Monday, October 17, 2022

International Days

 International Women's Day is on March 8, International Democracy Day on September 15, World AIDS Day on December 1... certain special days on the global calendar are very well known and emblematic. However, there are many others, and sometimes their subjects are surprising.  Let's discover some of them together… in chronological order!

February 10: World Pulses Day

2 of 21 Photos in Gallery: February 10 is World Pulses Day. A day dedicated to beans?! What? Why? Well, it is a very good cause as pulses are vital for the fight against world hunger and provide quality nutrition. On top of it all, they are an environmentally sound source of protein.

February 10 is World Pulses Day. A day dedicated to beans?! What? Why? Well, it is a very good cause as pulses are vital for the fight against world hunger and provide quality nutrition. On top of it all, they are an environmentally sound source of protein.

March 20: International Day of Happiness

3 of 21 Photos in Gallery: Since 2013, the International Day of Happiness has been celebrated on March 20 by the UN. It is part of the more general framework of the Sustainable Development Goals and the agreements against climate change. The United Nations invites its member states and global civil society to celebrate this day through educational and awareness-raising actions.

Since 2013, the International Day of Happiness has been celebrated on March 20 by the UN. It is part of the more general framework of the Sustainable Development Goals and the agreements against climate change. The United Nations invites its member states and global civil society to celebrate this day through educational and awareness-raising actions.

March 20: French Language Day

4 of 21 Photos in Gallery: The French language, which has hundreds of millions of speakers worldwide, is also in the spotlight on March 20. This day is dedicated to the French language is part of the six language days which aim to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity. The other five are Arabic, English, Chinese, Spanish, and Russian.

The French language, which has hundreds of millions of speakers worldwide, is also in the spotlight on March 20. This day is dedicated to the French language is part of the six language days which aim to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity. The other five are Arabic, English, Chinese, Spanish, and Russian.

March 21: International Novruz Day

5 of 21 Photos in Gallery: The next day, the International Day of Novruz takes place. Novruz, which can also be written Nowruz, Navruz, Nooruz, Nevruz, or Nauryz. It means “the new day” and celebrates the return of spring. This festival has existed for several millennia in the Balkans, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Middle East. It is celebrated by over 300 million people around the world.

The next day, the International Day of Novruz takes place. Novruz, which can also be written Nowruz, Navruz, Nooruz, Nevruz, or Nauryz. It means “the new day” and celebrates the return of spring. This festival has existed for several millennia in the Balkans, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Middle East. It is celebrated by over 300 million people around the world.

April 22: International Mother Earth Day

6 of 21 Photos in Gallery: On April 22, International Mother Earth Day celebrates our relationship with the earth and reminds us of the interdependence between humans and the environment. An important day, given that across the planet, biodiversity is threatened and natural disasters are numerous.

On April 22, International Mother Earth Day celebrates our relationship with the earth and reminds us of the interdependence between humans and the environment. An important day, given that across the planet, biodiversity is threatened and natural disasters are numerous.

April 23: International Book and Copyright Day

7 of 21 Photos in Gallery: This day was celebrated on April 23 because it is when Shakespeare and Cervantes died. It aims to encourage reading and remind people of the power of books worldwide. In 2021, the city of Tbilisi, Georgia, was named World Book Capital.

This day was celebrated on April 23 because it is when Shakespeare and Cervantes died. It aims to encourage reading and remind people of the power of books worldwide. In 2021, the city of Tbilisi, Georgia, was named World Book Capital.

April 30: International Jazz Day

8 of 21 Photos in Gallery: April 30 is when jazz is celebrated as a tool for promoting peace, dialogue, diversity, and respect for human dignity. On this day, jazz is celebrated through concerts, shows, and educational activities around the world.

April 30 is when jazz is celebrated as a tool for promoting peace, dialogue, diversity, and respect for human dignity. On this day, jazz is celebrated through concerts, shows, and educational activities around the world.

May 2: International Tuna Day

9 of 21 Photos in Gallery: International Tuna Day, which takes place on May 2, aims to raise awareness of the need to ensure the long-term conservation of tuna. Seven of the main species are fished in an unsustainable way because of the popularity of tuna among consumers. Tuna represents a fifth of the world's fishing in value.

International Tuna Day, which takes place on May 2, aims to raise awareness of the need to ensure the long-term conservation of tuna. Seven of the main species are fished in an unsustainable way because of the popularity of tuna among consumers. Tuna represents a fifth of the world's fishing in value.

May 26: Vesak day

10 of 21 Photos in Gallery: 'Vesak,' the day of the full moon, is a sacred day for millions of Buddhists around the world. Buddha was born on the Day of Vesak, in 623 BC. This day, celebrated on May 26, seeks to recognize the contribution of Buddhism to human spirituality.

'Vesak,' the day of the full moon, is a sacred day for millions of Buddhists around the world. Buddha was born on the Day of Vesak, in 623 BC. This day, celebrated on May 26, seeks to recognize the contribution of Buddhism to human spirituality.

June 21: International Yoga Day

11 of 21 Photos in Gallery: June 21 is International Yoga Day. It is an opportunity to pay homage to the increasingly popular role of this practice in improving our physical and mental well-being.

June 21 is International Yoga Day. It is an opportunity to pay homage to the increasingly popular role of this practice in improving our physical and mental well-being.

June 30: International Asteroid Day

12 of 21 Photos in Gallery: International Asteroid Day takes place on June 30. This day aims to inform the general public about the opportunities and risks asteroids present our planet. The UN-sanctioned day hopes to promote coordinated solutions on a global scale.

International Asteroid Day takes place on June 30. This day aims to inform the general public about the opportunities and risks asteroids present our planet. The UN-sanctioned day hopes to promote coordinated solutions on a global scale.

July 3: International Day of Cooperatives

13 of 21 Photos in Gallery: The International Day of Cooperatives takes place on July 3. The aim is to increase the general population's awareness of cooperatives. According to the day's official website, it also promotes "international solidarity, economic efficiency, equality, and world peace."

The International Day of Cooperatives takes place on July 3. The aim is to increase the general population's awareness of cooperatives. According to the day's official website, it also promotes "international solidarity, economic efficiency, equality, and world peace."

July 20: International Chess Day

14 of 21 Photos in Gallery: July 20 has been celebrated as International Chess Day since 1966 by the International Chess Federation, the anniversary of the creation of the federation in Paris in 1924. The UN General Assembly took up this date in 2019 to pay tribute to this ancient game played on all continents.

July 20 has been celebrated as International Chess Day since 1966 by the International Chess Federation, the anniversary of the creation of the federation in Paris in 1924. The UN General Assembly took up this date in 2019 to pay tribute to this ancient game played on all continents.

September 7: International Clean Air Day for Blue Skies

15 of 21 Photos in Gallery: International Clean Air Day for Blue Skies takes place on September 7. The goal of this day? To remind us of the crucial issue of air quality, both for health and for the climate.

International Clean Air Day for Blue Skies takes place on September 7. The goal of this day? To remind us of the crucial issue of air quality, both for health and for the climate.

Friday, September 23, 2022

Best Airlines of 2022

 THE WORLD’S TOP 20 AIRLINES IN 2022 

1. Qatar Airways

2. Singapore Airlines

3. Emirates

4. ANA All Nippon Airways

5. Qantas Airways

6. Japan Airlines

7. Turkish Airlines

8. Air France

9. Korean Air

10. Swiss Int’l Air Lines

11. British Airways

12. Etihad Airways

13. China Southern

14. Hainan Airlines

15. Lufthansa

16. Cathay Pacific

17. KLM

18. EVA Air

19. Virgin Atlantic

20. Vistara

21. Finnair

22. Gulf Air

23. Bangkok Airways

24. Delta Air Lines

25. Iberia

26. Ethiopian Airlines

27. AirAsia

28. Aegean Airlines

29. Scoot

30. Air New Zealand

31. Garuda Indonesia

32. Austrian

33. Asiana Airlines

34. Saudi Arabian Airlines

35. Southwest Airlines

36. Fiji Airways

37. Oman Air

38. Air Astana

39. WestJet

40. Ryanair

THE WORLD’S BEST LONG HAUL LOW-COST AIRLINES

1. Scoot

2. Jetstar Airways

3. Air Canada rouge

4. LEVEL

5. AirAsiaX

THE WORLD’S BEST LEISURE AIRLINES

1. SunExpress

 2. Air Transat

3. TUI Airways

4. TUIfly

5. Vietravel Airlines

THE WORLD’S BEST CABIN STAFF IN 2022

1. Singapore Airlines

2. ANA All Nippon Airways

3. Garuda Indonesia

 4. Thai Airways

5. Japan Airlines

6. Qatar Airways

7. Hainan Airlines

8. Asiana Airlines

9. EVA Air

10. Cathay Pacific

THE WORLD’S BEST AIRLINE CABIN CLEANLINESS IN 2022

1. ANA All Nippon Airways

2. Singapore Airlines

3. Japan Airlines

4. Qatar Airways 

5. Hainan Airlines

6. Asiana Airlines

7. Korean Air

8. China Airlines

9. Fiji Airways

10. Cathay Pacific

THE WORLD’S BEST BUSINESS CLASS LOUNGES

1. Virgin Atlantic

2. Qatar Airways

3. Turkish Airlines

4. Singapore Airlines

5. Air France

6. KLM

7. United Airlines

8. Air Canada

9. Emirates

10. Gulf Air

THE WORLD’S BEST INDEPENDENT AIRPORT LOUNGES 

1. Plaza Premium

2. Primeclass

3. The Pearl – Bahrain Airport

4. iGA Lounge – Istanbul Airport

5. Aspire by Swissport

THE BEST LOW-COST AIRLINES IN EUROPE

1. Ryanair

2. Vueling Airlines

3. EasyJet

4. Jet2.com

5. Eurowings

6. airBaltic

7. Norwegian

8. Wizz Air

9. LEVEL

10. Pegasus Airlines



Monday, August 29, 2022

Growing up 🔝

 WE ARE A GENERATION THAT WILL NEVER COME BACK.


A generation that walked to school and then walked back.

A generation that did their homework alone to get out asap to play in the street.

A generation that spent all their free time in the streets with their Friends.

A generation that played hide and seek when dark.

A generation that made mud cakes.

A generation that collected sports cards.

A generation that found, collected and washed & Returned empty coke bottles to the local grocery store for 5 cents each , then bought a Mountain Dew and candy bar with the money.

A generation that made paper toys with their bare hands.

A generation who bought vinyl albums to play on record players.

A generation that collected photos and albums of clippings of their life experiences as a Kid.

A generation that played board games and cards on rainy days.

A generation whose TV went off at midnight after playing the National Anthem.

A generation that had parents who were there.

A generation that laughed under the covers in bed so parents didn't know we were still awake.

A generation that is passing and unfortunately it will never return no matter how hard we try.

I loved Growing up when I did. it was the best of times.”

—Author Unknown #generations #gratitude #past #future




Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Idioms and Metaphors

 


 

What is an idiom and what makes it different to a metaphor?

 

Metaphors are not dissimilar to idioms in that they express non-literal meanings, says . They’re important in terms of how we think and talk about the world. For example, we have a metaphorical idea that life is like a journey. That leads us to say things like I’m taking a new path or he’s taken a wrong turn or we’ve come to a crossroads. These phrases express the underlying metaphor, but not in a specific, fixed way.

 

Idioms are different because they are fixed phrases,  explains: “They’re lexically specific combinations of words that we can’t really change.” For example, with the idiom play with fire, the “fire” is metaphorical – it stands for something risky or dangerous – but it’s part of a specific phrase. We can’t change it to play with acid, for example. “The sort of fixed nature of idioms is really important,” says the psycholinguist.

 

Plenty of idioms kicking about today emerged from the world of sport

 

• Boxing has given us throw in the towel (give up), on the ropes (near defeat), ducking and diving (evading a difficult situation) and below the belt (unfair).

• To move the goalposts (change the rules or requirements mid process), comes from football.

• American sports have also contributed: ballpark figure (estimate), play hardball (act ruthlessly) and slam dunk (categorical victory).

• Park the bus is a phrase that all football fans will be familiar with. When José Mourinho first entered English football as Chelsea manager, he complained about an opposition team being incredibly defensive: “As we say in Portugal, they brought the bus and they left the bus in front of the goal”. A variation of the phrase stuck and is now commonly used to describe defensive play. And it’s used in other contexts too. “You might talk about a politician parking the bus if they’re set to defend their position at all costs,” says .

• It was Manchester United’s manager Sir Alex Ferguson who first coined the phrase squeaky bum time during the final stages of a closely run Premiership title race. It refers to the sound made when nervously squirming around in a plastic seat in the last, tense moments of a game, or towards the end of a nail-biting season.

 

Films have been another fruitful source of idioms

 

• All singing, all dancing is used to describe something with lots of bells and whistles (to use another idiom). But it was originally a very literal strapline on a poster for a 1929 movie called The Broadway Melody. “That was one that was used originally very literally and over time acquired a broader meaning,”

• If you find yourself stuck doing the same thing repeatedly, you might utter the idiom Groundhog Day. The 1993 film, about a guy who’s stuck living the same day over and over again, almost instantly became a euphemism for a monotonous situation.

The phrase is now “completely embedded in the language,” We all understand it to mean something boring and repetitive, even if we have never heard of the original movie – or have a clue what a groundhog actually is!

 

 

The rise of the internet has led to lots of new phrases and idioms

 

• Breaking the internet is now a phrase that people use to mean “something that causes such a stir online that, metaphorically, so many people rush to a website that it threatens to bring it down,”• The idea of something going viral is very much in our vocabulary now.

• The concept of first world problems – things that we complain about but that actually, compared to other parts of the world, may well be relatively minor – started life as a Twitter hashtag.

• OK boomer is a phrase that emerged on platforms like TikTok, Twitter and Reddit as an ironic reply from millennials to some of the perceived criticisms of the older generation. It came to prominence in 2019 when a young, female New Zealand MP, who was giving a speech about climate change, used it to shut down heckles from older, male members of parliament.

Idioms can be produced by politics

 

• Dead catting or the dead cat strategy might be deployed by politicians who are getting lots of negative attention. It means to do something showy or ostentatious, like announcing a new policy, as way of distraction. “The story goes that this was invented as a tactic by Linton Crosby, who was quite a successful political strategist,”. “He suggested that if you were to walk into a dinner party and throw a dead cat on the table everyone would immediately stop whatever they were talking about and pay attention to the dead cat, so it’s really just a way of completely stopping a negative conversation and diverting attention away from it.”

Not one to be interpreted literally.



Tuesday, June 7, 2022

The beautiful island 2 hours from London

 Tucked just off the coast of Ibiza lies the fourth largest island in Balearics and is often overshadowed by its neighbours.

Formentera is just four miles south of Ibiza and is actually split into two, with the island of S’Espalmador separated from the main island by a shallow sandbar.

The island doesn’t have an airport, so the only way you’ll be able to reach it is by boat from it’s party-island neighbour.

You can expect highs of 30 degrees in August but enviable temperatures in the spring too.

Without the craziness of Ibiza, you’ll find an abundance of white sand beaches on the island, making it a prime relaxation spot for sun worshippers.

Playa de Ses Illetes beach was voted the Best of the Best by TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice awards, which make you feel like you’re in an “exotic film set.”

But don’t worry, there are plenty more beaches on the island to choose from, so you’ll never run out of sand to sunbathe on.

Other top rated beaches on Formentera include Cala Saona, Calo Des Mort and Platja de Migjorn - which all won TripAdvisor’s Travellers Choice Award last year.

If you’re looking to do some island exploring, you can head to one of the lighthouses and lookout points, including Far de la Mola.

The lighthouse stands on the edge of a cliff 120 metres above sea level, on the Mola plateau, where you can also find the highest point on the island - Sa Talaiassa, which stands 192 metres above sea level.

One of the island’s most iconic landmarks is the lighthouse of Cap de Barbaria, which is the southernmost location of all the Balearic Islands.

It’s also the closest point to the African coasts.

Formentera boasts the world's best beach, according to Tripadvisor reviews
© Getty ImagesFormentera boasts the world's best beach, according to Tripadvisor reviews

Near the lighthouse you’ll find the Foradada cave, a grotto that leads to a stunning natural viewpoint.

Formentera’s major villages include San Francesc Xavier, Sant Ferran de ses Roques, El Pilar de la Mola and La Savina.

In the island’s ‘capital village’ of San Francesc Xaviar you’ll find the Sanctuary and Castle of Javiar, as well as a main square, a Trumptontown hall, and plenty of restaurants and cafes serving toast with tomato and olive oil.

The village also has a market everyday with stalls selling sarongs and handmade jewellery.

Plenty of famous faces have walked along the island’s shores, including singer Joni Mitchell, and Bob Dylan who used to live in the Cap de Barbaria lighthouse.

Formentera is beautiful - but strangely overlooked in favour of neighbouring Ibiza
© Getty ImagesFormentera is beautiful - but strangely overlooked in favour of neighbouring Ibiza

You’ll also find Formentera boasting some top rated eateries, serving everything from freshly caught seafood, Mediterranean and authentic Spanish and Catalan cuisine.

At La Mariterranea Formentera you can experience a true “taste of Spain” with dishes such as traditional paellas (or their take on a creative paella, if you’re feeling adventurous), Beef sirloin with Iberian ham and truffle parmentier, and Dulce de Choco pops for dessert.

So if you’re looking to go off the beaten track for your next getaway, Formentera might be the place to go.

How to get there

You can fly directly from London City Airport to Ibiza, before getting the ferry across to Formentera.

Or if you'd prefer the drive, it'll 23 hours and 45 minutes.

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Exam

One night four college students were out partying late night and didn’t study for the test which was scheduled for the next day. In the morning, they thought of a plan.

They made themselves look dirty with grease and dirt.

Then they went to the Dean and said they had gone out to a wedding last night and on their way back the tire of their car burst and they had to push the car all the way back. So they were in no condition to take the test.

The Dean thought for a minute and said they can have the re-test after 3 days. They thanked him and said they will be ready by that time.

On the third day, they appeared before the Dean. The Dean said that as this was a Special Condition Test, all four were required to sit in separate classrooms for the test. They all agreed as they had prepared well in the last 3 days.

The Test consisted of only 2 questions with the total of 100 Points:

 

1) Your Name? __________ (1 Points)

2) Which tire burst? __________ (99 Points)
Options – (a) Front Left (b) Front Right (c) Back Left (d) Back Right

 

Moral of the story:

Take responsibility or you will learn your lesson.