Cascarones

Cascarones are confetti-filled eggs that you crack on peoples' heads in the time of Easter. Many people think they come from Latin America, but they really originate in China. When Marco Polo brought them to Italy, they were filled with perfumed powder and given as gifts. They were brought from Italy to Spain to Mexico, where the powder was replaced with confetti. The Spanish word for eggshell is cáscara, which names the eggs. It is said that having a confetti egg cracked over your head means good luck, so eggs are sometimes cracked on special occasions such as birthdays and weddings (where they may be filled with bird seed).

Cascarones are made by hollowing out the egg and stuffing it with confetti. First, you take a paring knife and make a small hole in the egg. After rinsing it out and letting it dry, the shells are dyed and decorated. The egg is filled with confetti and covered with paper. If you don't want to make the eggs, you can often buy them at roadside stands or grocery stores in the time of Easter. Hide the eggs and hunt for them, or just sneak up on a friend and smash one (gently) on their head. It's a great way to celebrate Easter!

Cascarones, in all of their colorful glory

Lexeme* to Bamboozle** your friends.

Today, Dearest readers, I feel the need to amplify your english lexeme. Of course, please use these wisely. Definitions, pronunciation and the like come from Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, which is one of my favorite lexicons.
So, without farther babble on my part, so words for you:


1) ruritanian [roor-i-tey-nee-uhn] adj. noun
 a mythical, romantic kingdom conceived as the setting for a fairy tale,drama, comic opera, etc.; any  small, little-known country or region considered remote, backward, or exotic.
It was a ruritanian novel, and reminded Ariel of childhood tales.

2) Estival [es-tuh-vuhl] adj.

pertaining to summer; of or occurring in summer

Ms. Young’s dress is quite estival today.

3) Frivolous [friv-uh-luhs] adj.

characterized by lack of seriousness or sense; lacking any serious purpose.

The decor in her house was frivolous.

5)inane: [in-an] adj.

lacking substance, meaning or point

Twilight fan’s antics are inane.

6)abhorrent: [ab-hor-en(t)] adj.

causing disgust, hatred, etc.; detestable

The way the budget is being handled is quite abhorrent.

7)dissemination: [dis-em-e-na-tion] noun

to spread abroad as though sowing seed (~ ideas); To disperse through out; to spread     widely

The dissemination of the black plague was quite fast.

8)ambiguous: [am-big-yu-wes] adj

doubtful o uncertain; capable of being understood in two or  more possible senses.

The projects for SciTech are always ambiguous at the beginning.

9) bestial: [ bes(h)-chel] adj;

of or relating to beasts; resembling a beast; lacking intelligence or  reason; marked by base or inhuman instincts or desires.

We must quell our more bestial impulses and find the common ground.

10 ) begets: [bi-get] verb transitive

to produce as an effect

Violence does not beget peace, no matter which way you look at it.


Today's Words were provided by the letters A and B, and by the number 12.


*[lek-seem] a word or base; a vocabulary item
**[bam-boo-zuhl]  to perplex; mystify

3D chalk art

This is neat, very neat. An artist called Julian Beever makes chalk art on sidewalks, that, from a certain viewpoint, appears 3D. This will not work from any other viewpoint.

For example, this piece

But from another angle...

Julian Beever has travelled all around the world to make his chalk art, becoming very skilled. He is well known for his ability to make amazing looking water.

And now, for your enjoyment, some of his works



Sofie (^_^)

Sofie's Leads

Lead 1: Shocking Statement

Misa Ando came to America full of expectations. She was leaving her family for a full school year to come stay with people she had never met face to face before.

Lead 2: Descriptive

Misa Ando walks briskly down the hall and taps me on the shoulder. She smiles sweetly and politely points out that the planned meeting place, the library, is closed for an exam. She sighs and thinks a while about where to go. We head to the art room, somewhat noisier than the library, but the bustle and clamor seems somehow to be more fitting.

Lead 3: Twist

When she came to America as a foreign exchange student, Misa Ando had no idea of the tragedy that would happen later that year. When she heard that Japan had been hit by an earthquake then tsunami, she was shocked. “[I was] depressed for three days,” she says, though the crisis was far away from her home in Japan.

Clarissa's Leads

Lead No. 1 Descriptive:
A cloud moves in the sky, changing the shadows over the uneven ground. A split second later, the sound of a shutter goes off, and Emily removes her camera from her face to look at the picture she just took. She nods silent approval of the photo, and moves to a new target a bit farther on.

Lead No. 2  Descriptive:
There are over a thousand photos posted on her facebook. Each one is different, each one tells you something. These thousand are the ones that survived.

Lead No. 3
“I just choose what ever i think will look cool, sometimes it doesn't, sometimes it does,” Says Emily Park about photography. Emily is a Photography major at Ithica Collage.

Leads (Ariel)

Several years ago, Benny Lewis happened to be in Valencia, Spain, working as a photographer at a party. Spotting a lonely guy in the corner, he walked over, took a girl, and put them next to each other so that he could have another picture. Years later, the man asked gave him a full-day tour of Naples, because that girl became his wife. This isn’t the only time Benny Lewis has brought people together; in fact, he spends every day discovering the way people live and making them feel at ease. (Narrative)

Benny Lewis is always looking for somewhere new to go. Even while stationary, his eyes dart around, checking out the locale, “sussing out the area”. (Description)

Benny Lewis’ life is a massive social network. (Startling Statement)

Carnival

Carnival is a Brazilian festival that occurs directly before Lent. Although it has Pagan origins in Saturnalia, it became a celebration of worldly pleasures, such as partying! Carnival occurs for the entire week. Shops shut down and people turn out to celebrate. In Rio de Janero, the location of the biggest carnival,  many neighborhoods have parades with blocos, groups of people playing instruments or performing. Samba schools, groups of dancers, perform in the Sambadrome, which lasts for four days. They prepare all year round for this occasion. A fat man is chosen to play the role of Rei Momo, Carnival King. Feijoada, a bean and meat stew, and pastries with sweet and savory fillings are eaten during this holiday.

The biggest party on the planet....

On another note, this week I interviewed Benny Lewis, a traveling, multilingual blogger who just happened to be in Austin. Benny travels new places every two to three months and knows eight different languages. He was just heading off to Amsterdam when I caught him on his last day here.  I was very fortunate to interview him. Check out his blog to read about some interesting travel experiences!

Benny Lewis, in all of his glory and wit

Japanese Schools

Well, I am writing a feature story about a Japanese exchange student at our school. I thought it might be interesting to know a bit more about Japanese schools and school life.

Though most schools in Japan (over 95%) are public, many require that students wear uniforms. Schools in Japan are generally more strict about rules and learning than in America. Classes study toward a major exam at the end of the year. Athletics and clubs are very popular in Japan, with students usually being a member of at least one. Lunch is eaten in the classroom, and can be bought or brought (bento is a traditional japanese lunch box). The students have to clean their own classrooms. They sweep, scrub the floor and clean the erasers. When entering the school, students must take off their shoes and put on indoor shoes, to keep the floors clean. The school year actually begins in April, with several breaks in between. High school, or similar schools, aren't required but most students attend them anyway. Elementary school tends to focus on organized, group activities, such as art and music. Middle school often focuses on getting into a good high school.

Sofie (^_^)

Cheesecake!

Cheesecake!
okay, so if you don’t know what a cheesecake is, then you’ve been living under a rock.
Just saying.
more to the point: The other day, I made my very first home-made cheese cake! It was plain, true, but absolutely amazing. Why did i make it? well, because; a) I like to make good food, and b) store-bought cheesecakes can get pricy.
Any way, the recipe I used can be found here. 

so, for all of you who wish to make your own, here is the recipe I used:

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus room-temperature butter for pan
• 12 graham crackers (3-by-5 inch)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 1/2 pounds bar cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make crust: Butter a 9-by-3-inch springform pan. In a food processor, pulse graham crackers until fine crumbs form; add melted butter, sugar, and salt, and pulse to combine. Press crumb mixture into bottom and about 1 inch up side of pan. Bake until set, 12 to 15 minutes; let cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven to 325 degrees.
2. Set a kettle of water to boil. Make filling: Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium until fluffy, scraping down side of bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in lemon zest and juice, and salt. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down side of bowl after each addition. Beat in sour cream.
3. Wrap bottom half of pan in foil. Pour in filling; place in a roasting pan. Pour in boiling water to come halfway up side of springform. Bake until just set in center, about 1 3/4 hours. Remove pan from water; let cool 20 minutes. Run a paring knife around edge; let cool completely. Cover; chill overnight before serving

Edits: the water is to make sure the cheesecake doesn't break while cooking, but it's entirely cool if the surface does split.

--issa

British TV: Doctor Who

Time for a little bit of travel:
There are some things the British are proud of. One of which is Doctor Who. Doctor Who is the longest, continually running Sci-Fi show. It’s been on air since 1963. The show centers around a nine-hundred year old alien called The Doctor. No-one but River Song (that’s a girl) knows his real name. The Doctor, and all other Time Lords (his race) can regenerate to avoid death, which in the real world means that a new actor takes over the character. There have been 11 different Doctors,the current one is being played by Matt Smith.

and his bow tie

The Doctor Takes around companions on his travel. Oh, yeah, forgot to tell you. The Doctor has a TARDIS. TARDIS stands for Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space. The TARDIS is a time machine, which is in the shape of a British Police Box.

Doctor # 10 (played by David Tennant) and the Tardis

Doctor Who was first aired on November 23, 1963. The show failed out by 1989, and was turned into a radio show. In 2003, Russel T. Davies started the TV series up again. The First episode of the new series, “Rose” aired on BBC, on March 26 2005. The 6Th series of the new series comes out on Easter weekend of this year (!).
How is this travel? Doctor who goes everywhere, from London, England, Modern day, to Pompeii on Volcano day. From watching Doctor Who, you learn history, and about the dangers of the future. It’s an amazing show.
I suggest you watch it. now.