City Bankers Finally Burn
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Yes, you have read correctly. Next week, City bankers will burn. No, they won't be burning wood, no they won't be burning rubber, they will actually be burning themselves. (But for good reason.)
On Wednesday the 21st of October, The Rainbow Trust, a Children's Charity, are holding a firewalk at Gibson Hall, right in the heart of the City.
A firewalk is almost like it sounds, though it's walking over a bed of coals as opposed to walking on fire. However, the coal is broken down into embers, so instead of walking on actual hot coals, the participants will be walking on hot ashes. The ashes reach a temperature of over 800 degrees farenheit and participants walk - barefoot - on a path 15-20 feet long and 2-3 feet wide. So it's still pretty impressive.
City banker Jon Milner is one of the many taking part.
"I'm generally interested in doing things that are a bit unusual, or are challenges that pushes you out of your comfort zone, and this certainly does that. If it's for charity as well then it's all the more worthwhile, and makes an interesting story to tell."
Jon and the others will take part in a mandatory two hour training session beforehand to learn the secrets to firewalking and to perhaps calm (or increase) their nerves.
The oldest recorded firewalk took place in India more than 3,000 years ago, and evidence of firewalking has been found on every continent except Antarctica. The act of firewalking still forms a key religious and spiritual practice of indigenous people the world over. The roots of modern firewalking can be traced back to the flowering of the human potential movement in the seventies and the search for non-western techniques of rapid brain change and spiritual development.
The actual experience of firewalking seems to be completely subjective; some people report a pleasant warm sensation, while others say it was like walking on snow, while some don't feel anything at all.
Jon, our brave banker, is not feeling nervous or anxious about it at all. "A lot of it is 'motivational physcology' - to push yourself to walk across something you know could hurt," he says.
If anyone wants to take part or to just watch the event (you know you really want to see some bankers burn themselves), please have a look at the Rainbow Trust Charity's website.
To help Jon out with a donation, please click here.
When asked how does he think his co-workers will react, Jon says, "Hopefully they will cheer me on, but I'm sure some evil co-workers will be hoping it will all go wrong!"
A firewalk is almost like it sounds, though it's walking over a bed of coals as opposed to walking on fire. However, the coal is broken down into embers, so instead of walking on actual hot coals, the participants will be walking on hot ashes. The ashes reach a temperature of over 800 degrees farenheit and participants walk - barefoot - on a path 15-20 feet long and 2-3 feet wide. So it's still pretty impressive.
City banker Jon Milner is one of the many taking part.
"I'm generally interested in doing things that are a bit unusual, or are challenges that pushes you out of your comfort zone, and this certainly does that. If it's for charity as well then it's all the more worthwhile, and makes an interesting story to tell."
Jon and the others will take part in a mandatory two hour training session beforehand to learn the secrets to firewalking and to perhaps calm (or increase) their nerves.
The oldest recorded firewalk took place in India more than 3,000 years ago, and evidence of firewalking has been found on every continent except Antarctica. The act of firewalking still forms a key religious and spiritual practice of indigenous people the world over. The roots of modern firewalking can be traced back to the flowering of the human potential movement in the seventies and the search for non-western techniques of rapid brain change and spiritual development.
The actual experience of firewalking seems to be completely subjective; some people report a pleasant warm sensation, while others say it was like walking on snow, while some don't feel anything at all.
Jon, our brave banker, is not feeling nervous or anxious about it at all. "A lot of it is 'motivational physcology' - to push yourself to walk across something you know could hurt," he says.
If anyone wants to take part or to just watch the event (you know you really want to see some bankers burn themselves), please have a look at the Rainbow Trust Charity's website.
To help Jon out with a donation, please click here.
When asked how does he think his co-workers will react, Jon says, "Hopefully they will cheer me on, but I'm sure some evil co-workers will be hoping it will all go wrong!"
Here Is The Writer : Tim Baros
Tim Baros has worked in the derivatives industry for several large financial institutions in both the U.S. and the U.K., and one now-defunct financial products company. Tim moved from New York City to London in 2003 to take advantage of the many job opportunities that London had to offer in the banking sector, easily qualifying for a Highly Skilled Migrant Programme Visa. Unemployed but now a UK resident, Tim spends some of his day looking for another job in finance and other parts of the day either at the gym, in the pubs, clubs, or just about anywhere, really.
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