Cuisine & Culture

http://cuisine-and-culture.un-interpreters.org     Special Edition from Durban/December, 2011

Welcome back to Cuisine & Culture, dear Colleagues and Friends, as it has been for a while since we last met in June, and greetings from Durban where the Editor and a platoon of UN conference interpreters and freelance colleagues have been working for the past two weeks for  the on-going 17th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 17), a big event hosted by the government and people of South Africa where climate change has taken centre stage from Cape Town to Calcun, and from its government to citizens across the board, embracing the event as well as the environment with open arms.

As hurricanes with mundane names vie with earthquakes, floods and tsunamies for global headlines, it's a little hard to pretend that all is well. So it's not unreasonable for the hosting South Africans to want COP 17 to achieve more than its rather lacklustre predecessors. Are they going to be disappointed? We don't know even as the clock ticks on within hours to the closure of the conference and parties bogging down in intense negotiations. With fingers crossed, this Editor prays for something meaningful to emerge from Durban so as not to fail the expectations of our hosts who are calling the world to “Create a Climate for Change” and work together to “Save Tomorrow Today”.

With that, dear Colleagues and friends, Cuisine & Culture takes a detour as it wishes to present a sequel to its previous issue on Healthy Travel as we’re poised to embark on our long flights back home.

As frequent fliers for frequent missions we're called upon to serve on regular basis we need to be aware of what happens to our body when we fly as advised by the Improved Passenger Comfort Guide recommended by Boeing:

* The central blood vessels in our legs can be compressed, making it more difficult for the blood to get back to the heart;

* The long inactivity of our body muscles in this position can result in muscle tension, backaches or feeling of excessive fatigue during or even after our flight; and

* The cramped position inhibits the normal body mechanism returning fluid to the heart, and gravity can cause the fluid to collect in your feet, which leads to swollen feet after a long flight.

To ensure your pleasant and enjoyable experience on your flight Cuisine & Culture wishes to draw your kind attention to certain in-flight health tips which are recommended for all passengers to be followed throughout the duration of the flight. The health tips listed below are at all times subject to any intervening in-flight safety instructions being issued and are designed to improve blood circulation.

1. Exercise your legs at regular intervals while seated to improve blood circulation with one recommended routine of exercise to be to alternate the stretching and flexing of the feet.

2. Deep-breathing exercises are recommended.

3. Short strolls, preferably once every two hours, are excellent for blood circulation.

4. Increase your normal intake of water and/or soft drinks before and throughout the flight while keeping an eye on the consumption of alcoholic beverages strictly in moderation.

Any passenger who is aware of and/or affected by a medical condition of any nature whatsoever has the duty to seek medical advice from his/her own medical practitioner prior to embarking on an intended flight, in order to determine whether the medical condition could be worsened by air travel.

No more excuse about bad circulation and cramped muscles. Sure, the passenger seated next to you might think you've lost it--but when he/she gets off the plane with protesting limbs and puffy feet the next morning, you may well be the object of grudging envy.

And now the Ten Cardinal Rules Ensuring Comfortable Flying are as follows:

1. Pack your medicines, homepathic and prescribed, in your on-board hold-all so you are prepared for an emergency.

2. Eat and drink alcohol in moderation, but have as much water as you like to prevent dehydration.

3. Wear loose-fitting, comfortable outfits made of natural fibres.

4. Make sure your shoes can handle expanding ankles and swollen feet.

5. Get up every two hours while on board, stretch and go to the bathroom to freshen up.

6. Do on-board exercised as indicated above.

7. Always set your watch to the time of your destination so your body has the length of the flight to adjust to this new reality.

8. Walk as much as you can once you've arrived at your destination which helps to get the circulation going.

9. Scrub your body vigorously in the shower or bath to dislodge any unwanted buildup in the body.

10. Take a short nap on arrival that revives you without interfering with your night-time snooze.

Colleagues and friends, Cuisine & Culture wishes you bon voyage!

From the Editor: Cuisine & Culture obtains its materials both online and off line with sources omitted for reason of simplicity but can be provided upon request. Certain materials come in languages other than English that Cuisine & Culture renders into English to the best of its ability. Cuisine & Culture is not in a position to verify the veracity of the materials provided herein. Reader’s discretion is kindly advised.

A Special Acknowledgement of Thanks from Cuisine & Culture

Cuisine & Culture wishes to express its heartfelt thanks to Kevin Wambura of the ITS team here at UNON in Nairobi and Yawtsong Lee, a veteran interpreter at UN headquarters, now retired, for their technical advice and assistance and is hereby extremely pleased to retain them as Technical Advisors to Cuisine & Culture.

Cuisine & Culture

Weihua Tang/Editor

United Nations Office at Nairobi