● Black History Month ●

Black history month, in America, is an annual observance in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom for remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. From the event's initial phase, primary emphasis was placed on encouraging the coordinated teaching of the history of American blacks in the nation's public schools. The expansion of Black History Week to Black History Month was first proposed by the leaders of the Black United Students. The first celebration of the Black History Month took place at Kent State one year later, in February 1970. Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as "Negro History Week" and later as "Black history month." 

What you might not know is that black history had barely begun to be studied-or even documented-when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America at least as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a respectable presence in the history books.

Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance. He famously wrote about the period that “the negro was in vogue” which was later paraphrased as “when Harlem was in vogue."

Langston Hughes is widely regarded as “the Bard of Harlem” for vividly capturing the literary ethos and artistic spirit of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 30s. He was one of the most prolific black writers of the twentieth century and possibly the first to earn his living entirely by means of his craft.  Although he wrote in nearly every genre, he was primarily a poet and two of Hughes’s poems, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and “I, Too (Sing America)” have become important parts of the American literary canon.  For his poems, plays, essays, novels, and short stories that together number in the hundreds, Langston Hughes stands as one of the most important American writers of the last century.

Here's one of his poems: I, too.

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.

They send me to eat in the kitchen

When company comes,

But I laugh,

And eat well,

And grow strong.

Tomorrow,

I’ll be at the table

When company comes.

Nobody’ll dare

Say to me,

“Eat in the kitchen,”

Then.

Besides,

They’ll see how beautiful I am

And be ashamed.

I, too, am America.

♥ Pancake day ♥

Shrove Tuesday in the United Kingdom is commonly known as Pancake Tuesday. It is a time for people to eat pancakes or participate in pancake races. Pancakes in the United Kingdom have some variations. For example, Welshcakes or light cakes are eaten in Wales while many pancakes in Gloucester are made with suet.People who take part in the pancake races carry thin pancakes in frying pans and must race to the finish, flipping pancakes as they go. The winner is the first to the finish line with a pancake that is not burnt. Some people may take time off work to participate in the pancake races.

The Olney Pancake Race is held at Olney in Buckinghamshire on Shrove Tuesday. It is one of the best known pancake races in the United Kingdom. The course for the Olney Pancake Race is about 415 yards long (about 379 meters). Competitors must wear traditional costumes that include a skirt, apron and head covering to run the race. Official Olney and Liberal prizes are then presented at a Shriving service in the parish church after the race is finished.

In Olney, England, the Pancake Race tradition dates back more than 500 years to 1445. A woman engrossed in using up cooking fats (forbidden during Lent) was making pancakes. Hearing the church bells ring calling everyone to the shriving service, she grabbed her head scarf (required in church) and ran to the church, skillet and pancake in hand and still apron-clad. In following years, neighbors got into the act and it became a race to see who could reach the church first and collect a "Kiss of Peace" from the verger (bell-ringer.) 

Magic Mike. ☺♥

In 1989, a director called Steven Soderbergh suddently became famous for his movie "Sex, Lies and Videotapes". His next films were about something different, but in 2013 he returned to the subject of sex with the film "Magic Mike" starring Channing Tatum and Alex Pettyfer.
Channing Tatum said that Soderbergh is a fantastic director. It's a person that is really smart and empowers the actors. 

"He's quick, the way he shoots is phenomenal" said Alex Pettyfer. 

Soderbergh is loved by everyone, even by an actor as Matthew McConaughey, infact he said that he doesn't say much, just what's needed. The film is about male strippers, but especially about Mike, the best one.

Birdy ♥

Jasmine van den Bogaerde commonly known by her stage name Birdy, is an English musician, songwriter and singer. She won the music competition Open Mic UK in 2008, at the age of 12. Her début single, a version of Bon Iver's "Skinny Love", was her breakthrough, charting all across Europe and being certified six times platinum in Australia. Her self-titled début album Birdy was released on 7 November 2011 to similar success, peaking at number 1 in Australia, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Her second studio album Fire Whitin was released 23 September 2013 in the UK and other surrounding countries.
Her stage name comes from the nickname her parents gave her as a baby, because she opened her mouth like a little bird when fed. Her family and friends call her Birdy while only teachers call her Jasmine, her given name.
In 2008, as a 12-year-old, Birdy won the UK talent contest Open Mic UK, a spinoff of the Live and Unsigned competition. She won both the under-18s category and the Grand Prize, against 10,000 other competitors. She performed her own song at the competition called "So Be Free" in front of 2,000 people.

ABC of friendship ♥

"One who seeks no friends is his own enemy."

"Chi non cerca amici è nemico di se stesso"
_

"True friendship is like sound health;

 the value of it is seldom known until it be lost."




"La vera amicizia è come la buona salute;

 a quando è persa.

il suo valore è raramento conosciuto fino a quando non andrà perso."

_

"Your wealth is where your friends are."


"La tua ricchezza è dove sono i tuoi amici."

"Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies."

"L'amicizia è una singola anima che dimora in due corpi."

_

"Friends are the most important ingredient in this recipe of life."




"Gli amci sono la ricetta più importante nella ricetta della vita"

_





"One who looks for a friend without faults will have none." 




"Chi cerca unamico senza difetti non ne avrà nessuno."

"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor.”"

The Hunger Games is a 2008 science fiction novel by the American writer Suzanne Collins. It is written in the voice of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in the dystopian, post-apocalyptic nation of Panem in North America. The Capitol, a highly advanced metropolis, exercises political control over the rest of the nation. The Hunger Games are an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged 12–18 from each of the twelve districts surrounding the Capitol are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle to the death.

Katniss and Peeta are taken to the Capitol, where their drunken mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, victor of the 50th Hunger Games, instructs them to watch and determine the strengths and weaknesses of the other tributes. "Stylists" are employed to make each tribute look his or her best; Katniss's stylist, Cinna, is the only person at the Capitol with whom she feels a degree of understanding. The tributes are publicly displayed to the Capitol audience in an interview with television host Caesar Flickerman, and have to attempt to appeal to the television audience in order to obtain "sponsors". During this time, Peeta reveals on-air his longtime unrequited love for Katniss. Katniss believes this to be a ploy to gain sponsors, who can be critical to survival because of their ability to send gifts such as food, medicine, and tools to favored tributes during the Games.

While nearly half the tributes are killed in the first day of the Games, Katniss relies on her well-practiced hunting and survival skills to remain unharmed and concealed from the other tributes. A few days into the Games, Katniss develops an alliance with Rue, a 12-year-old girl from the agricultural District 11 who reminds Katniss of her own sister. In the meantime, Peeta appears to have joined forces with the tributes from the richer districts. However, when he has the opportunity to kill Katniss, he instead saves her from the others. Katniss's alliance with Rue is brought to an abrupt end when Rue is killed by another tribute, whom Katniss then kills in self-defence with an arrow. Katniss sings to Rue until she dies, and spreads flowers over her body as a sign of respect for Rue and disgust towards the Capitol.

Movies at MOMA ♥

In Italy there are a lot of English students and expats, that like to see English films, not dubbed, but in original language. Instead, Americans like to see Italian films but with subtitles. In USA, in fact, not many movies get distributed, that's why New York's Museum Of  Modern Art (MOMA) screened only 14 Italian films under the title "Medusa, Film from an Italian studio, 1995-2005." Laurence Kardish said:

"We like to hear the original language rather than having a dubbed version, because we can understand when a film is dubbed: there's hallowness."

Even if a lot of films include a dubb done really good, American people still prefer Italian original language. 

I think that Italian films are better with subtitles for American people. Hallowness has to be removed. So, American people can watch Italian films in original language.