Im fortunate to have in the past to have had family in ecuador (through mariage) .. as a result ive had the opportunity to have traveled most of the west coast from the yukon/alaska all the way down to ecuador.

being an avid people observor over 30something years looking back i notice that the closer you get to a warmer climate with year round production of fresh fruits and veggies the more laid back and congenial people seem to be as compared to the high north areas with short growing season and a frenzy to put up food for the winter and bunker down into survival mode

ive spent lots of time in lots of different climates and everywhere has its ups and downs for sure and i loved them all for all sorts of different reasons

but ..

so do you think lattitude affects attitude lol?

of course i could be way off here its just something i was laying back last night and thinking about

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

During the winter at high latitudes it's cold and dark. With much less sun and more clothing one gets very little exposure to the sun. Vitamin D levels can drop. Being cooped up for long periods can lead to cabin fever. The Beattles song, Here Comes the Sun deals with high latitude winter depression. I think getting out during the winter, even if it's dark, for ice skating and skiing etc. under the stars or the dazzling aura borealis would solve much of the depression. A sun lamp for Vitamin D and to brighten things up.

Google: arctic sun depression winter

Sounds like a Jimmy Buffet song, I need to get my bearings. But yeah, colder environments bring scarcity, scarcity produces aggression, tension. It's not as though tropical climates are immune, but times of plenty have much less stress, risk than shorter growing seasons.. Think musical chairs.

Paul

funny you mention jimmy buffet i was listening to him while i was thinking bout that lol

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Jodi,

You must know of the concept of "mañana, mañana . . . " As in, "chill, señor, we will get to it . . . even-tually." This is typical of areas near the equator and slightly to the north or south. I am generalizing, of course. I think the farther to the north or south poles one gets, the more structured the approach to time is. Like, my mom grew up in Buenos Aires in the Perón era, and it was a huge, bustling "Western European" style city. Stuff got done, people and commerce moved quickly. Her friends from the Caribbean always marveled at how different it was where they were from, how much slower the pace, how much less important punctuality. As a midwesterner, I know I get more antsy to accomplish things before winter, almost like I'm preparing for hibernation. There's nothing to hibernate through in warmer climates; you just go along, as you have been doing all year.

I think the healthiest cultural mindset is one where there's a good balance between prioritizing leisure and relaxation, and engaging in activity, so, you know, the parliament gets something done now and then : ) IMO, Spain is a good example.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/2009 09:15PM by Tamukha.

hehe yep Tam manana manana for sure i hear ya excellent observations glad to hear someone elses perspectives of people watching over a long period of time in relation to health and environment very interesting

yes i was trying to not generalize either , i know plenty of people between vancouver and the yukon that are very manana manana

the one saying in Nepal and India that i always had a good laugh at cuz it was used similarily .. was "Ke Garne" .. translation .. "what can you do?" (accompanied by shoulder shrug and smile) generally used when something screwed up... ie: quadruple booked train tickets specifically in your assigned seat that you now have to share with a screaming baby, 2 chickens and a goat , or your dinner arriving 3 hours after you ordered it and it was just a fruit salad but they cook things in the order they recieve them ..not easiest to hardest

dang my feet are getting itchy to travel lol

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/2009 10:54PM by Jgunn.

Yeah, I notice it too. I'm from California and live in New England. I was amazed at the rigidly uptightness of people in general when I first moved here. Nice people once you get to know them, but I miss the smiles and "Hi"s and general laid back atmosphere in California (and the weather!!!).

I am in Brazil right now with my family and it is much laid back here.
Here we stop everything to have lunch. Dinner is practically a soup,very light. Today it is cold,about 65F,it´s winter right now.
Every Saturday has Farmer´s Market and it is amazing.
I bought so many kinds of fruits!! Big papayas are my favorites