wie Have an idea for a story? M opinions@theotherpress.ca * To flip or not to flip? e Vaginas are supposed to taste like vaginas e Stop saying men are trash * A habit is still a habit ..and more! Vaginas are supposed to taste like vaginas » Don’t give into the fear and don’t mess around with your body’s chemistry Illustration by Cara Seccafien Jessica Berget Opinions Editor Aw is no bed of roses. It’s not a mango, peach, or a basket of raspberries, and it’s certainly not a pink-coloured Starburst. So why do so many people think it has to taste or smell like one? Your vagina is not supposed to taste like candy, it’s supposed to taste like, you know, a vagina. Every person has had a fear of their nether regions not tasting or smelling like a fruit basket, but this is a concern that is ultimately directed at people with vaginas. The number of people who refuse to receive oral sex from their partner but are fine to give it because they're self-conscious about the odour of their vaginas is ¢ ¢ concerning. They miss out on a crucial element of sex and pleasure because of If you're picky about the smell or taste of your partner's genitals, you probably and instead aren't mature enough to be with them. evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.” Other companies claim that douching, steaming, or using certain creams or sprays will make your vagina cleaner, smell nicer, and therefore be “fresher.” They're lying. Some of these products are either a cheap gimmick or can wind up doing more harm to your body, and your vagina, and I'll tell you how. The taste and smell of a vagina does not depend on anything except your body’s chemistry. Vaginas are self-cleaning organs and have special bacteria that help keep them clean and prevent infections. By douching, or applying any special creams or gels, you are getting rid of these bacteria making yourself more susceptible this genital shame. What's more is that most cisgender men don’t often have to worry about the smell or taste of their privates or semen. This burden of anxiety to have your genitals taste and smell like an edible arrangement is dumped on many women. It’s an anxiety that has no basis for truth, but that doesn’t stop businesses from exploiting that fear to make money. Many companies are using people’s fear of not smelling or tasting “fresh” to sell their products. They say their supplements have all-natural and herbal fruit extracts with wheatgrass that can make your genitalia smell like potpourri. Or, in one company’s words, the product “adds a semi-fruity taste and sensual smell to your intimate body fluid,” but the same page also says, “These statements have not been to infection and therefore unpleasant odour. Vaginas also have a natural pH balance of about 3.8 to 4.5 and are naturally acidic, so they're going to taste acidic. However, generally the taste of one’s vagina varies from person to person. No products can make a significant change to your genital odour or taste; only your diet can change this. For instance, if you drink alcohol, or eat a lot of garlic or spicy food, you might not taste as good. Lots of healthy food, fluids, and breathable underwear are factors to a healthy vagina. However, at the end of the day, vaginas are vaginas, so they’re not always going to taste or smell amazing. If youre picky about the smell or taste of your partner's genitals, you probably aren't mature enough to be with them. To flip or not to flip? » We can all learn important lessons from contract flipping Naomi Ambrose Contributor Ez: this month, The Star Vancouver ran a story about Khin Kyi, a Vancouver cleaner who won a case against a corporate behemoth that involved contract flipping. Contract flipping occurs when companies hire service companies with the intent to change these service providers within a few years. Considering the frequency of these changes, the practice of contract flipping needs to be examined a lot more closely. Who benefits from contract flipping? The workers? I beg to differ. It is reasonable to presume that if a company hires a new service provider, the previous workers’ jobs could be jeopardized. I would imagine that Khin Kyi, along with numerous other workers who are affected by each flip, would not embrace this job jeopardy with open arms. Workers—especially those who are hard-working and dedicated—deserve to feel a sense of job security and a sense of comfort that could help them to feel relaxed and more inclined to perform their job. This sense of job security could then help to increase productivity. Therefore, I believe that companies that engage in contract flipping should carefully analyze the use of this practice if they want to improve their productivity levels. After all, a happy and secure work force increases productivity day by day. However, | started to realize that contract flipping can also be a reminder of the constant presence of change. As the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus stated, “The only thing that is constant is change.” Heraclitus’s quote is ever more applicable in the business world filled with currency fluctuations, unstable markets, and low sales. Changes and a lot more changes are inevitable, dear workers. Be ready for job changes. Be ready for the possibility that you may no longer have that contractual job that you depended on to feed your children or to pay off your student loan. Be ready to also remember that contract flipping is here to remind us about the importance of carefully reading contracts. Let us try to resist the urge to skim through contracts or to scroll through to the end of the page with the finely written terms and conditions. When we don’t take the time to read contracts, we often sign our rights away. One of these rights might include suing for breach of contract. Or perhaps you gave up that right without really knowing that you did when you skimmed through the terms and conditions. Let’s also remember that several resources are available to help us to understand contracts. One of these resources can be found on www.povnet. org. This site provides a comprehensive list of different advocacy groups throughout British Columbia, including groups that offer legal aid and legal assistance. With regards to the theme of legality, contract flipping is also a reminder of the practices that can occur if there are loopholes in legislation. According toa 2015 report issued by the British Columbia Federation of Labour, inconsistencies and weaknesses in British Columbia’s successorship legislation under Section 35 of British Columbia’s Labour Code mean that this legislation does not apply to contract flipping. The federation suggested the need to review the labour code to address contract flipping. The suggestions seem to have been addressed for the real estate industry where house flipping is rampant. However, changes to the legislation for the service industry seem to have been ignored. Contract flipping will be here for a while, so be ready for it.