life & style // no. 16 theotherpress.ca Secondhand spots to guarantee the best Halloween costume > A thrift-list for both Vancouverites and non-Vancouverites alike CJ Sommerfeld Staff Writer et’s face it, this Hallow’s Eve is going to be exponentially different than the rest. And although it is a holiday, this spiky virus does not have the day off, so we should act accordingly. That does not mean dressing- up is out of the question, however. Whethe1 you are going to lounge around the house with a six-pack singing along to the Rocky Horror Picture Show or FaceTime with pals, why not wear a costume? Halloween costumes are fun but can also be harmful to our environment. Now, we usually attribute the term “single-use plastics” to picnic cutlery and grocery bags, but this term also extends to cheap Halloween costumes. This is just one of a plethora of reasons why thrifting is a great way to supplement pieces for an unrivalled Hallow's Eve ensemble. Now we all know Illustration by Athena Little Fascinating Fruit Facts >» Me likka salacca zalacca Morgan Hannah Life & Style Editor Yr likka salacca zalacca? I likka salacca zalacca. Lemme tell you all about salacca zalacca! Also known as snake fruit, this delicious treat is native to Indonesia but is also found in neighbouring countries Malaysia and Timor. I personally found them ina street cart down a dimly-lit alley on Gili Trawangan in Indonesia! This bulbous-bodied fruit tapers off at one end, and much like a fresh fig it is entirely encased in shiny dark reddish- brown scales—and sometimes even spikes! This deceptive fruit’s skin is quite thin and easy to peel off (if you know what youre doing). And I didn’t, so I had to get the owner of the cart to show me. First, she started by pinching the tip and breaking the skin. Then, she expertly peeled back the scales—going against the grain—to reveal the light yellowish-white flesh underneath. The yellow-white lobes of fruit have a fine, film-like layer that can also be peeled away which she did—almost like peeling a hardboiled egg. The fruit itself looked like a large clove of garlic covered in snakeskin to be honest, and it tasted like a dry but sweet apple, pineapple, and banana combo and had an apple-like crunch. I’ve since found out that some varieties can be drier and havea flaky texture (which I’m glad I didn’t get to eat), and others have a more spongy and succulent texture (which I think I would’ve loved!). Another name for salacca zalacca is the “Memory Fruit” or “Fruit of Memory” because it is loaded with potassium (much like a banana) and pectin— important nutrients for brain growth and development. The fruit also contains thiamine, iron, vitamin C, and calcium. And it’s quite the ideal vacation fruit for us Westerners trying on new foods of Value Village as a great place to scour acostume, but where else is there? As a thrifting buff, I have assembled a list of my favourite spots; here she be! The Rag Machine Located via the alley accessible on the north-west corner of Main and Broadway, this shop confronts you with literal tubs of clothing, providing you with the best possible thrift scavenger hunt. While some items are hung on hangers, a majority of the items are in large tubs which line the walls. This spot requires a great deal of creativity and imagination as it is not curated in the least. Some of the items have pre-set prices, although a majority of its pieces are priced by weight. When you have completed your hunt you put your pile of clothing on a scale; at the price of $5.97 a pound, you will nearly never be paying an arm and a leg for great pieces. If this is your first stop on your costume-hunting escapade, it may also be your last because the Rag Machine carries everything from overalls, old graphic tees, fur, leather, hankies, shoes, and more more more! Community Thrift and Vintage Located in the heart of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES), Community’s curated vintage shops support at-risk persons through their work-training program which trains and employs those living in its neighbourhood. As well, 100 percent of their profits are donated to the PHS Community Services Society, which is a non-profit that provides housing, healthcare, and harm reduction services to those living in the DTES. Community has two shops, The Frock Shoppe and Community Thrift and Vintage. Within these stores, you will find local-made art (including some pretty stellar earrings and overseas, as snake fruit has been known to stop the brown river from flowin, if you catch my drift. In Indonesia, snake fruit is as common as apples and oranges are in the Americas; they are a regular household item. Snake fruit grows on short barrel-like palm trees with large spiked stems, which can grow up to six meters long. The fruit sprouts off pottery), belts, bags, berets, vintage dresses, trousers, and so much more—gender binary clothing has been dispersed between the two. While these prices are a bit steeper than those in the Rag Machine, you are hitting three birds with one stone: decreasing your carbon footprint, buying one-off pieces, and best of all you are donating to a community of some of the most needy people in our city. As well, in present COVID times, they now offer free shipping when purchasing pieces from their online catalogue! Depop Unlike the other two, Depop operates on an online platform. This means instant accessibility to global thrift and vintage; dangerous, I know. The online shop provides people a space to create their own vintage markets where each seller chooses their marketing style, prices, and items. You can type any keyword into the search bar: 2000s glam, modern thrift, dagger collar, patchwork, polyester—whatever floats your boat in that moment. The platform is also great because you too can create your own vintage empire via the app to earn a bit of side-cash. Depop has capitalized on this generation's view of making a name for oneself and veering from working the classic g to 5 that saturated many of our parents’ lives. Depop is a great spot to purchase thrifted items that you may have otherwise not seen in your city. Purchasing pieces from this app is a sure-fire way to have the most original costume of them all! Aside from the exciting nature of thrifting, it is great to re-wear items from your Halloween costume after the day, both for environmental and financial costs. The holiday is just around the corner, so why not start costume hunting now? the base of the palm tree in little clusters and can be eaten fresh, candied, pickled, canned, juiced, fried into chips, boiled with sugar into a sweet spread, or on the porch at u PM while listening to distant fireworks explode and swatting at mosquitos. This has been Fascinating Fruit Facts—tune in next time to find out which fruit we'll be chatting about!