It was really only a matter of time for this novel to grace my blog and it is probably safe to say that I could have gone on writing about this novel, filling up pages and pages about the various themes and quotes … but I’ll spare you.  My intention is not to write a thesis paper, but to make you add this book to your reading list.

So let me begin.

The basic synopsis, stripped to the bare bones, goes like this:  Mouret, a rich business man builds The Ladies Paradise, a department store for women.  It’s cheaper prices and Mouret’s amazing business strategies dominate all else, pushing the surrounding smaller stores towards poverty and despair. Aka, Mouret steals their customers.  The first characters we meet are Denise and her two brothers Pépé and Jean, the niece and nephews of Baudu who is the owner of one of the small shops.  The first thing they see while making their way to their Uncle’s store is The Ladies Paradise, blinded and in awe of its bright and inviting aura.  Then, they reach their Uncle’s store which is the exact opposite; dark and dreary.  It really does foreshadow his ultimate demise.  This novel accentuates the gears of the well oiled capitalist machine of a department store and its affect on humans and other small businesses.  Yes, The Ladies Paradise brought out the worst and the best in people, it just depended on who’s side the characters were on. But, I must stop here or else I’ll ruin the entire story… this synopsis really does the novel no justice.

I must say that it is exceptionally written; the metaphor-rich text compliments the characters, buildings, and situations that the characters find themselves in.  This style paints a vivid picture of the world this novel creates, giving us insight on these characters without being so obvious.

“Mouret’s sole passion was the conquest of Woman.  He wanted her to be queen in his shop; he had built this temple for her in order to hold her at her mercy. His tactics were to intoxicate her with amorous attentions, to trade on her desires, and to exploit her excitement”. (p. 234: ©World’s Classics Paperbacks)

“Mouret avait l’unique passion de vaincre la femme.  Il la voulait riene dans sa maison, il lut avait bâtis ce temple, pour l’y tenir à sa merci.  C’était toute sa tactique, la griser d’attentions galantes et tranfiquer de ses désirs, exploiter sa fièvre”. (p. 281: ©Éditions Gallimard)

That sneaky devil.  The sheer material gluttony, obsession, and fervor flow off the pages like ripples in a pond.  It is truly remarkable.  When it came to the description of the department store, I felt overwhelmed; piles of different types and colours of materials scattered the floors and tables, and the crowds of people became suffocating.  It’s almost as if being on a carousel spinning so fast, everything becoming a blur till nausea almost sets in.  Then, before it becomes too much, this carousel of a novel slows down, giving you time to regain your balance… and then it starts back up all over again.

©Farrah Merza: The well read novel in question... I know, I know, I went a little overboard while reading it. It's not my fault a lot of things seemed important! ... Like I said, I am a nerd.

Sources:

Z. Émile. “Au Bonheur des Dames”. Éditions Gallimard. ©1980

Z. Émile. ”The Ladies Paradise”. World’s Classics Paperbacks. Translated by Brian Nelson. ©1995

Wikipedia. “Exoticism”. ©2012

Even though the Olympics were introduced by the ancient Greeks, it only came to light in the modern world in 1894 because of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the creator of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) (Wikipedia: ©2012). He created an amazing outlet for countries to channel their competitive nature. So instead of going to war over land, we now compete fiercely with each other through athleticism to determine the best nation.

So that goes to say that a little competition is good, acting as a motivator to be the best you can be.  But, when does it reach a point where it starts becoming too much?  Sometimes, competition can turn ugly, creating a type of crab bucket among people (read my post titled “Crab Bucket“ in reference to what I mean).  The worst feelings can set in if you are not prepared and are unwilling to face the facts that you cannot beat that one person.  To be honest, and I will be frank with you, I go through life with this mentality: There will always be someone better than me.  There’s no escaping that fact.  But, instead of wallowing in this apparent “defeat”, knowing this helps me grow.  It is up to me to be the best I can be, but not at the expense of being consumed by what others are doing.

So, here is my question to you my dear readers: When does competition cross the line from being healthy to a silent killer?

Sources:
Wikipedia.com. “Olympic Games”. ©2012 <http://bit.ly/zKenoG>
Wikipedia.com. “1894″. ©2012. <http://bit.ly/AnM9ad>

The post carbon world is almost upon us, am I right? … or have you learnt nothing from Part One?  Well it is, and like I said before, there is nothing we can do to stop it.  With the last post I talked about the sacrifices we will all face in this new era, but now I want to talk about how we, as a collective, have to inform ourselves and the others around us.  The problem is that not everyone will pick up books or essays, nor will research statistics on how our beloved earth is spiraling downwards.  We have our own personal and social problems that are being dealt with on a regular basis, so who really has the time?  However, part 14 of the book “The Post Carbon Reader: Managing the 21^st Century’s Sustainability Crises” has come up with a solution and a pretty good one at that.  The book suggests that we start at the root of the community with the youth, as they really are the future. Instead of being confined to a stuffy classroom while learning about nature through textbooks, why not take a walk around the neighbourhood or go on hikes?  Being outdoors is abundant with more learning opportunities than one might think.  There needs to be an appreciation for nature instilled in the youth so that they can make conscientious decisions with the environmental impacts in mind.

“This generation will require leaders and citizens who can think ecologically, understand the interconnectedness of human and natural systems, and have the will, ability, and courage to act.” (©Stone and Barlow: pg. 410)

How can we ensure that this and the next generation develop this understanding?  Michael K. Stone and Zenobia Barlow, the authors of this segment, suggest that the current educational curriculum needs to be revised to incorporate a more eco-friendly outlook.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of cons that present themselves in the initial stages.  Most schools might not be able to afford the renovations required because it will be a costly endeavour.  Another obstacle are the notorious corporations that are at the forefront of supplying foods to schools; it will be hard to make the shift from soft drinks and chips to the healthier options that could be made available by neighbouring farms because these multi-billion dollar corporations have a stake in it. However, the long-term effects are just too beautiful and ideal to ignore.  Imagine a more sustainable community with greener buildings and facilities equipped with solar panels, lush gardens, and greenhouses nearby to house fruit and vegetable plants, all because of the collective’s cooperation.  More and more students will stick to local schools (community colleges), thus slowly reducing the use of cars as a form of transportation because of the need to commute.

So what is it about the youth that makes them so special?  Why the need to target them when we have adults in powerful places in local, provincial, and federal government bodies that could lobby against the use of chemicals, the over-use of resources, etc?  Well have you noticed that there is a noticeable difference in the youth’s mentality towards life versus the adult’s? The youth have a “Does it have to be this way?” attitude instead of “It is what it is” and it is because of this reason that they can make a world of difference. In Vermont, the Sustainable Schools Project (SSP) that was implemented in the ill-reputable Lawrence Barnes Elementary School turned that school into a shiny pearl.  The key element was that the students were imbued by the civic engagement created by this project.  Without that, this project would have failed.  The children needed to understand the human and natural systems and their interconnectedness, apply this to their surroundings, and then realize that they could make a difference.  This approach worked on so many levels as the children pointed out major flaws around the neighbourhood like poorly light parks and the lack of street signs.  As the authors stated, as a result, the children’s test scores and attendance increased.  SSP worked.

Now, I bet you might be asking where I am going with this and what does this have to do with the environment. Well I’m just about to get to it.  With this generation and the next realizing that they can make a difference by being engaged in their community, they can push for more environmentally friendly facilities that could boost their knowledge with the understanding that these new facilities would take into account the human and natural systems, almost like balancing the scales if you will.  Take for instance the installation of greenhouses on school property.  Both pupils and their teachers can learn hands on about plant growth and gardening while also having a source of fresh and organic foods readily available, thus reinforcing the benefits of an eco-friendly institution.  The new curriculum has to start integrating better conservation, recycling, and eco-friendly habits through hands on education of the children and teachers, which will then influence nearby institutions, and local governments.  We have to target the youth in order to make a successful transition, thus enabling them to survive in what seems to be, a completely different way of life that the Post Carbon Era will usher in.

Source:

Barlow Z. and Stone K. M. “The Post Carbon Reader: Managing the 21^st Century’s Sustainability Crises”.  (part 14: pg 410 – 420). ©2010 by Post Carbon Institute. Watershed Media, California.

Our economy’s foundation is innovation and production, a response to the boom ignited by the industrial revolution.  Since then, the economy has built and built on top of it, the resulting structure to be quite sturdy.  That is, until now.  It has reached a plateau of sorts and is now on the decline.  The solution?  The economy needs to be restructured… easier said than done am I right?  The scary truth is that we are dependant on so many outside sources to get the basic necessities.  What is worse is that these sources are going to fail us soon.  One of the contributing authors, Chris Martinson, is the genius behind the Crash Course, “an online video seminar about our broken economic system, the crisis of our aging population, and peak oil” (Martinson: ©2010).  In his section of the book, he focuses on the problems we will face with food in the post carbon era.  As he points out, “most communities have, at most, a total of three to five day’s worth of food on hand at their local grocery stores and supermarkets” (Martinson: ©2010).  These regular food deliveries are dependant on trucks.  So what happens when that mode of transportation fails due to extreme weather or fuel shortage? … of which, by the way, is bound to happen.  What will happen during the cold canadian winter if we are ever cut off from supplies?  Our lack of self-sufficiency will be our downfall.  We need to solidify our now withering bond with the earth by growing our own food and relying on the surrounding environment to support ourselves.  It’s now about localization, not globalization.

However, restructuring means the destruction of the current structure.  Trust me that when I say destruction, I mean total annihilation.

“Just so you have a sense of the scope and the pace of these changes in our lives I should mention that in 2003 I was a VP at a Fortune 300 Company, forty-two years of age with three young children (the oldest was 9), living in a six-bedroom waterfront house, and by every conventional measure I had it all.  Today I no longer have that house, that job, or that life.  My “standard of living” is a fraction of what it formally was, but my quality of life has never been higher.  We live in a house with less than half the size of our former house, my beloved boat is gone, and we have a garden and chickens in the backyard.” – Chris Martinson

Obviously this cannot happen over night.  The key, as Martinson suggests, is to take baby steps towards becoming self-sufficient.  Start with the smallest possible thing you can do and slowly adapt in response to the pending crises.  These are the necessary sacrifices we will all have to take to live in the quickly approaching post carbon era and this hard dose of reality is very much needed.  This change will happen, there is no question about it.  But are we, as a collective, ready to absorb all this?  Are we ready to attempt at change?  What holds us back?  It’s the fear isn’t it.  The fear of leaving this “paradise” we have built on the foundations of oil consumption.  To go back would mean to leave everyone and everything, right?  Wrong again.  The idea of baby steps is to not severe ties from our carbon life.  It’s about making new connections and networks that will facilitate this healthy lifestyle change.  If we are to involve our community, we first must commit to the change.  As Martinson so eloquently puts it:

“It is up to each of us to inspire others by first inspiring ourselves”

We have the power, we just need to start.

Source:

Martinson, C. “The Post Carbon Reader: Managing the 21st Century’s Sustainability Crises.” (part 15: pg 429 – 441). ©2010 by Post Carbon Institute. Watershed Media, California.

“As soon as we begin idealizing our teachers, craving their powers, wishing to participate in the glow of their sidhus**, it wont be too many months or years until we begin to devalue them.  If we make them into gods, we will eventually see them as devils.”  (©Stephen Cope: pg. 294)

The fact of the matter is that this underlying truth resides within the yoga world and in the real one.  Think about it, how many of us instantly devalue someone on top because of a simple and small mistake? It’s mostly people in power and, to most of us, these authority figures are our teachers.  Let me clarify what I mean when I say “teacher”.  Our teachers aren’t just the ones found in a classroom. Oh heavens no. In fact, they reside in the most obvious places like our very homes or just down the street.  You see, learning doesn’t JUST happen in a school, but with those who share in the experiences we have while living.  Therefore, teachers could be anyone who we learnt something from.  Kind of a “duh” definition isn’t it.

The problem arises when we start to idolize them, putting them on a pedestal because of their apparent “perfection”.  I’m sure that everyone’s heard the saying “no one’s perfect”, and yet we tend to think that way regardless of how many times that expression is drilled into our heads. It’s the scariest thing when you suddenly realize that, hey, everyone has his or her own flaws.  You want to know what I think?  I know you do.  I honestly believe that we want to emulate that “perfect teacher” in our lives because we strive to be that picture of perfection.  The sad part is that when that picture crumbles, when that teacher fails us, we completely rip them away from us.  That is when they get the worst press, their lives dragged through the mud because of a terrible blunder on their part.  It’s like they say, those who are at the top usually fall harder.

The trick here is to not equate them to gods, to not put them on a pedestal.  They will err, they will trip and fall, but the important thing is that we learnt something important from them.  The lesson needs to stand on its own, personified and separated from the teacher in order to learn.  If we start associating one with the other and as a result idealize that teacher, there presents that risk of turning our once admired teachers into little devils.

**In yoga terminology, sidhu powers are achieved once the mind is focused on elevating oneself on the chakra ladder so to speak.  

“There’s a time and place for everything.”

… can you see what I mean?  You can’t fight that!  Well, I can’t and don’t want to because this makes sense to me.  If you think about it, there are many experiences that happen at a specific time in our lives, but if attempted later will not be the same.  A prime example would be going to university when you are fresh out of high school vs when you are older.  It wouldn’t be the same experience if, later on in life, you decide to go back.  Most likely, you will be doing it for different reasons… am I right?  Now, just hold on for a second, in no way am I trying to dissuade those who are going back for further education and qualifications.  All I am pointing out is that your perspective and experience will differ from those dewy-eyed 17 year olds.

I’ve had this discussion with my father throughout my life and you know what, I definitely grew and gained some insight on life and living it.  There are other examples I have which further proves his point, I really do.  But, at risk of this post becoming an essay and quite possibly a lecture, I will leave it to you to decide if you want to take the time to think about your experiences, their time, and their places.

“He admitted that, as he faced death, he might be overestimating the odds out of a desire to believe in an afterlife.  ”I’d like to think that something survives after you die,” he said.  ”It’s strange to think that you accumulate all this experience, and maybe a little wisdom, and it just goes away.  So I really want to believe that something survives, that maybe your consciousness endures.”  He fell silent for a very long time.  ”But on the other hand, perhaps it’s like an on-off switch,” he said.  ”Click! And you’re gone.”  Then he paused again and smiled slightly.  ”Maybe that’s why I never liked to put on-off switches on Apple devices.” (© Isaacson: pg. 571)

Yes, this quote focuses more on death itself rather than the end of the world, but isn’t that what The End entails?  The earth stops turning and we stop living?  If we really think about it, our lives are just an accumulation of experiences.  We either grow from them, or shrink because of them.  Laugh, or cry.  Forgive, or dwell… see the dichotomy I’m hinting at here?  We know no other way of life, hence the fear of the unknown that The End will bring.  However, instead of being consumed with the idea of The End, why not just live?

“If the world is ending and you’re planting a tree, finish planting the tree.” – Prophet Mohammed (sws)

It’s so simple, yet so hard when The End is all you think about.  This quote was brought up in a recent conversation with a good friend of mine.  Take one guess as to the subject of this conversation.  Give up?  The End.  When he responded to my worrying about what 2012 will bring with this quote, it was like a slap in the face.  Why not just finish planting my tree without worrying about what the future might bring?  Water it, watch it grow and maybe, just maybe, it will bear fruits before The End.

Stop spending time with the wrong people.  Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.  If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you.  You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot.  Never, ever, insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth.  And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you [are] at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you [are] at your worst. [They]  are your true friends. Stop being jealous of others.  Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own.  Ask yourself this:  “What’s something I have that everyone wants?” [Note from me: Steer yourself away from this. Do not even dwell on what you have vs what they don't.  Dwelling on this will only feed their green eyed monster and your pride.]  Stop letting others bring you down to their level.  Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.  It is not difficult to be a better person.

- Anonymous

Wow.  Well, at least that was my expression when I first read these words.  They still resonate in my head. In fact, I was compelled by these very words so much that I felt the need to write about them.  They are universal truths that hold true, especially in the most dire and dismal social situations.  We are constantly wrapped up in the motions of life that we sometimes need a little reminding of these rather simple and obvious lessons.  It is natural for us, as human beings, to get caught up in this infectious green monster and the other six deadly sins.  But, it is those who overcome these major obstacles that truly learn how to live in and at peace.  It’s not easy though, is it.  I hate to remind everyone of the obvious but… there is no escape!  There will always be that coexistence of the good, the bad, and the ugly in all walks of life.  However, it is your attitude and apptitude that will steer you either towards being mentally consumed by the bad and the ugly, or towards being mentally free of them.  I know which path I want to steer myself towards, but the question is which path will you pick?

Now that I’m funding my own groceries and being health conscious at the same time, it’s easier to notice the price differences between the healthy and the unhealthy. It appears that all the healthy greens, fruits, proteins, and grains are ridiculously expensive in comparison with other unhealthier options.  Let’s not even start on the exorbitant prices of healthier snacks, like granola.  The pinnacle of healthy eating is, of course, consuming the organic options.  In fact, there is a monumental demand for organic produce and products, but the fact of the matter is that not a lot of people can afford this beneficial lifestyle choice.  I mean, who wouldn’t want to consume foods grown without harmful pesticides sprayed on them?

With the economy on the decline, more and more people are dipping below the average household income.  It’s like you are stuck between a rock and a hard place.  The rock? Choosing to spend a sizeable chunk of your money on organic options and live a relatively healthy life.  The hard place?  Not opting for the organic options, therefore potentially decreasing your life span and increasing the likelihood of you getting cancer (well that is the fear, isn’t it?).  There is another scenario, but you aren’t going to like it.  You could spend all that money on these healthier options in hopes of living a healthier life, living well above your means and becoming broke in the process.  I told you that you weren’t going to like it.

This got me thinking, can only the rich afford to be healthy?  Seems a little unfair.

One of the classes I partake in is Yoga, a test of flexibility and concentration… which means naturally I struggle at it.  Sue me, I’ve never done Hatha Yoga before!  I consider myself to have a petite body type (although not so tiny mind you), and you would think that I’d be more flexible.  Umm, not so much!  The instructer was taller and larger, but she was so flexible, floating her legs while in perfect balance on her two hands in the firefly pose.  It was incredible!  All I could do was sit and stare!  I’m sure I wasn’t the only one! 

This whole experience got me thinking about the countless magazines and do-it-yourself books on fitness and health on the market.  Most depict the idealistic body types of both men and women, with their rock hard abs and toned bodies.  To be quite honest, (and I hate to sound like a realist/pessimist here but…), it seems a tad bit unrealistic.  Us humans do not all share the same body type, we are not a cookie cuttered race of beings.  We all have different body fat percentages and BMI’s, different shapes, and different sizes.  However, one could argue that these images provide motivation to those aspiring to loose a couple pounds and tone up.  The downside?  Some people might hop off the fitness bandwagon if they don’t get results like those in the magazines, completely ditching healthy nutrition and exercises.  This train of thought brought me to this conclusion (specifically relating to women):  We tend to associate the epitome of fitness and health with skinnier body types.  Please correct me if I’m wrong as this is problematic on so many different levels.  But, can we blame ourselves?  Not really.  Most print and television media put both images of health and idealistic body types side by side, saying, “what do you think?” (Russel Peter reference).  I am certainly not implying that this is the absolute truth as there are obvious exceptions to this rule.  I just think there should be more. 

I am now seeing celebrities being bashed for being too skinny and bigger women gracing the print adds about healthy weight loss and nutrition.  Ladies, we are on the right track here!  I hope that this snowballs into the mainstream culture, where every shape and size is celebrated.  Being healthy should be the only thing that matters. 

***

… Thought I’d be talking about THAT size didn’t you, DIDN’T YOU?!?!  Busted!  *gigles wildly*.  *Ahem*