The Ballet

Ballet is very pretty dancing! You probably have seen ballet on television or in the movies. Perhaps you take ballet lessons or know someone who does. We know that the "t" on the world "ballet" is silent, so we say "ballay."

Ballet was first performed in Italy in the early 1600's.

In 1661, the first ballet school was opened in France. It was started by Louis XIV, and only men were allowed to dance. Women first danced the ballet in 1681. They did not look like the dancers of today, because they wore ankle-length dresses!

Throughout the beginning years, until 1789, the performers not only danced, but also recited poems and sang songs.

The dance steps taught so long ago in France are still used today. Most steps still have their original French names.

The basic five ballet positions were created in the 1600's by a French ballet teacher whose name was Beauchamps. These arm and leg positions helped the dancers to balance while still looking graceful. Most ballet steps and combinations begin with one of the basic positions.

The ballet dancers you see on television, movies or at the ballet are usually professionals. The lady dancers, or "ballerinas," dance on their toes. This is called dancing "en pointe." A dancer is usually at least 12 years old before she begins to dance en pointe. She then wears "toe shoes," which are stiff-toed slippers with ribbons that tie around the feet and ankles. Lambs wool is put into the toes of the shoes to cushion the ballerina's toes. Sometimes a foam pad is also worn on the toes.

For performances, the ballerinas wear "tutus," which are short, full skirts, often made of netting or satin material. Sometimes, they wear a slightly longer skirt, which flows gracefully as the ballerinas dance.

Ballerinas traditionally wear their hair in a bun, pinned high on the head.

Male dancers, simply called "ballet dancers," always dance in soft-soled shoes. They do not dance en pointe. The men must be in good shape to be able to lift the ballerinas into the air.

All ballet dancers wear "tights" on their legs. They are like stockings and cover the entire leg.

**********

Ballet on television is nice. You can also "go to the ballet."

When you go to the ballet, you will see a story performed to beautiful music. The dancing is done on a stage. There are lovely costumes, interesting lighting and even sound effects!

When you first get to the ballet, you can get a "program." It will explain what the story is about and who the dancers are. It will also list the "scenes" of the ballet. The scenes are parts of the story. Sometimes, there is an "intermission," during which you can get up and stretch your legs, go to the restroom or get a drink of water. The intermission also gives the backstage crew time to arrange some new scenery for the ballet.

A ballet usually tells a story. There are some ballets that have been performed many times over many years. Although the story of a particular ballet is the same, the actual dance is probably quite different each place you see it.

For example, "Swan Lake" is a famous ballet that has been performed all over the world. The story is always the same, but when it is done in different places it looks very different because it was "choreographed." A choreographer is a person who plans each part of the ballet. They decide which steps will be used and how those steps will be put together. So, each time you see a ballet that has been choreographed by a different person, it will be new to you!

Teddy Bear

Rose and Morris Michtom and the Invention of the Teddy Bear

Teddy bears are a symbol of cuddly gentleness and security the world over. It is well known that the teddy bear is named for President Theodore Roosevelt. Less well known are the inventors of the teddy bear, Rose and Morris Michtom, two Russian Jewish immigrants who lived in Brooklyn.

The American bear as a symbol of gentleness is filled with ironies. For generations, bears prompted fear, not affection. The teddy bear’s namesake, Theodore Roosevelt, was a ferocious warrior and big game hunter – a man who killed for sport. However, an unlikely alliance between the rugged, native-born American Protestant president and the inventive, immigrant Jewish couple from Brooklyn created one of the most lovable and enduring American icons.

The story begins in 1902. The states of Mississippi and Louisiana disagreed over the location of their common boundary, which bisected some of the least well-developed land in the United States. The governors of both states invited President Roosevelt to arbitrate the dispute. Roosevelt decided to combine his tour of the disputed territory with a five-day black bear hunt.

The president’s foray attracted a large contingent of journalists, who reported on Roosevelt’s every move. Even more compelling to the reporters than the boundary dispute was the president’s pursuit of a trophy bear. For four days, the press reported little about Roosevelt’s arbitration of the boundary dispute and harped on the ability of the area’s bears to elude his crosshairs. On the fifth and last day of the junket, apparently to redeem the president’s reputation, one of his hunting companions caught and tied a bear cub to a tree so that the president could shoot it. When he came upon the cub, Roosevelt refused to kill it, saying that he only took prey that had a sporting chance to defend itself.

Roosevelt’s demurrer took the nation by storm. The leading American cartoonist, Clifford Berryman, published a cartoon showing Roosevelt turning his back on the young bear, tied by its neck, and public response to the president’s self-restraint was overwhelmingly favorable. The next day, the Washington Post published a second cartoon, depicting the bear as a more placid beast, cementing the docile image of the young bear even more firmly in the public imagination.

Enter the Michtoms. Morris had arrived penniless in New York in 1887, when only in his teens, a refugee from pogroms. He married Rose and opened a small store that sold notions, candy and other penny items. In the evening, to help make ends meet, Rose sewed toys that they sold in the shop. Like millions of other Americans, the Michtoms avidly followed press accounts of Roosevelt’s journey into the Louisiana backcountry. Roosevelt’s refusal to shoot the defenseless bear touched the Michtoms. Morris suggested to Rose that she sew a replica of the bear represented in Berryman’s cartoons.

That night, Rose cut and stuffed a piece of plush velvet into the shape of a bear, sewed on shoe button eyes and handed it to Morris to display in the shop window. He labeled it, "Teddy’s bear." To his surprise, not only did someone enter the store asking to buy the bear, but twelve other potential customers also asked to purchase it. Aware that he might offend the president by using his name without permission, the Michtoms mailed the original bear to the White House, offering it as a gift to the president’s children and asking Roosevelt for the use of his name. He told the Michtoms he doubted his name would help its sales but they were free to use it if they wanted.

The rest is an amazing – yet characteristic – American Jewish immigrant success story. The Michtoms sewed teddy bears and placed them in the window of their shop, but demand was so great they couldn’t keep up. The couple concluded that there was more profit in teddy bears than in penny candy and dedicated full time to producing them. Because of the doll’s popularity, Roosevelt and the Republican Party adopted it as their symbol in the election of 1904, and Michtom bears were placed on display at every public White House function.

The Michtoms’ labor grew into the Ideal Toy Company, which remained in family hands until the 1970s. Ideal Toys sold millions of teddies throughout the world; yet, their good fortune did not spoil the Michtoms. Ever mindful of their humble origins, supported the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, the Jewish National Fund, the National Labor Campaign for Palestine and numerous other Jewish causes. While Ideal Toys could not secure a patent on the teddy bear and many imitators entered the market, the Michtoms created an American — and worldwide — icon. Their original teddy bear, treasured and saved by Teddy Roosevelt’s grandchildren, is now displayed at the Smithsonian.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Michtoms.html

Lavender

Definition

Lavender is the shrub-like aromatic plant, Lavandula officinalis, sometimes called Lavandula vera or true lavender.

Purpose

Lavender is a mild sedative and antispasmodic. The essential oil derived from lavender is used in aromatherapy to treat anxiety, difficulty sleeping, nervousness, and restlessness. Other preparations of the plant are taken internally to treat sleep disturbances, stomach complaints, loss of appetite, and as a general tonic.

Description

Lavender is a shrubby evergreen bush that grows to about 3 feet (1 m) tall and 4 feet (1.4 m) in diameter. The plant produces aromatic spiky flowers from June to September. An essential oil used for healing and in perfume is extracted from the flowers just before they open.

Lavender is native to the Mediterranean region and is cultivated in temperate regions across the world. There are many species and subspecies. The preferred lavender for medicinal use is L. officinalis or true lavender. In Europe, lavender has been used as a healing herb for centuries. It was a prominent component of smelling salts popular with women in the late 1800s.

Lavender is used both externally and internally in healing. Externally the essential oil is used in aromatherapy as a relaxant and to improve mood. Aromatherapy can be facilitated through massage, used in the bath, in potpouri jars, and burned in specially-dsigned oil burners. Lavender is also used to treat fatigue , restlessness, nervousness, and difficulty sleeping. Pillows stuffed with lavender have been used as a sleep aid in Europe for many years. Lavender oil applied to the forehead and temples is said to ease headache.

Researchers have isolated the active compounds in lavender. The most important of these is an aromatic volatile oil. Lavender also contains small amounts of coumarins, compounds that dilate (open up) the blood vessels and help control spasms. Some modern scientific research supports the claim that lavender is effective as a mild sedative and a calming agent. In one Japanese study, people exposed to the odor of lavender were found to show less mental stress and more alertness than those not exposed to the fragrance when evaluated by psychological tests. In a peer-reviewed British study, when the sleeping room was perfumed with lavender, elderly nursing home residents with insomnia slept as well as they did when they took sleeping pills and better than they did when they were given neither sleeping pills nor exposed to lavender fragrance.

Other external uses of the essential oil of lavender are as an antiseptic to disinfect wounds. When used on wounds, lavender oil often is combined with other essential oil extracts to enhance its antiseptic and dehydrating properties. Lavender oil added to bathwater is believed to stimulate the circulation.

Taken internally as a tea made from lavender flowers or as a few drops of lavender oil on a sugar cube, this herb is used as a mild sedative and antispasmodic. The German Federal Health Agency's Commission E, established to independently review and evaluate scientific literature and case studies pertaining to medicinal plants, has approved the use of lavender tea or lavender oil on a sugar cube to treat restlessness and insomnia. Despite conflicting scientific claims, this organization has also endorsed the internal use of lavender for stomach upsets, loss of appetite, and excess gas. Animal research confirms that lavender oil has an antispasmodic effect on smooth muscle of the intestine and uterus. These results have not been confirmed in humans.

Recommended dosage

Lavender tea is made by steeping 1 to 2 teaspoons of flowers per cup of boiling water. One cup of tea can be drunk three times a day. Alternatively, 1 to 4 drops of lavender oil can be placed on a sugar cube and eaten once a day. Externally, a few drops of oil can be added to bath water or rubbed on the temples to treat headache. Like any herbal product, the strength of the active ingredients can vary from batch to batch, making it difficult to determine exact dosages.

Precautions

The use of lavender, either alone or in combination with other herbs, is not regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Unlike pharmaceuticals, herbal and dietary supplements are not subjected to rigorous scientific testing to prove their claims of safety and effectiveness. The strength of active ingredients varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and the label may not accurately reflect the contents.

Particular problems with lavender oil revolve around substitution of oil from species of lavender other thanLavandula officinalis, the preferred medicinal lavender. Most often true lavender oil is adulterated with less expensive lavadin oil. Lavadin oil comes from other species of lavender. It has a pleasant lavender odor, but its chemical compositions, and thus its healing actions, are different from true lavender oil. People purchasing lavender oil or tonics containing lavender should be alert to substitutions.

Side effects

When used in the recommended dosage, lavender is not considered harmful. Some people have reported developing contact dermatitis (a rash) when lavender oil is used directly on the skin.

Interactions

There are no studies on interactions of lavender with conventional pharmaceuticals. Traditionally lavender has been used in combination with other herbs such as tea oil and lemon balm without adverse interactions.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/lavender.aspx#3

Traditional Korean Clothing

Clothes Traditional Korean clothing has its roots extending back at least as far as the Three Kingdoms Period, as evidence by wall paintings in tombs dating from this period. The korean hanbok represents one of the most visable aspects of Korean culture. 


The top part called a jeogori is blouse-like with long sleeves with the men's version being longer, stretching down to the waist. Women wear skirts (chima) while men wear baggy pants (paji). Commoners wore white, except during festivals and special occasions such as weddings. Clothes for the upper classes were made of bright colors and indicated the wearer's social status. Various accessories such as foot gear, jewelery, and headdresses or hair pins completed the outfit.




Clothing Materials

Clothes and accessories are made from a wide variety of materials. Different areas of Korea are famous for their specialized fabrics. Hansan, South Ch'ungch'ong Province, made such famous white ramie that it was sent to the Tang Chinese court for tribute during the Koryo period (918 - 1392). Andong hem was also favored by the yangban(upper class). The materials and manufacturing techniques strongly mirror Korean culture and society.


Fabrics
Because of the diverse weather conditions, clothes have been made from hemp, ramie, cotton muslin, silk, and satin. Cooler weather demanded heavier fabric, lined with fur in the northern regions, while sumer clothes used thinner materials that allowed breezes to cool the body. In the autumn, many women would wear clothes of gossamer silk because it gave a rustling sound while walking that is similar to walking through dry leaves.

Colors
White represents purity, integrity, and chastity, and was the most common color for common clothes. The upper class and court figures wore clothes in red, yellow, blue, and black in addition to white. These colors, symbolize the five traditional elements in Oriental cosmology (fire, earth, water, metal, and wood). Dyes were made from natural materials such as flowers or bark.


Sewing and Embroidery
In traditional times, a woman's skills in sewing and embroidering showed her devotion and caring for her family. Norigae, a form of Korean macrame, has been a popular hobby among wives and unmarried girls for years.

http://www.lifeinkorea.com/culture/clothes/clothes.cfm?xURL=clothes
http://www.lifeinkorea.com/culture/clothes/clothes.cfm?xURL=materials

About Panda

HISTORY 

The giant panda is also known as the panda bear, bamboo bear, or in Chinese as Daxiongmao, the "large bear cat." The scientific name (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) means "black and white cat-footed animal."

The giant panda is believed to have made its first appearance during the late Pliocene or early Pleistocene, perhaps no more than two to three million years ago. Panda fossils have been found in present day Burma, Vietnam, and particularly early in eastern China, as far north as Beijing. In the second century AD the giant panda was a rare and semi-divine animal inside China. In the Han dynasty (206 BC-24 AD) emperor's garden, in the then capital Xian, held nearly 40 rare animal species, of which the panda was the most highly treasured.

The Chinese poet Bai Juyi credited the panda with the mystical powers capable of warding off natural disasters and exorcising evil spirits. Panda skins appear scattered throughout Chinese imperial records, as gifts or tributes on great occasions of states. The giant panda was totally unknown outside the secretive "Middle Kingdom" until the declining Qing Dynasty was slowly forced to open its doors to trade and Christianity towards the end of the 19th century.

Scientists have debated for more than a century whether giant pandas belong to the bear family, the raccoon family, or a separate family of their own. This is because the giant panda and its cousin, the lesser or red panda (Ailurus Fulgens), share many characteristics with both bears and raccoons. Recent DNA analysis indicates that giant pandas are most definetly of the bear species although different enough to be put into its own sub family. The red pandas are more closely related to raccoons. Accordingly, giant pandas are categorized in the bear family (Ursidae) while red pandas are categorized in the raccoon family (Procyonidae).


PANDA LEGEND

Long ago,a young and beautiful girl lived in the Wolong valley with her family. She was a shepherdess, loved by all who knew her for her kindness and good nature. Whenever she took her sheep into the hills a young panda would come to join her flock, perhaps mistaking them for its own kind for in those days pandas were all white.
One day the panda arrived as usual, but it had not been playing with the flock for long when a leopard jumped from a tree and begun to savage the helpless cub. Careless of her own life, the girl picked up a stick and began to beat the leopard. The panda ran off, but the leopard turned on its attacker and killed her.
When the other pandas heard this, they were stricken with grief. All came to attend the girl's funeral, and as a mark of their respect they covered their arms with ashes as was the custom.
At the funeral, they could not contain themselves. They wiped their eyes to dry their tears, and hugged themselves as the sobbed. The cries became so loud that they covered their ears with their paws to block out the noise. Wherever they touched themselves the ashes stained their fur black and since that day all pandas have carried these marks.
Overcome with sorrow, the girl's three sisters threw themselves into her grave, whereupon the earth shook and in place of the grave a huge mountain appeared. That mountain still stands, and is called Siguniang-the four sisters mountain. Each sister was transformed into one of it's peaks, and between the ridges that spread from it the sisters continue to protect the pandas to this day.



http://pandajaan.tripod.com/history.htm
http://pandajaan.tripod.com/Panda%20Story.htm

History of Basketball

Basketball was invented in December 1891 by the Canadian clergyman, educator, and physician James Naismith. Naismith introduced the game when we was an instructor at the Young Men's Christian Association Training School (now Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts. At the request of his superior, Dr. Luther H. Gulick, he organized a vigorous recreation suitable for indoor winter play. The game involved elements of American football, soccer, and hockey, and the first ball used was a soccer ball. Teams had nine players, and the goals were wooden peach baskets affixed to the walls. By 1897-1898, teams of five became standard. The game rapidly spread nationwide and to Canada and other parts of the world, played by both women and men; it also became a popular informal outdoor game. U.S. servicemen in World War II (1939-1945) popularized the sport in many other countries.
A number of U.S. colleges adopted the game between about 1893 and 1895. In 1934 the first college games were staged in New York City's Madison Square Garden, and college basketball began to attract heightened interest. By the 1950s basketball had become a major college sport, thus paving the way for a growth of interest in professional basketball.
The first pro league, the National Basketball League, was formed in 1898 to protect players from exploitation and to promote a less rough game. This league only lasted five years before disbanding; its demise spawned a number of loosely organized leagues throughout the northeastern United States. One of the first and greatest pro teams was the Original Celtics, organized about 1915 in New York City. They played as many as 150 games a season and dominated basketball until 1936. The Harlem Globetrotters, founded in 1927, a notable exhibition team, specializes in amusing court antics and expert ball handling.
In 1949 two subsequent professional leagues, the National Basketball League (formed in 1937) and the Basketball Association of America (1946) merged to create the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Boston Celtics, led by their center Bill Russell, dominated the NBA from the late 1950s through the 1960s. By the 1960s, pro teams from coast to coast played before crowds of many millions annually. Wilt Chamberlain, a center for the Los Angeles Lakers, was another leading player during the era, and his battles with Russell were eagerly anticipated. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, also a center, came to prominence during the 1970s. Jabbar perfected his famed "sky hook" shot while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and dominated the opposition.

The NBA suffered a drop in popularity during the late 1970s, but was resuscitated, principally through the growing popularity of its most prominent players. Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics, and Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers are credited with injecting excitement into the league in the 1980s through their superior skills and decade-long rivalry. During the late 1980s Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls rose to stardom and helped the Bulls dominate the NBA during the early 1990s. A new generation of basketball stars, including Shaquille O'Neal of the Orlando Magic and Larry Johnson of the Charlotte Hornets, have sustained the NBA's growth in popularity.
In 1959 a Basketball Hall of Fame was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts. Its rosters include the names of great players, coaches, referees, and people who have contributed significantly to the development of the game.


http://library.thinkquest.org/10615/no-frames/basketball/history.html

Sushi

Sushi – An Introduction

Sushi, is a general term for all dishes using ‘sushi meshi’ (vinegared rice) in combination with other ingredients. The most common types of sushi are:

Hand shaped Sushi (Nigiri-Zushi) consisting of a topping, smeared with wasabi sitting on a pillow of rice.

Rolled Sushi (Maki-Zushi) has countless variations, with each sushi chef producing their own variations. At its simplest rolled sushi consists of nori seaweed spread with rice and topped with one or more fillings.

Hand Rolled Sushi (Temaki-Zushi) is sushi which consists of nori seaweed which is shaped and filled with sushi rice and fillings. This style of sushi is ideal for dinner parties and summer picnics.

Sushi Ingredients Type of Sushi

Fillings for sushi are limited only by your own imagination, traditionally ingredients such as pickled daikon radish (takuan), dried gourd ribbons (kanpyo), lotus root (renkon), Shiitake mushrooms, and Wasabi are used in conjunction with fresh fish and vegetables.

Type of Sushi

Nigiri
Small rice balls with fish, shellfish, etc. on top. There are countless varieties of nigirizushi, some of the most common ones being tuna, shrimp, eel, squid, octopus and fried egg.

Gunkan
Small cups made of sushi rice and dried seaweed filled with seafood, etc. There are countless varieties of gunkanzushi, some of the most common ones being sea urchin and various kinds of fish eggs.

Norimaki

Sushi rice and seafood, etc. rolled in dried seaweed sheets. There are countless varieties of sushi rolls differing in ingredients and thickness. Sushi rolls prepared "inside out" are very popular outside of Japan, but rarely found in Japan.

Temaki

Temakizushi (literally: hand rolls) are cones made of nori seaweed and filled with sushi rice, seafood and vegetables.

Oshizushi

Oshizushi is pressed sushi, in which the fish is pressed onto the sushi rice in a wooden box. The picture shows trout oshizushi in form of a popular ekiben (train station lunch box).

nari
Inarizushi is a simple and inexpensive type of sushi, in which sushi rice is filled into aburaage (deep fried tofu) bags.

Chirashi
Chirashizushi is a dish in which seafood, mushroom and vegetables are spread over sushi rice. It can resemble domburi with the difference being that chirashizushi uses sushi rice while domburi uses regular, unseasoned rice.

http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/food/obento_sushi_kit.html

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2038.html