BY: NADIA ZAIDI If you’ve never tried your favourite snack on fire, you’re missing out. At least according to the owner of a paan stall in New Delhi, who has recently caught global attention for selling this Indian staple snack…
Ethiopia is finally recognizing its stateless Rastafarian community
BY: NADIA ZAIDI Ethiopia will now issue identity cards to its members of the Rastafarian community – a religious group that has long been stateless. This recognition comes at a time of volatility. Rastafarians are fighting for land, language, and…
5 modern societies run entirely by women
BY: NADIA ZAIDI “This is a man’s world, but it wouldn’t be nothing without a woman or a girl.” Sure, that’s probably as biased as it gets, but I think we can all agree that both men and women equally…
Despite the “It gets better” mantra, bullying doesn’t end after high school
BY: NADIA ZAIDI Bullying is a global school-wide epidemic and should be treated as one. Despite the zero-tolerance policies implemented in classrooms across the country, suicide remains the leading cause of death amongst youth – in large part due to…
Cat lovers rejoice, there’s a feline city in Malaysia (photos)
BY BROOKLYN PINHEIRO Long before internet culture claimed cats as its official mascot there was born a town dedicated to the little hair balls. In Kuching, Malaysia there are cats everywhere, in front of court houses, in the center of…
Best places to see graffiti in Toronto
BY: NADIA ZAIDI Growing up in Toronto, I’ve never thought much about graffiti. It was always something within the backdrop of my visual experience. Bold, intricate — sometimes simplistic — artwork amid the city’s contemporary and historical landscape is a…
The Dandy Men: Inside the colourful and expensive subculture of the Congo
BY: NADIA ZAIDI Photo Credit: Daniele Tamagni Most of us probably wouldn’t associate made-to-measure suits, the finest silk ties, and fancy smoking pipes with the areas of the world’s poorest countries. Yet, such a subculture exists in the Congo. Le…
Hippie culture isn’t dead – Goa remains a vibrant paradise governed by peace and love
BY: NADIA ZAIDI When we think of hippie culture we are reminiscent of 1960s and ’70s America, where peace signs and protest movements were a major driving force for political and social change — both domestically and globally. Today, hippie…
Celebrity endorsements: stop buying the shit that famous people are selling you
Recently Kylie and Kendall Jenner were in the news for superimposing their Instagram pictures over iconic photos of Tupac and Biggie on t-shirts. Although the idea was very stupid it definitely got me thinking about why they felt they could get…
Photographer captures a Bengali Tribe’s Dance With The Dead (photos)
Chaitra/Choitro is the last month of the Bengali calendar and it falls from mid-March to mid-April. Every year, in several parts deep within West Bengal, a Hindu festival called Gajan is celebrated. The celebration begins the last week of Chaitra and…
UK festivals will let you test your drugs before tripping out this summer
BY: JESSICA BEUKER Last July, the summer music festival, Secret Garden Party, became the first ever UK festival to offer its attendees a somewhat controversial service – drug testing. Festival goers were given the opportunity to take their drugs to a…
How travelling can help improve your mental health
One of society’s greatest ironies is how disconnected we can feel despite the level of connectivity with our technologies. The constant smartphone and Internet use can be taxing and unplugging once in a while has numerous mental health benefits. Going…
Meet Samurai Amma: The 75-year-old woman who dominates martial arts
Martial arts is believed to have evolved from Southern India, with Kalaripayattu, which originated in Kerala during the 13th century, taking the name of the oldest martial art form on the planet. Kalaripayattu is about learning to use the body in…
Hitchhiking movies that will motivate you to hit the road
BY: TIM O’NEAL Just like many stories about hitchhiking, movies about hitchhiking often focus on the negative. The Hitcher comes to mind immediately. That scene in Pee Wee’s Big Adventure when Large Marge’s face explodes makes an impression. Perhaps worst…
Balboa: The Gringo’s guide to Panama
BY: RYAN SQUIRES Latin America – a region immersed in a myriad of rich history and diverse cultures, also well regarded by “gringos” as a popular travel destination. Among the most visited nations is Panama, the land bridge between the Americas…
Watch: Made By Refugee project highlights the contributions of refugees
BY: QUENTIN STUCKEY How many of us stroll through a store, tossing various items in our cart or nestling them in our arms, without questioning the origins of these products that we so greatly cherish: frankly we’re all guilty of…
O Noir lets you dine in complete darkness while being served by a blind staff
BY: QUENTIN STUCKEY Wanting to celebrate the day you came into existence doesn’t make you a narcissist, on the contrary it demonstrates a level of confidence and self respect that we could all benefit from. To be getting older is to…
Mental health stigma: stop romanticizing harmful conditions for art
BY: QUENTIN STUCKEY Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr and essentially all forms of social media are loaded with content. Content that is so diverse and unique, one can find different perspectives on any subject area. In today’s world, mental and psychological…
This company lets you find and host creative events in everyday spaces
BY: QUENTIN STUCKEY It’s odd to contemplate the idea that an artist as renowned as Vincent Van Gogh ever had to convince people to showcase his paintings. Or even a band so ingrained in popular culture like The Beatles ever…
The Weirdest and Most Creative Places People Have Turned into Homes
BY: CHARLOTTE LEFAVE These eccentric homeowners wrote the handbook on unconventional living. If you think your first apartment was small, check out these weird, quirky, and outright strange places people have decided to set up shop temporarily and permanently. These…