An Indian man who fathered seven daughters has not washed for 35 years in an apparent attempt to ensure his next child is a boy, newspapers reported.
Kailash “Kalau” Singh replaces bathing and brushing his teeth with a “fire bath” every evening when he stands on one leg beside a bonfire, smokes marijuana and says prayers to Lord Shiva, according to the Hindustan Times.
“It’s just like using water to take a bath,” Kalau was reported as saying. “A fire bath helps kill germs and infection in the body.”
Kalau, 63, from a village outside the holy city of Varanasi, outraged his family by refusing to take a ritual dip in the river Ganges even after his brother died five years ago.
“I still don’t remember how it all began,” he said in the paper. “I just know it started about 35 years ago.”
Kalau’s hygiene regime has taken its toll on his professional life.
The grocery store that he used to own closed when customers stopped shopping there due to his “unhealthy personality” and he now tills fields near Varanasi airport.
Kalau, who wears two pullovers all through the Indian summer, said his pledge not to wash was a commitment to the “national interest.”
“I’ll end this vow only when all problems confronting the nation end,” he said.
But Kalau’s explanation for the boycott didn’t wash with neighbors.
“A seer once told Kalau that if he does not take a bath, he would be blessed with a male child,” a man called Madhusudan told the paper.
Most Indians prefer sons, who are typically regarded as breadwinners, while girls are seen as a burden because of the matrimonial dowry demanded by a groom’s family and the fact that their earnings go to their husband’s family.
(AFP)
報導指出，印度一名育有七女的男子為了求子，已經三十五年未曾洗澡。
《印度斯坦時報》報導，凱拉許.「卡勞」．辛格用「火浴」取代洗澡和刷牙，他每天晚上會單腳站在火堆旁，一邊抽著大麻，一邊向濕婆神祈禱。
報導中引述卡勞的話說；「就像用水洗澡一樣，火浴有助於殺死人體的細菌和感染。」
六十三歲的卡勞來自聖城瓦拉那西外的一個村落，五年前，他的兄弟過世，他拒絕到恆河參加浸浴儀式惹怒了全家人。
報導中他說：「我還是不記得這一切是怎麼開始的，只知道大約是三十五年前開始的。」
卡勞的衛生之道讓他丟了工作。
他本來經營一家雜貨店，後來因為他的「不健康人格」，顧客不再上門而倒閉。他目前在瓦拉那西機場附近種田。
即使在夏天也穿著兩件套頭毛衣的卡勞說，他立誓不洗澡是為了「全國福祉」。
他說：「只有國家面臨的所有問題都解決了，我才會終止這個誓約。」
但卡勞對其不洗澡的解釋並無法讓鄰居信服。
一位名叫麥德哈蘇丹的男子對該報表示：「曾經有一位先知告訴卡勞，若不洗澡就能獲福得子。」
印度人大多重男輕女，他們認為兒子能賺錢養家，而女兒則因為出嫁時必須準備嫁妝給夫家，賺的錢也歸夫家，所以被視為負擔。
（法新社╱翻譯：袁星塵）
A: Is K-pop still popular now? B: Sure! The 110,000 tickets for supergroup Blackpink’s two shows to be held this weekend were all snatched up within three minutes. A: Apart from Blackpink, what other K-pop stars are visiting? B: I-dle’s Taiwanese member Yeh Shu-hua, King of K-pop G-Dragon, and Super Junior are all coming soon next month. A: Super Junior’s 2009 hit “Sorry, Sorry” boosted this Korean “Hallyu” to a peak. Let’s go experience SJ’s magic again. A: 韓國流行音樂還是很受歡迎嗎？ B: 當然啦，光是天團Blackpink本週末兩場演唱會，11萬張門票3分鐘內就被秒殺！ A: 除了Blackpink，還有哪些韓國歌手最近會來台？ B: I-dle的台灣成員葉舒華、韓流天王G-Dragon權志龍、Super Junior下月也都將來台。 A: Super Junior 2009年金曲《Sorry, Sorry》曾將「韓流」推上高峰，我們再去重溫一下SJ的魔力吧。
In today’s fast-paced world, many individuals are turning to alternative lifestyles that prioritize sustainability and simplicity. Two such lifestyles are sustainable living and minimalism. They both share some common threads: living more intentionally, reducing our environmental impact, and focusing on what truly matters. 1. Sustainable Living Sustainable living is about making choices that are environmentally friendly in every aspect of one’s life. The primary goal is to minimize one’s ecological footprint, conserve natural resources, and reduce waste. It might sound abstract, but in fact, it is rather easy to practice sustainable living. What we eat has a great impact on the environment. Small
California will phase out certain ultra-processed foods from school meals over the next decade under a first-in-the-nation law signed on Oct. 8 by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The law seeks to define ultra-processed foods, the often super-tasty products typically full of sugar, salt and unhealthy fats. The legislation requires the state’s Department of Public Health to adopt rules by mid-2028 defining “ultra-processed foods of concern” and “restricted school foods.” Schools have to start phasing out those foods by July 2029, and districts will be barred from selling them for breakfast or lunch by July 2035. Vendors will be banned from providing the “foods
對話 Dialogue 清清：華華，你知道這禮拜為什麼又有三天連假嗎？ Qīngqing: Huáhua, nǐ zhīdào zhè lǐbài wèishénme yòu yǒu sān tiān liánjià ma? 華華：知道啊!10月25號是臺灣光復節，從今年起，又是可以放假的國定假日了。剛好碰到禮拜六，所以禮拜五多補一天假。 Huáhua: Zhīdào a! Shí yuè èrshíwǔ hào shì Táiwān Guāngfù Jié, cóng jīnnián qǐ, yòu shì kěyǐ fàngjià de guódìng jiàrì le. Gānghǎo pèngdào lǐbài liù, suǒyǐ lǐbài wǔ duō bǔ yì tiān jià. 清清：對了! 我想起來了，聽我爸媽說過，以前十月有好幾天都放假，光復節是其中之一。 Qīngqing: Duìle! Wǒ xiǎng qǐlái le, tīng wǒ bàmā shuōguò, yǐqián shí yuè yǒu hǎojǐ tiān dōu fàngjià, Guāngfù Jié shì qízhōng zhī yī. 華華：光復節是慶祝日本人在二次世界大戰結束後，離開臺灣的日子。 Huáhua: Guāngfù Jié shì qìngzhù Rìběn rén zài Èrcì Shìjiè Dàzhàn jiéshù hòu líkāi Táiwān de rìzi. 清清：那是一九四五年的事了。 Qīngqing: Nà shì yī jiǔ sì wǔ nián de shì le. 華華：沒錯，對臺灣來說，是很重要的歷史。 Huáhua: Méicuò, duì Táiwān
RSS