This is the 50th Language Day article, and what better way to celebrate it than do it in honor of Tina Turner who passed away five days ago! We presents here the widely known three words of the song The Best - absolutely one of her most memorable melodies - in all the languages we have here. Kurdish is in for the first time. The song was originally performed by the Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, but it was Tina who made it a worldwide hit in 1989, and it has never diminished in appeal since then. Continue reading

This is one in the series of articles titled “First Names First” and it is all for pure entertainment! We present a chronological list of persons with their first name here, and your task is to pick one. Then follow the Wikipedia link to read about that person, and to see what if anything he or she could contribute your life with. Inspiration, passion, enlightenment, encouragement, empathy, etc. Spend a couple of minutes of your life with this. Continue reading

Steven King House in Bangor, Maine It is time again in Streets & Squares for a U.S. city (January, May and September ). This time a slighly smaller one, namely Bangor in Penobscot County, Maine, situated by the Penobscot River. Founded as Kendeskeag Plantation in 1791 and incorporated as a town in 1834. Bowdoin Street - James Bowdoin II (1726-1790) was a politician and American Revolutionary leader, shaper of the public opinion in the colonies. Continue reading

The name this time around in our series First Names First will be Carlos! The Spanish form of Carl. Why not pick one of the names below, follow the Wikipedia link to read about that person, and to see what if anything he could contribute your life with. Inspiration, passion, enlightenment, encouragement, empathy, etc. Give a couple of minutes to this for lives lived have all something worthwhile to tell us. Continue reading

Two weeks ago we had here in First Names First the male name Francis, so today’s female name is - you guessed right! - Frances! It can be a [male](http://1998-0120 Frances Tiafoe* tennis player – Hyattsville, MD USA) name too, but here we only consider the female ones. So, take your pick, and find some inspiring stories behind the names. Give this a couple of minutes – for lives lived have all something worthwhile to tell us. Continue reading

This is part in the article series Streets and Squares that provide some background information on street signs around the world. It is a fun way to learn about the history and culture of the cities you visit or even live in! This time we target Quito, the capital city of Equador, South America. There are quite a few eponymous streets – and squares in Quito. The word eponymous means – in case you didn’t know it already – (of a thing) “named after a particular person or group” or (of a person) “giving their name to something”. Continue reading

The name this time around in our series First Names First will be Francis! There is a separate article here for people mainly known as Frank, the short form of Francis. This name has always been a very popular name, but do you know which Francis we have in the picture? Pick one of the names below, then follow the Wikipedia link to read about that person, and to see what if anything he could contribute your life with. Continue reading

Here is one more unusual occupation for you: prompter ! The exclamation mark there is a bit of a contradiction because a prompter is someone who is not supposed to make much noise at all, but remain in the background. Or, in this case, usually, in the foreground, as their job is to prompt or cue actors and actresses when they forget their lines. Or when they neglect to move on the stage to where they are supposed to be situated. Continue reading

Time for another great quote! This one is precise and to the point: “Get busy living or get busy dying." There is no time to waste for life is short, right? No matter how many lives we live. The choice - for all free people - is always there to make: whether to live, really live, the life that we were bestowed, and make the best out of it - minus the eventual lapses and mistakes that we all inevitably make. Continue reading

Let’s have something really fun this time around in Language Day! Winter turning into spring (in the Northern hemisphere), and while there is still snow - and even ice - on the ground in some northern countries, we are seeing more and more of the so pleasantly warming sun, and welcoming the spring once again. But we can still muster a few snowballs, and maybe try to with one of them hit an oak tree that in a few weeks will be getting leaves, and acorns for squirrels to pick up and eat, and store. Continue reading

Edith is the name this time around in our series First Names First! A pretty common name in the latter part of the 19th century, seems like. Why not pick one of the Ediths that you see below, then follow the Wikipedia link to read about that person, and to see what if anything she could contribute your life with. Inspiration, passion, enlightenment, encouragement, empathy, etc. Give a couple of minutes to this for lives lived have all something worthwhile to tell us. Continue reading

The Atomium in Brussels This article in our article series Streets & Squares is about Brussels. The capital of Belgium, and also the center of the world’s attention, being de facto capital of the European Union. Because of this, its name is sometimes used metonymically to describe the EU and its institutions.The secretariat of the Benelux and the headquarters of NATO are also located in Brussels. Brussels was historically Dutch-speaking (using the Brabantian dialect), but over the two past centuries French has become the predominant language of the city. Continue reading

The name this time around in our series First Names First will be Edward! Ed, the short form of Edward, will be given later on for men exclusively known as Ed. Why not pick one of these Edwards here below, then follow the Wikipedia link to read about that person, and to see what if anything he could contribute your life with. Inspiration, passion, enlightenment, encouragement, empathy, etc. Give a couple of minutes to this for lives lived have all something worthwhile to tell us. Continue reading

Every fourth year we have the Summer Olympics. Which happens to always be the same year that the leap year occurs. So, next one will be in 2024, then 2028, and so on. For those of us who are into sports, it is an easy memory rule, easy to remember. But would you know how to say leap year in some other language? Or leap day? Let’s take here the word Leap Day, and then the sentence: I was born on a leap day. Continue reading

Betty Lou Oliver, who had recently turned twenty, was working as an elevator operator for the Empire State Building that fateful day July 28, 1945. She was on the 80th story as a B-25, piloted by Captain William Smith, was heading straight for the building through the heavy fog over New York. At the time, the Empire State Building was the tallest in the world. The plane would crash into the 79th floor, one floor from where Betty was at that moment. Continue reading

Marcia is the name this time around in our series First Names First! A very common name in the 1940s seems like. Why not pick one of the Marcias that you see below, then follow the Wikipedia link to read about that person, and to see what if anything she could contribute your life with. Inspiration, passion, enlightenment, encouragement, empathy, etc. Give a couple of minutes to this for lives lived have all something worthwhile to tell us. Continue reading

Today Streets & Squares takes you to Lima, the capital and largest city of Peru. As always in Streets & Squares, clicking on the address links leads you to Google Maps, and clicking on the names to the person’s Wikipedia page. AVENIDA INCA GARCILASO DE LA VEGA - Inca Garcilaso de la Vega (1539-1616) was born as Gómez Suárez de Figueroa, son of a Spanish conquistador and an Inca noblewoman. He was a chronicler and writer who is known primarily for his chronicles of Inca history, culture, and society. Continue reading

Mark is the name this time around in our series First Names First! A very common male name, and a form of the name Marcus (click here for that name). It is related to the Latin word Mars, meaning “consecrated to the god Mars”, and also may mean “God of war” or “to be warlike”. Below is a chronological list of some of them. Pick one name, then follow the Wikipedia link to read about the person, and see what if anything he could contribute your life with. Continue reading

Here is something that all our lives depend on. Love. We give you first the word in the languages below, and then for some of them a piece of music about love! Later on more songs will be added here, and you are very welcome to suggest one! CHINESE ?? 愛 Ài - DANISH ?? Kærlighed - DUTCH ?? Liefde - ENGLISH ????????????? Love - Dance Me to the End of Love (Leonard Cohen 1984) - Make You Feel My Love (Bob Dylan 1997, here performed by Adele) Continue reading

This time in First Names First the name will be Krista. A name that you can pick out in quite a few countries today. Why don’t you pick one of the names below, then follow the Wikipedia link to read about the person, and see what if anything she could contribute your life with. Spend a couple of minutes of your life with this. Lives lived have all something to tell us – let them! Continue reading