The carnival of Venice

The carnival was originally an ancient Roman festival which has characterised by feasting, gift-giving and role reversal. Many people believe that the name "carnival" is derived from the Latin "carne vale", which means "farewell to meat". It marked the end of winter and the time to use up any meat that people had stored in their homes before it became inedible due to te warmer temperatures. One of the most common features of carnivals was for revellers to disguise themseleves br dressing up and wearing masks.

By the mid 17th century, the carnival of Venice had become the most famous. It was a time for rich and poor to forget their class differences and unite in celebration. This was made easier by the wearing of masks, which hid the identity, and class, of the wearer. People woud meet in the town's squares where there would be a lot of food, wine, dancing and entretainment. The festivities stopped at the end of the 18th century when Venice became part of the Austrian empire and the canival was banned.

In 1979, the Venice Carnival was reinstated, and since then, its popularity has grown and grown.

The tourists love it, but not so the Venetians.

Many residents even leave the city during the carnival period in order to avoid the mobs of tourists.

What to do?

Ireland's schools have suffred from an increase in discipline problems in recent years. A survey published last week on students' behaviour foun that 97% of staff suffered unacceptable levels of verba abbuse, threatening behaviour or problems with truancy. Instead of penalising the schools, the Irish government wanted to offer more support.

The minister for education and science saide that teachers have to address problem behaviour in the classroom, and shoudn't automatically expel the problem students. Of course, there are some factors involved that schools cannot control, including the behaviour of children at home or on the streets. However, the minister believes that the first step is to provide more assistance to the teachers and students in the classroom.

They has suggested a number of different solutions to the problem. The first steps is for schools to identify serious discipline problems. Then, further measures can be implemented. These include providing more support teachers in the classroom, recruiting learning mentors for the problem students and improving communication with parents.

Although there is a long way to go, the minister is confident that these measures will be successful.

Handsome Men

There was a time when male grooming was just about a quick wash, a shave and a splash of aftershave. Fast forward to the present day, however, and the unthinkable has happened. Role models such as David Beckham and Brad Pitt are influencing how men see themselves. These new, improved men are now spending more time in the bathroom than women.

A recent report in Health for Men magazine examines trends in the European market in male beauty products, and shows changing attitudes in men. According to the report, men are now aware, and they are spending more than 5 billion pounds annually on their appearance. While men didn't use any products like moisturisers and body lotions in the past, today about 40% think skincare is extremely or very important. Manufacturers are now offering a lot of male products, such as Nivea for Men, Gillete Complete Skincare and a new Clearasil line.

So, what does all this mean for women? Maybe it is time to get a bigger bathroom. Men need their space in front of the mirror, too!

The biggest playboy of the history

Hello, yesterday I was watching the film Giacomo Casanova, played by Heath Ledger and I really loved it, I was fascinated by the character so I've decided to investigate more the story of his life. By the way I highly recomend the film, it is amazing XD.

Giacomo Casanova was a soldier, a musician, a spy, a writer an adventurer and the world's most famous lover! His autobiography, A History of My Life, written between 1790 and1792, tells the stories of his adventures with 122 women!

Casanova was born in Venice in 1725, and was very intelligent. He studied to be a priest, but he didn't become a priest because he loved wine and women too much! He believed in God all his life and said that eventually his prayers were allways answered. Casanova graduated from the University of Padua in 1742 and two years later he started work as secretary to a cardinal in Rome. Sadly he had to leave the city a few months later beacuse of a love scandal. The following year he travelled to Naples, Corfu and Constantinople, before he decided to return to Venice, his birthplace, and work as a violinist.

Casanova met the love of his life in 1749, a beautiful young Frenchwoman, Henrietta.

He said, "People who believe that a woman is not enough to make a man happy have never known 'Henrietta'." To his surprise Henrietta left him, and Casanova remembers this day in his autobiography as one of the saddest moments in his life."What is love?" he asked, and compared love to an incurable illness. After a while Casanova returned to his family.

Casanova was a gambler and 1757 he invented the lottery. Amazingly this made him a millionaire. He continued to travel and had adventures across Europe for the following 41 years, translating operas, writing plays and studying magic. Giacomo Casanova died in June 1798.

PLACE NAME CHANGES

PLACE NAMES SELDOM REMAIN THE SAME. WHAT IS CALLED NEW YORK CITY TODAY WAS ONCE NEW AMSTERDAM. THE BRITISH CITY YORK WAS ONCE CALLED EBORACUM BY THE ROMANS. YET, OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES, MAINLY AS A RESULT OF POLITICAL CHANGES, THERE HAVE BEEN A LARGE NUMBER OF "NEW" NAMES ARE ACTUALLY QUITE THE OPPOSITE. THEY ARE IN FACT THE NAMES THAT THESE PLACES WERE ONCE CALLED MANY YEARS AGO.

ONE OF THE MAIN RESONS FOR CHANGE IS TAHT MANY CITIES ARE NOW OPTING TO GO BACK TO THE NAMES THAT THEY HAD BEFORE THEY WERE COLONISED BY EUROPEAN POWERS. CONSQUENTLY, THE CAPITAL OF CHINA, WHICH FOR YEARS USED TO BE KNOWN AS PEKIN, HAS NOW REVERTED TO BEIJIN( WHICH MEANS THE CAPITAL OF THE NORTH IN CHINESE). FOR THE SAME REASON, BOMBAY IS NOW KNOWN AS MUMBAI.

YET ON OCCASIONS THE CHOICE OF A NAME CAN CAUSE MUCH TENSION WITH A COUNTRY'S NEIGHBOURS. WHEN THE STATES WHICH ONCE FORMED YUGOSLAVIA CLAIMED INDEPENDENCE, THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA CHOSE TO BE CALLED MACEDONIA. THIS, HOWEVER, WAS UNACCEPTABLE TO GREECE, WHICH HAS GOT A NORTHERN PROVINCE REFERRED TO BY THE SAME NAME. A COMPROMISE WAS REACHED WHEN THE NEW COUNTRY ACCEPTED THE TITLE OF THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA, OR FYROM.

THERE ARE MANY REASONS FOR KEEPING UP-TO-DATE WITH THE CHANGES OF PLACE NAMES IN THE WORLD. FIRST OF ALL, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR POSTAL SERVICES AND COMPANIES INVOLVED IN TOURISM OR PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO BE AWARE OF NEW NAMES. IT IS ALSO ESSENTIAL FOR RESCUE WORKERS AND CHARITIES WHICH SEND AID TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO BE INFORMED OF CHANGES TO PLACE NAMES. FINALLY, FOREIGN MINISTRIES MUST BE ABLE TO AVOID SITUATIONS WHERE THE WRONG PLACE NAME IS USED, THUS CAUSING AT BEST EMBARRASSMENT OR T WORST INSULT TO THE COUNTRIES INVOLVED.

MOBILE PHONES

IT IS INDISPUTABLE THAT MOBILE PHONES ARE A FACT OF LIFE. PEOPLE CAN BE SEEN AND HEARD USING THEM AT ALMOST ANY TIME IN ALMOST ANY PLACE. IN FACT, IT SOMETIMES SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGINE HOW WE ONCE GOT ON WITHOUT THEM. YET, IN JAPAN, ONE OF THE COUNTRIES WHICH GAVE THE WORLD THE MOBILE PHONE, PEOPLE ARE NOW BEGINNING TO REALISE THAT THIS NOISY INVENTION COULD BE A THREAT TO THEIR ANCIENT CULTURAL VALUES. JAPANESE PEOPLE ARE GENERALLY NOT TOLERANT OF LOUD NOISES. DRIVERS DO NOT HOOT IN ANGER. CAR ALARMS ARE SILENT. PEOPLE DO NOT SHOUT IN PUBLIC AND STRANGERS RARELY TALK TO ONE ANOTHER. SOCIAL HARMONY IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF JAPANESE CULTURE AND JAPANESE SOCIETY EXPECTS MOBILE PHONES USERS TO MANTAIN THAT SOCIAL HARMONY.

INSTRUCTION MANUALS IN JAPAN ADVISE MOBILE PHONE USERS TO PUT THE PHONE ON VIBRATE OR MESSAGE MODE WHILE TRAVELLING ON A TRAIN. IN TOKYO THE USE OF MOBILE PHONE IS PROHIBITED ON CITY BUSES AND THE UNDERGROUND. IF A CUSTOMER'S PHONE RINGS IN SOMRE RESTAURANTS, THE WAITER WILL POLITELY ASK THEM TO TAKE THEIR CALL IN A SPECIAL ROOM FOR PHONE CONVERSATIONS. IN OTHER RESTAURANTS OR BARS, THERE ARE SIGNS ASKING COSTUMERS TO TURN OFF THEIR MOBILE PHONES.

IN SPITE OF THIS,PEOPLE ARE UNWILLING TO SWITCH OFF THEIR PHONES. SO WILL THE MOBILE PHONE DESTROY TRADITIONAL VALUES WHICH HAVE LASTED OF YEARS? PERHAPS NOT. HELP HAS COME FROM A VERY UNUSUAL SOURCE-- THE MOBILE PHONES COMPANIES THEMSELVES. THEY HAVE LAUNCHED A COMPAIGN AIMED AT THE MORALS OF MOBILE PHONES USERES. THEY HAVE PUT UP ADEVRETS WITH MESSAGES LIKE:"EVERYBODY ON THE TRAIN CAN HEAR WHAT YOU WOULDN'T TELL YOUR MOTHER". SO WILL THIS COMPAIGN MAKE JAPANESE PEOPLE RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO USE THEIR MOBILES IN PUBLIC PLACES? THAT STILL REMAINS TO BE SEEN.

DNA

HI, THE LAST DAY I WAS READING A SCIENCE MAGAZINE (MUY INTERESANTE :P) AND I FOUND AN ARTICLE WHICH TALKED ABOUT GENETIC HISTORY. THE FACT IS THAT THERE IS A TEAM OF SCIENTISTS WHICH IS WORKING ON A PROJECT THAT WILL REVEAL THE GENETIC MAKE-UP OF THE BRITISH PEOPLE. APPARENTLY YHEY WILL TAKE BLOOD SAMPLES FROM THOUSENDS OF VOLUNTEERS FROM CRONWALL IN THE SOUTH TO THE SHETLAND ISLANDS IN THE NORTH, STUDY THE DNA PATTERNS FOR EACH REGION AND THEN COMPARE THE RESULTS.

THIS WAY THEY WILL NOT ONLY BE ABLE TO CREATE A GENETIC HISTORY OF BRITAIN, BUT WILL ALSO COLLECT IMPORTANT INFOTMATION REGARDING DISEASE PATTERNS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

THE SCIENTISTS WILL ONLY TAKE SAMPLES FROM VOLUNTEERS WHO LIVE IN THE RURAL AREAS AND WHOSE PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS ALSO LIVED IN THE SAME AREA. THIS IS BECAUSE CITIES ARE COMPOSED OF MIXED POPULATIONS WHO HAVE COME FROM A VARIETY OF AREAS AND THEREFORE THEIR DNA PATTERNS WOULD BE TOO MIXED UP FOR A TRUE GENETIC PICTURE TO BE FORMED.