AUG 2018
THE MONTHLY ADVOCATE
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Though I never played soccer (I have two left feet), I have enjoyed watching the beautiful game since I was little. I started watching games from a young age with my family and I learned to root for different teams and cheer when a goal was scored or boo when a player made a reckless foul. This summer, I watched games with our family friends, mostly at home. That’s part of the beauty of it. You don’t need to fly anywhere or get expensive tickets — you can watch the games almost anywhere that has a TV screen or radio, such as a restaurant, a bar, a park, or the comfort of your own home. Some places have a big fan base for a particular country or player — you’ll see a tide of yellow at one spot, a bunch of red jerseys at another, and at least one Messi jersey at all of them. It’s cool to see people sporting their pride and nationalism literally on their sleeves. There’s a sense of camaraderie and pride you feel when your nation is represented by a team. Not to mention soccer is just a fast-paced sport that’s fun to watch. The players are always on the go. It contrasts in this way with the sport I grew up playing: baseball. They’re completely different styles, and I enjoy them both. When you watch soccer, your eyes dart back and forth as the players move the ball up and down the field. You lean in when a shot is made, throwing your hands up when your team misses a goal or a shot is saved. In baseball, you don’t necessarily have to watch every pitch to see what’s happening. It moves much more slowly, but each movement is still very deliberate: Each pitch has to be made with strategy and accuracy, and each swing of the bat is made with the same precision. I find myself leaning in when the ball is hit, holding my breath to see if the opposing team catches it or if the player will be safe. Even with the World Cup over, there are still plenty of local games to see around town. It’s been awesome to see soccer’s popularity grow in Georgia. I heard that there were more fans at a recent Atlanta United game
For as long as I can remember, our family would find time to watch the World Cup, along with the rest of the world. It’s a tradition that started when I was young and has now become a ritual in my life every four years. This summer, I watched as many games as my schedule allowed, catching some of the early games, plenty of recaps, and others on the weekend. This year’s World Cup was interesting because a lot of the traditional powerhouses — Argentina, Spain, Brazil, Germany, Portugal — were eliminated early. I didn’t make a fantasy team this year, but maybe I should have. Belgium was looking strong from the beginning, and I sensed they would be something of a dark horse in the competition. When they beat Brazil in the quarter finals, I said, “I called that!” I’d been saying that they would go far since the beginning of the competition. Of course, hindsight is 20/20 and they didn’t quite make it all the way, unfortunately. Still, it’s fun to recognize the strong teams early on. Soccer Takes the Stage GOOOAAALLL!
than there were at some World Cup games! Incredible, right? The games are always selling out and it looks like it will continue to grow. I’m glad we won’t have to wait four years to see the next game.
–Keren Barrios
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3 WAYS TO MENTALLY PREPARE YOUR KIDS
FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR
It may not feel like it yet, but summer is coming to a close, and summer break is ending along with it. Soon, the kids will be back to early-morning breakfasts before the school bus arrives and late-night study sessions. Thankfully, there are some steps your family can take during these closing weeks of summer to ensure your kids hit the ground running this school year. SET AN EARLY BEDTIME For many kids, summer schedules are flexible. They may have become accustomed to sleeping in and staying up late without any obligations. Getting back into the rhythm of the school year can take some getting used to. In fact, according to psychologist Cherie Valeithian, it can take upward of two weeks to properly adjust to a new sleep-wake cycle. So why not give your kids a head start and ensure they begin the school year bright-eyed and bushy-tailed? OUTLINE A HOMEWORK SCHEDULE Resuming a homework regimen can be a difficult transition for some kids. Late summer, when they don’t have assignments to worry about yet, can be a great opportunity to help them prepare a study schedule. Ask the following questions to help them get started: “Do you want to dive right into homework when you get home? Do you need to accommodate for a sport or extracurricular activity? Do you work best when doing your assignments in one large chunk, or would you prefer taking breaks in between assignments?” Your kids may find that last year’s schedule doesn’t work for them this year. Emphasize that this is okay; part of growing up is learning how and when you work most effectively. Don’t be afraid to help them switch things up as the school year progresses. ASK YOUR KIDS HOW THEY FEEL Maybe your kids are excited about the school year. Maybe they are anxious, or perhaps they’re just disappointed to see summer vacation come to an end. Starting a dialogue about the aspects of school your kids are looking forward to and those they’re dreading can help you dispel myths and identify problem areas. More than anything else, this can help your kids feel at ease about the coming year.
Every four years, the World Cup grabs international attention as teams from every section of the globe clash on the turf. And just as importantly, every four years, animals with psychic abilities are chosen to predict the outcome of each matchup. Here’s a look at some furry, fanged, and friendly creatures whose fortune-telling abilities were put to the test. PAUL THE OCTOPUS The tradition of having animals predict World Cup games began eight years ago with Paul the octopus, a cephalopod with quite a knack for choosing the winning team. Paul had an 85 percent success rate, CNN reported, with eight correct predictions, including the winner of the final game, when he correctly chose Spain. NELLY THE ELEPHANT Elephants remember everything, and they also seem to know everything. Nelly the Elephant, whose method of prediction involved kicking a soccer ball into one of two nets marked with team flags, had a 90 percent success rate during her stint as the World Cup oracle. ACHILLES THE CAT The 2018 Cup, which ended last month, was no exception in looking to the animal kingdom for clues into the future. Achilles, a snow-white, congenitally deaf cat who resides in the Hermitage Museum in Russia, was designated the official animal oracle — he even got a World Cup fan ID. Before each kickoff, Achilles was presented with two bowls of cat food marked with the flags of the competing countries. Whichever bowl he ate from was considered his bet for the winning team. How did Achilles do? He showed a strong start, predicting Russia’s win over Saudi Arabia, Iran’s win over Morocco, and Brazil’s victory over Costa Rica. But his perfect streak was ruined when Achilles chose Nigeria over Argentina. Argentina’s fans rejoiced when Marcos Rojo scored the winning goal in minute 86 of the game, and the feline was proven wrong. Achilles redeemed himself when he correctly predicted that Belgium would beat England in the third-place playoff, and he also correctly chose the winner of the final game, France. Achilles’ 2018 predictions were accompanied by forecasts from other animals, including Yakov the bear, who lives in Moscow and correctly predicted France’s win over Belgium, and Zabiyaka (it means ‘bully’ in Russian), a goat from Samara. So, how will animals like Achilles spend their post-World Cup days? They’ll likely return to their day jobs. For Achilles, that means catching rats in the museum basement in St. Petersburg. Let’s See How Our Furry Friends Did COULD A CAT PREDICT THE OUTCOME OF THE WORLD CUP?
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CELEBRATING OUR COMMUNITY
Have you ever been to Plaza Las Americas? It’s a great shopping mall that also has entertainment, games, and fun for the whole family. We love the indoor playground, where our kids can get some energy out. In addition to being a great place to spend a Saturday, the Plaza Las Americas was also where we hosted our first annual Latin Fair last month. Thank you to everyone who came out for our first Latin Fair and to the Plaza Las Americas for hosting! We are so grateful to serve our community and were honored to have you there. To better serve our community, we brought together different services, nonprofit organizations, and school supplies to give away. On the last Saturday in July, we gathered at the Plaza Las Americas with other local providers and community members for a day filled with warmth and generosity. We had the pleasure of interacting with so many wonderful people. We raffled off prizes and celebrated the return to school. Because buying school supplies can be a burden for families, we gave away backpacks and school supplies to young students. When you don’t have documentation, you don’t have access to health insurance, and you’re forced to pay out of pocket. We wanted to provide some relief to families facing this huge barrier to health care. We reached out to doctors, chiropractors, and our friends to provide free health services to families, and a local nonprofit provided free testing services.
standing behind our event! We also want to give a BIG thank-you to all of our participants and guests. Thank you to everyone who came out on this day! It’s an honor to serve you, and we’re so glad to be part of this great community.
The first Latin Fair was a great way to say thank you to the community we call home. Thank you to the awesome people of Plaza Las Americas for
TRIVIAI 2. WHAT YEAR WAS THE FIRST WORLD CUP HELD? 3. WHERE WAS THE FIRST TOURNAMENT HELD?
1. WHICH TEAM HAS THE MOST WORLD CUP TROPHIES?
4. WHO WAS RUNNER-UP IN THE 2018 WORLD CUP?
a. b. c. d.
August 30, 1932 June 30, 1930
a. b. c. d.
North America
a. b. c. d.
England Mexico
a. b. c. d.
Argentina
Paraguay Uruguay Germany
Brazil France
July 30, 1930 July 30, 1931
Iran
Croatia
Germany
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What We’re Watching This Summer
How to Prepare Your Kids for School
Animals Predict World Cup Outcomes
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First Latin Fair in Review
Trivia
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Sleep Better and Feel Great
HOW TO ACHIEVE
A MORE RESTFUL NIGHT’S SLEEP
A good night’s sleep is one of the most important things you can do for your mind and body. One study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research found that the quality of your sleep is much more important than the quantity — that is, if you want to feel rested. And we all want to feel rested. So, what can you do to improve the quality of your sleep and get the rest you need? Listen to your body. This, above all else, is crucial to a good night’s sleep. Your body knows when it’s time for bed. Generally, you want to go to bed when you feel tired, whether that’s at 8 p.m. or 1 a.m. Whenever your body tells you it needs rest, you should make a habit of going to bed then. The more consistent you are, the better your sleep will be. Wake up naturally. Jolting yourself awake with an alarm or radio isn’t doing your brain and body any favors (it can be stressful on the body and even elevate blood pressure, which is not good first thing in the morning). If you do need an alarm, consider a wake-up light. Wake-up lights mimic the sunrise, slowly brightening the room, waking your body in a natural, gentle way. Kick the screen habit. You’ve heard it before, and you’ll hear it again: Looking at an electronic screen — a TV, computer, tablet, or smartphone — before bed is detrimental to sleep quality. Light from these devices is disruptive to your
brain’s suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which helps regulate your circadian rhythm, and screen time before bed can throw off normal SCN function.
Put your excuses for staying up too late to bed. Say no to “one more episode.” And all those emails? They can wait until tomorrow. Not getting enough quality sleep is harmful to your mental and physical health. When you get into the habit of following these three tips, you’ll find yourself feeling rested and refreshed in no time.
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