Terroir is a French term that means soil or earth and is generally used to refer to all the physical and environmental characteristics in and around a particular vineyard that influence the quality of wine — climate, soil composition and geographical location. Without a direct English equivalent, terroir specifically refers to the consistent, distinctive qualities in wine that are not …

Taipei 101 is a skyscraper located in the international business district of Xinyi (code 101) in Taipei, Taiwan, with 101 floors constructed above the ground and five floors underground. It has a spire at its top at a height of 509.2 metre and was constructed at a cost of $1.76 billion. It features prominently in all important events and visuals …

Sweethearting is a method cashiers use to pass on goods to friends by failing to bill one. They do so by passing two items, and obscuring the barcode of one, so it goes unnoticed. Earlier, security had to be alert to check for such items going out of shops, but now, there are machines to pick out sweethearting. The security …

Sukkot is one of the three “Pilgrim Festivals” in the Jewish tradition. Celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishri, i.e. late September to late October, it is a reminder of the type of fragile dwellings in which the ancient Israelites dwelt for 40 years after the Exodus from Egypt. The festival lasts seven days. The first day …

Story goes that Lubdhaka – a poor tribal man and a devout worshipper of Lord Shiva once went into the deep forests to collect firewood. As the darkness engulfed the jungle, Lubdhaka lost his way and could not find his way home. He became extremely terrified as deep growls of animals began to fill the jungle. Seeking protection till daybreak, …

It is an enormous ancient monument, built in Southern England over 3,000 years ago. The monument consists of many large stones, some weighing up to 100,000 pounds, arranged in circular patterns. It may have been used to observe the monuments of the sun and moon and then to create calendars, may be! Stonehenge is a mystery no one really knows.

The Puli is a medium to small-sized breed of Hungarian dog known for its long, corded coat. Usually it weighs around 10 to 15 kg. Pulis are intelligent, acrobatic dogs that are quick, agile and able to change direction instantly. They make very good watchdogs and herding dogs.

The Garden City of Falkenberg is a housing estate in Berlin, Germany designed and built by German architect and town planner Bruno Taut (1880-1938). In the complex, Taut applied the garden city concept he learnt from England. The most striking aspect of this architecture is its use of colour: each part of a building bears a contrasting colour with respect …

High in the Andes mountains, 12,507-ft (3,812 m) above sea level, Lake Titicaca is the world’s highest navigable lake. It lies between Bolivia and Peru, covering an area of about 3,200 sq. miles (8,300 sq. km). Both ships and traditional reed boats use the lake.

It’s the increase in marketing of beauty products, which use scientific jargon that confuses consumers. This works on the premise that using words that sound scientific may be considered more effective by the consumer, and help justify high prices.