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Parenting

Touting the benefits of breast milk during a formula shortage isn't helping anyone

There are times and places for breastfeeding advocacy. This isn't it.

babies, breastfeeding
Photos via Canva

A formula shortage crisis is not the time to push breastfeeding advocacy.

By now, you've likely seen news stories about the baby formula shortage in the U.S. According to CBS News, the formula shortage has been coming for months, with supply chain issues, labor shortages, product recalls and inflation creating a perfect storm and hampering manufacturers' ability to keep up with demand.

The shortage is causing intense stress for families that rely on formula as retailers resort to rationing purchases and customers find store shelves empty of major brands.

It's genuinely a crisis. And unfortunately, some breastfeeding advocates are using the shortage to tout the benefits of breastfeeding: This isn't a problem if you breastfeed! It's "free!" It's "readily available!" It's nature's perfect food! It's "what God intended!" It'll never be recalled!

Folks? Now is not the time or the place.

To be clear, I'm an enormous fan of breastfeeding. My mother is a retired lactation consultant and I was raised in La Leche League meetings. I breastfed my own three kids through toddlerhood and pumped breastmilk to feed my adopted nephew. I've written articles and made videos defending breastfeeding in public. I am enamored with the miraculous way our bodies can grow a whole person and also create food for that person. It's amazing. Breastfeeding is awesome in my book.

But I also live in the real world. I know that breastfeeding doesn't always work out for a huge variety of reasons, none of which I have the authority to judge. I know how most moms agonize over every decision they make and how easy it is to feel shamed for not doing what people tell you is "best." I know that baby formula saves lives.

For years now, there's been a slogan battle between "breast is best" and "fed is best," when really neither statement is really accurate. The "breast is best" idea is a simple way of stating that breast milk is the most nutritionally beneficial food for most babies. That's not a judgment; it's the medical consensus. The "fed is best" idea is a simple way of stating that the most important thing is that a baby is fed. That's not a dismissal; it's reality. But neither statement encompasses the complex truth, which is that there's a lot of bad information out there that makes informed decisions difficult and that there are millions of individual circumstances that can impact how a baby ultimately gets fed.

However, none of that matters when there's a baby formula shortage. Babies that rely on formula need it. And they need it immediately. Period.

Now is not the time to advocate for breastfeeding, no matter how passionate you feel about it. Parents impacted by the formula shortage are already worried enough; adding to their stress with messaging that might induce guilt or shame is an entirely crappy thing to do at this moment. It's like saying to someone who fell off a boat and is floundering in the water, "See, this is why people should learn to swim." That's not advocacy—it's cruelty.

I know that some people will take any and all mention of breastfeeding as a slam on formula feeding, and I'm not of the mind that people should avoid talking about the benefits of breastfeeding in general. But there are times and places for advocacy and education and there are times and places where it's not helpful at all. We're in the latter time and place right now. This formula shortage might naturally push some new moms toward breastfeeding, but it's not a situation that should be exploited to convince people to breastfeed.

If we want to be helpful, the best thing we can do at the moment is to offer advice and support that may actually help. Dr. Steven A. Abrams, MD, a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, suggests the following when a parent is in an urgent need situation. These are things we can help with:

  • Talk with your pediatrician and ask if they are able to get you a can from the local formula representatives or one of the charities that has some. Your local WIC office may also be able to suggest places to look.

  • Check smaller stores and drug stores, which may not be out of supply when the bigger stores are.

  • If you can afford it, buy formula online until store shortages ease. Purchase from well-recognized distributors and pharmacies rather than individually sold or auction sites. Do not import formula from overseas, as imported formula is not FDA-reviewed.

  • For most babies, it is OK to switch to any available formula, including store brands, unless your baby is on a specific extensively hydrolyzed or amino acid-based formula such as EleCare (no store brand exists). Ask your pediatrician about recommended specialty formula alternatives available for your baby.

  • Check social media groups. There are groups dedicated to infant feeding and formula, and members may have ideas for where to find formula. Make sure to check any advice with your pediatrician.
Experts are warning parents not to water down formula or make homemade formula, as neither is a safe option, so do not share recipes for formula that are circulating on the internet.

The best support people can offer right now is locating formula for a family who needs it. That's it. Let's save the breastfeeding education and advocacy for people who are actually seeking information, not for those who are dealing with an already stressful crisis.

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Joy

5 things that made us smile this week

The animal edition!

True

Been stressed this week? Who hasn’t. That’s why we’re bringing you the latest in good news—five animal-themed stories we guarantee will put a smile on your face.

This week, we’re celebrating:

The most entertaining animal photos you've ever seen

Jason Moore/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023 and © Tzahi Finkelstein /Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023

Need a laugh? How about a dozen laughs? Look no further than the 2023 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, a competition started in 2015 that focuses on the lighter side of wildlife photography. More than 1,800 photographers from around the world submitted photos, and the finalists—from a kangaroo playing air guitar to an arguing set of greenfinches—will absolutely make your day.

Healthier, happier, rescued pets

Hundreds of thousands of pets are relinquished to shelters each year, and many vulnerable pet populations—such as disabled and elderly dogs—can be hard to place in loving homes. Fortunately, Subaru has sponsored the rescue, rehabilitation, and adoption of more than 134,000 of these pets through the Subaru Share the Love® Event. As the largest corporate donor to the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), Subaru and its retailers are donating a minimum of $300 to charities like the ASPCA for every new Subaru purchase or lease during the 2024 Subaru Share the Love Event, happening now through January 2, 2025.

This animal-centric (and adorable) creative writing assignment 

Amy McKinney, a third-grade teacher in Pennsylvania, recently had a genius idea for teaching her class persuasive writing: Rather than have them formulate an argument for an imagined audience (boring!), McKinney partnered with a local animal shelter and had her class write persuasive descriptions of each animal to help them get adopted. Each student chose a pet to write about and sent their essays to the shelter to display and post to the shelter’s social media channels. Student engagement was “tremendous,” said McKinney, and there’s no doubt these persuasive paragraphs made a huge difference in these shelter pet’s lives. Adorable.

The dog who saved his owner with CPR (yes, really)

Dogs have made the news for saving humans before, but have you ever heard of a dog performing CPR? That’s exactly what Bear, a Siberian Husky-Golden Retriever mix, did in 2022 when he found his owner unconscious on the floor after suffering a major heart attack. Not only was Bear able to quickly call for help, he even jumped on his owner’s chest repeatedly while someone else called the paramedics. Thanks to Bear, the owner survived what should have been a fatal heart attack. Now that deserves some head scritches.

Bee populations have reached a record high

macro shot photography of beePhoto by Jenna Lee on Unsplash

Honeybees are essential to the planet, as they pollinate over 130 types of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. For years, honeybee numbers have been in decline—but happily, that’s starting to change. The US has added almost a million bee colonies in the past five years, with more than 3.8 million honeybees in total.

For more ways to smile, check out how Subaru is sharing the love this holiday season.

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Family

Woman who was pressured to quit her job to raise stepdaughter's baby makes a bold decision

This sparked an important conversation about family responsibility.

via Pixabay

When parents can't step up, should grandparents step in?

A story that recently went viral on Reddit’s AITA forum asks an important question: What is a parent’s role in taking care of their grandchildren? The story is even further complicated because the woman at the center of the controversy is a stepparent.

At the time of writing her post, the woman, 38, met her husband Sam, 47, ten years ago, when his daughter, Leah, 25, was 15. The couple married five years ago after Leah had moved out to go to college.

Leah’s mom passed away when she was 10.

When Leah became pregnant she wanted to keep the baby, but her boyfriend didn’t. After the disagreement, the boyfriend broke up with her. This forced Leah to move back home because she couldn’t afford to be a single parent and live alone on a teacher’s salary.

Leah’s story is familiar to many young mothers facing similar difficulties.

The father isn’t involved in the baby’s life as a caretaker or financially. Sadly, research shows that 33% of all children in the U.S. are born without their biological fathers living in the home.

a young mother holds her baby

Single motherhood comes with unique hardships.

via Alexander Grey/Unsplash

The new mother is a teacher and can’t afford to live on her own with a child. In 2019, a study found that out the top 50 U.S. cities, Pittsburgh is the only one where a new teacher could afford rent.

Today, Portland, OR has joined the very short list of cities where an "average teacher can afford 91.3% of apartments within community distance of their school" according to a recent study.

The stressors of taking care of the baby made Leah realize she needed help.

“But once she had the baby around 4 months back, Leah seemed to realize having a baby is not the sunshine and rainbows she thought it was,” the woman wrote on Reddit. “She barely got any sleep during the last four months. All the while Sam was helping her with the baby while I did almost all chores myself.”

“Now her leave is ending. She did not want to leave the baby at daycare or with a nanny,” the woman continued. “Sam and I both work as well.”

Leah asked her stepmother if she would stay home with the baby. The stepmother said no because she never wanted to have a baby and she has a job. “I asked why Leah can't stay home with the baby herself,” the woman wrote. “She said how she was young and had to build a career. I said many people take breaks to raise kids, and she broke down crying about how she was so tired all the time being a mom and needed something else in her life too.”

A woman holds a newborn baby.

The demands of new motherhood are usually all-encompassing.

via Pixabay

After the woman told her stepdaughter no, her husband pressured her to stay home with the baby. But she refused to give up her job to raise her stepdaughter’s child. “Leah said yesterday how she wished her mom was alive since she would have had her back. She said I didn't love her, and my husband is also mad at me,” the woman wrote. The woman asked the Reddit community if she was in the wrong for “refusing to help my stepdaughter with the baby,” and the community responded with rapturous support.

"[The woman] should tell her husband to knock it off and stop trying to pressure her into raising his daughter’s baby. If he wants a family member to look after her baby while she works, then he can do it," user Heavy_Sand5228 wrote.

"This is Leah's baby that she alone chose to have. That doesn't obligate you to change YOUR life to suit her desires. The whole business of saying you don't love her because you won't quit your job to watch her baby is manipulative and messed up, and I'm shocked your husband is siding with her," user SupremeCourtJust-a** added.

Leah and many women like her are in this situation because, in many places, teachers are underpaid, rent is high, and not all dads pay child support, even those required by law.

Another commenter noted that the baby is much more the father’s responsibility than the stepmother's. "To add, Leah should consider seeking child support from her ex. Her kid should be getting that money," Obiterdicta wrote.

While there are resources to help stepparents connect with their stepchildren and step-grandchildren, it's important to remember that the responsibility to raise a child ultimately rests with the parent(s).

This article originally appeared last year.

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Family

'Hot nerd' names are becoming all the rage. A baby name consultant shares her favorites.

“These guys are reading books but have pretty big muscles.”

@namingbebe/TikTok, Netflix/Youtube

Adrian "was invited to the party but instead spent the night reading a Reddit thread about AI."

It’s been the “Revenge of the Nerds” era for a while now. What used to be grounds for bullying—a preference for intellectuals, having some social awkwardness, an intense love of comic books and Dungeons & Dragons, etc.—easily falls under the mainstream attractive category today. So much so that some parents are trying to conjure up these qualities in their baby name selections.

Baby name consultant Colleen Slagen, who previously shared girls names from the 80s that did not age well (sorry, Heathers), was recently asked to come up with a list of “Hot Nerd" boy names.

Just what is a “Hot Nerd Boy"? Slagen gave the example of Seth Cohen from the O.C., played by Adam Brody. Brody himself, who was recently dubbed the ultimate millennial crush for his role as an adorkable hot rabbi in Netflix’s Nobody Wants This, is pretty much the poster child for this nebbish yet lovable trope. But Slagen also noted Cameron James (10 Things I Hate about You, played by James Gordon Levitt) and Matty Flamhaff (13 Going on 30, played by Mark Ruffalo), just to give you the full scope.


Wink Noah Roklov GIFfrom Wink GIFs

With that in mind, here are the “Hot Nerd Boy” names Slagen came up with, along with little lighthearted predictions about their personality:

Dexter, Calvin, Ambrose: "These guys are reading books but have pretty big muscles."

Clark, Spencer, Lyle: "These guys were wearing Crocs and socks before it was cool."

Marshall, Simon, Gideon: "These guys are confidently inviting you to the D&D party they host every Friday night."

Perry, Anson: "They were picked last in gym class, but they have six figures in their bank account from their online poker winnings."

Samuel (not Sam), Art (not Arthur): Slagen didn’t note personally for these, but clearly these guys are above nicknames.

Adrian: "He was invited to the party but instead spent the night reading a Reddit thread about AI."

@namingbebe Inspo by Seth Cohen. #babynames #nametok #nameconsultant #boynames #pregnant #greenscreen ♬ original sound - Colleen

Desmond: Instead of driving to work, he "takes his old Razor scooter to the Metro where he has a 1-hour long commute" in an "effort to reduce his carbon footprint."

But will giving a child a “Hot Nerd” name really shape their personality? Not necessarily. But research has shown that people can make all kinds of assumptions about someone’s personality based on their name—as well as their culture background, level of income, etc—which no doubt could affect how someone operates in the world.

Slagen herself told Upworthy that while she doesn't believe names influence our personality, she does think that names carry a certain vibe or aesthetic that may lead you to make assumptions, especially with less common names.

“Soleil sounds very chic, Sinclair sounds very preppy, Prudence sounds old money, Mary Cameron sounds southern, Juniper sounds like she could be from the Pacific Northwest,” she said.

She also noted that more than anything, the name choice says something about the parent’s personality. For example, she said that parents who are outdoorsy might want to give their children outdoorsy names like Cedar, Aspen, Cove and Wren.

When you put it that way, it’s really interesting to think about how we carry a little part of our parents along with our first names. Not just the family name, but their actual passions and interests. Of course, kids who get less than stellar names probably don’t appreciate this so much. But interesting nonetheless.

As for the sons “Hot Nerd" names…it seems pretty clear what moms interests are.

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Joy

Comedian's viral video perfectly nails how each generation arrives at someone's house

"Millennials will arrive late, but they will text you to let you know they're on their way, just as they're about to get into the shower."

Samuel Peter/Pexels

Boomers knock. Millennials and Gen Z text "here."

Playing with the contrasts between generations has become a modern pastime, as baby boomers, Gen X, millennials and Gen Z see and experience the world quite differently. Generation gaps have always existed, of course, but the tech age has widened those gaps in big ways, sometimes creating challenges, but often resulting in hilarity.

For instance, watching a Gen Zer try to figure out how to use a rotary phone is pure entertainment. The way emojis are used and interpreted varies vastly by age, making for some chuckle-worthy communication mishaps. Slang terms can be hard to keep up with the older you get, but they can also be manipulated by savvy elders to great comedic effect.

And now, comedian Jake Lambert has compared how the different generations arrive at someone's house in a viral video that's been viewed more than 12 million times.

"You've basically got boomers who will turn up completely unannounced any time from about 7:00 in the morning and they will knock on your door just slightly louder than the police using a battering ram carrying out a house raid," Lambert begins.

"And then you've got Gen X. They would have made the plans well in advance, and they would've also checked in a couple of days before just to make sure the plans are definitely still happening," he went on. "You see, Gen X is the forgotten generation and they're so scarred by this title they would've assumed that you'd forgotten not only about the plans but about their very existence."

"Millennials will have hoped that the plans would've been canceled. There's no reason that a millennial will ever actually want to come to your house," he continued. "They will arrive late, but they will text you to let you know they're on their way, just as they're about to get into the shower. And a millennial will never knock on your door. You'll just get a text either saying 'here' or 'outside,' and that's your cue to go and let them in."

"Similarly, Gen Z will never actually knock," he concluded. "But the chances are they won't have to, as they would have been documenting the entire journey from their house to yours, maybe even on Facetime using this angle [camera facing directly up at the chin] as they go along for some reason. Either that or they'll just send a picture of your front door or a selfie of them outside it. And again, just like the millennial, that's your cue to go and rescue them from the outside world."

People felt alternately seen, attacked and validated by Lambert's assessments, with the most common response being "accurate."

"I‘m a millennial, my husband GenX. Scarily accurate! 😂"

"Described this millennial to a T."

"This is surprisingly accurate 😂 I laughed slightly louder than the police using a battering ram…"

"Sooo accurate…guilty of the lateness and ‘here’ text 🙃"

"I must admit I'm a millennial. But knocking on the door feels so aggressive, uknow? 😅😇"

"Millennial texting to say almost there but just started getting dressed to go out. Why do we do this? It's not intentional, at least not for me."

"Honestly your observations are just brilliant! GenX-er here!"

"The Gen Z angle omg 😂😂"

Some people didn't resonate with their generation's description, but there are exceptions to every rule and some people will never fit a stereotype. However, judging by the wave of affirmative responses, Lambert nailed the generational generalities across the board—and did so in a way that allows us all to laugh at ourselves.

You can follow Jake Lambert on Instagram.


This article originally appeared in July.

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Science

The 15 funniest winners from the 2024 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

Which one do you think is the funniest?

© Milko Marchetti/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024 and © Andy Rouse/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024

Two winners from the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards.

Once again, Upworthy is proud to share the winners of the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, honoring the funniest in wildlife photography from around the globe. This year saw the largest number of entrants in the contest's 10-year history. Over 9,000 images were entered from professional and amateur photographers vying for the top prize. This year's winner is a hilarious shot of a red squirrel stuck in a tree trunk taken by Milko Marchetti of Italy.

“I have taken many, many photographs of squirrels in various situations over the years in Italy, but this one struck me as really funny and such a strange position. It captured the exact moment when the squirrel was detaching its back legs from the trunk to enter its hide. Whenever I show this image at the nature seminars at my local photography club, the audience always explodes with raucous laughter, so I had to enter it!” Marchetti said in a statement.

As the overall winner, Marchetti wins a once-in-a-lifetime safari in the Masai Mara, Kenya, with Alex Walker’s Serian.

"We are thrilled to celebrate Milko Marchetti's outstanding achievement in the Nikon Comedy Photography Awards 2024. His image, 'Stuck Squirrel,' brilliantly captures the playful and unpredictable moments that make nature so enchanting," Stefan Maier, Senior General Manager of Marketing at Nikon Europe, said in a statement. "This year's competition received a record number of entries, each one a testament to the power of photography in evoking emotion. We look forward to continuing to inspire the next generation of wildlife photographers through these wonderful awards."

The photo competition was started in 2015 by Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam, professional photographers who wanted to promote the importance of conservation while enjoying some laughs at the same time.

Here are the big winners of this year's contest.

1. Overall Winner: "Stuck Squirrel" (red squirrel) by Milko Marchetti, Italy

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyThat's one stuck squirrel.© Milko Marchetti/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


"The photo was taken on April 23, 2022, in the Podere Pantaleone park in Bagnacavallo – Ravenna – Italy. It is a park open to the public and schools, but from October to March, it is closed to visitors, and I am allowed (in exchange for photographs for educational and promotional purposes) to use a fixed photographic hide to photograph passerines, woodpeckers, hawks, and even 3-4 squirrels that come to visit the photographic set consisting of a small lake, and the surrounding vegetation.Generally, in Italy, especially in the area where I live, in the Po Delta Regional Park, it is very difficult to see and photograph squirrels (they are very rare) but here in the park they are quite confident.

A few meters from the hide, an old cut tree has a hole (an old woodpecker's nest), and here the squirrels (2 years ago there were 4 specimens) sometimes come out of curiousity to check out the old hollow tree. have taken several photos of squirrels in many situations, but the shot I choose to participate in the Nikon Comedy Wildlife immediately struck me for the strange position assumed by the squirrel that seems to be stuck halfway in the hole in the tree, but in reality it is the moment in which it is detaching the support on its hind legs and enters the hole.

This photo had an effect on me and made me smile a lot in the moment that I clicked the button, and during my evenings of slideshows and nature videos that I often hold at photography clubs and theaters, the audience always explodes in energetic laughter when I show this photo. I knew I had to enter it into the competition." — Milko Marchetti

2. Insect Category Winner: "Mantis Flamenca" (mantis mediterranea) by Jose Miguel Gallego Molina, Spain

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyA dancing mantis.© Jose Miguel Gallego Molina/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


"On my way back from my photo walk in a swamp near my town (Pantano el Sitjar), I suddenly stopped my car on the road when I saw someone ordering me to stop. This was when I saw my friend, the Flemish Mantis, for the first time. You can imagine the faces of the other cars passing by, seeing a car with the indicators on and the door open, stopped on the roadside and a madman lying on the ground with his camera in his hand." — Jose Miguel Gallego Molina

3. Reptile Category Winner: "Frog in a Balloon" (frog) by Eberhard Ehmke, Germany

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyA frog stuck in a bubble of his own design.© Eberhard Ehmke/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


"During a photo shoot at the pond, I discovered this frog with its head in a bubble. This resembles a tree bell." — Eberhard Ehmke

4. Aquatic Animals Category Winner: "Unexpected Role Swap" (bald eagle and bream) by Przemyslaw Jakubczyk, Poland

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyA blad eagle appears to be chased by a fish.© Przemyslaw Jakubczyk/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


"Every annoyed and overtired fish needs to de-stress by hunting for a bald eagle." — Przemyslaw Jakubczyk

5. Bird Category Winner: "Whiskered Tern Crash on Landing" (whiskered tern) by Damyan Petkov, Bulgaria

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyA whiskered tern has a crash landing.© Damyan Petkov/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


"Whiskered tern head hit the rock when try to land." — Damyan Petkov

6. Nikon 16 and Under Junior Category Winner: "Smooching Owlets" (spotted owlets) by Sarthak Ranganadhan, India

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyOwlettes sharing a smooch.© Sarthak Ranganadhan/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


"Our parents always find a way toembarrass us, I guess that's also true in the case of spotted owlets. It was truly a funny sight to see two owlets trying to get some privacy as their little offspring stood next to them with a grin and shut eyes." — Sarthak Ranganadhan

7. Nikon Junior 25 and Under Category Winner: "Awkward Smiley Frog" (frog) by Kingston Tam, Australia

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photography© Kingston Tam/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


"I’ve always been interested in photography since I was about 10. And I started out just taking snapshots of little things like flowers, pretty skies on my cousin’s point and shoot, just like any other 10 year old would. When I was about 16, I got super interested in star trail photography and started doing it on the Nikon p900 since it has a star trail mode for dummies. Slowly, it evolved to proper wide angle landscape and astrophotography (Milky Way and deep sky) and that’s when I invested in a bit of gear and really dived into learning about the technical and creative side of photography, trying to do better every time I go out shooting. I also decided to pick up photography for my high school art class and dabbled in some street photography. In 2022 I moved to Australia from Hong Kong to study wildlife science and my friends got me into ‘herping’ (looking for reptiles and amphibians in the wild) and through that, I met a bunch of amazing photographers who specialise in taking photos of these critters and I started doing it as well. And that’s how I ended up photographing critters. My goal for my images is to bring attention to our scaly or moist friends, showing that not only fluffy animals can be cute and beautiful. Ultimately, I wish my work could bring more conservation awareness to these amazing reptiles and amphibians, and that’s been my motivation to keep doing what I’m doing.This award is by far my biggest photography achievement yet. I never thought an accomplishment this scale would be achievable but I’m grateful that this photograph has been recognised by the judges and many others. This award would be a reminder to me that I should keep my passion up because someone out there appreciates my work and hopefully it can encourage people to show some love to not just the fluffy animals but also the slimy and scaly friends." — Kingston Tam

8. People's Choice Category Winner: "Shake Ruffle Rattle and Roll" (white-tailed eagle) by Tapani Linnanmäki, Finland

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyThat's a very fluffy eagle.© Tapani Linnanmäki/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


"In the picture, a white-tailed eagle is ruffling its feathers. The picture was taken with the Nikon Z9's autocapture feature. The camera is placed on top of the sea ice on top of a bag of nuts at the level of the ice. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this picture. There were more than ten funny poses and expressions in the photo series." — Tapani Linnanmäki

9. Portfolio Category Winner: "Dancing To The Music, Rock Guitar, Roly Poly, Weight Lifting" (squirrel) by Flynn Thaitanunde-Lobb, Britain

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyA rockin' squirrel.© Flynn Thaitanundei/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyA rockin' squirrel.© Flynn Thaitanundei/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyA rockin' squirrel.© Flynn Thaitanundei/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyA rockin' squirrel.© Flynn Thaitanundei/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


Highly Commended Winners

"Hide and Seek" (cheetah and topi) by Leslie McLeod, Kenya

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyThat topi is in for the shock of a lifetime.© Leslie McLeod/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


"Alright Mate Back Off, This is My Bird" (king penguin) by Andy Rouse, South Georgia

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photography"Back off, man!"© Andy Rouse/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


"You're Not My Mother" (screech owlet and red-bellied woodpecker) by Randy Herman, U.S.A.

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photography"Please don't peck my head."© Randy Herman/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


For a full list of winners, visit Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards.

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Education

Foreigner living in Japan shares 12 essential rules for living in the country successfully

Japan is a truly unlike anywhere else on Earth.

Photo credit: Canva

Many Americans dream of being able to pack up and move to another country—be it as a more affordable way of living, or just for the thrill of being fully immersed in another culture. But no matter what pulls you across the globe, it is good to venture with a solid foundation of facts so that you have realistic expectations. After all, life will have its ups and downs, no matter where you happen to be living it.

Recently, X user @Bunburyyōdō, who happened to be an expat living in Japan since the early 2000s, shared some advice for those who wanted to live there and fully enjoy it. Some of their suggestions are bits of good ol’ common sense, and others are a bit more obscure. But all of them cut through a lot of assumptions Westerners might have about the Land of the Rising Sun.

1. Think about other job options besides teaching English

Many people consider teaching English in Japan to be an “easy” way of making income since it’s in fairly high demand. However, there’s still competition for this type of work, especially in major cities like Tokyo, plus potentially longer work days and commutes, plus somewhat low salaries and not a lot of upward mobility.

@Bunburyyōdō encourages folks to consider this kind of job temporary. Use it “to get a visa and a paycheck for a few years then move on.” And consider learning other marketable skills and obtaining higher education/professional certifications is equally crucial to really thrive.

2. Learn the language. Just do it.

While English may be a common language in other areas of the world, it isn’t in Japan. And while learning Japanese isn’t easy, not learning it essentially cuts you off from a large portion of society, which is obviously not ideal long term.

“Your life improves the more Japanese you can speak,” @Bunburyyōdō says.

via GIPHY

3. Prepare to always be treated as a minority

No matter how long you live in Japan, you will still be considered a “gaijin,” or outsider. But the intent behind it isn’t malicious. Japan is just less of a melting pot culture than the U.S. So folks not from there tend to stick out more.

Again, this is where learning the language can help. And one person shared, “If people seem standoffish, it’s often because they’re not sure if they can communicate. Once they realize that you can speak some Japanese, they’re likely to open up.”

To that point, @Bunburyyōdō advises “rolling with the stereotypes” that might come your way.

“I'm British but I hate football. Guess what everyone wants to talk to me about when they meet me for the first time and realize I'm British?” he quips.

4. Discrimination laws are lax, especially with housing

This is a less and ideal truth, but a truth nonetheless. Part of the issue stems from foreigners deliberately leaving the country without notifying their landlord, thereby prompting landlords to refuse renting their properties to foreigners to hopefully avoid dealing with such situations.

While this might seem unethical, @Bunburyyōdō says “having this attitude won’t help you find a place to live,” unless you magically know how to change the country overnight or can afford to buy your own property. Instead, he suggests enlisting the help of an agent to find landlords that do work with foreigners.

Photo credit: Canva

5. Don’t put off getting a visa. And maybe avoid doing a green card marriage.

This should be your “number 1 priority,” according to @Bunburyyōdō. While there a variety of different available visas, each with different requirements, in general you will need to have lived in the country for 10 consecutive years, be able to prove a stable income (no fixed amount here, but around 3 million yen is a good place to start from), maintain “good conduct” (meaning no criminal record and taxes paid on time), having a guarantor, and of course having loads of different documentation.

And while getting married simply to obtain a visa is certainly a thing, @Bunburyyōdō warns that, besides it having legal consequences, prompts a “power imbalance” which is “toxic.”

“There are too many stories of inept foreign men with, ‘crazy Japanese wives.’ Don't be one of them,” he says.

6. Get a hobby

This might seem a little general, but apparently Americans assume “being in Japan” is in itself the hobby. It is not. However, its worth noting that Japan offers hobby options that aren’t as prevalent in America, especially in the realm of arts and sports. You think Colorado is the crème de la crème of rock climbing? Guess again.

7. Avoid Vending Machines

There are over 5.5 million vending machines in Japan—with a population of 125.7 million, that means there’s one vending machine for every 23 people. You can practically find them everywhere, offering everything from cakes in cans to hot, fresh ramen to novelty horror trinkets and even, ahem, more adult items. Of course this can be alluring and fun to try, @Bunburyyōdō warns that the prices are marked up and should only be used in a pinch.


via GIPHY

8. Watch out for ATM fees

Japan is not a cashless country, and there will be times when you need it,menaing you’ll need to visits an ATM every once in a while. @Bunburyyōdō admits that he learned about Japanese ATM fees “the hard way,” and notes the importance of learning which ATMS to use and which to avoid. According to Wise.com, 7-Eleven stores, of which there are a plethora of in Japan, do not charge a fee and are a reliable go-to.

9. Don’t try to force Japan to emulate your country of origin

Japan is not England or America, and short of colonization, will never be. So trying to insert viewpoints about how things are done elsewhere is a fool’s errand.

“You aren't obliged to stay in Japan if you think it's awful.”

10. Think of finding “good cheese” like going on a treasure hunt

While there’s plenty of delicious food in Japan, cheese is not one of those readily available products. And Japanese grocery stores likely won’t have an “ethnic” section where you can find it. That doesn’t mean it can’t be found anywhere, but you’ll have to consider it a specialty item, and find a store that provides those types of luxuries.

11. Don’t get out of shape. No, really.

While staying healthy through diet and exercise is good advice anywhere, in Japan it’s considered you “social responsibility, says @Bunburyyōdō. “If you are noticeably ‘over-nourished’ in Japan people are going to comment on it.” So enjoy all the goodies that the country has to offer, but don’t overdo it.


via GIPHY

12. Don't take yourself too seriously

@Bunburyyōdō’s last piece of advice is “go with the flow” and “learn to smile.”

Yes, you’ll make mistakes. Yes there will be an awkward transitional period. But “just go with it.”

Japan is majestically scenic, with a rich cultural heritage. But moving there (and this goes for any major move really) requires a desire for growth and transformation.

“If you come to Japan with the knowledge that you are going to need to grind and improve yourself in order to be happy with yourself you’ll have a better time than someone who came on a ‘working holiday’ and found it to be not as fun as they expected.”

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