The World Heatwave

37 degrees Celsius in Taipei. 41 in Seville. 38 in Moscow. It's the world heatwave, so what do you do to fight the heat? Stay out of the sun is one solution, though in places like Taiwan, that doesn't help you much. The heat in the shade is as intense as in the sunlight.
The only other obvious method is: take your clothes off.
Even one of the most authoritative newspapers in the world, the New York Times, noticed the possibility of that solution. Writer Sloane Crosley noted the rising popularity of more public nudity in a heatwave, but concluded it would only last one summer. He also contrasted conservative dress codes in the United States to a more liberal approach in Europe. I imagine that Europe is so used to cold temperatures, that any sunshine feels like summer and therefore should be enjoyed to its fullest.
Read the New York Times article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/opinion/01crosley.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=eight%20million%20bodies%20in%20the%20naked%20city&st=cse
While we're browsing the U.S. media, Fox has the reputation of being an arch-conservative media company, in other words, they are the last place you would expect to mention naturism and put it in a positive light. The article linked below gives tips to someone visiting a nude beach for the first time, and they're very useful, in particular for readers from parts of the world, like Asia, where naturist beaches are virtually non-existent.
Read, enjoy and learn:
http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2010/07/19/hit-nude-beach/
Our former Celebrity Naturist of the Year, U.S. actress Eva Mendes, gives an interview to W Magazine, in which she also briefly touches on issues relating to nudity, if not naturism.
Read the full interview here:
http://www.wmagazine.com/celebrities/2010/07/eva_mendes?mbid=synd_foxnews
In close, we promise you not to be too long in bringing our next post here. Why? The International Naturist Federation is holding its once-every-two-years world congress next month in Italy, and we already have some information about the topics. Come back here soon for an introduction.

Breastfeeding Revolution in Taiwan (2)

This blog told you in January that the government had approved a decision to legalize breastfeeding in public and to outfit major "destinations" with breastfeeding rooms. Well, the decision just moved one step in the right direction Monday when Taiwan's notorious Legislative Yuan - more often making international headlines for its large-scale fights - approved the first stage of the law.
According to the proposal, not only will women be allowed to breastfeed anywhere they please, but there will also be fines for anyone trying to prevent them from doing so.
As to the locations required to install breastfeeding rooms, they include government offices and state-run businesses beginning from a surface of 500 square meters, stations, airports and other transportation centers from 1,000 square meters, and department stores, supermarkets and shopping malls from 10,000 square meters. At least some stations on Taipei's modern Mass Rapid Transit (subway) system already have them.
On the same day as the proposal passed, Taiwan's media reported about an attractive 22-year-old mother who posted her breastfeeding pictures on her blog. She told TV interviewers that the first time she breastfed in public, there were worried reactions, but later nobody made any objections. She now realizes that breastfeeding in public is the most natural thing to do. By posting the pictures on her blog, she wants to encourage young mothers to follow the healthy practice.
No doubt to be continued when the Legislative Yuan goes for the third and final reading of the law.

Breastfeeding Revolution in Taiwan

It finally happened. The government of Taiwan approved a proposal today making breastfeeding in public legal everywhere, and forcing facilities of a certain size to provide breastfeeding rooms for women with children.
Protest actions happened in the past over women who wanted to breastfeed their baby on a bus, a train, a restaurant, but were told off by other members of the public or by officials. That will change now, and mothers will get complete breastfeeding freedom.
Not only that, but areas of a certain size - and I presume those include department stores, large restaurants, shopping malls, etc - will have to provide a separate breastfeeding room. The only such rooms I know of in present-day Taiwan are situated in the capital Taipei's subway system, the MRT.
The breastfeeding law is a major victory for breastfeeding mothers, and also for non-sexual nudity in this country where, in contrast to Europe, breasts are all but absent from magazines, advertising or TV, even in a non-sexual context.