Shintoism

     Shinto, or Shintoism is one of the main religions in Japan. This religion has no founder, no fixed creeds, and no official sacred scriptures.The religion has 3-4 million followers. Their texts are known as "Records of Ancient Matters" and "Chronicles of Japan".
     People in the Shinto religion believe that humans are pure by nature. They believe that you can keep away evil through  purification rituals. You can also attain good things by calling on the kami. Shintoism states that death is bad and impure. Some humans even become kami after death. Their practices include worshipping and offerings to kami at shrines and at home.

WAC: Roman Emperor Claudius

     On 1 August 10, B.C. I was born in Lugdunum and was adopted soon after by my uncle, Tiberius. When Tiberius became emperor in A.D 14, he started to act as if he was ashamed of me. You see, I was born with defects that caused me to limp, drool, stutter, and constantly get sick. To avoid being a public embarrassment, I spent my entire childhood in seclusion. In these lonely years, I spent my time reading various books and learning new things.

     I guess you could say that my fortunes somewhat changed when my unstable nephew, Gaius, became emperor in A.D. 37. One afternoon in January 41 A.D. Gaius invited me to the theater with him so I went thinking it would be enjoyable. Shortly before lunch time, we were walking down the isolated palace corridor when a bunch of people jumped out and surrounded Gaius. When they pulled out their weapons and murdered him I ran to hide behind a nearby curtain. It was the scariest thing I had ever seen, and became known as the first open murder of a Roman Emperor.

     When the guardsmen found me I didn't know whether to run or remain where I was. The next thing I know, they were declaring me the new emperor of Rome and sending me off to various camps. It was never my intention to be an emperor but I had no choice. At first, I was completely against the whole thing and even tried escaping from the camps. As the new emperor of Rome, my first act was the execution of Gaius's assassins.

     Many people say that my reign was a mixture of both failures and successes. I believe that I was one of the best emperors that Rome ever had. When I was emperor, Rome succeeded in conquering Britain which was one of my greatest accomplishments. I remember always being present at court cases and helping them reach a verdict. Most people would get mad when I would make my rulings but I was always right when it came to those kinds of things.

     The years I was married to Agrippina were long, hard, and difficult for me. I regret not staying with my first wife, Valeria Messalina. When Agrippina grew bored with me, she decided it was time for our son, Nero, to become emperor. One afternoon I was poisoned when she fed me a treated mushroom with my lunch. On 13 October, 54  A.D. right after I died,  Nero became the new emperor of Rome and replaced me.
   

Faith - Botswana

• In Botswana they stay up until midnight on Christmas Eve and their families get together to exchange gifts.
• People sing Christmas carols to celebrate the birth of Christ.
• Botswana's high school is the second level of education but it isn't free.

Gunnar - Zambia

• A few days before Christmas people go caroling to raise money for charities.
• Decorations gathered by citizens are used to decorate the towns.
• They have primary and secondary schools in Zambia.

Dale - Costa Rica

• After church on Christmas they go home and open presents.
• On the day of Christmas the people have a dinner with their families.
• Primary education and high school lasts six years.

Lindsey - Bosnia

• Christmas trees in Bosnia are decorated in toys and lights.
• They celebrate Christmas dinner with a stuffed turkey.
• They call Santa Claus, Grandfather Frost.

Mark - Norway

• Families make baskets of colored paper and hang them on their Christmas trees.
• Every house has a gnome they put up around Christmas.
• Kids bring the gnomes porridge.

John - Romania

• They celebrate Christmas from December 24th to January 7th.
• Ignat Day is on December 20th.
• Kids make stars out of glossy papers as Christmas decorations.

Nate - Turkey

• The people fast from sunrise to sunset.
• It lasts 29 - 30 days.
• During this time they refrain from smoking, eating, and drinking.

Caleb - Zimbabwe

• People start getting very festive a month before Christmas.
• People always hosts feasts on the evening of Christmas.
• On the day of Christmas cities are lit up with many lights.

Josh - Brazil

• They call Santa, Father Noel.
• They have a thing called Secret Friend which is much like Secret Santa.
• They use flowers in their gardens to decorate their houses for Christmas.

Courtney - Australia

• They celebrate Christmas much like us.
• A lot of people spend Christmas outside on the beach because it is warm and sunny their.
• They have dance parties and get-togethers.

Hannah - The Philippines

• The Christmas celebration starts on December 16.
• They decorate their houses with lanterns, lights, and streamers.
• Christmas Eve is a night without sleep for them.

Gabby - Ireland

• We got the tradition of putting a wreath on our doors from Ireland.
• Their Christmas celebration lasts from December 24 to January 6.
• Santa Claus is known as Santy.

Abby - Bolivia

• Christmas is highly religious there.
• They don't go carolling or decorate their houses.
• On Christmas Eve fireworks are set off throughout the cities.

Viola - Thailand

• There is no snow on Christmas.
• Most people there are buddhist.
• Christmas isn't a public holiday so people don't get the day off from work or school.

Courses

Course 1 - To start off the party we will be having homemade bread and a tasty salad consisting of some of our finest vegetables. The salad will include fresh lettuce, crisp cabbage, diced cucumbers, and fava beans with a delicious vinaigrette.

Course 2 - For this course we will be serving a splendid pea soup seasoned with salt, pepper, and parsley. Along with your soup, we will be having delicious smoked sausage cooked to perfection and seasoned with various spices.

Course 3 - You will then be served marvelous cooked clams and divine pieces of crab meat after your soup. Followed by this will be freshly picked, red grapes and luscious pomegranates.

Course 4 - Next for our first main dish you will enjoy our delicacy of mouthwatering pork accompanied by sweet, diced apples covered in a rich almond sauce. The pork will be boiled to perfection and then seasoned with various sauces.

Course 5 - The second main dish will consist of lamb boiled and seasoned with our finest herbs and spices. On the side will be heavenly broccoli cooked to perfection.

Course 6 - Then for dessert we will be serving a white cake glazed and sweetened with honey. To top it off there will be a strawberry sauce made out of sweet, ripe strawberries to pour onto your cake.

Course 7 - Lastly, exquisite stuffed dates will be served with various fruits such as juicy apples, freshly picked grapes, ripe pears, and sweet plums.

Drinks - To drink we will be having calda which is warm water with wine blended together with a variety of spices. It is a traditional drink that is typically served in the cold Winter months.

Dinner Table

Dinner Invitation

You Are Invited To My Dinner Party!

Theme ~ Greek Gods & Goddesses

Dress up as your favorite god or goddess from Greek mythology.

When ~ Friday, December 30, 2011 at 11:00 A.M.

Where ~ My House

My dinner party will include seven courses of the finest Roman foods. You won’t want to miss it! I hope I'll see you there!

Guest List ~

· Agrippina Nuzum

· Servius Stuart

· Octavia Gregg

· Tullia Crowther

· Horatia Kyle

· Balbina Cline

· Urbana Dionigi

· Caecilia Blake

· Faustina Pingley

· Sextus Terwilliger

Education in New Zealand

     New Zealand's education is the 7th best in the world according to statistics. The different levels of education include primary school, intermediate school, and secondary school. It is much like here in the United States with elementary school, middle school, and high school. New Zealand has over 2,000 primary and secondary schools.

     Students in New Zealand start school at the age of six. Kids go to primary school from the age of six to eleven. Intermediate school is for pupils aged eleven to thirteen and secondary school is for ages thirteen to seventeen. The cost to attend these schools can range from $100-$500 which is very different than here in the United States. To leave school you have to at least be sixteen years of age.
     Like here in the United States, the school year in New Zealand has four terms. Their school lasts from February to December though. To graduate in New Zealand you have to pass a series of assessments to get a National Certificate of Education Achievement (NCEA).
     The common courses people in New Zealand have to take are very similar to the ones here. They have mathematics, science, social studies and physical education. They also have art, music, home economics, and languages. If you went to school in New Zealand, some sports you might play include swimming, basketball, rugby, sailing, volleyball, and cricket.
     At most high schools in New Zealand they require you to wear casual uniforms. A girl's uniform would consist of either a dress or a skirt and shirt. For a guy it is shorts and a shirt. Some schools in the United States require uniforms while others don't.
     A typical day for a high school student would include walking, biking, or riding a bus to school at 8:00 A.M. At 8:30 A.M. their first class of the day starts. Then at 1:00 P.M. the students eat lunch. Most people bring their lunch to school while others eat in the cafeteria. At 2:00 P.M. is the student's last class of the day. Then the students would go home or go to after school sports practices.

Christmas in New Zealand

 

Traditional New Zealand Holiday Dessert- Pavlova

Ingredients- (serves 6)

· 4 egg whites

· 8 oz sugar

· Teaspoon of vinegar

· Teaspoon of vanilla

· Dessertspoon of corn flour

· Tablespoon of cold water

· Pinch of salt

Directions-

• Beat egg whites and pinch of salt together until stiff. Add half the sugar slowly while beating, then the other half likewise. Then add the rest of the ingredients one by one, beating as you go.
• Draw a circle around a small dinner plate on baking paper and place on oven tray. Place the mixture in the circle, making the edges slightly higher than the middle.
• Cook at 250°F / Gas Mark 1/2 for one hour and then 225°F / Gas Mark 1/4 for 1 hour. When cold, fill the middle with whipped cream and put fruit on top (usually strawberries and kiwi). Serves 6.

 

-How They Celebrate Christmas-

1. People in New Zealand use the pohutukawa tree as their Christmas tree.
2. They celebrate Christmas twice a year: on December 25 and in July.
3. Many people have a barbeque or picnic for Christmas lunch.
4. Santa Claus in New Zealand is referred to as Father Christmas.
5. Due to the sunny weather in New Zealand on Christmas, Santa is known to be wearing swimming trunks and sunglasses.

-New Zealand Christmas tree
 





- map of New Zealand





 



- New Zealand flag

Budget

Day 1-
Flight to New Zealand and back - $3350.55 NZD
Hotel in Wellington, NZ for July 1st-July 7th - $1,744.00 NZD
Wellington Cable Car attraction - $6.00 NZD
Sea Coast Safari attraction - $35 NZD
Night Rafting attraction - $50 NZD
Dinner at Little Penang - $15 NZD

Day 2-
Skyline attraction & lunch at buffet - $50 NZD
Skydiving attraction - $318 NZD
Te Puia evening tour attraction - $26 NZD

Day 3-
Ballooning attraction - $320 NZD
Hamilton Gardens attraction - free
Glowworm Caves attraction & dinner - $75 NZD

Day 4-
Royal Albatross Centre attraction - $25 NZD
Larnach Castle attraction - $17 NZD
New Zealand Aquarium attraction - $10.50 NZD
Shrimp vindallo dinner - $14.50 NZD

Day 5-
Bungy jumping attraction - $90 NZD
Million Dollar Cruise attraction - $25 NZD
Kiwi Birdlife Park attraction - $19 NZD
Post Office Cafe breakfast - $12 NZD

Day 6-
Hoglund Glass Art Gallery attraction - $15 NZD
Suter Art Gallery attraction - $3 NZD
Motueka District Museum attraction - free
Dinner at Bouterey’s Restaurant - $15 NZD

Day 7-
Upton Oaks Garden attraction - $10 NZD
Lochmara Wildlife Recovery & Arts Centre attraction - $25 NZD
Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre attraction - $15 NZD
Dinner at Argosy Restaurant - $20 NZD

Total- $6,305.55 NZD ($5004.08 USD)

Map of New Zealand

1.) Wellington, NZ
2.) Rotorua, NZ
3.) Hamilton, NZ & Auckland, NZ
4.) Dunedin, NZ
5.) Queenstown, NZ
6.) Nelson, NZ
7.) Marlborough, NZ

Day 7

     When I awoke this morning a sudden sadness overwhelmed me. Today was my last day in New Zealand. I packed my bags and then went to Marlborough, New Zealand to spend my day. First I went to the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre. It is one of the world’s largest private collections of Great War aircraft and artifacts. I liked looking at all the rare memorabilia from the past.

     Next I went to the Lochmara Wildlife Recovery & Arts Centre. It was a very unique and vibrant centre. I got the chance to see different artists at work. The last attraction I visited was the Upton Oaks Garden. It was very relaxing to just walk through the garden and look at the formal framework of hedges and walls.

     I ate at a place called Argosy Restaurant before I left for the airport. I had a delicious rib-eye steak and a salad. Tonight, July 7th, I left on my long flight back to West Virginia.

Day 6

     The first place I visited today was the Hoglund Art Glass Studio & Gallery in Nelson, New Zealand. The gallery included a large display of people's glass art. The masterpieces had many different designs and various colors. I even got to try to make my own glass art.

     Then I went and visited the Motueka District Museum since it was close. The museum had artifacts from Motueka's past and many different displays. I learned many different things from the museum. After I was done at the museum I went to the Suter Art Gallery. It had a collection of local, national and international art, dating from the 17th century to the present day. It was very interesting.

     I ate dinner at Bouterey’s Restaurant tonight. My dinner consisted of seared venison, braised red cabbage, swede, and pistachios. The whole meal only costed $25! When I was finished eating I went back to my hotel. Tomorrow will be my last day in New Zealand but I wish I could stay here forever.

Day 5

     Today I travelled to Queenstown, New Zealand to spend my day. Then I stopped at the Post Office Café to get some breakfast. There I ate french toast with a side of bacon.

     The Million Dollar Cruise was my next destination. The cruise lasted for an hour and a half on Queenstown's spectacular lake. People say that it's one of Queenstown's most fabulous scenic highlights. Then I went to the Kawarau Bungy Centre and bungy jumped off the large bridge. The Kawarua Bridge is known for being the first commercial bungy jumping operation. It was a lot of fun.

     To finish my day, I went to the Kiwi Birdlife Park. On the tour I got to see display over 20 species of native bird and reptiles. I learned many interesting facts about the birds. After the tour I went back to my hotel in Wellington and stayed there for the rest of the night.

Day 4

     Today I went to the city of Dunedin, New Zealand to spend my day. First, I went to the New Zealand Marine Studies Centre & Aquarium. There were over 100 different types of creatures there! Some of the creatures I got to see included sharks, octopus, seahorses, seastars, crabs and crayfish.

     The next attraction I visited was the Larnach Castle. The castle was built in 1871 by William Larnach for his wife. I learned about Larnach's three wives and six children. Apparently Larnach comitted suicide in the house. While touring the large Victorian castle some people even said that they could feel a ghostly presence.

     Next, I went to the Royal Albatross Centre. In the centre they had an exhibit where the birds would fly effortlessly around you. I even got to learn more about this bird's fascinating story. At the Centre they also had New Zealand fur seals, blue penguins, spotted shags, and royal spoon bills.  It was a very unique and fun experience. For dinner I stopped at a nearby restaurant and ate shrimp vindallo. The meal was delicious and after I was done eating I went back to my hotel.

Day 3

     I had to wake up really early this morning to go Hamilton, New Zealand to go ballooning. We took off from Innes Common, by the lake in Hamilton in the hot air balloon and went up in the air at around 6:00 A.M. We had to go up at sunrise when the air was still calm and quiet. The views were breathtaking as we flew over mountain ranges, various lakes and green fields. It was very serene and calm as we flew over the beautiful Waikato area between Auckland and Rotorua. After about two hours of flying, we landed.

     While I was visiting in Hamilton, I went and visited the Hamilton Gardens which is one of New Zealand's top tourist attractions. It was free so I figured I would go. The gardens were beautiful and I took many pictures of them.

     Later, travelled to Auckland, New Zealand since it wasn't that far away. I visited the Waitomo Glowworm Caves The tour guides led us through the magical caves and we got to marvel at all the unique limestone formations. After my tour was over, I grabbed a bite to eat from a restaurant near the caves. I had a New Zealand beef burger and fries which tasted similar to American food. Exhausted from my long day, I went back to my hotel to get some sleep.

    
   
  

Day 2

     After a long night of sleep, I awoke to the sun illuminating my small hotel room. I already had my day planned out and I was ready to go. Today I was going to be spending most of my time in the city of Rotorua.

     First, I went and rode the Skyline Rotorua Gondola at 11:00 A.M. The gondola left high from Mount Ngongotaha and I got to see extensive views of the wonderful city of Rotorua, Lake Rotorua, and surrounding highlands. After I was done with that, I went and enjoyed a delicious meal of roasted kumara with cashews at the New Zealand Buffet and Grill.
 
      Then I just had to go skydiving at Nzone Skydiving. Everyone was telling me that I just had to go skydiving in New Zealand since I had never done it before. It took around an hour and a half to learn the basics of skydiving and then I went up in the air. I put the safety harnesses on and was ready to go.At first I was a little afraid to jump, but the jump was exhilarating as I plummeted 12,000 ft towards the earth.

     To end my day, I went and visited the Te Puia which is a New Zealand Maori Arts & Crafts Institute. I went on a guided tour and got to experience the Māori world. It was a very different experience and I got to meet some of the native people. In the end I got to see the ancient valley where the world famous Pohutu geyser is. When the tour was over, it was getting late so I went back to my hotel for the night.

Day 1

      I got on my flight in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was set for New and. It took 25 hours just to fly to Wellington, New Zealand! On  the day of July 1, 2011 the plane landed in Wellington, New Zealand at 9:00 A.M. The first thing I did was go check in at the Citylife Hotel and rented a car.


     Then I went and visited the Wellington Cable Car. It is one of Wellington's oldest and most popular tourist attractions. The cars run throughout the amazing city of Wellington. The view was spectacular as I looked down over the city and harbor. I even got to catch a glimpse at the beautiful Wellington Botanic Gardens.

     At 1:30 I went and participated in the Sea Coast Safari. I got the chance to visit and observe the New Zealand Fur Seals in their natural habitat. They lounged lazily along the beautiful, rugged coastline as I watched them. I even got a chance to touch one of the large, furry seals.

     Feeling rather hungry after my adventure, I went to a restaurant called Little Penang. There were many various foods to choose from, but I chose the Mee Siam for my dinner. Mee Siam is a dish of thin rice noodles in spicy, sweet and sour gravy. It was served with salted soy beans, dried bean curd, a boiled egg, and tamarind. It was absolutely delicious!

     Instead of sitting at my hotel that night, I went night rafting. I had never been rafting before so it was a whole new experience. The person I was with, guided me down the river. I saw many amazing sights on my journey and the lights from the city were beautiful. After this long journey, I ventured back to my hotel to catch up on some much needed sleep.

-Recipe-

Roasted Kumara (sweet potato) Salad

 Ingredients:

-1 kumara or sweet potato, diced into cubes

-Several leaves of romaine lettuce, chopped

-8 cherry tomatoes, halved

-4 radishes, sliced

-A handful of crumbled feta

-A handful of pinenuts

-Cooking olive oil for drizzling on kumara

-Extra virgin olive oil for salad

-Balsamic vinegar for salad

-Sea salt

-Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:       

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
2. Place the kumara in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle on a pinch of salt. Roast for 25 minutes or until soft. Set aside to cool when done
3. Arrange lettuce, tomato and radishes in a serving bowl. Add the kumara once cooled. Sprinkle on some feta and pinenuts.
4. Finally, drizzle on some extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

The Boston Tea Party

    On the day of December 16, 1773 my husband and I ventured down to my brother, Nathaniel's, house in Boston, Massachusetts. I went down there quite often but today was different. A large group of patriots had been planning to dump the tea from three British ships into the sea. My own husband, John, and brother, Nathaniel, were among this group of men.

     I had came up with the idea for the men to dress up as Mohawk Indians and paint their faces so no one would be able to recognize them. I spent almost the whole day of December 16th getting cloths, and rags, and war paint ready for the group of men. I was sitting in the kitchen talking to Maria, Nathaniel's wife, when the large group of men came marching through the door. It was time for me to do my job. It took a few hours to paint all of their faces and get them ready, but when I was done you could barely recognize who anyone was.

     Maria and I put on our warm winter jackets and slipped out the door into the cold winter air to walk down to the harbor. At the appointed hour of 7:00, I saw the group of men marching down the street with the spirit of freedom burning in their eyes. They had serious looks on their faces and in their hands they each carried an ax or hatchet. When they got to the harbor they boarded the three ships quickly and quietly.

     Thousands of spectators stood and watched in silence as the men struck the chests of tea with their axes. The sound of the ax blades splitting into the wood pierced the air. Once the crates were open, the patriots began to toss all of the tea into the sea. Within a few hours the patriots had emptied all of the 342 crates of tea into the sea.

Sarah Bradlee Fulton

     Sarah Bradlee was born on December 24, 1740 in Dorchester, Massachusetts. As a child her parents always said that she was very brave and daring. Sarah had one younger brother named Nathaniel. On July 25, 1762, Sarah married John Fulton. Sarah and her new husband then moved to Medford, Massachusetts. They both frequently visited Sarah's brother, Nathaniel back in Boston.

     Sarah is also known as "Mother of the Boston Tea Party" because she helped patriots disguise themselves on the evening of the Boston Tea Party. She painted their faces and made them look like Mohawk Indians so no one would be able to recognize them. She is the one who came up with the idea of dressing up the men like this. Sarah was also a member of "The Daughters of Liberty" which was an organization for women patriots. In 1835, Sarah Bradlee Fulton died at the old age of 95 in Medford, Massachusetts.