Hāngi

Hāngi is a traditional New Zealand Māori method of cooking food using heated rocks buried in a pit oven still used for special occasions. To do that you have to dig a pit in the ground, then heat the stones in the pit with a large fire, place the baskets of food on top of the stones and then cover it up, several hours later lift it up. There are many ways how to do or make a Hāngi. The Hāngi ''experts'' have improved the methods and they've been handed down for generations. The Hāngi is a part of their culture.


Here is the full method how to do a Hāngi: http://www.shelfordfeast.co.uk/hangi.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9eb6JmG7JE



Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C4%81ngi
http://www.shelfordfeast.co.uk/hangi.html
Pictures:
http://images.travelpod.com/users/nikkiviper/rtw0708.1220133600.hangi-dinner.jpg
http://www.freakystyley.co.nz/Mimiwhangata/images/May06-033.jpg

Kea

Kea is a parrot, who lives in the South Island of New Zealand. Kea is mainly olive-green and has a large narrow curved grey-brown upper beak. It is the only alpine parrot in the world. It mostly eats roots, leaves, berries, nectar, and insects. They live high in the mountains and nest in the forests. They're protected species and there are only 1000-5000 left of them. One of the most interesting facts about the bird is that they are one of the most intelligent bird species in the world. Kea is very curious and playful bird. It can solve logical puzzels. It can grow up to 48cm and weighs about 1kg. Kea eats also sheeps, to store fat for the winter. It's amazing that this little bird can eat an live sheep. They also examine tourists backpacks, boots or even cars and often fly away with smaller objects.



Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kea
http://www.newzealandfauna.com/kea.php
Pictures:
http://img.search.com/thumb/5/5f/Kea.jpg/250px-Kea.jpg
http://www.hickerphoto.com/data/media/40/nestor-notabilis_15995.jpg

King Arthur

King Arthur is a legendary British leader. He lead the defence of Britain against Saxon incomers in the sixth century. Arthur is a mythic figure in Celtic Stories. He is also presented as a military leader, the Dux Bellorum in the Latin chronicles. Later in romance he was a king and an emperor. Nobody really doesn't know if he is a historical figure or not. Arthur also appears as a magical figure of folklore, related with the Welsh Otherworld, Annwn. The legend tells that he was the leader of the Kinghts of the Round Table and owned the sword Excalibur. He developed as a figure of international interest largely through the popularity of Geoffrey of Monmouth's imaginative 12th-century History of the Kings of Britain. In the 21st century, the legend lives on, not only in literature but also in theatre, film, television and comics. In 2004 there was made a film of King Arthur who was played by Clive Owen.


Here is the trailer of the film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N6pZX0sDAk


Sources:
http://www.lib.rochester.edu/CAMELOT/arthmenu.htm#bib
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Arthur
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0349683/
Pictures:
http://www.uhigh.ilstu.edu/english/arthur/book1/Chapter%2021/king_arthur_3.jpg
http://www.cineclub.de/images/2004/08/king-arthur-p.jpg

English folklore bogyeman

Black Annis also known as Black Agnes. She has blue face, iron claws, taste for human specially for child flesh. She is a hag or a witch. People believe that she haunts in the countryside of Leicestershire, lives in a cave in the Dane Hills and has an oak tree at its entrance. The Black Annis goes out at night looking for children and lambs to eat, then tanning their skins and hanging on the tree. Later she wears them on her waist. It's said that she creates her cave digging a hole into it with her iron claws. In the 18th century the parents were very concerned about their children, so they warned them by telling them that if the don't behave Black Annis will catch them. So you little children out there, better watch out!! I'm totally serious, Black Annis is going to get you and eat you alive!!





Sources:
http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/england/leicestershire/folklore/black-annis.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Annis
Pictures:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8koWwIvAEZXiQ8CJELONHdJmhfebiabV4AcMtRek2eGswv-YJX0iWPetKdEInSATSMG7rZskGN1QdbpUyUoklV4TTdT7ip3Ooq2bCBq2HNh9c_isKQLT1f6HBt_ekFw4V5araQr8cYw/s400/black-annis-4.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyyggY_lrgoZ6-XdsfIwOjnXOgiaBhOa-g-_PjTztcY3UB_-wM8INCe0Kgx5jICAjkLrzNINLzwYQrbsB5OZhhD6pPLAXrPkhwxGhcJDvxT4t72a3ylpgj8sqEFfNpzgcaNlMqnsRs6Q/s400/black-annis-5.jpg
http://sobreleyendas.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/blackannis.jpg

A young photographer

Eleanor Hardwick was born in England, Oxford in 1993. She is a young English photographer. Eleanor found photography at the age of twelve. At first she took pictures of collectable Japanese fashion dolls. Later she became interested in portraiture and fashion photography. She is studying for her A-levels and also she is working as a self-employed photographer. Her work embodies the idea of daydreaming the banality and routine of everyday life into something more mystical, playful and beautiful. It's a reflection of a world where surrealism meets realism. Her most well known client is Harper's Bazaar. Her photos were noticed by the site Flickr. Eleanor has once said that photography is her number one passion in life.


Actually I found her randomly from the internet. I'm amazed by her work and achievements considering her young age. She is an inspiration to me, I'd really like to meet her :)

Some of her work:
































To see more of her work visit this site: http://eleanorhardwick.com/ or this site : http://www.flickr.com/photos/lenaah


Sources:
http://eleanorhardwick.com/#bio
http://www.magicalplacesfineart.com/blog/2008/12/an-interview-with-teenage-photographer-eleanor-hardwick/
Pictures:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UMQXiyTc3XQ/SvAm9gkDn_I/AAAAAAAAA3A/w4T1OsaouGE/s400/Eleanor_Hardwick2.jpg
http://www.netzwellen.com/.a/6a00e54ff2481188340105368c39c3970b-400wi
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhje1cfQUxkkk-ycKCNSJTH2zEvSYxjIjDljCheHHF5WNhNh1VMEBoHOC-jz3c72eghHoRk0Skm4r6JqHNWNqKFCnHaI_RIYg6TGPay3UCq7Kk5L8tx58YF5lfbC5xbvcZIvetjOhgEXVk/s400/eleanor-hardwick1.jpg

Red-Bellied Black Snake

The Red-Bellied Black Snake is a venomous species of elapid snake native to eastern Australia. Its venom is capable of causing significant morbidity. It's popular in woodlands, forests and swamplands of eastern Australia. They can grow up to 1.5 meters. It can give birth up to 40 live snakes at one time. The bite is very dangerous and immediately requires medical attention.It has 17 mid-body scale rows. It likes to stay close to dams, streams, billabongs and water. Commonly it's not an aggressive specie. It is active by day and night. It eats frogs, small mammals and reptiles, also they eat each other. Tiger Snake venom is used to treat bites from red-bellied black snakes.




Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-bellied_Black_Snake
http://www.australianfauna.com/redbelliedblacksnake.php
Pictures:
http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/size:large/view:main/562680-4-red-bellied-black-snake-macro.jpg
http://www.animalpicturesarchive.com/ArchOLD-6/1136519330

Vegemite

Vegemite is a dark brown Australian food dough made from yeast extract. It's a grease for sandwiches, toast, crumpets, cracker biscuits and filling for pastries such as Cheesymite scroll. You can compare it to British, New Zealand and South African Marmite and to Swiss Cenovis. It is made from used brewers' yeast extract and various vegetable and spice additives. Vegemite is salty, rather bitter and malty. It is smooth and sticky. It hasn't been marketed in other countries. The owner is US food company Kraft Foods. In the United States Vegemite doesn't contain the Kraft logo. Vegemite was invented in 1922 by food technologist Dr. Cyril P. Callister. You can eat vegemite on toasted bread with butter or margarine. It has a lot of B vitamins in it.


For more information about vegemite visit this site: http://www.vegemite.com.au/vegemite/page?PagecRef=1

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegemite
Pictures:
http://aussiefavourites.com.au/cornershop/images/vegemite175.jpg
http://blog.theavclub.tv/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/vegemite-marmite.jpg
http://jilltxt.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/vegemite_ad_1930_1.jpg