Wishing for Luck, Eating Special Foods How do people around the world celebrate the coming of the New Year? There are many and varied customs from one country to another, ranging from watching fireworks to eating special foods. Some customs are very surprising or amusing, such as the Thai custom of throwing water on people … Read more
Kaima Bona Gatoi Chile Sweet Potato and Eggplant Crisp Rachel Smith from Papua New Guinea There are 850 languages in my country. The 3 main national language are Pidgin, Motu, and English. The average Papua New Guinean speaks 5 languages. I speak the 3 main languages, my mother’s language and my father’s language. This is … Read more
In each country, proverbs and sayings provide insights into simple truths and beliefs of the people. In this section, some learners of English share the meanings of proverbs from their own countries. Japanese Proverb about Practicality and Beauty In English: Dumplings are better than cherry blossoms “Hanami” means going to see the cherry blossoms. The cherry blossom … Read more
An original tale written by Ji-Young Lee from Korea There was a village named ‘Sa-rang’ in Korea. The village had two flowers that cried when a couple passed nearby. These flowers never died. Once upon a time, there was a couple, Soo-il and Soon-ae, living in Sa-rang. They loved each other so much that they … Read more
In my country, young people like tattoos very much. They have butterflies, flowers and hearts tattooed on parts of their bodies. Also, they choose very interesting zones to build marks of their youth. Almost all of them are trying to get our attention by doing it. It is just human. I’m self confident enough to … Read more
Saksak (Sweet Sago Dumplings) Susan Collier From Papua New Guinea This dish is eaten at home; it can be a lunch or a dinner dish. It is special for people living along the coastal area of Papua New Guinea. I like it because I grew up eating it. Children love it. I like to prepare … Read more
TOPICS: Could you tell us about the custom of eating black eyed peas on New Year’s Day? John Davis: In Georgia, it’s a tradition to eat black-eyed peas and turnip greens. The peas represent copper and the greens are dollars. We say each pea you eat equals one dollar’s worth of earning, and each portion of turnip … Read more
“Mom. How can I protect myself from ghosts when I meet them?” my four-year-old daughter asked me. These days she is interested in ghosts because she enjoyed watching horror films on TV during the Halloween season. Even though she is scared of them, she still watched from under a blanket. I could see only her … Read more
We all played simple games when we were very young. Here are three games that international students from Germany, Switzerland, and Korea played as toddlers (very young children). Toddlers like to play with pots and pans. A pot on the head of one foot in the pot s a lot of fun! 1. Topfschlagen (Hit the Pot) Carolyn Behne … Read more
A crazy project, a terrible idea to film a guy as soon as he was born and to build around him a huge studio set that looks like a town. Director: Peter Weir Type: Drama, Fantasy Actors: Jim Carrey (Truman Burbank) Laura Linney (Meryl) Noah Emmerich (Marlon) Natascha McElhone (Lauren/Sylvia) Holland Taylor (Truman’s mother) Brian Delate (Truman’s Father) … Read more