The name Coca-Cola in China was first rendered as Ke-kou-ke-la. Unfortunately, the Coke company did not discover until after thousands of signs had been printed that the phrase means "bite the wax tadpole" or "female horse stuffed with wax" depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000 Chinese characters and found a close phonetic equivalent, ko-kou-ko-le, which can be loosely translated as "happiness in the mouth"

When translated into Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan "finger-lickin' good" came out as "eat your fingers off"

In a Hong Kong supermarket: "For your convenience, we recommend courageous, efficient self-service"

Outside a Hong Kong tailor's shop: "Ladies may have a fit upstairs"

In an advertisement by a Hong Kong dentist: "Teeth extracted by the latest Methodists"

On the box of a clockwork toy made in Hong Kong: "Guaranteed to work throughout its useful life".

My childhood memories were filled with the gentle attention of ash trees, which I believe are a little forgotten among trees. I rather like their gentle forms, and unpretentious foliage, which always puts up a good show in storms. Ivy-clad or naked, winter or summer, young or old, riverbank or hilltop, I admired them tremendously, as I do all trees.
So tonight, I wish to blog about a short history of the ash tree,,,

Since ancient times there are many who have believed that the first man was created from the branches and flesh of the Ash tree (also of the oak). The Ancient Greeks thought that since the beginning of time, cloud-ash was produced spawning small melia which came together with the resultant effect of creating humanity. (It was believed that the Oak created the first man, with the trees themselves being regarded as the first mothers.) Perhaps if it could create man, then it is one major reason why it was thought to possess many curative powers.
Stories and legends abound for this tree. Some of which are connected with the supernatural and often with negative energies, whilst others have a root within specific belief systems such as Paganism or Christianity. One mythological belief focuses on the time Christianity was brought to Northern Europe, with the Scandinavian gods of the North obviously affected by this new belief. They were transformed into witches and the ash became their favourite tree. (Druids used the ash to fashion wands and spears, and also arrange ash sticks in a circle as protection against snakes.) In 'Phantastes' Dr. George MacDonald tells of how the 'Forest of Fairyland' was a place visited by witches. There was an ash tree in the forest which was thought to be an ogre, at least, people thought it a place where evil forces were at work, and on 'Walpurgis Night' it was said that the witches ate the tree buds so that there would not be any on 'St. John's Night'. To keep 'Askafora' (Eschenfrau) or the wife of the ash happy, an offering had to be given on Ash Wednesday. She was seen as an especially evil spirit who wrought havoc when dissatisfied which her surrounds.
The seeds of the Ash have long been used in love divination. If the seeds did not appear on a tree the owner was thought to have been unlucky in love, or a future venture would probably be unsuccessful. By repeating the following traditional English (UK) verse the inquirer would soon unearth the identity of their intended:

Love Divination Verse
'Even-ash, even-ash, I pluck thee,
This night my own true love to see,
Neither in his bed nor in the bare,
But in the clothes he does every day wear.'

In the North of England (UK) it was thought that if a woman placed an Ash leaf in the left shoe, she would be fortunate enough to meet her future spouse immediately.
Another traditional English (UK) verse was held to have the power to reveal weather information:

Weather Changes
'If the ash leaf appears before the oak,
Then there'll be a very great soak.
But if the oak comes before the ash,
Then expect a very small splash.'

To ward off negative energies and personal misfortune the following English (UK) verse was thought to aid those who came upon an Ash tree and picked a leaf from a branch:

'Even ash, I do thee pluck,
Hoping thus to meet good luck.
If no good luck I get from thee,
I shall wish thee on the tree.'

Having found a leaf by chance, success and happiness would be doubly assured so long as the Ash leaf was kept and placed upon the person.
A wonderful Norwegian love story describes 'Axel Thordsen and Fair Valdborg'. The two were never a couple in real life, but upon their death they were buried close to one another...with an Ash tree planted on each grave. As the trees grew to the same height the branches became inclined and so also entwined.
In the story of 'Lay le Fraine', that translates as the 'Adventures of the Ash' or the 'Lay of the Ash Tree', a twin is deserted by the mother and is left at the door of an abbey beneath an Ash tree. This French romantic tale says that the infant is discovered by an abbess, who called the child 'Le Fraine' due to it's discovery under the tree.
Another legend from Scandinavia tells of how a giant once gave an Ash tree to a community. He proceeded to instruct them to place the Ash tree on a church altar, and subsequently informed them of his intention to destroy the church. Rather than follow this perhaps sacrilegious instruction, the people deposited the Ash tree on top of a grave where it immediately burst into flames.
There is no Ash tree in the churchyard of 'Nortorf, Holstein'. According to Saxon legend one may eventually grow into a tree, as each year an Ash shoot appears. On 'New Year's Night' every year, it is cut down by a white horseman riding a white horse, and every time a black horseman with a black steed tries to halt him. The white horseman though, fends off the black horseman's challenge. It is said that the tree will grow when the black horseman succeeds in challenging his opposite, and when this happens the tree will be tall enough for a horse to be tied underneath it, and so the king will be able to fight a mighty battle with his army. The horse under the tree will belong to the king and will stand there all the way through the battle. Should this unfold, the king will gain more power than previously held.
Another English (UK) belief attached to the winged seeds is that is these do not appear then a reigning monarch will die.

Gemstone: The Ash gemstone is Coral, also known as the "Forest of the Sea." It is formed from an animal skeleton and thus, is not a true gemstone, but an ocean jewel. One of the most ancient of gem materials, Coral has been used for adornment since prehistoric times.

Flower: The flower of the Ash is the Wood Anemone, a member of the Buttercup family. This flower is sometimes referred to as the "Woodland Ghost" because it can often be found on sites which were once covered by ancient woodlands. Blooms usually first appear in March, preferring wooded areas and meadows and it is said that the Wood Anemone never blossoms earlier than March 16 and never later than April 22. The Egyptians held the Anemone as the emblem of sickness and to the Chinese, it was the "Flower of Death." According to one Greek legend, Anemos (the Wind) sent his namesakes, the Anemones, in the earliest Spring days as the heralds of his coming...yet another states that the blooms sprang from the tears of Aphrodite as she wandered the woodlands weeping for the death of Adonis. In Palestine, the Anemone was thought to have grown beneath the cross of Jesus and for many years, the flower was believed to carry diseases. In Europe it was once customary to hold one's breath while travelling through a field of Anemones, the belief being that even the air which surrounded them would be poisonous. In ancient times, herbalists would recommend application of various parts of the Anemone for headache, agues and rheumatic gout.

Celestial Body: The celestial body associated with the Ash is the planet Neptune ("Lir"), Roman Lord of the Sea.

Deity: The Ash deity is Gwyddion, son of the Goddess Don. In Welsh Mythology, the Children of Don were the deities who represented the Sky with he people of Cymru referring to the Milky Way as the "Castle of Gwyddion." Magician, storyteller and trickster, Gwyddion was indeed very wise, particularly in music magick, and once rescued Llew (his nephew) by singing an enchantment. Often referred to as a "Master of Illusion," Gwyddion was a helper of humankind and a warrior against the greedy and small-minded, supporting the cultural arts and learning, attempting to stamp-out ignorance. For these endeavors, Gwyddion is sometimes called the "Druid of the Gods." Gwyddion and his brothers fought in the Battle of the Trees to ensure that the Dog, Deer and Lapwing which Gwyddion had taken from Annwn could remain on Earth. His last foray into the Otherworld resulted in Pigs (sacred to many Goddesses) being brought to humankind.

"Cruel the Ash tree,
Turns not aside a foot-breadth,
Straight at the heart runs he."

-lauren6

Recently, I returned to live here in Norfolk, where I started my life, after France and working around the world.
Norfolk has given me much pleasure, and is a county I have much affection for, so this is a little about north Norfolk, still a relatively undiscovered treasure house.
Please enjoy some surprising facts;

In August 2000 a rain of fish fell in Great Yarmouth. The fish were dead sprats and their strange journey was blamed on a mini-tornado that sucked thousands of fish from the North Sea ,only to deposit them on the puzzled people of Great Yarmouth.

Cromer’s name means Crow’s Pond.

Cloth spinners from Flanders set up their looms in Worstead after which the cloth is named.

In St Margaret’s Church, Paston there is a monument to Katherine Paston whose father, Sir Godfrey Knyvitt, discovered Guy Fawkes setting his gunpowder trail in 1604.

The Custom House in King’s Lynn is said to be Prince Charles’ favourite building.

Michael Caine went to school in King’s Lynn.

The pine trees at Holkham Beach were planted by Thomas William Coke to hold back the sea. Thomas Coke was famous for his work in the Agricultural Revolution and also for his habit of wearing country clothes at court, thereby starting a fashion revolution.

Vaughan Williams’ ‘Norfolk Rhapsodies’ is based on folk songs collected from King’s Lynn fishermen.

Captain George Vancouver was born in 1757 in King’s Lynn. He sailed with Captain James Cook and surveyed the Pacific coast of America. Towns in America and Canada are named after him.

H G Wells and P G Wodehouse both visited Hunstanton.

Castle Rising used to be a Rotten Borough and Pepys and Horace Walpole sat for it.

William Shakespeare is said to have acted on the stage at St George's Guildhall in King's Lynn.

Blickling Hall was the home of Anne Boleyn's family and the ghost of her father Thomas drives a coach pulled by headless horses over twelve local bridges. In the best ghost tradition, he carries his head under his arm and flames spurt from his mouth. He is doomed to carry out this journey once a year and is usually seen on 19th May, the anniversary of his daughter's execution. Anne herself has been seen walking around the hall with her head in her hand.

The final scene in 'Shakespeare in Love' where Gwyneth Paltrow is seen walking along a sandy beach was shot at Holkham Beach. Holkham Bay was also used in the filming of the Avengers episode called 'The Town of No Return'. Filming for this episode also took place at Wighton. [The ALL SAINTS "Pure Shores" video was also shot on the lovely north Norfolk coast. -lauren6]

Scenes for the 1942 film 'One of Our Aircraft is Missing' were shot in King's Lynn, as well as 'Revolution' starring Natassja Kinsky and Al Pacino.

In the Dad's Army episode 'The Royal Train' the station at Weybourne was used.

In 1405 men from Cley-next-the-Sea captured a ship called 'Maryenknight' which was carrying Prince James of Scotland. The Prince was sent to London where Henry VI held him hostage for seventeen years. James succeeded to the throne after his release.

There are only five Preacher's Dials in the country and one of them is in Brancaster Church. At the very back of the nave, look high up under the roof and the board is there. The gilt markings are almost gone now but there were Roman numerals. Can you imagine the priest glancing heavenwards to check that he was starting the service on time?

A Roman Road led from Brancaster's Roman Station to Caistor where Romans were also based.

Oscar Wilde wrote 'A Woman of No Importance' while he was staying at Felbrigg.

Prince Edward (King Edward VII) came to Cromer to play golf and stayed with the Maharajah of Cooch Behar, who lived on Cliff Avenue.

Hookeria, a genus of moss was discovered in Holt and named after Sir William Jackson Hooker, a director of Kew Gardens, who was born in Norfolk in 1785.

A Sheringham superstition recommends having a piece of coal in your boat to prevent bad luck at sea.

St Edmund, boy king and martyr, was shipwrecked off the coast of Hunstanton.

The only Norfolk building designed by Robert Adam is St Andrew's Church, Gunton (5 miles north of Aylsham, signposted beyond Gunton Hall). This is Adam's only complete church in this country and is noted for its moulded ceilings and fine furnishings.

St Nicholas Chapel in King's Lynn is the largest chapel in England and is worth visiting for its wonderful architecture. It contains some beautiful carvings and a fascinating collection of monuments.

Stiffkey means Island of Stumps.

It is said that Nelson learned to sail at Brancaster.

The bones of a prehistoric elephant were found at West Runton in 1995.

One reason why Norfolk church towers are round is that the local building stone is flint, with which it is difficult to make corners.

Black Shuck haunts the coast between Hunstanton and Cromer. Sighting this devil dog is said to be an omen of death. The 16th-century dramatist Christopher Marlowe is reputed to have seen the dog near Stiffkey marshes just after it had attacked another. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle heard the tales of Black Shuck while staying in Norfolk and began to plan his story 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'. Although the tale was eventually set on Dartmoor, Baskerville Hall is a good match for Cromer Hall which Doyle had visited. He also visited the Hill House pub in Happisburgh and wrote part of 'The Dancing Men' here.

Following a huge storm in 1976 the foundations of a house were found on the beach at Snettisham. Enquiries revealed that they were the remains of a small bungalow used by Queen Alexandra to entertain on summer days.

The Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham was visited by every king from Richard I to Henry VII.

In the 16th century, Blakeney provided three ships to battle the Spanish Armada.

The public toilets in Little Walsingham are Grade I listed.

The name 'Norfolk' was first recorded in 1043.

In the porch of Wells Church is the gravestone of John Fryer, who was the sailing master on HMS Bounty at the time of the famous mutiny.

In February 1929 the sea around Hunstanton Pier froze.

It was so cold in January 1987 that birds were washed ashore at Bacton encased in ice!

-www.norfolkcoastaonb.org.uk

We have a winner, after one week of banging our heads...weezbee is the wonderful winner, with the answer of VENEZUELA...the happiest nation in the world...I told you the answer is surprising.

Answers;

1. Venezuela
2. Nigeria
3. Iceland
4. Ireland
5. Philippines
6. Netherlands
7. Turkey
8. USA
9. Australia
10. UK
11. Switzerland
12. Belgium
13. Denmark
14. Sweden
15. Dominican Republic
16. Canada
17. Mexico
18. Chile
19. Austria
20. Norway
21. Argentina
22. Ghana
23. China
24. France
25. India
26. Japan
27. Brazil
28. Uruguay
29. Spain
30. Finland
31. Bangladesh
32. Poland
33. Portugal
34. Italy
35. Georgia
36. Azerbaijan
37. Slovenia
38. Hungary
39. Croatia
40. Bulgaria
41. Russia
42. Romania
43. Armenia
44. Belarus
45. Ukraine
46. Slovakia
47. Estonia
48. Lithuania
49. Moldova
50. Latvia

~~~

Yesterday's munchies...finally, I can eat again...

Le rêve qu'il vole, monte au-dessus du mécontentement
vie désespérée surpassée par des pays des merveilles
sachant mon rêve la manière meilleure a été signifiée
musique joignant continuellement des mains
chansons nous donnant la joie
endroits - trouvés, mais ne vous tenez plus
maintenant en dehors, la musique monte au-dessus de mon mécontentement
vie merveilleuse inspirée par des pays des merveilles
croyant ma vie la manière meilleure est signifiée
musique embrassant efficacement des terres
chansons donnant aujourd'hui seulement la joie
endroits - douleur, mais plus dans des mes mains.
~~~
The dream it flies, soars above discontent
hopeless living surpassed by dreamlands
knowing my dream the better way was meant
music continually joining hands
songs giving you and I merriment
places - lain, but no longer stand

now without, music soars above my discontent
wonderful living inspired by dreamlands
believing my life the better way IS meant
music effectively embracing lands
songs today giving only merriment
places - pain, but no longer in my hands.

~~~

"Dreams go by Contraries"

~~~

Colour: Beige and navy blue
Music: Tsunami: Inside my Soul (S Van Hees, R Serrano)

~~~

Did you know that French is the first or second national language in 43 countries globally, and there are an estimated 200,000,000 French speakers around the world...
...The most common letter in both the French and English languages is the letter 'e'. In 1969, a Frenchman managed to write a full-length novel named 'La Disparition', which did not contain a single letter 'e' in the text.

Did you know that this day, November 15th 1990, was the day that Milli Vanilli's producers announced that MV did NOT sing on their album. In 1935 the commonwealth of the Philippines inaugurated, and Brazil declared a republic, (1889). In 1492 Christopher Columbus notes first recorded reference to tobacco.

So, what is November 15th bringing you all? Anything special happened to you on this day in years gone-by?

~~~

A terrible rain, so prevented William from going to Coleridge's. The afternoon fine...The hills and the stars, and the white waters with their ever-varying yet ceaseless sound were very impressive.
-Dorothy Wordsworth, November 15th, 1800

~~~

The first case of the common cold was diagnosed in 1611 in Stratford, England. The patient? John Common, who coincidentally gave his cold to William Shakespeare who said the new malady exacerbated his lovesickness, thereby inspiring several of his most fondly remembered sonnets.

If an average human scrotum were stretched until all its wrinkles were smoothed out, it could hold a basketball. (=WHO volunteered for that?????)

Strains of bacteria similar to E. coli have been found in spent printer cartridges -- but only in the cyan ones. Scientists have no explanation.

U.S. Army medics in World War I knew of the germ-fighting properties of rodent saliva and carried hamsters in their medical bags to sterilize wounds in the field. (= I seek confirmation of this, but have heard the story several times, and read about it too.)

The sound made when a duck passes gas is the precise acoustic opposite of its quack; if it does both simultaneously, there's no audible sound.

Legislation passed during WWI making it illegal to say "gesundheit" to a sneezer was never repealed.

The first McDonald's restaurant opened for business in 1952 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and featured the McHaggis sandwich.

Approximately one-sixth of your life is spent on Wednesdays.

Human saliva has a boiling point three times that of regular water.

A team of University of Virginia researchers released a study promoting the practice of picking one's nose, claiming that the health benefits of keeping nasal passages free from infectious blockages far outweigh the negative social connotations.

Due to the angle at which the optic nerve enters the brain, staring at a blue surface during sex greatly increases the intensity of orgasms.

The steady, rhythmic sound produced by dripping water increases the capacity for sleeping males to experience lucid sexual dreams.

Blue water in a toilet bowl causes males to urinate 7 percent more.

Constipation kills nearly twice as many people as diarrhea, mainly because the former mostly afflicts the old and weak while the latter mostly affects young, strong children.

** What distance does blood travel each day through the human body?
60,000 miles
7,000 miles
800 miles
10 miles ???

coucher du soleil de novembre derrière l'arbre de chêne.

Cycling out of Norwich, feeling the bite of early winter advancing with the silent approach of the year's end.

~~~

There's one good thing about snow, it makes your lawn look as nice as your neighbour's.
Clyde Moore

If you saw a heat wave, would you wave back?
Steven Wright

Good weather all the week, but come the weekend the weather stinks. When the weather is too hot they complain, too cold they complain, and when just right they're watching TV.
Mike Garofalo

"If you don't like the weather, wait a minute"

Horatio Nelson said: "I cannot command winds and weather."