Poo-doon-mao oh don gee yo was my (phonetic) address when I lived in South Korea, and one of the first things that I learned to say (once it had been written out for me of course) in Korean. I was told that it meant something like, “the brownish-orange buildings with numbers in the 500s on them.” All I knew for sure was that when I got in a cab and said it to the driver, I would end up in the right spot.
Read MoreWhy are Chinese Gangs Called Triads?
If you read the news or watch any sort of crime drama, you are sure to have heard the term 'triad' at some point.
It refers to one of the many branches of the Chinese organized crime organization that stretches all over the world. It's a term akin to 'mob', 'gang' or 'mafia'.
Read MoreMacarons! The History of These Beautiful French Treats
The first time that I ever saw a macaron was 14 years ago in Paris and I wasn't really sure what I was looking at.
Why?
Well, these tasty treats (which hadn't made it into the cafes and bakeries at home yet) are very brightly colored, often neon green, pink, yellow, and even blue.
Read More6 Things To Know About Nelson Mandela
In 2013, the world lost an incredible man who united a nation and created groundbreaking change in his country.
It would take years to write about everything that this man did in his life, but here are six things that are interesting to know — and important to never forget — about Nelson Mandela.
Read More6 Things To Know About Hanukkah
1. This Jewish holiday always runs for eight days starting on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev.
2. It began during the rule of Antiochus IV who desecrated a Jewish temple by sacrificing pigs on the altar (check out my post What Does Kosher Mean Anyway? to find out why this was a big deal). The Jewish people banded together and revolted, taking the temple back. At the time of rededication there was almost no oil left that had not been desecrated, and oil was needed for the menorah that was supposed to burn through the night. Though there was only enough for one day, it burned for eight and as a result, an eight-day festival was declared to celebrate the miracle.
3. The only religious observance related to this holiday is the lighting of candles arranged in the candelabrum (menorah). They are lit from right to left (like how the Hebrew language is read) and can be lit anytime after dark before midnight. The candles can be blown out 1/2 an hour after they are lit or can be left to burn out on their own.
4. Giving small gifts on each day of Hanukkah is not a part of the religious ritual, but is an influence from the Christian tradition of gift-giving at this time of year. Because of its close proximity to Christmas, Hanukkah is often called the Jewish Christmas.
5. Fried food is eaten during this time of year because of the significance of oil to the holiday.
6. The game played with a dreidel at this time of year is actually a gambling game — it is not just a child's toy!
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Have You Read The 10 Most-Read Books In The World?
Based on the number of books printed and sold in the last 50 years, this is the list of the top ten most read (English) books — along with their opening line — on our planet.
How many have you read? (No, watching the movie doesn't count!)
THE HOLY BIBLE
"In the Beginning God Created the Heavens and the Earth."QUOTATIONS FROM CHAIRMAN MAO TSE-TUNG by Mao Tse-Tung
"The force at the core leading our cause forward is the Chinese Communist Party."HARRY POTTER by J.K. Rowling
"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."THE LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. Tolkien
"When Mr Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magni- ficence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton."THE ALCHEMIST by Paulo Coelho
"The Alchemist picked up a book that someone in the caravan had brought."THE DA VINCI CODE by Dan Brown
"Renowned curator Jacques Sauniere staggered through the vaulted archway of the museum's Grand Gallery."THE TWILIGHT SAGA by Stephanie Meyer
"I'd never given much thought to how I would die — though I'd had reason enough in the last few months — but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this."GONE WITH THE WIND by Margaret Mitchell
"Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were."THINK AND GROW RICH by Napoleon Hill
"TRULY, "thoughts are things," and powerful things at that, when they are mixed with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a BURNING DESIRE for their translation into riches, or other material objects"THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK by Anne Frank
“I hope to tell you everything that I could never tell anyone until now.”
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6 Normal Things That Are Banned in the Bible
This list is only a few of the many banned acts that can be found in the book of Leviticus in the Christian Bible.
They are all fairly normal, mundane or common things that occur regularly, but in the Bible, most of the following acts are punishable by death.
1. Mixing fabrics in clothing (19:19)
Damn you cotton-lycra underpants!
2. Eating fruit from a tree within four years of planting it (19:23)
So... what if you move somewhere new and you don't know how long ago your apple tree was planted?
3. Trimming your beard (19:27)
All you men with professional jobs are screwed!
4. Getting tattoos (19:28)
5. Mistreating foreigners – “the foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born” (19:33-34)
I think we have all (sadly) violated this one at one time or another...
6. Using dishonest weights and scales (19:35-36)
If we are talking about scales that I might use to weigh myself, then I'm in BIG trouble...
