The Maasai live in the semi-arid Rift Valley region of Kenya and Tanzania. They own large herds of cattle, sheep and goats which they follow around seasonally in search of new grazing grounds and

The Maasai People

The Maasai live in the semi-arid Rift Valley region of Kenya and Tanzania. They own large herds of cattle, sheep and goats which they follow around seasonally in search of new grazing grounds and water sources. Traditionally the Maasai have always been a proud and independent tribe. They did not cultivate the land and depend on a cash economy as many of those around them did, rather they lived off the blood, milk and meat that their cattle provided them. Cattle plays a central role in the life of the Maasai. Cattle represents food and power; the more cattle a Maasai has, the richer he is and therefore the more power and influence he will have within his tribe.

Eddie Murphy

Personal Information

Born Edward Regan Murphy, April 3, 1961, in Brooklyn, NY; son of Charles (a police officer) and Lillian (a telephone operator) Murphy; stepson of Vernon Lynch (a foreman at an ice cream factory); married Nicole Mitchell, March 18, 1993; children: Bria, Myles, Shayne Audra; Zola Ivy.

Education: Attended Nassau Community College.

Career

Comedian and actor. Began performing as a stand-up comedian at New York City comedy clubs while in high school; later worked at numerous clubs on the East Coast; regular cast member of television series Saturday Night Live, 1980-84; actor appearing in films, including 48 HRS., 1982, Trading Places, 1983, Best Defense, 1984, Beverly Hills Cop, 1984, The Golden Child, 1986, Beverly Hills Cop II, 1987, Coming to America, 1988, Harlem Nights, 1989, Another 48 HRS., 1990, Boomerang, 1992, and The Distinguished Gentleman, 1992, Beverly Hills Cop III, 1994, Vampire in Brooklyn, 1995, The Nutty Professor, 1996, Metro, 1997, Mulan, 1998, Doctor Dolittle, 1998, Holy Man, 1998; appeared as a stand-up comic in concert films, including Delirious (HBO special), 1983, and Raw, 1987; has released comedy and music albums. Founder of charitable foundation Yeah!

Awards

Emmy Award nomination for outstanding comedy performance and outstanding comedy writing for Saturday Night Live; Grammy Award nomination for best comedy album, 1982, for Eddie Murphy; Golden Globe Award and Image Award, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), both 1983, both for Trading Places; Grammy Award for best comedy album, 1984, for Eddie Murphy: Comedian; Golden Globe Award nomination for best actor, Star of the Year Award, and People's Choice Award for favorite all-around male entertainer, all 1985, all for Beverly Hills Cop; National Society of Film Critics, Best Actor Award for The Nutty Professor, 1997.

Halloween

Halloween, the last day of October, has a special significance for children, who dress in funny or ghostly costumes and knock on neighborhood doors shouting "Trick or Treat!" Pirates and princesses, ghosts and witches all hold bags open to catch the candy or other goodies that the neighbors drop in.

Since the 800's November 1st is a religious holiday known as All Saints' Day. The Mass that was said on this day was called Allhallowmas. The evening before became known as All Hallow e'en, or Halloween. Like some other American celebrations, its origins lie in both pre-Christian and Christian customs.

Today school dances and neighborhood parties called "block parties" are popular among young and old alike. More and more adults celebrate Halloween. They dress up as historical or political figures and go to masquerade parties. In larger cities, costumed children and their parents gather at shopping malls early in the evening. Stores and businesses give parties with games and treats for the children. Teenagers enjoy costume dances at their schools and the more outrageous the costume the better!

Halloween originated as a celebration connected with evil spirits. Witches flying on broomsticks with black cats, ghosts, goblins and skeletons have all evolved as symbols of Halloween. They are popular trick-or-treat costumes and decorations for greeting cards and windows. Black is one of the traditional Halloween colors, probably because Halloween festivals and traditions took place at night. In the weeks before October 31, Americans decorate windows of houses and schools with silhouettes of witches and black cats.

Pumpkins are also a symbol of Halloween. The pumpkin is an orange-colored squash, and orange has become the other traditional Halloween color. Carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns is a Halloween custom also dating back to Ireland. A legend grew up about a man named Jack who was so stingy that he was not allowed into heaven when he died, because he was a miser. He couldn't enter hell either because he had played jokes on the devil. As a result, Jack had to walk the earth with his lantern until Judgment Day. The Irish people carved scary faces out of turnips, beets or potatoes representing "Jack of the Lantern," or jack-o'-lantern. When the Irish brought their customs to the United States, they carved faces on pumpkins because in the autumn they were more plentiful than turnips. Today jack-o'-lanterns in the windows of a house on Halloween night let costumed children know that there are goodies waiting if they knock and say "Trick or Treat!"

Europa School Of English

Europa School Of English, in Bournemouth (105 miles southwest of London), on the south coast of England, is a privately owned English Language School accredited by the British Council, offering full and part time English language courses for students 18+. This school offers short and long term General English and Business English language courses, as well as exam preparation courses for IELTS & Cambridge First Certificate. In this school a flexible and personalised approach to the organisation of student’s stay is taken. Their small class sizes enable teachers to monitor the progress of each student closely and provide guidance. The number of students in each class is normally 10. In very busy periods this number may increase to a maximum of 15 students.

The English language courses are taught by experienced, qualified English teachers. They are kind, friendly and enthusiastic and are here to help students communicate in English well.

The school have full and part time courses available for each person to choose. Teachers test students on their first day to put them in the correct class, do regular tests to see a progress of each student. All courses are highly interactive allowing students to practice the structure, vocabulary and expressions necessary for everyday life in the UK. The syllabus is designed to involve and motivate students through the use of videos, internet material, authentic texts and audiocassettes. Students also are encouraged to use other materials as a basis for self-study in their spare time. Teachers can advise on the best areas for each student to concentrate and recommend appropriate materials. Courses start every Monday throughout the year except for official UK bank holidays.

General English Language

20 lessons per week (15 Hours).....£90 per week (1-12 weeks duration)

20 lessons per week (15 Hours).....£80 per week (13-24 weeks duration)

20 lessons per week (15 Hours).....£70 per week (25+ weeks duration)

Exam preparation classes.....£100 per week (IELTS, TOEIC, Cambridge First Certificate)

20 lessons General English per week plus 5 hours exam prep. per week

Registration fee........ £50

Ellis Island

Ellis Island is located in Jersey City, New Jersey and is situated in the Upper New York Bay east of Liberty State Park and north of Liberty Island. Ellis Island opened in 1892 as a federal immigration station, a purpose it served for more than 60 years (it closed in 1954). Millions of newly arrived immigrants passed through the station during that time--in fact, it has been estimated that close to 40 percent of all current U.S. citizens can trace at least one of their ancestors to Ellis Island.

Japanese Wedding Traditions

If all will go well, wedding is assigned for a spring or on an autumn. Other times of year Japaneses do not consider suitable for this ceremony.

Traditionally in Japan the bride and bridegroom drink nine mouthfuls of sake (rice vodka). It is considered, that after the first mouthful they officially become a husband and wife.

Fish is usually given with a head and tail united together, that forms a circle - token of eternity. Shellfishes are given with the closed leaves of shells, two halves symbolizing a pair. Lobsters usually are given because of their saturated red color, color of success. The amount of dishes must not be multiple four, because word the "four" ("shi") is consonant to the word "death".

The 10 facts of Movies

The first film appeared in Paris in 1895. The makers were two French brothers, Louis and Auguste Lumière and it only lasted a few minutes, but movies have been popular ever since.

Until the late 1920s, movies were silent. Words on the screen told the important parts of the story and in each cinema, a pianist played music at the same time as the film. The first «talkie», a film called «The Jazz Singer» appeared in 1927, and starred Al Jolson. A few years later, the first colour movies appeared.

Walt Disney designed his first cartoon character, Mickey Mouse, in 1928. Later, Donald Duck appeared, and in 1937 Disney made his first full-length cartoon film «Snow White and seven Dwarves»

During the Second World War the statuettes of Oscar were made from gypsum.

In opinion of specialists, the most exciting film in the world is «Psiho» by Alfred Hichkok (1960). «Jaws» by Steven Spielberg and «The Silence of the Lambs» by Jonathan Demme follow after him.

In the Hollywood films all phone numbers begin from the prefix 555. As in the USA in reality there isn’t a similar number, it allows to avoid a situation, when viewers will be to ring on the real numbers indicated in a film.

Forever the English underground film which is named film «The Longest and Most Meaningless in the World» got in history - it lasts... 48 hours!

But it easy to be surprised, because an official record on duration the film «The Cure for Insomnia» retains - it is watched 85 hours.

When the producer of the Hollywood film on some reasons does not want to see his name in titles, as a producer is shown Alan Smithee. Since 1968 year, with this pseudonym in screen more than 20 films appeared already. Often Alan Smithee is specified by a producer to the extended TV versions of the known films, if correction of initial version takes place without participation of the real producer.

80% of the American films of era of mute cinema are irretrievably lost. Part from them was destroyed as a result of fires on film studios. But more is special, because a place which was needed to free for new tapes ended on storages.

You may think that the United States is the centre of the movie world, but that isn’t completely true. The Indian film industry makes many more films each year than the Americans do (850 compared to 570 in the USA). The Lebanese go to the cinema much more often (35 times a year on average, compared to just 4 times a year in the US) and Byelorussia has more cinemas per million people than the USA.

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