumptuous home cooked meal by the cousins (centre) of Lorin and Jin.

Full Photo Series Link Here

Link Here for Part II of this Story

Hello China, Here we Come Part 1  (see footnote 1)

Over a couple of weeks last month Lynn and I had an opportunity to take a whirlwind tour of China. As it worked out, our amazing nephew Lorin (2), his wife Jin An and son Laur were living in Beijing, so it was an easy decision.  We often wondered about that, magical, mysterious country and felt a visit was a perfect way to sort fact from fiction.

Is the country completely polluted and is the traffic any worse than Vancouver? Are the people pushy or polite? Are the Chinese so clever and determined they will one day dominate the world?  Could anyone or anything stand in the way of a technologically advanced country with a population of 1.5 billion and so much money they have no idea how to spend it?  Are they on their way owning the United States as well as all the oil in Canada? How about a simple question – can a stray dog or cat survive in China?

Insert (Web): Top 10 in China:  Nezha Conquers the Dragon King. The flower, bottom centre, was often observed floating in water filled ponds in many temples.

Fiction, fact and myths about China are so thoroughly intertwined, that no one seems to know for sure and everyone has an opinion.  While we cannot explore every facet of life in China, we will sort out what we can.

So with Passports, Visa’s and maps in hand, we donned our ‘rose coloured glasses’ and caught an Air China flight out of Tokyo after spending a couple of weeks in that country. To be sure, we would find many differences between Japan and China.  Just to make certain we could see things clearly, we each grabbed a pair of polarizer clip-ons. Thank you for joining us in Part I of this three-part series.  PS We have taken plenty of pictures to back up our observations.

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In Afghanistan, US Forces Chinook Helicopters airlift out the last of the Canadian troops
while circling Blackhawk gunships provide cover. 

March 13, 2014:  Kabul, Afghanistan

Today the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan comes to an end.  The departure of our troops seems eerily similar to the final retreat of the US Forces from Viet Nam on April 29, 1975.  We must strive to treat the men and woman of our military much better than was the fate suffered by the those returning from Viet Nam.

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July, 2011.  The Aurora Theatre, in downtown LacLaBiche looks exactly as it did when Louise and I attended the Saturday matinee’s in 1952-53. The Gypsy Family McNeill, after 11 moves in 11 years, had landed LacLaBiche.  (The Aurora story appears in Chapter 4, below).  Sadly, the theatre closed in 2014.

Link to Next Post: The Journey Begins (First of Part VI)
Link to Last Post: Pibroch
Link to Family Stories Index
Feb 4, 2017 (2900)
Sept 4, 2017 (3047)

Chapter 3: Gypsy Years, LacLaBiche 

Introduction

With moving to different homes once or twice a year in each year of our short lives, Louise and I were becoming old hands at the practice.  While each move provided new adventures, there was still plenty of uncertainty.  What would the school be like? Would the kids be friendly? How about the teachers? How far from our home?

While it was always a comfort to be with Mom and Dad, this year would see more change and another separation on the horizon.  Even Louise and I would end up going in different directions.  For me, it would create a personal crisis of immense proportion.

Dad continued his practice of finding new things to challenge me when he decided to ship me into the wilderness for a little more “life experience”.  And, while talking about life experience, as Kenneth (my Grade 5 friend and soulmate) and I grew towards our teens, we suddenly discovered ‘girls’. And, an awesome discovery.

Join Louise and me as we tackle life in LacLaBiche in the early 1950s.  Photos for this post may be linked at:  McNeill Life Stories Facebook Page  Additional photos will be added as they become available.

1. Off to LacLaBiche, Alberta 

With the sale of the Murfitt farm in Pibroch (link to Pibroch) on the horizon, Dad began his search for a new job and home for the family.  For one year we enjoyed the total engagement that comes with living on a successful farm filled with all things beautiful – fresh air, land, animals, family, friends, hard work, a sense of purpose and a peace of mind that often eludes those harnessed to the hustle and bustle of the city. As Dad and Mom were defined by a wilderness style of living that required a high degree of self-sufficiency, the thought of moving back to Edmonton to find work would be a bitter pill to swallow.

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We bid a special welcome to Miss Misaki Usuzawa, winner of the Japanese new singer of 2012.
Miss Usuzawa, a student at the Ootusuchi Junior High School, encouraged people along the coast with her songs following the Great Disaster of 2011.  (Link to Times Colonist article)

Welcome Friends from Japan

We begin this week with a visit by several friends from Japan who made our 2013 tour to that country so memorable. Mr. and Mrs. Rioichi and Ayako Taguchi were enthusiastically greeted at the airport on Saturday.  Although it is not their first visit to Victoria, it is such a pleasure to have the opportunity to share our city with them.

Sadly, Mr. and Mrs. Yocihi and Rieko Sakashita, who also graciously hosted us during our recent visit to Morioka, are now unable to make the journey. We shall greatly miss the opportunity to return their kind hospitality and will look forward to seeing them again in the future.

Also attending later in the week will be Mr. Toshinori Suzuki, Principle of Ootsuchi Junior High, the West Coast school devastated by the 2011 tsunami and which we visited last year. He will be introducing one of his students, Miss Misaki Usuzawa, a folk singer who won the grand record prize as the Japanese new singer of 2012.

The young artist, just now entering her mid teens, comes from one of the areas devastated by the Tohoku quake. She is considered a genius singer, excelling in the traditional style. Her mother, Mrs. Nakoko Usuzawa, will also accompany her daughter on the trip.

Others being welcomed to Victoria include Mr. Osamu Hirano, President of the recording company working with Miss Usuzawa  and Ms. Miwa Ishiganki, a Director of the Iwate Broadcasting Company.

During their stay, the group will attend a number of functions, including a courtesy visit to the Victoria City Hall where they will be welcomed by Mayor Dean Fortin.  Miss Usuzawa will perform a mini concert at City Hall as well as during a later visit to St. Margaret’s Junior and Senior Schools.

As a special treat the young singer will perform in a concert at Christ Church Cathedral on Saturday, February 21, from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. The general public is invited to attend.

Bill and Rita McCreadie and other friends of the Victoria-Morioka Society will host the group at a number of private functions over the coming week.

Harold and Lynn McNeill

Links below for video and photo albums:

1. Misaki Usuzawa You Tube Video

2. February 2014: Arrival in Victoria in Victoria Link Here  (This link provides a full set of photos from the visit)

3. Japan Trip 2013: The Journey Begins

4. Japan Trip 2013: The Adventure Continues

5. Japan Trip 2013: A Trip to the West Coast (Slide Show)

6. Link to February, 2014, Times Colonist article

More links are provided in the stories linked within the above albums.

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