A common figure in Western folklore, Jack Frost is a personification of the nippiest winter weather, credited with leaving beautiful plant-like patterns on windows and frosting on leaves. His name is probably of Norse derivation – the Norsemen knew him as ‘Jokul Frosti’ or Jack Frost. The Saxons who settled in Britain had their Lord Snow and King Frost.

A short order cook is a cook who specializes in preparing simple dishes which can be cooked very quickly. These types of cooks work in places like diners and fast food restaurants, where speedy service is emphasized, and the menu tends to be kept very simple. Some short order cooks have formal training, but others learn through apprenticeship by working …

In ancient China, words were printed by cutting the symbols in blocks of wood. The Chinese later invented movable type, a process in which letters are made separately and assembled to form words. However, successful printing with movable metal type (letters) in Europe was not invented until the 15th century. The man usually called the inventor of printing was Johannes …

Dr. Karni Singh — Maharaja of the erstwhile princely state of Bikaner, Karni Singh was a legendary shooter in the Indian shooting circuit. A shooter par excellence, Singh was world renowned for his outclassed talent and brilliant performance. However, he did not restrict himself to shooting and had varied interests as well. This is well reflected from the fact that …

China clay, or kaolin, is usually mined from pits like this, for making pottery, or china, as well as other things such as plastics. To make porcelain (the finest kind of china) it is fused with china stone, or petuntse, at very high temperature.

Dr. D Ashish — Kolkata, the City of Joy, is also the city that houses the sick, the starved and the homeless. But they aren’t the only ones scouring the slums and shanties of this metropolis. At least twice a week you might just bump into D Ashish and his troupe of volunteers walking through the streets collecting medicines which …

Chicory was first roasted and used in coffee in Holland around 1750. It soon became a popular replacement for coffee. By 1785, James Bowdoin, the governor of Massachusetts, had introduced it to US. In 1806, Napoleon attempted to make France completely self-sufficient by using as a substitute. While this did not last long, the French continued to use chicory to …

The sevillana dress is worn by artistes who perform sevillana, a colourful and exciting style of song and dance that originated in Castile, Spain. It is a variation of a style of dance known as the seguidilla. It is performed to a strict 3/4 rhythm by pairs or groups of people. This style of dance is performed at fiestas of …

Dr. Avtar Singh Paintal M.D., Ph.D. (September 24, 1925 in Mogok, Burma – December 21, 2004 in Delhi, India) was a medical scientist who has made pioneering discoveries in the area of neurosciences and respiratory sciences. When people, whether young or old, climb a mountain, they are easily tired. If they still over exert themselves, breathlessness overcomes them and they …

Renoir’s style was impressionist. He delighted in the effect of sunshine filtering through trees, dappling revellers in its light. Near the end of his life, Renoir finally found a style which was a combination of impressionism and the older styles. Renoir was one of the co-founders of impressionism, a style in quick brush strokes are employed. His paintings are notable …