The kimono is a traditional Japanese dress. In modern days, it is worn only sparingly or during special 16 such as weddings, tea ceremonies, formal traditional events and funerals. A kimono of a particular style and color is to be worn depending on the occasion and the person's age and marital status. Men's kimonos usually have more subdued colors and are made typically from matte fabrics. Partly for this reason, it is the women's kimonos 17 generate more interest because their beautiful designs make them art pieces as much as they are garments. The women's kimonos are traditionally made of silk, 18 these days they are also made of polyester. Decoration techniques include embroidery, yuzen painting and dyeing. The price of a kimono can range from around 10,000 yen for a simple set 19 of cheap fabric to millions of yen for a luxurious silk outfit with intricate embroidery or yuzen designs. The outfit is accompanied by traditional footwear and a small handbag for women. When buying kimonos, take into account that maintenance is an issue unless you are not planning on ever wearing them. Silk kimonos are difficult to clean and washing without the proper methods might 20 damaging the garment. Kimonos of polyester material are easier to clean, but you should always check with the merchant the appropriate ways of maintaining them.

Lao Tzu is credited as the father of Daoism. His major work, Dao De Jing, in contrast to the Confucius’ teaching, represents 21 of the two dominant schools of Chinese philosophy. Its concerns are broad, dealing with personal spirituality, ethics, politics, and metaphysics. 22 the Confucian Analects focuses on social relations, Dao De Jing is more concerned with how life should be perceived by the individuals. Moreover its style is often indirect and the approach mystical. Dao De Jing is written in two parts, the Book of Virtue (De Jing), dealing with politics and ethics, and the Book of Way (Dao Jing), 23 with metaphysics. “Dao” refers to the governing principle of life and the universe. It is the natural working of things. Dao De Jing states that we cannot grasp Dao using the language and that the ineffability of the subject matter may account for some of the difficulties in interpretation. If we attempt to 24 Dao by exercising our intellect, we are bound to fail. Indeed, thinking is the cause of all problems and any human striving is counter-productive. Rather, we should 25 the pursuit of goals and allow Dao to “flow through” us. This approach to life, known as wu-wei, or “nonstriving,” is the key to living in tune with Dao.

Supermarket retailers have strategies to make sure that your visit for a loaf of bread turns into $200 worth of groceries. To save money and beat supermarkets at their own game, learn some insider tips provided by industry analysts and store employees. The first shopping secret is not to think that you’re getting a better deal when you buy in bulk. In the produce department, for example, individual peppers are almost always cheaper than those in the multi-packs and loose avocados are usually cheaper than the ones grouped in mesh bags. Second, insiders will attest to the fact that there’s very little difference in the deli section between what’s been pre-packaged and what is sliced fresh. A lot of times, it’s the exact same product. But you’re paying more per kilo just to have it sliced for you. Third, in a supermarket, the “buy one, get the second one 50% off” discount is not a good deal – that’s only 25% off each. Instead, wait – almost everything is reduced to 50% at some point. Moreover, don’t buy something in bulk just because it’s on sale. The ten-for-$10 promotion is one of the most misleading. This is what stores do to get volume out the door – some have even raised the unit price to do so. Always check the unit price first. And last, don’t assume that products displayed at the end of an aisle are automatically good deals. Often, they are not. The end areas are usually rented by companies trying to promote products, which may not be bargains at all.

As the first European settlement in the Far East, Macau, which became a colony of the Portuguese Empire in 1557, is hugely significant in the history of East-West relations, not to mention its considerable architectural and aesthetic merits, which helped lead its designation as a world heritage site in 2005 by UNESCO. No trip to Macau is complete without a visit to its famous Historic Centre. The beating heart of the city’s urban center is Senado Square. Home to shops, snacks and a never-ending stream of public events and celebrations, few places epitomize Macau’s old-meets-new beauty in the same way. It’s only enhanced by the borrowed Mediterranean atmosphere which comes courtesy of the many surrounding neoclassical-style buildings painted in pastel colors and the square’s ornate tile work. Particularly iconic in the Historic Centre is the A-Ma Temple. Constructed in the 15th century, the temple was originally built for the sea goddess A-Ma. Over the centuries, it has evolved to become home to a number of different beliefs: Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism, in addition to a number of local folk beliefs. Even today, A-Ma Temple remains a site of pilgrimage for many, particularly during the Chinese Spring Festival. But perhaps the best-known monument in Macau is the Ruins of St Paul’s. Once a large church, the southern stone façade is the only part of the building that remains standing after a big fire several centuries ago. Covered in Eastern-influenced carvings of Christian themes, it stands as a testament to the artistic skills of the monks working for St. Paul’s in the early decades of the 17th century and it is frequently used as a spectacular centerpiece during Macau’s annual Arts Festival. For centuries the meeting point between East and West, Macau is an enchanting paradox, a city where ultra-modern buildings co-exist with sites of the ancient past, seemingly drawn from two separate worlds.

While the left hemisphere in the brain is innately predisposed to specialize for language, there is also evidence of considerable plasticity in the right hemisphere during the early stages of language development. Under certain circumstances, the right hemisphere can take over many of the language functions that would normally reside in the left hemisphere. An impressive illustration is provided by children who have undergone a procedure known as hemispherectomy, in which one hemisphere of the brain is surgically removed. This procedure is used to treat otherwise intractable cases of epilepsy. In cases of left hemispherectomy after language acquisition has begun, the children experience an initial period of aphasia. However, depending on the underlying disease that leads to the epilepsy, some children may reacquire a linguistic system virtually indistinguishable from that of normal children. They also show many of the developmental patterns of normal language acquisition. UCLA researchers who have studied many of these children hypothesize that the latent linguistic ability of the right hemisphere is “freed” by the removal of the diseased left hemisphere, which may have had a strong inhibitory effect before the surgery.

Jacob Epstein’s sculptures were the focus of much controversy during the sculptor’s lifetime. Epstein was born in the United States of Russian-Jewish immigrants in 1880. He moved to Paris in his youth and later to England, where he eventually settled and took out British citizenship in 1907. His first major public commission, on a building in London, offended most people because of the expressive distortion and nudity of the figures. In 1937, the Rhodesian government, which at that time owned the building, actually mutilated the sculptures to make them conform to public notions of decency. Many Epstein’s monumental carvings also received adverse criticism. While the lay persons denounced his work, many artists and critics praised it. They admired in particular the diversity of his work and noted how it was influenced by the primitive and ancient sculptural motifs from Africa and the Pacific. Today, Epstein’s work has received the recognition it deserves, and Epstein is considered one of the major sculptors of the twentieth century.