It’s been a long and intense news week. From the Austrian jerk who imprisoned his daughter to the American bombing of Somalia to the increasing global food crisis– things seem rather bleak at the moment.

So for today’s Kandy Kaleidoscope, I’ve compiled a series of stories to remind us all of the wonderfully wacky world we share.

Let’s get started—It’s news time with Kandy Korrespondent!

Beware hair! This past Monday, Shailendra Roy, a man in eastern India, pulled a 35-ton train 10 metres with his ponytail. He trained for the event by pulling everything from huge logs, to small cars, buses, and trucks. What’s next on the list? “I am planning to dangle myself from a helicopter.” We wish you the best of luck Mr. Roy.

Down Boy! According to the Journal of Ethology, scientists have observed an Antarctic Seal trying to copulate with a King Penguin. Seals apparently are known for their indiscriminate sexual relations with regards to different subspecies, such as grey seals, sea lions, and fur seals, and occasionally with other related species. This is the first recorded example of a mammal trying to have sex with a bird. Scientists speculate that the seal was incredibly sexually frustrated—perhaps too young to mate with other female seals.

The incident went on for a full 45 minutes before the seal finally gave up and swam away. The penguin was apparently unhurt. Read More »

It’s as vivid today as it was when it happened five years ago: Chris and I bodysurfing on an abandoned beach just outside of Acapulco and Stephanie looking at us with wonder from the shore. He and I would get slammed, and slammed again, then come up smiling from sand-filled ear to water-logged ear. Just before going in, we looked out into the vast horizon. The sky was clear blue. There were no clouds in sight. The ocean held us in its wake. Suddenly, we both gasped at the same time: a flying stingray briefly jumped out of the water just fifteen feet away.

“Did you see that?” he asked me.

“That was so cool,” I said.

Christopher Cady was my best friend’s boyfriend. He and Stephanie — like myself — had a real case of wanderlust. With no one else could I share my travel stories and feel completely understood. Only they understood why I would want to attend college in Maine, a continent and ocean away from my home in Hawaii: for the pure challenge and unpredictability.

Steph and I lived vicariously through each other, traversing the globe and telling each other tale after wondrous tale. Their travels brought them from Maine to Mexico to Taos to Central America to Boston, but culminated abruptly in Chamonix one fateful afternoon in January 2004. Chris had prepared an engagement ring before their trip. He didn’t get a chance to give it to her because, despite the storm that was brewing that late afternoon, he took an off-piste route and went missing. Read More »

In several previous posts I discussed the intense controversy surrounding the upcoming Beijing Olympics. In recent weeks the traditional international journey of the Olympic Torch has served as a flash point for clashes between supporters and protesters.

Ironically, this torch relay was supposed to be the largest in Olympic history—a showcase of international cooperation and sport. Instead, it has become a testament to international outrage over China’s human rights abuses, especially over Tibet.

March 31: A huge carefully scripted ceremony at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square sent the torch off across the globe

April 3: In Istanbul, Turkey, the Uighur expat community staged demonstrations against Chinese persecution of their “brother” expats in Xinjiang. In February 2007, for example, an Uigur activist named Ismail Semed, was executed on the shaky grounds of attempting to “split the motherland” and possessing explosives.

April 6: Massive clashes occurred between Free Tibet protesters and police during the London relay. Thirty-seven protesters were arrested including a man who tried to snatch the torch away from one of the runners. Another tried to put out the torch with a fire extinguisher. Read More »

I’m a girl with a mission. For over a year now, I have been traveling the globe in search of truth. Along the way I am discovering myself. Here is one tale from the road, of which there will be many forthcoming…

A few summers ago, I spent three weeks traveling in India with 20 fellow middle and high school teachers. Yes, 20 irritating, unfriendly colleagues. 20 people flying together from California around the globe. 20 teachers riding in one tour bus around India. You might already see the punch line coming… Read More »

When I first stumbled upon this article, I thought it sounded like a load of crap. Women taking separate busses? Women actually wanting to ride public transportation without men? Really?

Really.

According to the Associated Press and Time, Mexico City recently segregated its busses because of how badly men were treating women on public transportation. Subway platforms were already segregated, but the bus situation continued to bring in complaints.

Mexico’s “ladies-only” buses are characterized by pink signs on the windshield. Now, instead of having to worry about a swift smack on the ass, our sisters can chat, primp, and pay attention to their kids. Before the change, men’s behavior was so bad that one woman reportedly carried a sewing pin to stave off the creeps, and said she has used it twice in one month.

Much to my surprise, women’s only buses are not a new idea. They have been used in several countries, including Brazil, India, and Japan.

So let’s hear it for the women of Mexico City who spoke out to fix this problem. Because honestly, being groped on the way to work is not how anyone should have to start their morning.

My boyfriend is from India.

I say this not to brag about my exotic foreign catch, but rather to expound upon the humor that can come out of dating a non-native English speaker.

For instance, he doesn’t say “development,” he says “devil up mint.” Why this is so funny to me remains elusive to him, yet he insists he’s pronouncing the word correctly.

“One billion Indians can’t be wrong,” he says.

Well, OK, he may have a point. For me, at least, my international relationship is so much more engaging than dating, say, another American.

American guys? BO-RING! First of all, they pronounce every word the same way I do (unless they’re from the South, I guess, but that’s another story entirely). Secondly, they think drinking and video games are the be-all and end-all of existence. And finally, their cooking repertoire consists almost completely of Easy Mac and Hot Pockets. Yeah, that’s appealing. Read More »

According to CNN.com, Richard Gere was issued an arrest warrant by a judge in the northwestern city of Jaipur, India last week because of a kiss (on the cheek!!) that was allegedly “highly sexually erotic”.

Trying to drum up support at a charitable event hosted by Heroes Project, a charity Gere developed to help fight AIDS in India, the aging actor attempted to do a swoop kiss with famed Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty. The harmless gesture didn’t seem so harmless to certain conservative Hindu groups, who demonstrated against the public display of affection (something that’s still considered taboo by many in the country) so strongly that a judge called for action. If convicted, both Gere and Shetty could face “three months in prison, a fine, or both”.

Gere’s camp, as well as a few spokespeople in India, claim the judicial gesture is preposterous and was only issued to gain publicity.

While my American brain agrees that certain people in that country need to simmer down, I’m even more outraged that Shetty is being dragged through the same mud as Gere. The courts claim that because she didn’t “resist” the gesture, she’s just as much to blame as the American Gigilo, a declaration I call patriarchal bullshit.

What do you think, lovelies? Should Shetty be called out? Is this just another case of patriarchal stupidity?