leverhelven

Thank you all, guys! I've reached my quota of likes for the day, so I can't "like" your comment, bck32808 :sad02:
Anyways, she was from one of my sides and I transferred her just so she could bathe in the Rainbow Fountain :D When I send her back, I'm totally sending that wig to my side too, it's so hard to find Maraquan items! Luckily I have spare gift boxes :D

Ohai there!
 
Now this is something that interests me a lot. When I was a teen, I was a fan of Finnish metal bands, and got to read a lot about Finland and Nordic countries. I remember being very surprised when finding out that, in those countries, and maybe in Europe as a whole, people don't have much physical contact with each other. Actually, in Nordic countries, almost not at all. For example, in those countries people only hug when they're very, very intimate.
 
I also remember a soap opera character, again when I was a teen. Part of the story happened in the US and there was an American character, a teacher in a class for toddlers, who despised physical contact and would complain at kids holding hands, hugging etc. Okay, she was supposed to be a villain, but still :P
 
What I want to know is: how intimate/frequent is physical contact in your country/culture? I'm from Brazil and here we greet people (even strangers) with pecks on the cheek (the amount varies: here in Rio it's 2 pecks, whereas in other cities it can be only one or even 3), hug a looooot and are very physically close almost all the time: friends (girls) hold hands, people touch each other during conversation, and so on.
 
How is it in your country? :)

First off, I'm not an American, so I never celebrated Thanksgiving. But as a former History student and having an interest in History in general, I've read quite a lot about it, and I understand there is a polemic regarding the Native Americans, who find it an insult since they've suffered the loss of lands, hunger and poverty in the hands of the same "White People" who celebrate this date.
 
I'd like to know you guys' opinions, not only Americans but anyone interested in this subjects. If you're American, do you celebrate it? Regardless of nationality, what do you think of Thanksgiving as a celebration? Do you think it's a valid holiday or an example of hypocrisy?

Wow, that's AWESOME! Thank you very much, as a future Psychology student I find this information very very interesting :)
 
I find it quite strange the way it is (or at least I hear it is) in the US regarding kids and teachers/adults in general. You can't touch kids, right? I mean, most kinds of touch could be considered sexual abuse/harrassment to the kid unless you're family. Maybe I'm completely wrong, but those are stories I always hear about. For example, here in Brazil, teachers of toddlers are used to hugging and kissing their pupils and having them sit on their laps and such. Would that be even possible in the US?
 
I also find it ironic that non-contact cultures seem to be from colder places and the other way 'round. I'd expect people from cold places to have MORE contact, so as to keep warmer, ya know? :P

We don't have Columbus Day here either, but I've read about how awful it is. The Oatmeal has a very nice comic about it, too!
 
Anyways, I work as an English Teacher at an English Course here (English being a foreign language) and, for some reason, they insist on celebrating Thanksgiving. I mean, I can understand us having Halloween parties, they're fun and children love it (heck, I love it too!) but celebrating Thanksgiving is like, I don't know, celebrating Veteran's Day! It's just NOT part of Brazilian history, it makes no sense! Argh.
 
And to make things worse, most children do not have a clue as to what Thanksgiving is, and it's not that easy to explain it when you're not American (or Canadian, for that matter).
 
This is what I think of when I think of American Thanksgiving:
 

So. I just HAD to come out of the shadows to say it.
 
DAT.
RAINBOW.
BLU.
 
 

 
Could you be anymore MS Paint, JumpStaff? Could you?!
*dies*

My God, Biscuit Quiggle, what kind of salts have you been smelling?  o_O

So. I just HAD to come out of the shadows to say it.
 
DAT.
RAINBOW.
BLU.
 
 

 
Could you be anymore MS Paint, JumpStaff? Could you?!
*dies*

So. I just HAD to come out of the shadows to say it.
 
DAT.
RAINBOW.
BLU.
 
 

 
Could you be anymore MS Paint, JumpStaff? Could you?!
*dies*

So. I just HAD to come out of the shadows to say it.
 
DAT.
RAINBOW.
BLU.
 
 

 
Could you be anymore MS Paint, JumpStaff? Could you?!
*dies*

So. I just HAD to come out of the shadows to say it.
 
DAT.
RAINBOW.
BLU.
 
 

 
Could you be anymore MS Paint, JumpStaff? Could you?!
*dies*

Is this for real? I don't even...  :sad01_anim:
 
I've seen better pixel adoptables.

Maybe it's a cross between Rainbow and 8-bit! :P

So. I just HAD to come out of the shadows to say it.
 
DAT.
RAINBOW.
BLU.
 
 

 
Could you be anymore MS Paint, JumpStaff? Could you?!
*dies*

So. I just HAD to come out of the shadows to say it.
 
DAT.
RAINBOW.
BLU.
 
 

 
Could you be anymore MS Paint, JumpStaff? Could you?!
*dies*

So. I just HAD to come out of the shadows to say it.
 
DAT.
RAINBOW.
BLU.
 
 

 
Could you be anymore MS Paint, JumpStaff? Could you?!
*dies*

I think a roster change would be asking too much of JumpStaff... I mean, I'm still baffled they managed to bring the AC at all this year!

Well, my little bun is actually fully baked bread now xD She's 5 months old! Which is why I spend way too much time in the Children's section of the bookstore, not to mention buying activity books for my 3-year old goddaughter. Also, lots of coloured markers! (for me and her lol) 
My mom is going to the US so I ordered some more books on Amazon :D http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0486793273/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0486779351/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (they look cool, I think I'll be set for the whole year)

You're definitely not alone, Kai! I've been into colouring before this crazy trend started - it has always helped me relax.
 
I have the Secret Garden book, but it indeed gets tiring, especially because there are so many plants you just get tired of using green shades! And I'm not the kind that is able to paint with """"unreal"""" colors, lol :P Most of the books I see here are also plant-related, so... Meh.
 
You know what's also cool? Crafting your own colouring booklets. Sometimes I print a whole bunch of nice colouring pages from the internet, each one the size of half an A4 sheet, then cut them, out them together with string and make a nice cover with construction paper, and customize the cover. I don't know about you, but dealing and crafting with paper is also very relaxing to me. :)

You're definitely not alone, Kai! I've been into colouring before this crazy trend started - it has always helped me relax.
 
I have the Secret Garden book, but it indeed gets tiring, especially because there are so many plants you just get tired of using green shades! And I'm not the kind that is able to paint with """"unreal"""" colors, lol :P Most of the books I see here are also plant-related, so... Meh.
 
You know what's also cool? Crafting your own colouring booklets. Sometimes I print a whole bunch of nice colouring pages from the internet, each one the size of half an A4 sheet, then cut them, out them together with string and make a nice cover with construction paper, and customize the cover. I don't know about you, but dealing and crafting with paper is also very relaxing to me. :)

Ah, so many kindred spirits! I knew I wasn't the only one :D
 
I also try to mix it up using coloured pencils, watercolour pencils and markers. So far my favourite is watercolour pencils - it doesn't take much moisture to get the desired effect so the paper in the book doesn't get too soaked. Come to think about it, I'd just have to search for colouring book images - thanks Brian!
 
Brianna - http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Haven-Cats-Coloring-Books/dp/0486789640/ref=pd_sim_b_22?might interest, you lol ^_^
 
I actually started colouring when my goddaughter was born and I started looking at children's books again. As a frustrated artist, these are the best I can do :P

Came out of the shadows just to say: what a dreadful-looking sponge. Eurgh. I can't even. Argh.
 
"If you have this paint brush sitting around your inventory, soak in the excitement of this special day by upgrading the look of your Neopet!" ----> Sponge Paint Brush? Good one, JS. -n
 
I also LURV the fact that the link to Captain Threelegs takes us to the Rainbow Pool. JS *really* wants us to use that "paintbrush".
 
 
 
You should check my user lookup :P

Came out of the shadows just to say: what a dreadful-looking sponge. Eurgh. I can't even. Argh.
 
"If you have this paint brush sitting around your inventory, soak in the excitement of this special day by upgrading the look of your Neopet!" ----> Sponge Paint Brush? Good one, JS. -n
 
I also LURV the fact that the link to Captain Threelegs takes us to the Rainbow Pool. JS *really* wants us to use that "paintbrush".
 
 
 
You should check my user lookup :P

So, a few days ago, a colleague of mine posted on FB about something "cute" that happened while she was picking her son from school.
 
She said that, as she was picking her 6-year-old son João, a girl from his class came to her and said that João was always trying to kiss her. He then ran after her and, as usual, tried to kiss her. My colleague said she told him to ask the girl for a kiss instead of just trying to kiss her. He did so, but the girl still said no.
 
She then said then told him to just blow the girl a kiss instead, and as they were walking back home, he kept complaining to her that the girl never lets him kiss her. My colleague then told him that he should just keep on asking the girl for a kiss, even if only one; to tell her that he'd be gentle and she'd like it.
 
People commented on the post saying that kids are like that, and that the situation was oh-so-cute, etc. But I felt quite sick about it.
 
Okay, so first of all, I'm a feminist, so I might be reading too much into it just because I'm so used to rotten stuff towards women. But in my opinion my colleague, as a mom, missed a perfect opportunity to teach her son about CONSENT. The little girl clearly didn't want to be kissed by him, ever, but instead of pointing that out to João and telling him he should respect that, the mom basically told him to insist, and tell the girl "she'd like it".
 
I mean, seriously? In my opinion that just reeks of the "boys will be boys" fallacy. I think respect towards women, and especially CONSENT should be taught since the early age, and that could have been a golden moment that just got lost.
 
What do you guys think?
 
ps: here's a screen of the post, in case someone reads Portuguese (or even Spanish, for that matter). Names are blurred for privacy.

So, a few days ago, a colleague of mine posted on FB about something "cute" that happened while she was picking her son from school.
 
She said that, as she was picking her 6-year-old son João, a girl from his class came to her and said that João was always trying to kiss her. He then ran after her and, as usual, tried to kiss her. My colleague said she told him to ask the girl for a kiss instead of just trying to kiss her. He did so, but the girl still said no.
 
She then said then told him to just blow the girl a kiss instead, and as they were walking back home, he kept complaining to her that the girl never lets him kiss her. My colleague then told him that he should just keep on asking the girl for a kiss, even if only one; to tell her that he'd be gentle and she'd like it.
 
People commented on the post saying that kids are like that, and that the situation was oh-so-cute, etc. But I felt quite sick about it.
 
Okay, so first of all, I'm a feminist, so I might be reading too much into it just because I'm so used to rotten stuff towards women. But in my opinion my colleague, as a mom, missed a perfect opportunity to teach her son about CONSENT. The little girl clearly didn't want to be kissed by him, ever, but instead of pointing that out to João and telling him he should respect that, the mom basically told him to insist, and tell the girl "she'd like it".
 
I mean, seriously? In my opinion that just reeks of the "boys will be boys" fallacy. I think respect towards women, and especially CONSENT should be taught since the early age, and that could have been a golden moment that just got lost.
 
What do you guys think?
 
ps: here's a screen of the post, in case someone reads Portuguese (or even Spanish, for that matter). Names are blurred for privacy.