Bulguksa is a temple of Korean Buddhism in Gyeongju in South Korea. It was designated as a historic site number 502 by Korean government. In 1995, Bulguksa was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is known as one of the tourist attractions in Korea, where over 2 million people are visiting each year. It includes Dabotap(Korea's national treasure number 20) and Seokgatap(Korea's national treasure number 21), Cheongun-gyo(Blue Cloud Bridge, Korea's national treasure number 23) and Backun-gyo(White Cloud Bridge, Korea's national treasure number 23), and two gilt-bronze statues(Korea's national treasure number 26, 27) of Buddha.
The temple was made in the Silla kingdom, the golden age of Buddhist art. According to Samguk yusa (Three Kingdoms of Korea's history book), the temple had begun to be constructed under King Kyeongdeok in 751 and completed in 774. Kim Daeseong, the Prime Minister of Silla, decided to construct this temple in order to cherish the memory of his parents. The name of the temple 'Bulguk' means the country of Buddha. He wanted to his parents live happily in the Buddha's country after they died.
Bulguksa has been reconstructed thoroughout history. Especially in the Japanese colonial era, it was damaged a lot and lost its valuable treasures. After the independence of the Republic of Korea, Korean government started to reconstruct and reorganize the temple.
Dabotap and Seokgatap (Num 21, 22)
Dabotap is well known for its feminine and sophisticated beauty. Its height is 10.4m and it is representative of Korea's unique pagodas.
Seokgatap is relatively simple and masculine compared to Dabotap. Its height is also 10.4, which makes Dabotap and Seokgatap the twin pagodas in Bulguksa.
Chengun-gyo (Num 23)
At the entrance of Bulguksa is Chengun-gyo. It is said that the bridge links the human world to the world of Buddhist. It is decorated with stones very beautifully and its structure is so solid that it can withstand earthquakes.
Akara
Acarajé is a type of fritter made from cowpeas. It is the most popular street food in the north eastern state of Brazil, Bahia. The recipe for acarajé was introduced to Bahia by slaves who came from Yorùbáland during the colonial period. In Nigeria acarajé is named Akara, and the women who sell it call out "Akara je", which means "Come and eat Akara" in Yoruba. So when freed Yorùbá slaves started to sell acarajé on the streets, they used the same technique and Brazilians assumed that they were selling acarajé.
Acarajé is made with black-eyed peas, garlic, ginger and salt, then deep fried in dende - a reddish oil from the palm fruit. When done, they are split in half and filled with vatapá, caruru, fried shrimp, salad and pepper. Brazilians modified the recipe from Nigeria a little and started to fill the acarajé with other afro-Brazilian foods. In Nigeria, none of the Brazilian accompaniments are served; just the bean cake is eaten, fried with palm oil or vegetable oil.
Acarajé are served on the streets by women who call themselves baiana do acarajé. They wear traditional clothes, white flowing dresses, sometimes turbans and colorful necklaces related to the rituals of the Afro-Brazilian religion Candomblé. In Nigeria, however, there is no ceremony and the women who sell Akara wear whatever they like. Nowadays, these baianas sell acarajé as a way of life and it’s something that helps to sustain their families.
In 2004, acarajé was declared part of Brazil's heritage culture in the region of Bahia. It's one of the most important symbols of the culture of Bahia and it's enjoyed by all types of tourists. They are delighted by the taste, color and relaxing way of eating acarajé on the streets.
Acarajé was specially made when a person dies at the age of 70 or above. It was usually fried in large quantities and given to every household that was related to the person who died. Acarajé was also to be made in large quantities when warriors won a war. The wives of the warriors were to fry acarajé and give it to all the people in the village.
Acarajé, a recipe taken to Brazil by the slaves from the West African coast. It is called "akara" by the Yoruba people of south-western Nigeria and by the people of Sierra Leone. It is called "kosai" by the Hausa people of Nigeria. It is called "koose" in Ghana. It is eaten with millet or corn pudding. In Nigeria, akara is usually eaten with bread, ogi, which is a type of cornmeal made with fine corn flour.
In Sierra Leone, akara is made up of rice flour, mashed banana, baking powder, and sugar. After mixing the ingredients together, it is dropped in oil by hand, and fried. It is then formed into a ball. Akara is usually made for events like Pulnado (event held due to the birth of a child), a wedding, funeral, or party.
Acarajé sold on the street in Brazil are made with fried beef, mutton, dried shrimp, pigweed, fufu, osun sauce, and coconut. Today in Bahia, most street vendors who sell acarajé are women. They first started selling acarajé in the 19th century. The money gotten from selling acarajé were used to buy the freedom of enslaved family members until slavery was banned in Brazil in 1888. Selling acarajé served as a source of family income. The city now has more than 500 acarajé vendors.
Buckner Stith Morris
Buckner Stith Morris (August 19, 1800 – December 16, 1879) was an American politician. He was the Mayor of Chicago, Illinois from 1838 to 1839. He was a member of the Whig Party. He was in jail for 9 months because of war conflicts.
Morris was born on August 19, 1800 in Augusta, Kentucky. Morris was married to Evlina Barker until her death. Then he was married to Elize Stephenson until her death. Then he was married to M. E. Parrish until his death. He had three children. Morris died on December 16, 1879 in Chicago, Illinois from an illness, aged 79.
Seoul Lantern Festival
The Seoul Lantern Festival () is a festival that takes place in Seoul, South Korea. It shows various themes through lanterns. It is hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and is organized by the Seoul Tourism Organization. It has been celebrated every year since 2009. It has officially become an annual event. It is usually held from early in November and lasts 2 weeks.
In 2012, as 2.57 million people visited the festival, it gets to become the representative festival of Seoul.
Vibraslap
The vibraslap is a percussion instrument. It is a modern version of the jawbone. Due to the fragile nature of the jawbone, the vibra-slap was created to provide a stronger alternative with a similar sound. It has been used mainly in popular music. Several rock bands have used this sound for the last decades of the 20th century and into the 21st century. It is also popular in Latin music.
The vibraslap is made of a cowbell-shaped hollow box (acting as a resonator) and a wooden ball connected by a steel rod. The steel rod is bent in an "L" shape that allows the performer to hold the rod in one hand and strike the ball with the palm of their other hand. The steel rod acts as a sort of spring that vibrates the box on the other end. The box acts as a resonating body for a metal mechanism placed inside with a number of loosely fastened pins or rivets that vibrate and rattle against the box, much like the teeth of the jawbone. The vibraslap is produced in a number of sizes using different materials such as wood, metal or composite materials.
The Vibra-Slap was the first patent granted to the instrument manufacturing company Latin Percussion.
The Vibra-Slap's inventor was Martin Cohen. It is sometimes sold as a "Donkey Call" or "Rattleslap".
Mercury poisoning
Mercury poisoning is a health disturbance caused by high levels of exposure to mercury.