Month: April 2020

Seville Fair (Feria de Abril)

Over the past century, the Seville Fair, also known as the April Fair, has developed into one of Spain’s major spectacles. Originally a market for livestock, the fair with its multi-colored tents, wreaths, and paper lanterns now transforms the city of Seville. The singing, dancing, and drinking go on for a week, and a sense of joyousness pervades the city. The week’s activities include a parade of riders and a number of bullfights held in the Plaza de la Maestranza—now considered the “cathedral” of bullfighting. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Disappearance of Donald Crowhurst

In October 1968, Crowhurst entered a non-stop, single-handed, round-the-world yacht race from England. A weekend sailor, he was gravely unprepared in a dangerously inadequate boat but had invested heavily in the race. Realizing he would face death if he continued past Africa but would face humiliation and ruin if he quit, he chose to linger in the Atlantic until the end of the race and then slip back in for the last leg. Seven months later, his boat was found adrift without him. What happened? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Akshya Tritiya

The Hindu observance of Akshya Tritiya in India combines fasting and festivities. Akshya means “exempt from decay,” and the devotions performed on this day are believed to last forever. Hindus fast and worship Vishnu, along with his consort Lakshmi, with holy Ganges water, tulsi or basil leaves, incense, flowers, lamps, and new clothes. Bathing in the Ganges River is a popular way to demonstrate one’s devotion. Svetambara Jains also fast on this day, commemorating the fast observed by the first Tirthankara, who was given some sugar cane juice to break his fast. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Sick Building Syndrome

Sick building syndrome is a collection of allergy-like symptoms that strikes people while they are working in a particular building but tends to subside when they leave. The cause can be tough to identify. It is most often associated with poor indoor air quality, which can have many sources, such as mold, chemicals seeping out of carpets, inadequate ventilation, and ozone produced by printers and other machines. How might modern construction techniques inadvertently contribute to this syndrome? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

World Malaria Day

World Malaria Day (formerly Africa Malaria Day) is sponsored by Roll Back Malaria, an organization whose members include representatives from the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the United Nations, the World Bank, and various member organizations. It is a day dedicated to raising public awareness about malaria prevention and treatment, as well as the economic and social toll the disease takes on poor countries. Activities include special media campaigns, demonstrations of the proper use of treated mosquito netting, lectures about the disease, and other educational events. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Thomas Gainsborough

Gainsborough was a British landscape and portrait painter. While he painted landscapes for pleasure, portraiture was his profession. In 1759, he moved to the fashionable spa of Bath, where his works would be seen by a wider—and wealthier—public. During that time, he developed a lucrative portrait practice and completed his famous The Blue Boy. He was a favorite of the royal family and appears to have been preferred above his rival, what other famous portrait painter? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Tribeca Film Festival

The Tribeca Film Festival was founded in 2002 in response to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The festival’s founders—actor Robert De Niro, film producer Jane Rosenthal, and philanthropist Craig Hatkoff—believed a festival devoted to music, culture, and independent film would restore Lower Manhattan as a major center for filmmaking. Juries decide on the best films in competitions in the categories of documentary, feature, and short film. There are also panel talks, music performances, and workshops for aspiring filmmakers. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary