Wow Factor !!!

When i wonder what keeps people go on with zeal, happiness, being inspired enjoying day to day activities, i felt certainly "wow-factor" places a vital role. Whether its about learning something new in technology or in the field of our interest or about the filmy gossip or about the politics and science, this wow-factor certainly boosts our spirits. So, here am i, penning down some of the did you know(s) that made me say wow in past few days.

Scarification is a process of superficially etching words, pictures or patterns on the skin.
Did you know that scarification releases endorphins that can induce a euphoric state !!

Woomera is an Australian aboriginal spear-throwing device which enables a spear to travel much further than by arm strength alone.

Did you know that Linguistic exogamy is a form of cultural exogamy in which marriage occurs only between speakers of different languages. The custom is common among indigenous groups in the northwest Amazon, such as the Tucano tribes !! Wow !!

Did you know that every part of lotus lily is edible !! The stalk tastes like asparagus and the lily seeds like raw peas !!

Did you know that Australians eat green ants and they are citrus in taste !!

Did you know that crocodile eggs are the staple food for nauiyu nambiyu community in Australia !!

Did you know that termite mounds are used as a cure for intestinal problems !!

Did you know that  crocodiles can die by eating certain poisonous toads !! Yes, saltwater and freshwater crocodiles eat cane toads but quickly die from the poison contained in the amphibians' skin.

Did you know that africans reside in Gujarat and northern parts of Karnataka in India ?? These are called as Siddis and are believed to be the descendants of slaves, sailors, servants and merchants from the Bantu-speaking parts of East Africa who arrived and became resident in the Indian subcontinent during the 1200-1900. A large influx of Siddis to the region occurred in the 17th century when Portuguese slave traders sold a number of them to local princes. The Siddi population is currently estimated to be 20,000–55,000.

Film : Razia Sultan (1983), an Indian Urdu film directed by Kamal Amrohi, is based on the life of Razia Sultan (played by Hema Malini) (1205–1240), the only female Sultan of Delhi (1236–1240), and her speculated love affair with the Abyssinian slave Jamal-ud-Din Yakut (played by Dharmendra). He was referred to in the movie as a Siddi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCo78Jthymo&feature=related

Few Did-you-know s that i came across

Lately I have been thinking of being productive wrt what i write in my blog posts. And i thought, why shouldn't i pen down the information that i read/hear/watch on television which might be of interest to the blog readers. So here i go listing down few of the latest did-you-knows i came across.

Did u know that Tapas are the appetizers or snacks in Spanish cuisine. Barge into any bar in Spain and you can find wide varieties of these small meals offered with drinks. Tapas have a history of their own. Long long ago King Alfonso X of Castile recovered from illness by drinking wine with small dishes between meals. Henceforth King ordered every tavern in spain to serve tapas along with wine. Legend also says that these tapas were used as the covers to the prevent the wine from fruit flies hovering over the drinks. Tapas are designed so as to encourage the conversation because people are not focussed upon an entire meal set before them. It is also customary to stand and move about while eating Tapas. Such people are called Tapears for fun. While vegetarians relish egg plant, olives, garlic,peppers and tomato bread as tapas, non-vegetarians have a platter of sea food to choose from. All in all, a great snack to gulp in that glass of wine without letting it into one's head :P

Did-you-know that anything and everything in Vietnam is made in or dipped with fish sauce ?? yes, as Cognac in France, Ketchup in America, Vietnamese cannot live without fish sauce. Its salt, pungent, fermented taste is very famous and an island called Phu Quoc is dedicated to a finest fish sauce production. Its called Nuoc Mam. About 2500 tons of fish sauce is produced and sold under the knorr brand in vietnam. Typically, every woman in the family knows how to make fish sauce, the man goes to hunt the fish daily and the lady prepares the sauce. There are more than 80 producers on this island working in this business. Fish sauce is made from anchovies, salt and water. This mixture is stored in wooden barrels and allowed to ferment to produce salty fishy liquid. Some say that this could be an influence of Chinese on Vietnam. The island of Phu Quoc is also attracting many affluent tourists as well as investors, resulting in fishermen plunge into deep waters to find anchovies.

So much for today, shall try to pen down some more interesting facts this week. Till then Tạm biệt or Adiós