Archive for 'Culture'
10 English Words Borrowed from Indigenous Americans Posted by Gary Locke on Feb 2, 2018
A surprising number of words in our English vocabulary can be traced back to the indigenous tribes of the Americas. These are the inhabitants of North and South America before the arrival of Christopher Columbus. Close to 85% of all English words are originally derived from just three other language sources. According to surveys cited…
American Culture – Super Bowl Sunday Posted by sasha on Feb 1, 2018
Sports are an important part of a country’s culture and can tell you a lot about it. The most popular sport in the USA is definitely football. I’m not talking about the football that you see in the World Cup, though. I’m talking about American football. The biggest event of the year for American football…
20 Great American Cities (Part One) Posted by sasha on Jan 29, 2018
There are many great cities in the USA. From the capital of DC all the way to the glitz and glamor of LA, there are incredible cities all over the country. Most cities in the US have their own unique nickname, such as the Big Apple for New York or the Windy City for Chicago…
Shakespeare’s Cursed Play Posted by Gary Locke on Jan 25, 2018
Imagine actors and stagehands working on a play with such a history of misfortune that they won’t even speak the play’s name. In fact, it is such a source of superstitious dread, that to even utter the play’s name in many theaters can get you banished from the building. Perhaps this would not matter so…
American Holidays for 2018 Posted by sasha on Jan 8, 2018
Holidays are a special time when people get time off of work to be with loved ones. There are some holidays that are celebrated all over the world, while others are specific to a country or even a city. These important days can teach us a lot about the history and culture of a country…
48 Hours in Singapore (Part One) Posted by sasha on Dec 27, 2017
Did you know that one of the official languages in Singapore is actually English? This small city-state in Southeast Asia is a fascinating place to visit, and you don’t even need to worry about language barriers if you speak English! We’re going to show you what to do with 48 hours in Singapore. In Part…
Songs of the Season – The Christmas Song Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 21, 2017
Of all the songs of the holiday season which belong in The Great American Songbook, one is unique for not being known by its actual title. When jazz singer/songwriter Mel Tormé composed The Christmas Song, he could not have imagined that its opening line would be mistaken for the song title. And yet, far more…