CONVERSATION
CONVERSATION
CONVERSATION
HUMAN TRACES:
ETHIOPIA
HUMAN TRACES:
ETHIOPIA
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
DESTINATIONS
DESTINATIONS
The Dreamtime, or the Dreaming, portrays the Aboriginal beliefs in spiritual existence. According to the tribes that first settled down in the continent, the Dreaming's roots date all the way back to the very begging of the creation of the world. The meaning and ideology of the term is generally not so well-understood by non-indigenous people as it is referred to as part of the culture of one of the early nations, which differs from modern perceptions.
The Spirits were the creators of everything. They made the land and the seas, the rocks and the plants, the sky and the earth. They were the higher power and the Australian Aborigines spent their lifetimes honoring this power, which guided their path and shaped their way of thinking. Not only creators of everything, which could be seen as well as felt, the Spirits also gave the Aborigines the Dreaming.
The time when everything started existing according to the initial Australians, was called the Dreaming. This is the foundation of the continent's culture. The origin of the Dreaming goes way back - 65 000 years back in time to be exact. The Ancestors of the nation shaped the land, forming some parts of it as sacred. The Aborigines were very careful and overprotective of those places, strongly believing in their significance.
The Australian Aborigines are known to have believed that the world didn't have any shape and was therefore empty. Darkness dominated, and life was simply asleep, but this changed when the creation began happening. After the Dreaming and the influence of the Spirits, objects began taking shapes and came to be. They created the four elements: water, earth, air and fire, as well as all the planets, the Sun and the Moon. The Dreaming therefore is a continuous process, which never ended. It is a small cosmos on its own, unifying the past, present and the future into one.
The Australian Aborigines' home riches so many vivid areas of the continent, including Fraser Island, Tasmania, Palm Island, Groote Eylandt and Mornington Island. The Aborigines had very strong believes in relation to the powers of the land, claiming that they never owned it - it rather owned them. The only reason they were able to call it their home is because they were looking after it and the land was taking care of the people in return.
Equally important to the Dreaming was the tribes' understandings of the disappearance of the Spirits. There came a time, when the creators of everything vanished from sight. Some of them were thought to have started living in sacred places, which is why the Aborigines perceived their homeland to be so sacred. The ancestors of today's Australians used to believe that the creators started living in rocks, in water holes and some went up to the sky to guide the people from above and keep them safe. Others transformed completely, taking the forms of the rain, the lightnings and the thunderstorms so they could be part of peoples' life.
Among the hundred's different Aboriginal languages, there isn't a word to describe 'time', because to them this simply doesn't exist. Dreaming and Dreamtime are used to replace it and summarize the ideologies of the Aborigines about everything they knew, everything they could see, feel and experience. This is why the Dreaming has such a vivid, and overwhelming meaning and has survived the obstacles of time. For the past couple thousand years, the Dreaming has built a rich cultural heritage that can identify a whole nation.
Read more about the Land, its connection to people and the way it has been perceived from different generations in the very first print issue of ORIGIN. The Land Issue covers varied topics, most of which remain related to cultural aspects of the land and its importance.
A lot of people travel to explore places and learn about them which is the message that ORIGIN wants to spread. With traveling, however, comes certain responsibilities that we should all be aware of. Elephants riding has become a popular way to explore locations by land. People have been doing this as part of their trips, mostly to places such as Thailand, Nepal, Cambodia and other parts of Asia. It is a common thing to see in certain places in Africa as well. We investigated the activity to explain why it is wrong and riding elephants should be banned everywhere.
Our first print issue studies culture and traveling represented through the land. We explored various location around the globe and learned what makes the land so valuable, which nations cherish it and how it helps us establish an identity. Traveling is important to us but traveling responsibly and making an impact is what we feel proud to stand behind. This is why riding elephants as a way of amusement should be reconsidered.
Let’s talk about the details. Elephants are very caring and extremely intelligent animals. It is a well-known fact that they never forget anything. When kept in captivity instead of spending their life in the wild, elephants die younger. Unlike in other species, this is common for the gentle giants and is often a result for stress.
Many African cultures respect elephants, believing they symbolize strength, loyalty and power. However, power can be a very tender concept. Elephant used as a tourism tool suffer from great pain daily. Elephants can be hurt very severely from the weight of carrying people and a trainer on their backs. The reason for this is the design of their spines. They have sharp protrusions, extending upwards from their spine instead of having round spinal disks. The protrusions and the tissue that serves to protect them can be harmed easily from weight pressure. Once a damage to their spine has been made, there is no going back and sometimes the harm can be irreversible. While this can’t be physically seen, the harm that the chairs can do to the elephants’ skin is. It is often the case that the chairs and the weight on their back can damage the animal’s skin and cause pain to their body. The chair, called Howdah, that gets attached to their backs, rubs on their skin and can cause blisters, which can sometimes get infected.
The training that elephants are required to go through when in captivity sometimes adopts a traditional Thai ‘phajaan’ or ‘crush’ technique. Explaining the technique would compare it to the animals’ spirits constantly and continuously being broken by the means of torture and social isolation. This is done in order to tame them. Elephants are wild animals, this is their nature as they are born in such conditions. Making them safe and obedient around people requires them to go through such training. As horrible as it sounds, in some places young elephants are taken away from their mothers to be abused with nails, bull hooks and bamboo sticks to make them obey rules, given by people. The animals often lack sleep and are starved to become submissive.
Actions from such nature are cruel and harmful as the technique is used to crash the animals’ spirit. Once wild and free, elephants become a source of tourism and entertainment. Nobody, who cared about sustainable tourism should ever ride an elephant.
In a sense, elephants have a human soul. They socialise and feel everything – pain, happiness, grief, sadness etc. They spend their life building families and finding friends. The largest land animals are a gift from nature and it is our responsibility to take special care of them and make sure they live according to their nature. Many animals, who are kept in captivity, are forced to live in isolation and carry heavy loads all day long, which is a wrong way to treat them. Their strength and power shouldn’t be abused but treated gently and celebrated by people. Elephants require minimal care to stay happy and healthy, which comes from giving them freedom to behave naturally and socialise. It is our responsibility to be culturally aware while traveling and make sure to spread awareness about the problem.
You can read the rest of the article as published in the LAND issue.
THE BEST COUNTRIES TO WORK FROM REMOTELY
Finding a balance between work and relaxing is essential for every remote working individuals. We've listed six destinations that are ideal for increasing your productivity whilst staying on track with your work
Words: Emily Georgieva
Photography: Taylor Simpson
26 April 2020
Working remotely has turned into a lifestyle for many. Nowadays choosing a career in a creative industry has a lot of advantages and it has become a preferred option by numerous students. The flexibility of the creative industries allows some of us to choose their office setting depending on their line of work. Freelancers typically go on locations to complete a project or work from home and there are multiple factors to take into consideration. Making the right choice about your work environment is a crucial element for performing to the best of your abilities.
This evolution of working lifestyles has transformed the way we perceive office spaces, even if we work from the comfort of our own home or our favourite coffee shop. We took factors such as surroundings, opportunities and affordability into account to list some of the best locations for remote wok lifestyle.
VIETNAM
The thing we like most about setting up your office in Vietnam is the entrepreneurial spirit of the working individuals who have settled in the country. There are plenty of coffee shops to choose as your office whenever you need a change of scenery. The good coffee will stimulate your pace of working and a lunchtime break for some tasty noodle soup will be just what you'll need to fuel you with good energy so you can concentrate on your projects. The beauty of the country should also be taken into consideration. Whenever you need an escape from the busy atmosphere of the city, you can head for a hike in the mountains, hire a bike to explore around or simply explore the little picturesque villages nearby.
INDONESIA
Indonesia is the country for freelancers. You can be in charge of your work routine and still achieve a balance of work and play. There are cool restaurants and trendy coffee places to head to when you need to recharge. The tranquility of the lifestyle you could have in a country like Indonesia is favorable to boosting up your creativity. Big places like Bali are great for networking while the green spaces like the Tegallalang Rice fields located just 20 minutes north of Ubud could be your go-to to destress.
PORTUGAL
Soaking up the sunshine is never a bad idea. It will most definitely increase your productivity levels and make you happier. Hire a co-working office space whenever you have to concentrate and get a lot of work done or head to the beach when working on a creative project if your schedule allows it. Throughout the years, Portugal has had many different cultural influences shaping the cuisine and day-to-day life so there will be plenty of opportunities to learn more about the country. Travelling around is easy, allowing working individuals to have well-deserved days off spent exploring the outdoors or partying with friends in the city.
SPAIN
A diverse paradise, Spain has so much character. Regardless of whether you're headed there for a weekend getaway or chose it as a destination to work remotely from, you'll gave the time of your life. The Mediterranean lifestyle is soaked up in every aspect of life in this European gem of a place. Work, party, practice the art of slow-living - Spain just has it all for you. You'll be able to find the perfect balance that works best for you and the best part of that the location of Spain is ideal for workers who have to travel around Europe for business meetings.
HAITI
If you really want to detach, Haiti is the place to be. The Caribbean country will charm you instantly. The country is amazing for individuals who are searching for some peace and quiet. If you are a writer working on a deadline or a designer, Haiti can be a great source of inspiration. Find your work-space at the beach and enjoy the tranquility of life that will help you maintain your focus for as long as you need. When the weekend rolls around you could head to the islands nearby to make the most of your stay there. Emerge yourself into the locals' lifestyle and let the tempo of the country dictate your work pace.
FIJI
You can never go wrong with the island vibe. Fiji is beautiful, culturally rich and an exciting destination. People are warm and are typically used to travellers. If you are looking for a place to break free from the stereotypical European work-station countries, then Fiji should be on your radar. Recharge your mind with a visit to the beach and fill your time off with surf lessons or sign up to a cooking class. Fiji has just the right balance that will make a positive change to your attitude towards working.
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NOMADSofORIGIN is an independent annual publication with a focus on sustainable travelling and global cultural values. Each issue features interviews, engaging articles and photo guides, which take our nomadic readers through different destinations and introduce them to local people's perspectives.
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