Hasta La Gadget!

Women all around the world will be getting something off their chest on Sunday: Mainly their tops.

Aug. 24 marks Go Topless Day, a 24-hour period where women (and men) are encouraged to bare their upper bodies in order to protest hypocritical laws that force women to cover their breasts while allowing men to walk around with no shirts.

This year marks the seventh anniversary of the pro-breast protest, organized by a group of UFO believers called the Raelians.

Members believe that humans were created by advanced extraterrestrial scientists known as the “Elohim,” and that not allowing women to go topless is an insult to the aliens’ artistry.

This year, rallies are planned in 54 cities around the world, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Denver, Miami and Washington, D.C.

Go Topless spokeswoman Rachel Jessee said the principle of the protest is to promote “equal rights and respect for each other.”

“The idea that women should cover up is shameful,” she told The Huffington Post. “We should not feel ashamed. We want to instill self love and a love for each other.”

In some cities, like Washington, the female protesters will bare their breasts while males will wear bikini tops to show their support.

In cities with more rigorous public decency laws, protesters will wear something called “The Tata Top,” a bikini top designed to resemble naked female breasts, complete with nipples.

Jessee has participated in two other topless protests and said the reaction from spectators varies.

“Lots of people are supportive,” she said. “Some people who are against it don’t stay around too long — except for the people with signs that say, ‘You’re going to hell.'”

As the photo below amply demonstrates, many of the female participants are attractive. Jessee admits she’d like to attract more conventional-looking people to this year’s rallies.

“We encourage people of all ages and sizes to join in,” she said. “Sometimes, it’s much more difficult to get people who aren’t fit to show themselves.”

There is also another contingent she is concerned about: Guys who ironically support the cause as an excuse to see bare-breasted women.

“I say to them: If you really are for this cause, bring your girlfriend, sister and mom to the rally, as well,” she said.

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It looks like the Moto 360 won’t be the only smartwatch to feature a round display this September. LG has just released a teaser trailer for its next wearable which makes it pretty clear that they too will use a round display in the next G Watch (don’t miss our G Watch review) or however LG decides to call it.

It is all too clear that the circular display is a huge plus when it comes to making smartwatches look more like classic watches. When it comes to wearable tech, we’ve always said that the hardest part is to make people wear the device, that’s why there’s a real race going on to shy away from the square look of the most recent generation smartwatches.

The G Watch and its competitors are formidable tools to get developers and early adopters going with building and testing new apps and usage models. However, much work needs to be done: battery life, rapid charging and industrial design are at the top of everyone’s list.

By the looks of it, smartwatches are going to leap again next month at IFA. We know for sure that the Moto 360 and the new LG Watch will show up, but Microsoft is also rumored to work on a watch (check this MS watch fan concept) and Samsung has applied for a round-display watch patent as well.

Next LG Smartwach Features Round Display (Teaser Video)

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There are some big accessories trends going on right now and it appears as though all our favorite fashion girls are testing them out.

Between Alexa Chung’s furry stole, Danielle Bernstein’s pearl jewelry and Tanesha Awasthi’s scarf-turned-headband, we have a pretty clear idea of what we plan on wearing this fall.

Check out all the best accessories of the week and let us know which ones you love!

Danielle Bernstein’s rings

We’ve told you once and we’ll tell you again — pearls are IN.

Rihanna’s sunglasses and Balenciaga bag

Riri’s crocodile bag and brown velvet sunglasses add texture and dimension to her otherwise neutral ensemble.

Maria Sharapova’s Aquazzura shoes

Pay attention to Sharapova’s footwear because ankle straps are very tricky to pull off. If you pick ones that hit too high up they can cut of your legs and make you appear shorter. And if the straps are too tight, it will make your legs look bigger. Here, the tennis player has found the perfect balance.

Alexa Chung’s Charlotte Simone X Kyle De’Volle fur stole

Why wait until fall to wear furry accessories? Pair your stole with a floral dress and you’ve got the perfect ensemble to transition you into the cooler temps.

Rosario Dawson’s pearl earrings

Statement earrings are so underrated, but they can completely transform an outfit — especially if you go two-tone ones.

Tanesha Awasthi’s scarf

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen scarves used as headbands and it certainly won’t be the last.

Yes, the world has come to this.

In an effort to cut down on selfie-mania — the phenomenon already fueled by selfie stands and selfie-sponsored vacations — one beach in France has created official no-selfie zones. The areas are intended to stop vacationers from posting obnoxious pictures of their designer bikinis, their beachfront cocktails and those dreaded hot dog legs.

It’s a serious measure, but it’s got to be taken.

The beach is La Garoupe, a “posh” strip of sand in the south of France where “selfies” are also called “braggies,” for the boastful manner in which they’re often posted. A phone company sponsor has set up signs to mark specific “No Braggies Zones” on the beach.

The “Holiday Spam Police” will troll the zones in search of perpetrators, ready to shame anyone caught snapping a duck-faced solo shot.

Ironically, beach-goers are encouraged to whip out their phones and comment on any selfies they see with the hashtag #holidayspam.

“The Garoupe beaches are among the most glamorous and pristine beaches in all of France,” a spokesperson for the beach told the Daily Mail. “We want people to be able to enjoy our exclusive beach in the moment, not spending the majority of their time bragging to their friends and family back home.”

We couldn’t agree more.

By Bonnie W. Hayman, InternationalLiving.com

This article comes to us courtesy of InternationalLiving.com, the world’s leading authority on how to live, work, invest, travel, and retire better overseas.

Photo: Jason Holland, InternationalLiving.com

I wake up naturally, no alarms needed anymore. The sun greets me, as it does every morning, and my French doors open onto my patio, where I can watch the waves crash over the rocks in the bluest of oceans. Birdsong mixes with the calls of howler monkeys, letting me know that they are somewhere in the trees. My yard looks like a jungle — coconut palms, fruit and avocado trees, an herb garden, and so many colorful flowers: plumeria, hibiscus, marigolds…

I take a sip of my Nicaraguan coffee, the best I’ve ever had and the cheapest, only $3.50 a pound, grown not too far away. I sit on my patio, with a smile on my face, happier than I’ve ever been…and realize that I live this dream every day!

Back home in San Diego, I never dreamed that I could afford to own something with an ocean view. I’m just a middle-class gal. There you can pay $1.5 million for something like that. Yet here on Nicaragua’s Pacific coast, I own a small two-bedroom/two-bathroom house, on an acre with an ocean view, which cost just $132,000. I pay real estate taxes of just $151 a year. And in my backyard, in addition to what I mentioned before, I also grow mangos, papayas, citrus trees, a cinnamon tree, and even moringa, the tree of life.

My house is an eight-minute drive or a 20-minute walk from San Juan del Sur, a vibrant beach town with a big international expat community. If the mood takes me, I can go to El Timón restaurant for a fresh red snapper ($8) and the best mojito in town. Or to Bambú Beach restaurant for international fare like a chicken-curry rice bowl or a fish fillet with orange-chili sauce for the same price. Fish tacos for $1, veggie wraps for $5, a raw-food sandwich for $6, fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon buns, sushi…you can satisfy any craving here.

I moved to Nicaragua in 2007. I got to retire young, 11 years before my planned retirement age of 65. But I didn’t want to wait for the next phase of my life to begin; I wanted to make it happen.

Divorced and living a nice life in San Diego at the time, I had my own successful technical-writing business, consulting for Fortune-100 companies. With interesting work and nights full of scheduled dinners, parties, and getaways with friends, I was living the proverbial American Dream. My two independent daughters lived in San Francisco; we talked all the time, and we saw each other about four times a year. Life was indeed grand. So what was wrong with this picture?

Photo: Jason Holland, InternationalLiving.com

I felt that life’s big surprises were gone. Those in-your-face moments that you have in your 20s didn’t happen anymore; everything was complacent, peaceful, predictable… I wanted to recapture that spirit of youthful adventure. And Nicaragua certainly is a place to feel young again. Every time my kids see me, they say, “Mom, did you do something? You look younger.” My answer? “No, girls, I’m so happy in my new life that it shows.”

Of course, I was drawn by the good weather, too — average temperatures are 85 F year-round — and it is so cheap to live here. Monthly living costs, without rent, for a couple living comfortably are around $1,000. Many of my friends here rent furnished apartments or vacation homes at prices as low as $300 for a one-bedroom furnished apartment, with water, electricity, and WiFi included.

My daughter Talia brought me to Nicaragua in 2006 for my birthday present. When I exited the plane and my foot hit the tarmac, I literally felt a shot of electricity course through my body. That two-week trip blew me away. Suddenly colors seemed brighter, the food more delicious; sunsets were spectacular in gold, purple, pink, blue, and orange; the water clear, the air fresh, the native people kind and friendly. I felt more alive. I had fallen in love — not with a person, but with a country. It was all I could think about when I got home to California. I started researching and knew I had to go back. Six months later, I visited once again with a friend, and, on a whim, decided to move to San Juan del Sur within three months. I bought a house in a day, packed my life into a storage space back home, and never looked back.

After I moved, I kept some small technical-writing contracts and rented out my house in California. But I had another idea, too. Why not use my years of writing and marketing experience to help local businesses? Many people who come here, ages 20 through 75, figure out a business they would like to do and give it a go. Popular ideas include restaurants, surf shops, spas, construction companies, classes, yoga, and massage. (We’re still missing an acupuncturist… and a holistic clinic/pharmacy — any takers?)

Today I write web content, do translations, and help people market their businesses. This supplemental income is all I need here to keep me going. Had I stayed in the States, the economic downturn would have cost me my job and my home. After I left San Diego, all my technical-writer friends lost their jobs. Many double-income families I know lost their homes and had to declare bankruptcy. The same would have happened to me. I got out just in time. Here I can stay forever without much money and lead a more interesting and varied lifestyle.

All in all, my life is more fulfilling here than in the U.S. I always wanted to do volunteer work, and Nicaragua has an abundance of volunteer opportunities.

Only about 10,000 people live in San Juan del Sur and the surrounding area, but in this tiny town we have plenty to keep us busy. The marimba is a popular instrument in Nicaragua and I’m taking lessons. Once a year I play with a big marimba band on the anniversary of Cultural Night at El Timón restaurant. They say I’m the first foreign female to ever play the marimba in Nicaragua!

Lots of classes exist…so far I’ve taken Latin dance lessons, painting classes, yoga classes, and recently a belly-dancing class. I’ll be the first in line when they start a Nicaraguan cooking class, which may be coming soon. Each of these classes costs me only $4.50 an hour. You can’t beat the great exercise and the camaraderie.

The 1,000 or so expats who live in San Juan del Sur make it easier for people who don’t speak Spanish. However, the biggest selling point of Nicaragua has to be the Nicaraguans themselves. Warm, friendly, and always willing to help you, they are the real reason I felt comfortable enough to come down here by myself.

And if I want a different experience any time, I hop on a bus for about $2.50 and go experience the colonial cities of León (four hours away) or Granada (1.5 hours away). Or I jump in my pickup truck and haul a bunch of people to one of the 21 gorgeous virgin beaches that surround San Juan del Sur. My kids often say, “Mom, you’re busier than we are and you are retired!” It’s true. And I’m loving every minute of it.

Related Articles:
10 Reasons To Live In Nicaragua
The Benefits Of Retiring In San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua
Finding Opportunities In San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua