Dress codes for travelers

July 14, 2023July 13, 2023 / edebock / Leave a comment

Whenever you travel to a foreign country, it’s a good idea to learn a bit about the culture and traditions before you go. It’s also wise to know what to pack so that you don’t get into trouble by wearing something inappropriate or possibly even illegal.

It may not surprise you to know that modest attire is usually expected when visiting religious sites such as churches, temples, and mosques. Visitors to Cambodia’s famed Angkor Wat temple complex and to the Vatican are required to wear pants or skirts that fall below the knee and shirts that cover their shoulders. Sleeveless and low-cut garments, shorts that end above the knee, and miniskirts are not allowed and men entering the Vatican must also remove their hats. Some religious sites may require women to cover their heads, so it’s always a good idea to pack a scarf just in case.

Afghanistan is the only country that requires women to wear a burqa in public today, but did you know that there are countries where these garments are forbidden? That’s right! It is illegal to wear a burqa or a niqab in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Cameroon, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Niger, and parts of Russia. In fact, face coverings of any kind including masks (with the exception of those worn to prevent the spread of Covid and other respiratory illnesses), scarves, motorcycle helmets, and balaclavas are illegal in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

I was surprised to discover a long list of countries that forbid the wearing of camouflage. Leave your camo at home if you plan to visit Barbados, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Antigua, Grenada, Jamaica, Nigeria, Oman, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Trinidad and Tobago, Zambia, or Zimbabwe.

For your own safety, you aren’t allowed to wear sandals while driving in Spain and those who hike the steep, hilly terrain connecting the five villages of Italy’s Cinque Terre are prohibited from wearing flip-flops, sandals or high heels. High heels are also forbidden at some historic sites in Greece such as the Acropolis and Delphi to prevent damage to the ancient monuments.

Most dress codes are a matter of modesty and what is considered appropriate differs greatly from place to place. All women in Iran must cover their hair or wear a hijab in public areas. Women must have their arms and shoulders covered at all times in Oman. Swimwear is not allowed except at the beach in Majorca, Croatia, Maldives, Turkey, and some cities in Spain including Barcelona. In France, men must wear speedos in public pools. Boxers aren’t permitted! In Thailand, one must wear a shirt while driving and must always wear underwear in public (although how anyone would know if you weren’t, I’m not sure!)

Perhaps Saudi Arabia and Sudan have the strictest dress codes. In Saudi Arabia men are required to have their shoulders and legs covered at all times. They’re not even allowed to go shirtless at the beach! Women must dress modestly at all times, covering both their knees and shoulders. Sleeveless shirts, short dresses, loose tops, shorts, crop tops, miniskirts and bikinis are all forbidden. In some places they must also wear a headscarf. Similarly, in Sudan, men cannot wear makeup, shorts or sleeveless shirts and women cannot wear shorts, pants, sleeveless shirts, anything see-through, or skirts shorter than mid-calf.

I’m not sure why anyone would want to visit North Korea, but if you do and you’re a woman, you need to know that you can’t wear pants there either.

And I saved the funniest for last… it would be a good idea not to wear clothing with Winnie the Pooh on it near schools and playgrounds in Tuszyn, Poland. Apparently Pooh’s uncertain sexuality and indecent exposure (he doesn’t wear pants!) are proof that the loveable bear is “wholly inappropriate for children.”

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Dress codes for airline travel

July 7, 2023July 6, 2023 / edebock / Leave a comment

If any of you are fortunate enough to be flying somewhere this summer, you might be interested in knowing that airlines have the right to refuse to board passengers who are deemed to be dressed inappropriately. By purchasing a ticket, you automatically consent to abide by the rules and conditions outlined in a legal contract known as the “conditions of carriage.”

United Airlines has the right to refuse to board passengers if they are “barefoot, not properly clothed, or whose clothing is lewd, obscene or offensive.” Similarly, American Airlines has a section in its conditions of carriage that instructs passengers to “Dress appropriately; bare feet or offensive clothing aren’t allowed.” Delta Airlines can refuse to transport passengers whose “conduct, attire, hygiene or odor” may create an unreasonable risk of offending or annoying other passengers. Their conditions of carriage also ban bare feet. And the list goes on.

While comfort and safety take precedence over appearance, there are several reasons why passenger dress codes exist and why some frequent flyers suggest that they need to go beyond the minimum and somewhat vague standards mentioned above. Clothing that exposes too much skin or with offensive language on it can make other passengers feel uncomfortable, but what one person considers offensive might be perfectly acceptable to another. Keeping the peace is important when hundreds of people are packed into an aircraft, often for several hours.

According to the International Air Transport Association, the number of unruly passenger incidents worldwide increased by a shocking 37% in 2022 from the previous year. The organization reported one unruly incident for every 568 flights last year, up from one in every 835 flights in 2021. Psychologists believe that people tend to behave more respectfully when they’re dressed up. “When people dress better, they tend to behave better,” said Thomas Plante, a psychology professor at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. “A dress code might help.”

So how should you dress for a flight? Think classy but comfortable. Choose clothing made of breathable fabric and items that allow for ease of movement. As always, I recommend dressing in layers. Planes are often chilly, so a scarf or a wrap can be a good addition to your travel wardrobe. Although I’ve never worn them myself, compression stockings are often recommended for long flights as they reduce the risk of developing blood clots when sitting for long periods of time. You’ll probably want to wear your bulkiest footwear, especially if you’re traveling carry-on only, but it’s important to ensure that your shoes are also comfortable. Hopefully, it never comes to this, but it’s also wise to choose clothing and footwear that would allow for smooth evacuation in the event of an emergency.

Once you reach your destination, there might also be dress codes that you should be aware of, so we’ll look at what to wear when you travel the world next Friday. Some of the rules are quite unusual!

Slippers

April 17, 2020April 15, 2020 / edebock / 8 Comments

After a week during which I published a couple of fairly heavy posts about the fallout from Covid-19, let’s finish off with some fashion fluff! During this time when most of us are spending more time at home than usual, what are you wearing on your feet?

When I was growing up on the coast of British Columbia, we usually wore our shoes in the house. If I remember correctly, that was common in that time and place. Here on the prairie, however, almost everyone takes their shoes off at the door and when I settled here, that quickly became my habit too. Though I live in town, this is farming country and I suspect that taking your shoes off simply developed as a way to keep from tracking barnyard dirt into the house. It was a habit that served us well when we moved to Japan where homes traditionally had tatami mats on the floors and shoes are always taken off at the entrance.

My preference has always been to go barefoot, but since we live in a climate that isn’t conducive to that except for a few months of the year, I usually wear slippers in the house. Until fairly recently, my slipper of choice was a mule; comfortable and easy to slip on and off. Last winter, however, I took part in a falls prevention program put on by our local health authority. One of the topics that was covered was footwear. It was then that I really began to notice that my slippers weren’t very secure on the stairs which I usually go up and down several times a day. Since they were beginning to show signs of wear anyway, I decided to replace them with these.

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The moccasin style is warm and comfortable as well as much more secure on my feet and the rubber sole provides good grip when it’s needed. They’re available in eleven different colours and I notice that they’re even on sale right now.

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Whatever you’re wearing on your feet, I hope you’re staying home, staying safe, and coping well in spite of all the restrictions brought on by the pandemic!

Travel hands-free and safe

June 14, 2019June 10, 2019 / edebock / 3 Comments

European cities are well known for pickpockets. They aren’t a new phenomenon. Charles Dickens wrote about them in Oliver Twist in the mid 1800s. Every year, thousands of tourists are victims of pickpockets. In the mind of a pickpocket, tourist equals money.

So, how did we protect ourselves on our recent trip to Europe? Richard has always carried his wallet in his front pocket which is one of the recommended strategies. This was a habit that his dad picked up while serving in Europe in WWII and taught his boys.

Before our trip, I decided to purchase a lightweight crossbody bag to allow for hands-free travel. That’s when I came across Pacsafe Anti-Theft Technology and purchased the Daysafe Anti-Theft Crossbody Bag. It isn’t glamorous, but it served its purpose very well.

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Though it comes in several other colours, I chose basic black because it looks good with everything.

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The main body of the Daysafe bag has pockets and dividers for easy organization. A secure zip clip essentially locks this compartment making it virtually impossible for a pickpocket to open it surreptitiously. There are outer pockets on both sides of the bag. One is open; easy to reach into but less secure than the rest of the purse. I used it for maps and brochures that I wanted easy access to while we were out and about. The other has a zipper that can be secured by slipping the zipper pull under and through a tab. That one was perfect for our travel documents when I needed to be able to access them at airports and train stations. In addition, there’s an elasticized pocket on one end of the bag for a water bottle, an essential travel companion. Though I didn’t worry about securing the zippers all the time, I made sure that they were safely fastened whenever we were in crowded situations whether on buses and subways or in busy tourist spots.

In addition, Pacsafe bags have a number of other safety features. Some pickpockets don’t bother trying to get into your bag. Instead, they’ll just slash it open. Pacsafe bags are made of a slashproof fabric that contains stainless steel mesh. Straps are also slashproof. In addition, the strap on the Daysafe bag has a turn and lock security hook that allows you to secure the bag to an immovable object such as your chair while sitting in a restaurant or your seat on a train.

High tech thieves don’t actually have to pick your pockets or steal your handbags anymore. With the right technology they can access credit card information wirelessly through radio frequency identification, or RFID. The research that I did seems to indicate that the likelihood of this actually happening is extremely slim, but like many crimes, it’s virtually impossible to track and a range of RFID blocking products such as credit card sleeves and travel bags are available on the market. The Daysafe bag includes a RFID safe inner pocket large enough to hold passports and credit cards.

Amazingly, all this extra security doesn’t add up to a lot of weight. In fact, the Daysafe bag weighs only about 11 ounces (320 grams). It’s slim shape rests comfortably against the body and yet I found it big enough to hold everything I needed including my camera.

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Considering the fact that all I was originally shopping for was a lightweight crossbody bag that would allow for hands-free traveling, I got much more than I was looking for and I definitely look forward to using it again on future trips.

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Sometimes a girl need her hands free. If you want to know why, check out this post.

High heels? Yes or no?

December 7, 2018December 6, 2018 / edebock / 2 Comments

There are very few topics that could be tagged Fashion, Health, and Politics, but today’s post will focus on one of them. I have very few positive things to say about our provincial government, but I do commend them for one recent decision. On January 1, 2019, changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Code will take effect banning mandatory footwear rules that pose health and safety risks to Alberta workers, particularly those in the hospitality industry.

“Mandatory high heel policies that can put workers at risks for slips, trips and falls and can become a workplace hazard are no longer acceptable,” Alberta Labour Minister Christina Gray announced recently. “We’re doing this after hearing from so many Albertans and workers who have had detrimental effects to having to work an eight-hour shift in high heels.” The new ruling isn’t about banning high heels; it’s about giving women the choice of whether to wear them or not.

Since I’m significantly taller than my husband and I’ve always put comfort ahead of appearance, I seldom wear anything higher than a kitten heel. After reading about the toll that wearing high heels regularly can have on the spine, hips, knees, ankles and feet, I’m glad that I never got into the habit. Take a look at this graphic from the Florida Hospital Medical Group Spine Health Institute to see what I’m referring to.

Screen Shot 2018-12-05 at 9.15.41 PM Looking at the two profiles, it’s easy to see why men in particular tend to favour women in high heels, but is the increase in sex appeal worth the damage that they cause?

Studies have shown that by limiting the natural motion of the foot during walking, high heels can cause increased stress on the knees and may even contribute to osteoarthritis later in life. Similarly, if high heels are worn constantly, the spine’s ability to absorb shock can result in continued back pain. The vertebrae of the lower back may be compressed and back muscles over stressed. Wearing high heels too frequently can also cause the calf muscle to stiffen and the Achilles tendon to shorten which can actually make wearing flatter shoes uncomfortable. By putting a great deal of pressure on the ball of the foot and forcing the toes into a small toe box, high heels can cause or worsen many foot problems including corns, hammertoe, bunions, Morton’s neuroma and plantar fasciitis.

Does all this mean that women should never wear high heels? Not at all. Worn in moderation, for special occasions as opposed to every day, they are unlikely to cause any long-term physical health problems. So wear them to your upcoming Christmas parties if you like, just don’t wear them to work every day. On the other hand, there are so many cute flats available these days that you might not want to wear them at all!

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An electrician’s nightmare

March 21, 2013August 1, 2013 / edebock / 4 Comments

Our apartment building is very old. I have no idea how long it’s been standing here but it’s clear that the original wiring wasn’t designed to handle the number of electrical appliances and gadgets that are part of everyday life today even in China. We’ve only been here for four weeks but I’ve long since lost count of the number of times we’ve tripped the breaker.

That’s right. THE breaker. Until yesterday, there was only one of them for the entire apartment. Granted, it isn’t big. Just three little rooms plus the bathroom but there are way too many things in here that use electricity for one circuit to handle the demand.

There are wires and cords snaking all over the place. I haven’t begun to figure out what they’re all for or where they go. Some of the switches and plug-ins have obviously been added over the years as they’re simply shoved into rough holes in the wall and the wiring, rather than being inside the wall, is on the outside!

Last Saturday evening while Richard was in class, I started to smell something odd. It had that tell-tale hot wiring smell but I couldn’t locate the source. I’d had a shower and had left the heat lamps in the bathroom on to dry it out so I wondered if they were the problem. I mentioned it to Richard when he got home but by then, he couldn’t smell anything so we didn’t give it another thought until the following morning.

I don’t remember exactly what we were doing but the breaker tripped again and this time, when Richard went out to the landing at the top of the stairs to switch it on again, the smell was very strong and the circuit box was hot inside! There was also a flash when he flipped the switch. Definitely not a good sign!

Though it was her day off, Richard called Wendy, the girl from the school office who handles things to do with teacher apartments. She rounded up the landlord and they came over to take a look. By then, the circuit box had cooled off and the landlord couldn’t find anything wrong. Just be careful not to use too many electrical things at once was all that they could suggest! When we mentioned the situation to our supervising teacher, his response was “Well this is China. That’s just the way things are.”

It didn’t take long to determine that those answers simply wouldn’t do! On Tuesday evening I was blow drying my hair when the breaker tripped and we were plunged into darkness. A little later on, when Richard was in the shower and we had the heating unit in the bedroom turned on because the apartment is chilly in the evening, the breaker went for a second time. Grabbing our tiny flashlight, I made my way out to the hall to flip the switch. It was hot again and it smelled terrible so when we arrived at school yesterday morning, Richard explained to the office staff that we were living in a fire trap and that something had to be done about it.

At noon, we went off to enjoy a home cooked meal at one of my student’s grandmother’s place and when we got home, the guts of the circuit box had been changed. We now have a double breaker! It’s too early to know for sure if that will solve the problem but it’s been over 24 hours and we haven’t tripped it yet.

Now, if we could just get them to install fire extinguishers on the landings, we might feel even safer! Never mind. This is China; not quite third world anymore but definitely not what we’re used to either!