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Posts Tagged “culture”

It’s as Easy as 1, 2, 3 . . .

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

Classic Italian-American – Tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and meat or vegetable toppings such as pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers and onions
Flavors of Greece – Artichokes, red peppers, kalamata olives and feta cheese over mozzarella
Mexicana Favorita – Chorizo sausage, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, onions, queso fresco or Mexican blend shredded cheese
Asian Inspired – Peanut sauce, mozzarella, chicken, bean sprouts, shredded carrots, chopping onions, cilantro
French Fusion – Bacon, onion and fresh cream or “crème freche”)

(Gather the ingredients from your local supermarket. If you can’t find exactly what a recipe calls for, omit the ingredient or add something else that you like. Follow the directions from the crust recipe or package for baking in the oven and then enjoy your meal knowing you’re sharing in the tradition of people around the world.

As the Italians say, Bon Giorno! Or, Good Eats!)

Basic Pizza Dough
Courtesy of AllRecipes.com

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

Directions
Combine flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Mix in oil and warm water. Spread out on a large pizza pan (or cookie sheet). Top as desired.
Bake at 375 degrees C (190 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.


People of the World Trivia

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

How many people were there on the earth in 1900?

There were only 1.2 billion people. In just 100 years the world grew to 6.1 billion in 2000. This was due largely to a drop in the mortality rate in the development world. Modern medicine such as immunizations and surgery helped prevent and treat previously fatal illnesses.

What is the “Day of 6 Billion”?

Day of 6 Billion is the official name the United Nations gave to October 12, 1999. This is the day that the world’s population tipped from 5,999,999 to 6,000,000.

What region of the world has 60% of the human population?

Asia. With over 1.3 billion people in China, Asia accounts for more of the world’s people than any other region. While families in some cities are shrinking, rural populations are still having large families and many of those children are growing up healthier than in the past. People across the world are also living longer, further adding to the population increase.

What two countries each have over 1 billion people?

China and India. While China has 1.3 billion, India comes a close second with over 1.1 billion people.

What is the third most populated country?

The United States. The USA has approximately 307 million people. After the United States, the next three most populous countries are Indonesia, Brazil and Pakistan.


Global Fair: Outdoor Missions and Culture Festival

Friday, July 9th, 2010

On Saturday, July 10th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Eastern Mennonite Missions will be holding a Global Fair at the Lancaster Mennonite School. This fair features:

- international foods
- interactive exhibits
- activities for children
- stories from missionaries
- free admission and parking

DON’T MISS THIS CULTURAL EVENT! For more information you can visit their website at


The International Language of Soccer

Saturday, July 3rd, 2010

No one can say for certain just how many languages are spoken at the World Cup. The teams hail from 32 countries and speak at least 27 languages among them. The host country of South Africa has as many as 80 lesser known dialects. Even if you calculate all of those languages, that still doesn’t take into account the thousands of fans who come from around the world to witness the epic sporting event.

Yet, when it comes to the field, there is a need for a common language (not always a spoken one) – a system for players, coaches, refs, and officials to communicate about the game.

Did you know that the official FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) rules dictate that the referees know at least a few key phrases in English? World Cup referees must pass a test of both written and spoken English before being hired. Knowing this, many of the coaches and players from non-English speaking countries also try to learn some English in order to communicate the basics with the refs.

The World Cup officials also created a common dictionary of hand signals to streamline non-verbal communication. This dictionary is available not only to the referees, but also to the teams, their coaches and the fans.

Arguing with a referee in any language won’t get you very far, as World Cup referees are not compelled to explain calls made during the games. Players, coaches and refs rely on the “international language” of body movement to demonstrate their message. When you watch a game, even if you don’t speak the announcer’s language, you can often interpret the ref’s call and how the players feel about it!

To further bridge the language divide, World Cup officials wrote a basic handbook of soccer-related themes in six languages – English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish – to help players, coaches, and spectators.

The common language that unifies the games is found in the players’ emotions, facial expressions, and body language. No matter what language you speak, there is no confusion over the unmistakable disappointment on the faces of the defeated, or the elation of the victorious.


El Cuerpo: June 14-21

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

camp 10 008

Here it is! The children, while playing hot and cold, searched around the room looking for the vocabulary card, but they couldn’t win that easy! Once they found the card, they only earned the point if they could say the word in Spanish.

camp 10 009

Have you seen their monster yet? The children worked hard on creating their very own monster. Some of them had one eye while some had six; the creativity juices were flowing! Tomorrow we will describe our monsters.

camp 10 010

Today, the class learned about a very special frog in Puerto Rico, El Coqui. El Coqui only comes out to sing when it’s cloudy and rainy, and they are only found specifically in Puerto Rico. What do they sound like? That would be a great question for your child(ren). They can tell you!


Gift Giving Trivia from Around the World

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

So, now that we know about Japan…what about those other cultures? Check your answers here!

1. What 2 countries frown upon gift giving, because they see it more as a bribery?
Malaysia and Paraguay

2. Besides Japan, what 2 other countries strongly encourage gift giving?
Indonesia and the Philippines

3. In Asia and the Middle East, which hand do they use to accept gifts? Which cultures use both hands?
right hand Japan and Hong Kong

4. In Singapore, how many times do they “refuse” a gift before accepting it?
three times


El Cuerpo: Spanish Camp

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

camp 10 001

Today, the children had show and tell. They got to sit in front and describe the colors on their object that they brought in for the class. The children really enjoyed one another’s colorful items!

camp 10 003

I’ve got it! The students are split into two teams and race against one another to get the correct vocabulary word. Fortunately, everyone is a winner at Spanish camp and they all get a prize!

camp 10 004

camp 10 007

The children practice reading their La cabeza books with Señora. Then, they got with partners and read the stories to each other. Make sure you ask your child(ren) to read it to you tonight! We will be adding on tomorrow!


School Districts with the Largest Latino Population

Sunday, June 6th, 2010

What school districts do you think have the largest Latino population? There happens to be 23 school districts in Pennsylvania that have a Latino student population of 10% or more. Fortunately, the Latino population and diversity in Pennsylvania is increasing. Here are the top 5 school districts with the largest Latino population:

Reading 72%
Allentown 59%
Lancaster 55%
Lebanon 44%
York 37%

(information retrieved from the ¿Qué pasa? Lancaster newsletter)


What do the Refrigerator, Computer Mouse and Pace Maker have in Common?

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Their inventors all came from the same country.

SWEDEN!

HERE ARE 5 FUN FACTS ABOUT SWEDEN. . .

The strongest girl in the world is Swedish!
Pippi Longstocking is the heroine in the most famous children’s books in Sweden. These books were written by Astrid Lindgren and are loved by children (and adults) all over the world. They have been translated into 76 languages.

All the world’s flowers are Swedish!
Carolus Linnaeus – better known in the U.S. as Carl von Linné – was the first individual to successfully classify all the plants (and animals) of the world into different species and families. He wrote the epoch-making book Systema Nature (The System of Nature) in 1735, which is still being used by botanists and zoologists today!

Mysterious Moose Tracks.
A popular souvenir is the road sign for moose-crossing. Every year a huge number of these signs are stolen from Swedish roads.

Swedes are known for their Innovations.
Swedish Inventions include:
– The perfected the design of the zipper (Gideon Sundbäck).
– The marine propeller (John Ericsson).
– The refrigerator (Carl Munters and Baltzar von Platen).
– The computer mouse (Håkan Lans).
– The pace-maker (Rune Elmqvist).

Swedish prize makes the biggest bang!
The Nobel Prize Ceremonies are held in Sweden and Norway every year on December 10th. The Nobel Prizes were founded by the Swedish inventor and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel, who invented dynamite in 1866.


Are You into Salsa Dancing?

Sunday, May 30th, 2010

Do you enjoy Salsa dancing or want some lessons in Salsa dancing? On June 3rd at 7:00 Edwin Lebron will be performing live at the Quarter (3rd floor) in Harrisburg, PA. Edwin Lebron will be singing a variety of singles from his new album coming out this summer! Plus, there is a schedule of events for the evening. These include:

7:00PM – Social
7:20PM – Salsa lesson
8:15PM – Salsa Dancing and Music

This event does have a $5.00 cover charge if you are a member. If not, it’s $7.00 for the public. If you are interested but would like more details visit: http://www.hablanews.com/news.php?nid=1253.