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And the remaining statues? In the 1950s Norwegian archaeologists docked at Easter Island, fascinated by reports and pictures of the mysterious Moai. (Once again the history of the South Sea Islands intersects with far-off Scandinavia!) They found the Maoi in sad disrepair. Invaders had taken some, and the rest had been pushed to the ground when missionaries converted the island to Christianity in the 1890s.

Over time, the archaeologists restored nearly 250 of the Maoi statues—some weighing several tons and standing thirty feet tall—hoisting them back onto their ancient stone platforms, each one-half mile from the next, where they circle the mysterious, stark, now treeless island once again, and look out to sea.

EXOTIC NAMES FOR ADVENTUROUS PLACES

The South Sea Islands have amazing native names that paint mental pictures of this faraway world of ethereal beauty: Giao, Hatuti, Rapa Nui, Bora Bora, Makatea, and Tongal; Fanafutti, Olosega, Fatu Hiva, Mangareva, and many more.

Putting Your Hair Up With a Pencil

PERFECT for when you’re on the run, in the midst of a project, or otherwise adventuring and too busy to fuss with your hair. This skill is best practiced on hair that is at least shoulder-length long; otherwise, a quick ponytail with a rubber band is your best bet.

We’re using a pencil, but you can really use anything that’s handy and stick-shaped—a toothbrush, a fork, a chopstick. Just make sure to have the sharp side of the implement pointing up, and you’ll be good to go. (We’re also assuming a righty here, so if you’re a lefty, reverse the rights and lefts in the directions.)

First, find a pencil.

Gather your hair into a tight, high ponytail with your hands—you don’t need to use a rubber band.

Hold your hair with your left hand, and with the right, grab your pencil, sharp side pointing down.

Turn the pencil sideways, then slide it, end-side first, through your hair just next to your left hand that’s creating the base of your pony tail.

Change your grip with your right hand so that you are grabbing both the pencil and your hair, and with your left hand, pull the ponytail down, loop it behind the pencil, and pull the end of the ponytail straight up.

Shift the pencil, turning it clockwise so that the sharp end is down and the eraser end is up. Push the end-side of the pencil down a bit so that just a small part of it sticks out.

Flip the pencil over by lifting the sharp side up and pushing the end side down. Keep pushing until the end part pokes through the underside of your hair.

Cartwheels and Back Walk-Overs

Doing a Cartwheel

PULLING OFF a cartwheel is easy enough. But looking good while doing one is the real trick. To really nail the master cartwheel you need to practice your form and presentation. First imagine a line on the floor in front of you—if you’re outside, and a piece of chalk is handy, you can draw one; if you’re inside with access to masking tape, you can tape one. This line is the track you’ll follow as you cartwheel. Also, bendy, collapsing elbows are the bane of a good cartwheel, so try to imagine when you raise your arms overhead that they are straight, strong rods, with no pesky bending places.

Everyone who cartwheels has a favorite side, or favorite leg. For these instructions, we’ll assume you’re cartwheeling on the left, with your left leg in front, and with your arms up by your ears. (If you’re cartwheeling on the right side, with your right leg in front, just switch the lefts and rights in the following directions.)

Start out standing in a lunge—your front leg (the left) bent slightly at the knee, your other leg straight. Lunging will give you some leverage when you push off your front leg onto your hand.

Reach out and down with your left arm, pushing off with your left leg and kicking up your right leg so that your weight transfers to your left hand. Your momentum should be propelling you into the cartwheel at this point, as your right hand is placed on the ground.