Adventure by Chicken Bus: An Unschooling Odyssey through Central America by Janet LoSole - [Book Review]

 Book Details:

Title : Adventure by Chicken Bus: An Unschooling Odyssey through Central America

Author : Janet LoSole

Genre : Memoirs, Non-Fiction

Publisher : Resource Publications

Print Length : 217 pages

Source: A free review copy from the author

Blurb:

Embarking on a homeschooling field trip to Central America is stressful enough, but add in perilous bridge crossings, trips to the hospital, and a lack of women’s underwear, and you have the makings of an Adventure by Chicken Bus…a tale of one family, buckling under a mountain of debt, who sells all worldly possessions and hits the road.

Adventure by Chicken Bus demonstrates how to travel sustainably, but more importantly, how to nurture the next generation of environmentalists and social justice activists by exposing them to the conditions faced by those in the developing world.

From a remote monkey sanctuary tucked into an enclave on the Panama-Costa Rica frontier to the overdeveloped beaches of the Mayan Riviera, we endure chaotic border crossings, infections and injuries, learn about the history of the civil war in Nicaragua, visit UNESCO heritage sites, and hike the ancient Mayan temples of Tikal in Guatemala.

For the sake of safety, we plan our route down to the kilometer, navigating the region by chicken bus, an eye-opening mode of public transportation ubiquitous in the developing world. Along the way we re-connect with each other, re-kindle our commitment to the environment, recognize the privilege into which we were born, and become compassionate global citizens.

My Review:

A couple leaving their jobs as school teachers in Canada travel to Costa Rica with their 2 kids to work at an organization that saves endangered sea turtles. This is their story of homeschooling their children while learning the native cultures of the places they visit to live like a local with meager income without any luxuries like electricity and a refrigerator.

This is about their travel experiences and their hurdles. This is kind of a homeschooling field trip but a long one to Central America.

While reading the book, at some points I got a chill in my spine, when they had to stay in musty, Narrow rooms, travel in overcrowded buses without enough air to breathe, when their daughter misses an accident in seconds, etc.,

I appreciate and understand  Janet and Lloyd's interest in community-based travel supporting local businesses and homeschooling their kids.👏

Why the name Chicken bus? 🐔🐣

Chicken Bus is a colloquial term used to describe the run-down, discarded school buses from North America sold to Latin American countries, where they are repainted in bright colors, outfitted with stereo speakers, and upcycled with more seats to accommodate more people with their potatoes, avocadoes, and chickens. 

What's great?

Loved the book cover and the title is appropriate. The map at the beginning of the book is very helpful to understand the route they travel and the places they visit.

The Author's passion to homeschool their kids by showing the local people and their culture are worth an appreciation. 

What might have been better?

I felt the book is too verbose. Some photos might have made reading easier.

The font might have been larger.

The book ends with this line which I agree 100%

" Yes, The Chicken buses, crammed full and whistling down a bumpy road, unveil a great deal indeed"

My Rating: 4/5

About the Author:

Elif Shafak is an award-winning British-Turkish novelist. She writes in both Turkish and English, and has published 18 books, 11 of which are novels. Her work has been translated into 54 languages. Her latest novel 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and RSL Ondaatje Prize; and chosen Blackwell's Book of the Year. Her previous novel, The Forty Rules of Love was chosen by BBC among 100 Novels that Shaped Our World. Shafak holds a PhD in political science and she has taught at various universities in Turkey, the US and the UK, including St Anne's College, Oxford University, where she is an honorary fellow.

Shafak is a Fellow and a Vice President of the Royal Society of Literature. She is a member of Weforum Global Agenda Council on Creative Economy and a founding member of ECFR (European Council on Foreign Relations). An advocate for women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights and freedom of speech, Shafak is an inspiring public speaker and twice TED Global speaker, each time receiving a standing ovation. Shafak contributes to major publications around the world and she was awarded the medal of Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. In 2017 she was chosen by Politico as one of the twelve people "who will give you a much needed lift of the heart". Shafak has judged numerous literary prizes, and chaired the Wellcome Prize and is presently judging the PEN Nabokov Prize.
www.elifshafak.com
Twitter @Elif_Safak
Instagram @shafakelif

Until next time,

5 ways to reduce stress

 Stress, Stress, Stress..

We have been learning more about mental health, anxiety, and stress these days. 

What is Stress?

Stress is the body's reaction to a challenge. It can be positive like when we have to avoid some danger or accomplish any task on time. But, too much of it can negatively affect our health. Stress is the way we react to a difficult situation like anger, frustration, etc.,. 

Even when we train ourselves to be calm, it's not easy to handle all kinds of situations and maintain cool. 

Pin it for Later!

Signs of Stress:

As per the article from MedlinePlus, the following are some signs of stress:

• Diarrhea or constipation
• Forgetfulness
• Frequent aches and pains
• Headaches
• Lack of energy or focus
• Sexual problems
• Stiff jaw or neck
• Tiredness
• Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
• Upset stomach
• Use of alcohol or drugs to relax
• Weight loss or gain

In long term, stress can cause harm to the body and can be a reason for many diseases.

So, here are 5 ways that I learned from my experience which help in reducing mental stress.

5 ways to reduce stress:

1. Excercise

Exercise found to have many benefits and reducing stress is just one of them. 

Exercise need not mean hitting the gym and working for hours. It can be as simple as dancing to your favorite tune, hiking to explore nature, trying swimming/karate lessons, biking/jogging etc., 

If the activity is something you love, chances are more for you to continue the activity and even enjoy the experience.

PC: www.pixabay.com

2. Explore Hobbies and Fun Activities

Ensure you spend time on your hobbies at least 30 mins a week to start with and increase to more days in a week slowly.

Reading books, painting, even playing simple games online like word search, candy crush, playing board games like chess / Chinese checkers with family can relax your mind.

How games have changed these days? From Tetris, Pacman to PubG, Pokemon.. There are so many games available online and even free on Plays.org. (By the way, this site has no ads, that's a relief :-)). While I liked Arcade games, my kids loved games from the Base Defence category.

Listening to music/ singing songs, learning different types of dance styles/music instruments, etc., are very helpful in reducing anxiety.

3. Enjoy the Outdoors and Nature

Our Earth is gorgeous. Traveling outdoors and discovering different places is relaxing and also a learning experience. 

Experiencing different foods, meeting people from different cultures, traveling to new places, staying near the beauty of nature like forests, mountains, and beaches are definitely mood changers and can brighten our souls. Agree?

Image by Leonardo Valente from Pixabay 

4. Spend time with people you love

Humans are social animals. Love and social interactions are essentials in our lives. It doesn't matter how much we earn, but how many good friends we earn is important. 

Due to Covid, we are not able to meet people in person. Since most of us are getting vaccinated, it's not far when we can go back to family dinners and parties with friends. 

Happiness keeps the stress away. Spending time with loved ones gives us security and satisfaction in life.

5. Practice Mindfulness and Gratitude

I came to understand the importance of mindfulness and gratitude a bit late in my life. But, these 2 are great ways to have positive thoughts in our mind which, in turn, reduce stress.

Mindfulness means appreciating the moments in the present. Gratitude is feeling thankful for what we have than worrying about what we don't have.

Image by Alfonso Cerezo from Pixabay 

Enjoying the beauty of flowers blooming in our garden, appreciating the help from a stranger, relishing the smile of our children when they are playing, gorging the delicious food made at home, enjoying a hug from a close friend, etc., - These everyday small things make our day.

Yoga and Meditation can improve mindfulness and positive thinking. When we can stop overthinking and reduce negative thoughts, the mind feels relaxed.

Thus, there are many simple ways to reduce stress in our daily lives. Always remember, for a long-term impact, we should eat a balanced diet, meditate and try to think positively. 

How do you cope up with stress? Would love to know your suggestions in the comments.

Until next time,

Happy to collaborate with Plays.org to write this article on some simple ways to reduce stress. 

The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak - [Book Review]

 Book Details:

Title : The Forty Rules of Love

Author : Elif Shafak

Genre : Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction

Publisher : Penguin

Print Length : 370 pages

Blurb:

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

* One of the BBC's '100 Novels that Shaped the World'*

"Every true love and friendship is a story of unexpected transformation. If we are the same person before and after we loved, that means we haven't loved enough . . ."

Ella Rubinstein has a husband, three teenage children, and a pleasant home. Everything that should make her confident and fulfilled. Yet there is an emptiness at the heart of Ella's life - an emptiness once filled by love.

So when Ella reads a manuscript about the thirteenth-century Sufi poet Rumi and Shams of Tabriz, and his forty rules of life and love, her world is turned upside down. She embarks on a journey to meet the mysterious author of this work.

It is a quest infused with Sufi mysticism and verse, taking Ella and us into an exotic world where faith and love are heartbreakingly explored. . .

'Enlightening, enthralling. An affecting paean to faith and love' Metro

'Colourfully woven and beguilingly intelligent' Daily Telegraph

'The past and present fit together beautifully in a passionate defence of passion itself' The Times

My Review:

First of all thanks to the fellow book review bloggers and bookstagrammers who suggested this book. Else I would have missed a gem in my life.

The forty rules of love is about the life of Shams, a sufi, his relationship with God, his friendship with scholar Rumi, his compassion and love. We get introduced to Shams by a novel written by Aziz. Ella is given this book by their publishing office to read, review and write a report on the book. It is interesting how the lives of Aziz and Ella are influenced by Shams in the novel.

The story flows smoothly covering 3 lives in parallel- Shams, Aziz, and Ella's. The narrative is very interesting. The whole book is full of beautiful quotes in the form of forty rules of love. I have never used the kindle highlight feature as much I used for this book.

This book in some way might change you, beware! We learn The principles of Sufism, the importance of selfless love, the feeling of oneness with God and other human beings, and a lot more.

I seriously think I cannot rate this book. Is there any option to rate more than 5 out of 5?

I suggest this book to readers who would like to understand the deeper meaning of life without getting bored by religious lectures. 

About the Author:

Elif Shafak is an award-winning British-Turkish novelist. She writes in both Turkish and English, and has published 18 books, 11 of which are novels. Her work has been translated into 54 languages. Her latest novel 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and RSL Ondaatje Prize; and chosen Blackwell's Book of the Year. Her previous novel, The Forty Rules of Love was chosen by BBC among 100 Novels that Shaped Our World. Shafak holds a PhD in political science and she has taught at various universities in Turkey, the US and the UK, including St Anne's College, Oxford University, where she is an honorary fellow.

Shafak is a Fellow and a Vice President of the Royal Society of Literature. She is a member of Weforum Global Agenda Council on Creative Economy and a founding member of ECFR (European Council on Foreign Relations). An advocate for women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights and freedom of speech, Shafak is an inspiring public speaker and twice TED Global speaker, each time receiving a standing ovation. Shafak contributes to major publications around the world and she was awarded the medal of Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. In 2017 she was chosen by Politico as one of the twelve people "who will give you a much needed lift of the heart". Shafak has judged numerous literary prizes, and chaired the Wellcome Prize and is presently judging the PEN Nabokov Prize.
www.elifshafak.com
Twitter @Elif_Safak
Instagram @shafakelif

Until next time,