As far as the veil’s religious implication goes, In Judaism and Christianity the concept of covering the head was associated with propriety which was discontinued somewhere in the 60’s.

An integral part of a nun’s clothing even today, the same is true with Sikhism. You will never find anyone (barring infants or young children) entering a Gurudwara with an uncovered head. With Muslim women this sense of propriety extends further where the hijabs (the principle of dressing modestly), veils or headscarves are worn all the time.

An occasion on which a woman is most likely to wear a veil is on her wedding day, if she follows the traditions, be it the west or the east, obviously a symbol of purity (or virginity).

Then there are the fashionable, non-religious veils, like those pinned with hats, usually made of netting, not actually designed to hide the face, but create a sense of mystery and blur the view. They are mostly an extension of the archetype of the courtesan’s veil, where instead of the virginity of the bride's veil, modesty of the Muslim scarf or the piety of the nun's headdress, it is suggestive of the unknown and sensuous.

Then there is the veil concealing that mighty power which regulates hosts of galaxies, stars and skies. Call it God or Almighty, representative of propriety, purity, piety and mysteriousness; there sure must be some reason why it all had to be veiled. Is it a bright light that no one dares look with a naked eye? Or the light hiding inside me?

The ones in pursuit of unveiling that ultimate truth never get entangled in the smaller veils.

This side of the veil,
Manjit

⁽⁰⁾

In zazen, leave your front door and back door open. Let thoughts come and go. Just don’t serve them tea.
—Master Shunryu Suzuki

Active civilizations become mad in the end.
Inactive civilizations become dead.
This happen to societies,
This happens to individuals.
—Osho

No evil man is happy.
—Juvenal

⁽⁰⁾

On October 9th, according to the Global Footprint Network, humanity went into ecological debt for the year, where demand for resources and the production of waste outpaced the planet’s capacity to produce new resources and absorb those wastes. In other words, we ceased to live off the ecological services provided by the planet and started consuming the ecosystems themselves.

The date is merely symbolic, as in reality human consumption of resources and production of waste is highly varied across the planet. In some areas, we’re already going into debt at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Day. Other areas, however, are far less exploited and we may never reach those particular ecosystems’ ecological limits during the year.

So ecological debt is more of a global average, based on the “ecological footprint” concept, conceived by Bill Rees and Mathis Wackernagel at the University of British Columbia. The footprint concept is easy to visualize and helps us understand and compare our rate of resource consumption. Canadians’ ecological footprint, for example, is huge. If everyone on Earth consumed as many resources and generated as much waste as Canadians do, we’d need the equivalent of nearly five more planets!

Ecological debt is similar, as it also helps us understand how human activities are affecting the planet and the services it provides to us. The concept requires us to look at these services as if they are sorts of paycheques. If we live off our income, we’re doing fine – that’s sustainability. But when we start living beyond our means, just as we would with our finances, we go into debt and we may end up in trouble. Global warming is one example of that kind of trouble.

The Global Footprint Network calculates that the first ecological debt day occurred in 1987, on approximately December 19. But every year since it has been getting earlier and earlier, as our rate of consumption has increased. What happens if we break the bank? Well, it certainly would be problematic for our species, as the planet could simply no longer provide all the services we need and absorb all the wastes we create. Our population would then have to shrink down to a level that was sustainable with whatever functioning ecosystems we had left.

Although we often talk as though we should reduce our impact on the planet to protect nature, it’s actually much more about protecting ourselves. As pointed out in an excellent recent article in New Scientist magazine (available free online), nature would get along quite well without us. If humans were to go ecologically bankrupt and die off as a species, nature would no doubt spring back.

Human beings may have permanently altered some ecosystems, but life on Earth is remarkably tenacious. Without people around, wooden structures in our cities would start to decay almost immediately, and plants pushing their way into cracks would gradually overtake concrete, turning sprawling suburbs into forests and prairies once again. Over-fished seas would rebound with life. Many species currently on the brink would flourish. Our oceans would gradually absorb the carbon dioxide we’ve pumped into the atmosphere. Even nuclear waste would gradually decay. As the author points out, alien visitors to Earth 100,000 years after our demise would see no obvious signs of what we once were.

It’s sad to think that all we have created on Earth could, in evolutionary terms, disappear in the blink of an eye. Life would go on, but the remarkable story of a unique bipedal species would come to an end. A humbling thought, and a compelling reason to stay out of debt.

Originally published on October 20, 2006

Dr. David Takayoshi Suzuki is distinguished Canadian geneticist who has attained prominence as a science broadcaster and an environmental activist. He is also a co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation.

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Nowadays, parents wouldn't think of allowing their children to roam free, ringing strangers' doorbells and demanding candy, then bringing their loot home and hiding it away, to savor in private.

Not only must parents accompany children, as they make their rounds-parents then have to examine every piece of treasure their children collect in their bags. Kids may have a ball, but for parents, it's a stressful time, if they follow the Halloween traditions they grew up with. But, parents can make Halloween less stressful for themselves, by changing with the times, and creating new traditions.

One way to create a fun and memorably ghostly night for your children, without the worry of having them literally taking candy from strangers, is to make your home the center of their celebration, with a Halloween sleepover. Such a night will give you peace of mind, and a project for your whole family to create.

Start by designating three or four rooms, at most, as the "haunted" portion of your house. With your children, design each room around a specific theme: The Bat's Basement, The Ghostly Garage, The Witch's Kitchen, etc. Your decorations for each room don't have to be elaborate-a few construction paper set pieces, a hanging plastic spider, a plastic skeleton sitting in the corner, etc., will set the scene, nicely. Remember, you'll probably keep the lights low, so a few scary pieces will go a long way.

Set aside one room-the living room, for instance-as a place where your children and their friends can retreat from the frightening business of the night, if they need to.

As a family, prepare plenty of food and snacks for the evening. It's Halloween, so you'll want to serve at least some candy, but you can also include plenty of nutritious foods, like fruits and sandwiches-foods that won't keep your guests up all night. The other parents will thank you, for that.

Invite a handful of your childrens' friends over, for the night. Invite their parents to enjoy the "pre-slumber" part of the evening, as well. Have them all arrive, in costume. Alert them, beforehand, that "trick-or-treat" is their password for entry. Greet them in costume, yourself-be their "ghostly guide" for the evening.

Plan plenty of games to make the time go by. There are a myriad of Halloween-themed board games and video games available for young children. Traditional games like Hide-And-Seek can also be perfect for a Halloween party.

A perfect way to top off the evening is to gather everyone for ghost stories. A great way to do this with younger children is to have them "design" stories. Begin by setting the scene of the story, yourself, then go around the room, asking each child to contribute the next moment of the story. They'll enjoy being in control, having their imaginations stimulated-and will naturally limit the scariness-factor to what they can withstand.

Creating new Halloween traditions to match our changing times can preserve the spirit of the holiday, while maintaining safety and parents' peace of mind.

Brought to you by Imaginary Greetings, focusing on how families can get by in this wonderful world of ours. Make this Christmas magical for your family, visit www.santas-depot.com for the best selection of everything Christmas.

Originally published on Activeauthors.com.

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But for an intrepid adventure seeker, traveling to the southernmost tip of the island of Luzon is a whole new experience.

Let me enlighten those who haven’t been to that exotic part of the archipelago. Yes, Sorsogon is that peninsula in southern Luzon jutting out into the Pacific Ocean and is one of the six provinces that comprise the Bicol region. Sorsogon comes from the vernacular word “sosogon” meaning “to follow”.

An cotour paradise
The name of the province tells of a story of a group of Spaniards lost in the relenting wilderness of the Bicolandia. Coming across a raging river, they asked—with much effort—a native where they could find the nearest settlement. The native answered “sosogon” and pointed to the river. From then on, history and legend intertwined and facts got lost. One could only surmise if the Spaniards did find the settlement. Nevertheless, they could very well be the first tourists to a majestic land of volcanic terrain, marshy undergrowth, orchid-festooned woods and white sand beaches!

Fast forward to the present and Sorsogon still has that pristine quality that tourists are longing for in a dream vacation. Its 14 towns and capital city, also named Sorsogon, are pictures of unspoiled beauty despite modernizations which are—for the most part—complementary rather than inimical. The province still boasts of green and lush mountain forests that are sanctuary to rare flora and fauna and bountiful and crystal-clear seas showcasing magnificent coral reefs and tropical fishes. Cecilia H. Duran of the Sorsogon Tourism Council says that the province is one big ecotour paradise.

One-of-a-kind Pacific adventure
Because the province is almost completely surrounded by water, the geography offers exciting coastal and sea-based ecotour activities that cover most of the towns. Bask under the warm sun of the beaches of Gubat, Sta. Magdalena, Prieto Diaz and Bacon as you curl your toe fingers between fine grains of white sand. Or better yet, be tingled with the feel and sight of the pink sand island beaches of Matnog as you wander along primordial coves and inlets.

For the thrill-seekers in you, indulge in your favorite aquasports like scuba-diving, snorkeling, deep-sea fishing, surfing and jet-skiing. Not yet satisfied, then travel to Donsol and witness for yourself the phenomenon that has brought this once sleepy town to its feet. Marvel at the gigantic “Butanding” or whale shark as it glides harmlessly on the water. These gentle creatures, considered as the largest fish, are also seen off the shores of Pilar, Castilla and Magallanes from the months of October to May.

Exotic nature trek
If you are a nature enthusiast, you should not also miss the land-based ecotour that the province has to offer. At the forefront of this activity is the breath-taking trek in the Bulusan Mountain Lake Resort and the Mt. Bulusan Volcano and National Park.

Be enthralled by the calm, turquoise waters of the lake cradled by lush vegetation. Or brave the tempting and picturesque lure of an active volcano through mountain biking. It also doesn’t hurt to explore the mystical caves in the area. To cool it off, why not take a dip in the neighboring Irosin, reputed to be sitting on top of a vast reservoir of geothermal power.

There’s also the agro-forestry tour in which you can have an ocular inspection of the vast tracts of agricultural lands with its various products and resources. Here, there is special focus on the “Pili” tree plantations. Ever tasted the sweet pili-nut candy? Well, it’s just one of the by-products of the highly versatile Pili tree which is indigenous to Sorsogon.

A cultural wonder
Like any other places in the country, Sorsogon also showcases its socio-historical legacy via festivals held annually. These are glimpses into the cultural heritage of which each town has an abundance of. An example is the “Bandalaan sa Bulan” every 31st of May, a festival showcasing the many uses of the “abaka”, a fiber which for some time during the Spanish colonial era was a major worldwide export.

Also, regale in the old houses or “bahay na bato” of Juban and Barcelona (the Spaniards who eventually colonized this part of the country named it so for it reminded them of their own picturesque coastal hometown in Spain). Also, try not to miss the reputed oldest church established in the province at the town of Casiguran. Because the province is home to one of the country’s most devout peoples, “visita iglesia” or church visit is definitely a worthwhile component to a tour as Sorsogueños take good care of their churches.

In the capital city of Sorsogon, the “Kasanggayahan” Festival is celebrated from the 10th to the 17th of October in commemoration of its foundation as a province. Join the highlight of the festival, the incomparable “Pantomina sa Tinampo” or dancing in the streets and be swept off your feet by this coquettish dance of love. “Pantomina” is replete with strutting, whirling, swirling, swinging, kneeling and even rolling as it imitates the movements of pigeons engaged in an amorous courtship ritual. Truly, a reflection of a hot-blooded Bikolano.

Fiery cuisine & classy accommodation
And talking about heat and passion, never leave the province without ever savoring the fiery cuisine of which “Bicol express” is legendary. This is a spicy concoction of sautéed pork, fish or shrimp; chili pepper; a generous dash of herbs and simmered in coconut milk. Other local specialties include boiled crabs and lobsters which can also be bought fresh from local seafood stalls or requested at resorts, caught straight from the sea. Also, taste the tangy and delicious “kinilaw na sira”, raw fish fillets soaked in vinegar and chili.

These cuisines are also served in the several fine hotels and pension houses in the province. There’s the Fernandos Hotel just across the city hall compound of Sorsogon, a perfect jump-off point for a tour of the province. It offers excellent accommodation in its elegant executive suites and comfortable twin rooms. But if you want to get closer to nature, try Veramaris Resort Hotel in Gubat and awaken your senses to the soft murmur of waves at the famous and perfect beach cove that is Rizal beach, named after the nation’s national hero.

How to get there
Now, itching to go to Sorsogon? Easy. The Philippine Airlines and Air Philippines have daily morning flights from Manila to Legazpi City in the neighboring province of Albay. There are also flights from Cebu to Legazpi. From Legazpi, you can take a bus or rented car to Sorsogon which is only 45 minutes away. Provincial buses operating from Pasay and Cubao in Metro Manila also has daily trips to Sorsogon. If you’re coming from the Visayan islands of Samar and Leyte, you can take a ferry boat and drop anchor at Matnog Ferry Terminal.

Once there, getting around Sorsogon is a breeze. Just flag down taxicabs or for-rent tricycles to go to points of interests. There are also jeepneys and air-conditioned buses available all hours of the day in most towns. You can also go coast-to-coast hopping around the peninsula on rented motorized “bancas” or boats.

Truly spectacular
What better word to describe the province of Sorsogon, a land steeped in physical and cultural beauty, than spectacular. While it is lacking in stupendous shrines and monuments so common in other tourist destinations in the country, it has certainly in abundance of natural attractions. If you’re tired of the usual tourist fare of crowded city streets and overrated resorts, try the unpretentious charm of the countryside and escape to Spectacular Sorsogon.

About the author: The author has been writing professionally for 10 years now across various industries: TV, print, advertising agency, and online media. He has done scripts for TV, features in magazines and newspapers and copywriting for consumer, tranport and service companies. Recently, he started Internet blogging to further his online media content writing.
ultimate.orgfree.com

Originally published on ArticlesGratuits.com

⁽⁰⁾

This has even had an impact on the way many elite foreign industries have begun doing business themselves. Let us say, it is another process to globalization of the American philosophy, now affecting the way businesses handle financial ambiguities as well.

One area that has been undergoing radical changes is in regards to how businesses are dealing with executive compensation. One of the factors that is playing a deciding role in this idea is based on the notion that certain financial bonuses would be readily available for executives working in the United States, so therefore they should have that same form of compensation of entitlements abroad as well.

These bonuses and stock options are now being incorporated in an Americanized fashion to ensure that high quality employee’s are kept on board, within these global businesses. This makes competition tight among many big time corporations, and the foreign chains of business don’t want left out of the loop either. In that regard, they want to keep up with the American organizations in order to tip the balance of business in their favor.

Therefore, the idea of providing stock options, 401k plans, huge bonuses, and many other pluses are being recognized by foreign companies as good incentives to keep positions filled within the ranks of the businesses. This has been found to keep down turn-over within businesses, as well as bringing higher profits in for the companies themselves. By utilizing theses options to the fullest extent possible, the top executives are applying for positions, and happily for the companies, they are finding that people are satisfied with their jobs and feel they are being just as equally compensated for their initiatives and endeavors as if they were working in the states themselves.

Foreign companies especially like this new found technique and it is thought that it will boost foreign exchanges that were once small and insignificant to compete with larger corporations for business opportunities. Also, businesses becoming Multi-National like this are aware that in order to compete they must have the best executives employed on with them, there in lies one of the main founding reasons that these bonuses and various extra benefits are coming into play. Various companies are attempting to compete for the best talented executives out there, and now this is in an international way.

Of course these possible CEO’s are going to go where the bigger fish lie, with the best incentives, and these big time corporations know this. Graham O’Neil states, “These are large companies with global operations.” This philosophy is forcing international businesses to consider who is best for the job in a broader context, not just in one specific region. Foreign companies are aware that, in order to compete with American companies they have to roll out the red carpet and offer the best compensation packages to reel in the big fish. It’s become stiff competition, but favors those individuals in the path of achieving the position of a CEO with a big time company.

Japan, once in rebuttal of Americanized compensation to executives has now even joined the ranks of this fashion of business. They were really left with no choice since infiltration by foreign businesses had been cutting into their ability to keep their top executives on their traditional Japanese businesses payroll. Top CEO’s had been leaving Japanese corporations to go swim with the bigger and better, Americanized corporations. Japan had no option but to change its business philosophy or sink in the enormous wave of global business entities. The year of1997, marked the lift on stock restrictions in Japanese corporations, and this rationale showed appreciation for shareholders and their value (Business Week Online 2001).

Moreover, since Japan has reverted to an Americanization in business style, the whole continent of Asia seems to have followed suit just to keep up. This has allowed these businesses to compete highly with American businesses, but in a way that is obviously American in style. Now these global businesses main goal is to build large and tasty executive compensation packages that will hold on to the highly skilled and talented employees that they have, indeed it is making a marked difference in international business everywhere.

In conclusion, there are many opportunities that exist for executive type minded individuals who would be interested in working abroad. For someone who might be an expatriate, they need to open their mind to the new but endless possibilities of learning new ideas and gaining new concepts from this type style of business. It could be a plus or a negative, depending on how an individual wants to look at it. One thing is for certain though, Americanization is taking hold in a rapidly increasing global manner. No country wants to get left behind so it is indeed best to become culturally diverse to make it in this global sea of business, that is just beginning.

Works Cited
Business Week Online (2001). “Spreading the Yankee Way of Pay”. http://www.businessweek.com/careers/content/apr2001/ca20010419_812.htm

⁽⁰⁾

Susan would probably look upon the recipes in the "Bree" section of The Desperate Housewives Cookbook as challenges, but even the simpler ones make me want to call my mother for help.

That said, I doubt whether serious chefs were ever the intended audience for The Desperate Housewives Cookbook, which has recipes by Christopher Styler and text by Scott S. Tobis. In addition to the expected glossy photos of beautifully presented dishes, there are numerous stills from the television series, plus some humorous additions like each major character's shopping list, e-mails to Bree requesting culinary advice, and "Desperate Housewives Throughout History" from Eve to Lady Godiva to Mary Todd Lincoln. "When you think about it, it is really not surprising that some form of food served as humankind's undoing," observes the commentary on the first of these women, adding that "We want the one thing we are told we cannot have...whether it's fruit, a handsome plumber, or a promotion at the office, we've all found ourselves committing desperate acts." This is a very enjoyable collectible for a fan of the series, whether that fan intends to cook or not.

So, now that that's out of the way, what do we want for dinner?

Surprisingly, Bree's section of the book comes first. This is an interesting choice because it means many of the more difficult dinner party plans come right at the beginning, but it also allows for some of the basic instruction one imagines Bree would be very good at imparting if she didn't intimidate everyone into fleeing the premises. "In Bree's kitchen, the forty-two inch stainless steel side-by-side Thermidor refrigerator and the thirty-six inch gas stovetop with built-in griddle resting on the oversize island are not just for show," Tobis reminds us. Bree believes that juice should be fresh-squeezed at home and salad should be prepared in one's own kitchen, not purchased ready-mixed, but she is happy to explain that such terms as macerate ("to soak a fruit in liquor or wine") and bruschetta ("basically a fancy version of toast") should not intimidate the novice. Cooking is not easy, warns Bree, but neither should it be needlessly difficult.

Most of the recipes in Bree's section contain shortcuts for mere mortals like myself: the corn chowder appetizer, for instance, allows for the substitution of 3 cups frozen corn kernels for six ears' worth of fresh shucked corn, and the recipe for blueberry muffins even suggests the use of frozen over fresh blueberries, explaining, "When fresh or defrosted, blueberries tend to streak the batter and turn it a nasty bluish-green." Naturally Bree suggests eating such muffins within a few hours of baking, but there are suggestions for day-old muffins eaten both healthfully, under a broiler, or sinfully, slathered with butter and cooked in a heavy skillet. The breakfasts and breads mostly look manageable, though I doubt I'll be trying to cook Bree's Lobster Risotto with Herb Oil, with or without the Italian rice and homemade Chicken Broth, not to mention the Two-Step Braised Duck. There are some salads and sandwiches that can easily be presented very nicely. And Bree wins my heart forever for the declaration that you can substitute white chocolate for real chocolate in certain dishes, but "don't pretend you're using chocolate."

Given that Susan is supposed to be the klutz in the kitchen, I was surprised to discover that some of her recipes are as complicated as Bree's. Her "Foolproof" macaroni and cheese requires the preparation in advance of Béchamel Sauce and half a pound of Gruyère or Emmenthaler cheese...Lynette and I won't be finding those in our emergency stops at the local food store to grab something for dinner for the kids. (The cookbook includes the amusing dialogue between Mike and Susan when he first tastes her version of mac and cheese.) Moreover, if I tried to make Sophie's Meatballs, I am sure I would manage to burn the top and undercook the bottom or vice versa, so that they would either fall apart or be hard as rocks. But the recipe for Vegetarian Chili is simple and terrific, and the Newfangled Noodle Casserole is lots simpler than the mac and cheese. There are also crepe recipes with fillings...along with the suggestion that anyone new to making crepes double the recipe for the batter, as "it will take several crepes in order to get the hang of things."

If I had the finances, Gabrielle's style in the kitchen would be my own; the recipes in her section are things she would make if she could be bothered to learn how, or has claimed to have made when in fact they were cooked by pros. There are some simple recipes to stay healthy and trim, like black bean soup without soaking or cooking - and without fattening sour cream, though that's an option - but the lengthy section on quesadillas, whether grilled, pan-fried or broiled, is attributed to her mother-in-law Juanita Solis. (An e-mail from Gabrielle to Lynette explains that these days when she wants quesadillas, she calls Chef Arteta at Oaxaca Café.) There is also a simple spicy paella recipe using minimal saffron and frozen peas, and an even simpler, yummy exotic fruit salad. As a fan of spicy food, I found my mouth watering more over the recipes in Gabrielle's section than any other, but I bet I'd spatter the entire kitchen making the Chicken Curry in a Hurry.

Now, Lynette's food I can handle...I too have sons who on any given day may refuse to eat anything besides grilled cheese, of which there are a couple of fancy variations. The meatloaf and pork chops are relatively simple, and Lynette isn't afraid to use the packaged carrots and mushrooms that Bree would shun. However, I don't believe that kids can be convinced to eat Brussels sprouts even with orange-honey glaze, and the potato casserole is both high in fat calories (it contains cream and grated cheese) and a little bland. Her Deviled Crab Dip isn't low-fat either, but with mustard and paprika to season it, it's delicious and very much like what I would make. The Broiled-Baked Salmon Fillets with Mustard Bread Crumbs sounds terrific too if one can avoid burning the coating, which I would probably manage to do.

Edie's section is less about balanced eating than using food to set the mood for other activities. She can make Warm Herbed Goat Cheese Salad for me any time and I like the sound of her Puttanesca (named for the world's oldest profession and made with ingredients easily kept in an Italian pantry), though I'd rather have it with chicken...I suppose sausage links are more suggestive. Edie has fabulous-looking desserts like ambrosia and "Molten Chocolate Cake" along with an aside on scientific studies that discovered an increase in penile blood flow among men smelling pumpkin pie and cinnamon. Following Edie's collection of aphrodisiac recipes, the book is rounded out with Felicia Tillman's sweets and Mike's simple rib-eye steak.

There are useful asides on purchasing seafood as well as amusing diversions such as Lynette ranting about cake mixes, plus a "Match the Desperate Housewife with Her Favorite Movie" quiz (Edie's is 9 1/2 Weeks, which "has sex, bondage and obsession. No further comment."). The end of The Desperate Housewives Cookbook contains advice from set food stylist April Falzone Green on how to make food look good onscreen, though in most cases it won't be edible - vegetables coated in Vaseline, undercooked glazed turkey which holds its shape better than an actual Thanksgiving meal. Salad dressing makes lettuce limp; sandwiches are held together with unseen toothpicks. Online sources of rare ingredients and a comprehensive index round out the cookbook.

It's great fun to flip through this book and there's a wide range of recipes for a competent amateur to try, but it's harder to say whether this book will actually find a niche market among cooks; I suspect it's more likely to be picked up by Desperate Housewives fans who may then discover the recipes. Because the major characters are so different stylistically in the kitchen, there's sure to be something that any reader (except perhaps a vegan) would love as well as things that sound entirely unappealing...or impractical for women who aspire to a waistline like Gabrielle's. Since this is a review for a fan site, I can recommend The Desperate Housewives Cookbook wholeheartedly, but don't blame me if Susan's Baked Stuffed Shells aren't all they're cracked up to be.

The Desperate Housewives Cookbook
by Christopher Styler and Scott S. Tobis
Published by Hyperion
Release Date: October 2006
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 1-4013--0277-7

Originally published at Getdesperate.com. Reproduced here with permission.

⁽⁰⁾

It was the British sending troops to fight the Madhi in Sudan in 1875, an event that is the crux of The Four Feathers, director Shekhar Kapur's much-anticipated follow-up to Elizabeth.

Granted, the British expedition to Sudan was more imperialist and less justified than the Afghan conflict, but Feathers does offer a critique of military adventurism that's hard to find in any other mainstream media today. It looks into the mindset of Harry Faversham (Heath Ledger), a young British officer who resigns his commission on the verge of being shipped out to a far-off war zone. Spurned by his fiancée (Kate Hudson) and branded a coward by his friends (including Wes Bentley), he sets off to North Africa, alone, to redeem himself.

In any event, this Victorian-era adventure's timing is eerie. Even though Feathers' principal photography wrapped before September 11, 2001, its subject couldn't be more contemporary regarding our armed forces' situation today. In his journeys, young Faversham sees the horrors of battle that many have glossed over post-Gulf War, and learns the value of courage that many others have forgotten post-Somalia. But will modern-day American audiences be willing to glean subtle lessons from a Victorian-era period adventure? Reel sat down with a genial, gracious, and very tired Kapur in his hotel suite to find out.

Q: On the surface, it seems like the 19th-century British world portrayed in The Four Feathers has little in common with 21st-century America — why did you want to make this film now?

Shekhar Kapur: Because history is always a reflection of the current state of affairs. I like history because if we don't learn from history, we keep repeating it. It's very interesting because looking at history gives us a much sharper focus on our lives now, because we're caught unaware. You know when somebody talks to you about a historical incident, and you say, "Hang on! That's my story!"? But if somebody tells you your story outright, you're going to reject it. So it's a totally left-field way of coming at your state right now.

Q: Do you see any parallels between Victorian-era England and modern-day America?

SK: Funny enough, I shot this [Feathers] before September 11. But even before then I saw a great parallel between the coming battle between Islam and Christianity, because the two big systems of faith are not understanding each other. This has been playing out for many, many years.

Q: This was made before September 11? The timing is uncanny. I mean, in Feathers, you've got a major military force going to a desolate, far-off land to hunt down an extremist Muslim cleric and his band of fanatical followers — it sounds just like America going to Afghanistan to hunt down Osama bin Laden.

SK: Yes, it's uncanny.

Q: However, Feathers tackles a subject that's not really being debated much in America — it questions the motivations behind a great Western power's foreign intervention in a distant, Third World country. Of course, America had more justification to go into Afghanistan in 2001 than Britain did in the Sudan in 1875. Nonetheless, do you worry that Feathers' subtle critique of military adventurism won't be heard in the current nationalistic climate?

SK: I don't think so … I think, because it's something a character does in another country and whereas most people don't believe that America is a colonizing country, you can still look at it as the Victorian colonizers and say, "Hey guys, you're bastards, you shouldn't have been there, you shouldn't be doing these things!" That way, you can think maybe Faversham was right not to go, but will you still think that America is right to go? [Acts falsely puzzled, then smiles mischievously]

Q: Do you think America is the same kind of hegemonic power that Britain was?

SK: No, no. I don't think the Americans have ever been colonists. I think they've been cultural colonists, because American culture has pervaded the whole world. But that's also probably because it's a very young and very energetic and very youthful culture. And because it was a new culture, it adapted anywhere. The culture of the rest of the world wasn't ready to adapt to the changing demographics, the needs of the young people wanting to rebel. That's how American culture became world culture. But I have never seen the American nation as a colonizer. I don't think the Americans are colonists. If they were colonists, they would understand the world better! [Laughs]

Q: What makes you say that?

SK: Because what happened on September 11 is that Americans caught up with the worldview. They started asking, "Hang on, shouldn't we understand why they did this?" So we are going out to get them, but at the same time we're asking, "Why do they hate us so much?" That's because Americans have been living in this island of plenty for so many years, that they've been aware of what's going on [internationally] but it's never really affected them that much. Until September 11, anyway.

Q: One thing I like about Four Feathers is that it ponders whether one can be loyal and patriotic without being jingoistic. I mean Faversham rebels against being sent off to a far-off war for no reason, yet he puts himself in danger to try to save his friends and his old regiment. Do you think jingoism and patriotism are mutually exclusive?

SK: Patriotism is an integral part of jingoism when you go off to war, especially a colonial war. Because how else would you justify it except with a whole lot of jingoism? And that's what British society was.

Q: Yeah, with a whole generation raised on those Junior Boy's Own comics that extolled the virtues of going off to war.

SK: That's very true. And in the film, the first scene was in the rugby scene. Many history books have said that the empire was won on the fields of Eton and Harrow [two of England's elite boarding schools]. Well, it's true. On the playing field, these boys were taught to win, they were taught to fight. All possibilities of any expression of grief were taken away from them. The older people just sat there, rearing a generation of young boys who would go off to battle and die, if necessary. But you know what? That's what the Islamic fundamentalists are doing right now — exactly what the British did. They're rearing their young people to go out and to colonize.

Q: This is the third time A.E.W. Mason's novel The Four Feathers has been adapted into a film. What do you think sets this movie apart from the other two adaptations?

SK: Well, first there's the anti-colonist element. The original Four Feathers was a colonial book in the sense that it was about patriotism and going to war, but never said, "Hey, hang on, we're going to war to colonize somebody else!" I never questioned it. Neither did any of the films. Everybody felt it was their moral duty to go out and civilize the heathen. The other thing that I found, other than all these other things is the themes of nobility and honor — it's a damn good story. But I also saw that the other films were about an act of cowardice that a man has to redeem himself from. In my mind, [Faversham's] act was a great act of courage in that time, to actually say, "This is crazy" took courage, huge courage. It's courage in both places — not just courage externally, because everybody's afraid. Nobody's not afraid to die, but you couldn't say it [back then] because you were British. So when he went and said, "I'm afraid, I'm not going," that in itself was a huge act of courage. But the other act of courage is how you go beyond how you feel right now, and really discover who you are — to say, "I don't know who I am, I am going to go into myself and face all my demons." That's something we should all be doing.

Originally published on Reel.com. Reproduced here with permission. Images courtesy of Reel.com.

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2. Agog
a) Muffled
b) Highly excited
c) Depressed
d) None of the above

3. Babbler
a) Silent
b) Lost soul
c) Chatty
d) None of the above

4. Delink
a) To make independent
b) Separate
c) Both A& B
d) None of the above

5. Entrenched
a) In position of weakness
b) In position of strength
c) Related to war trenches
d) A laser mirror

6. Martial
a) Warlike
b) Ill-tempered
c) Fearsome
d) None of the above

7. Nictitate
a) To sleep
b) To wink
c) To pee
d) Both A & C

8. Parlance
a) Related to beauty parlor
b) A way of speaking, vernacular
c) A ancient burial place
d) None of the above

9. Ribald
a) Vulgar
b) Humours
c) Bold
d) None of the above

10. Soup du jour
a) A featured soup of the day
b) An enriched soup
c) Both a & b
d) None of the above

Answers:
1. (b) 2. (b) 3. (c) 4. (c) 5 (b) 6 (a) 7 (b) 8 (b) 9. (a) 10 (a)

Your Score:
8-10 Excellent
5-7 Good
1-4 Need improvement

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