Chali Center

Irish wedding toasts are becoming more and more the norm these days. Not because it is only Irish couples getting married, but because many people have finally seen the timeless elegance and beauty of traditional (and even non traditional) Irish wedding toasts. It is not unusual to hear a "Sláinte!" (meaning good health and pronounced something like "Slawn-tche"), at a wedding these days. In fact it has become so popular that you will even hear some of the guests replying kind - even if they aren't Irish. Some examples of good Irish wedding toasts are, "May the light of friendship guide your paths together, may the laughter of children grace the halls of your home, and may the joy of living for...

Ancient Greek culture thrived from the 3rd millennium to the first century B.C. and its cultural accomplishments, art, architecture and philosophy deeply influenced thinkers, writers and artists in many subsequent civilizations. The concept of democracy originated in ancient Greece and became the foundation of political principles for most modern nations. Greece - truly one of the cradles of modern civilization. Picture Athens in its heyday crowned by the Acropolis. The Parthenon, an ancient Greek temple dedicated to the goddess Athena Parthenos (Athena the Virgin), is located on the Acropolis. Although partly in ruins today, it remains a masterpiece of Greek architecture. Overall, Athens has much...

With Indiana Jones back in the cinemas once more, an interest in ancient civilisations is no longer confined to professors and archaeologists. Indeed, cultural heritage holidays are growing increasingly popular, with many AITO tour operators offering trips that look at some of the most notable ancient ruins in the world. While most of the great monuments of ancient civilisations have been eroded or destroyed, some still survive, and visiting one of these sites is like going on a holiday in ancient history. In addition to being spectacular structures in their own right, they form an invaluable part of any cultural heritage holiday, giving a glimpse of a way of life that has long since disappeared...

Owning a motor vehicle is a comfort that many people can support. The motor vehicle has become such an important part of our life, that at times it can be very hard to operate without one. Owning a motor vehicle is a big responsibility for many people, it is usually one of the biggest investments individuals make in their lifetime to keep your motor vehicle driving. This is one cost that adds on the car owner. Vehicle's are mechanical devices and like all mechanical objects over their lifespan they subject to wear and tear and eventual break down. Maintenance and repair of your motor vehicle is another dollar value associated with owning your car. Fairly new or new motor cars require very little...

 The design elements common to all Claddagh rings are two hands lovingly holding, embracing or caressing a heart, topped by a simple crown. The Claddagh design is strongly identified with Ireland and its history and lore, but it actually symbolizes much, much more than that. It stands for loyalty, trust and faith. And it is a pure,shining symbol of eternal friendship. In short, it symbolizes life, and love. Each of the elements in the design of a Claddagh ring has a meaning. The heart symbolizes love, the hands surrounding the heart symbolize friendship, and the crown signifies loyalty. The saying "let love and friendship reign" perfectly summarizes the symbolism of the Claddagh design...

Early Settlers in Italy The earliest important settlers in Italy were Etruscans. The Etruscans built settlements in the northern area of Italy before the sixth century B.C. Rome, known as The Empire, was determined to extend its influence around the world, and thus made the Mediterranean advertisement, using the Mediterranean Sea for trade of food, wood, tin, cotton and silver with other great nations. A Spiral Downward Pressures from without and discord from within led to the destruction of the empire by the fifth century. The Germans assumed power of Italy, representing the Eastern Emperor in Constantinople. They tried to keep the Roman lifestyle alive, however. After a couple of changes in power...

Ancient Athens versus modern Athens??? Could we marry those two antitheses without causing any disgrace? Could we be right to suspect that such a project may end up into showing a considerable lack of vision ...if not, a great lack of culture???? Ancient Athens versus modern Athens??....A question of great importance for tourists who wish to visit Greece...who wish to admire ancient Athens in its original "dress"...who wish to enjoy, at the same time, comfort and modernity in their daily life... Modern Athens has succeeded to realize such a daring project without damaging its precious ancient atmosphere. We wouldn't go further into this subject without underlining the presence of a woman at the...

While many consider Yoga to be a form a physical exercise, it is also known to be an exercise in spiritual development. Most would agree that the true goal of Yoga is to provide the individual with the means to achieve inner peace and balance. To achieve these lofty goals, students are encouraged to become familiar Yoga's eight fold path. The eight fold path consists of eight disciplines; Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samhadi. The first fold, Yama, advises students to engage with the world from a moral standpoint, and is actually broken down into five distinct elements. The first element, Ahimsa, teaches the student to respect the world around him. The second...

The Acropolis, the hill on which the Parthenon & additional important ruins are located, is the first place you must see when visiting Athens. Not all its attractivenesses are on top side of the hill, so take your time to appreciate the ruins you will pass along your way upwards to the top of the hill. As a matter of fact, before starting up, take a look at the amphitheaters and the Odeon of Herod Atticus (this is one of the locatings where the Athens Festival is held in the period of summer). This religious core of ancient Athens, which received its classical pattern in the time of Pericles, reverberated the humanist values of Greek culture and thoughts which have retained their power down to our...

Can you revitalize yourself by a simple process? Yes, and it's a long held secret passed down from the ancient Hindu civilizations, long before there was Egypt, Mesopotamian civilizations and ancient Greece. By applying this simple technique (performed in the sunlight) you can instantly revitalize yourself, and bring to your body and mind a refreshed, relaxed, yet fully energized state. How it is done? First of all, you must sit for a moment and collect all your thoughts, and feelings, and mentally expel them to the universe. Its an easy exercise. You can pretend you are collecting them with a sticky piece of cotton, and when all the thoughts, doubts, fears, and anxieties are collected, mentally...

Enlightenment Period - Romantic Age Comparisons Researched and Authored by: Michael J. Spindler The authors of this paper are going to present to the reader five areas of the humanities, art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature from the Enlightenment period as well as the Romantic Age. The examples chosen are meant to reflect the developments and forces that affected world events and how these examples molded cultural patterns. This evolution of humankinds views of the world and humans place in the world profoundly affected the following century and the course of the modern people in today's society. Art has traditionally been a reflection and an artist's interpretation of the world...

There's been a growing interest in tattoos lately,and Celtic tattoo designs are no exception. Celtic tattoos have become a favorite design choice. It is no secret why these are so popular. They are oftentimes done in blackened color with lots of shading and the symbols used are intricate and beautiful. It's thought that Celtic tattoo designs trace their origins back to a clan that inhabited the British Isles called the Picts. Just about all historians think that the Picts tattooed themselves by puncturing their skin with red-hot tools to produce complex and permanent artwork on their body. Later on, they began to using a blue pigment derived from the leaves of a native plant. The designs created by...

Horoscopes, and more specifically the whole science of astrology, have been a hotly debated topic for years. Created in ancient cultures, systems of reading the stars and the cosmos have always played an important part of ancient societies. Take the ancient Aztecs, Mayans, Babylonians, Greeks, or Egyptians for example. The Great Pyramids, the only remaining wonder of the ancient world, heavily rely on the positions of the Sun and planets in its design, while other aspects of astrology have been incorporated into the architecture. Another example of celestial bodies being incorporated into the architecture of ancient civilizations is El Castillo at Chichen Itza, an ancient Mayan society. The steps...

In the spring of 2003, I spent three weeks in the city of Chennai, formerly known as Madras, located in Southern India. Each morning, walking before the heat of the day, I was amazed to see intricate knot work patterns drawn out free hand with flour in front of the driveways and gates of homes. These artistic scrolls, I was told by an Indian friend, were offerings to local gods, and were part of a tradition that stretched back into the ancient past. I have seen knot patterns in my travels throughout many parts of the world. In Islamic countries where iconography is prohibited, the mosques are heavily decorated with knot-like patterns. Stone-carved knot work motifs can be found on ruins from the...

Watchitplayit.com: Continuing an online phenomena With an ever growing list of websites that support an active online community for people to share their videos and experiences, a new contender throws their new and unique website. Watchitplayit, a new place exclusively for people who appreciate music and understand its performers. It is now the one place for people to share their love of music. The world is in a media revolution as user-generated content is here to stay. People who once thought they never had voices are now realizing how easy it is to be heard by millions. Each day new websites open to help users get out and share ideas with people all over the world. User-generated content has...

For 3,000 years Rome has stood at the forefront of civilisation. The might of the Roman Empire brought great wealth and prosperity to the city and its allies. Rome became a treasure trove of extravagant architecture and monuments. As fortune smiled down on Rome, their riches established communities endowed with ornamental landmarks, many of which stand to this day. At the core of the once mighty Empire, The Roman Forum was the heart and soul of government. Originally a cemetery, the Forum grew with the Empire and was the nucleus of everyday life. Aristocracy would socialise and decide the course of history during lavish banquets, drinking their wine and gorging on the luscious food. At the centre of...

Northern Spain and Galicia particularly has long been an undiscovered jewel in the whole of the Spanish tourism industry. All over Northern Spain the climate is much more moderate than the rest of the Iberian Peninsula and the autonomous regions that make up this area of the country have exactly what it takes to help visiting tourists have a good time. The Atlantic coast of northern Spain boasts extremely attractive sandy beaches whilst inland the mountain ranges are criss-crossed by numerous foot paths. If you look at all of the autonomous regions that make up modern day Spain, Galicia has to be the most remote. Found in the North West corner of Spain, Galicia as has been said is a region of vast...

Samhain: Halloween's Origins The Celts were an ancient Irish people group that practiced the feast of Samhain (pronounced Sah-ween). During this autumnal period, the Celtic priests, also known as druids, would perform sacrifices to pagan gods. It was believed that the undead would rise from the grave during Samhain and cause destruction across the countryside. To appease these spirits, the druids would make their way from home to home looking for crop, animal, and even human sacrifices. They would wear ghastly costumes to resemble the undead spirits. This ancient ritual is where we get the "treat" part of the popular "trick-or-treat" custom. Today we hand out candy instead of sacrifices. All Saints...

Jewelry (joias) is a fascinating fashion accessory that has been popular from ancient times. It has played a variety of roles including political, religious and ornamental, and jewelry artifacts have helped modern historians shape pictures of the daily lives of ancient civilizations. Jewelry in ancient Rome is no exception. There are literary accounts and pictorial depiction such as in the Regina tombstone, plus an abundance of other artifacts available that help us to understand the role jewelry played during this fascinating time. Jewelry (joias) was worn by men and women though it was subject to conventions of the time; particularly with regards to the appearance of men. Male jewelry was...

"Dubliners" of James Joyce is a unique work of literature in many senses. The primary outstanding feature of this book lies in the very structure of it. It consists of four major elements, that in turn consist of few stories that are not connected with each other but the reader somehow realizes that they all talk about common things that were present in Irish society at that time. The order of the stories is specifically designed to show the reader how the characters of the book are growing and changing their views and attitudes. Joyce was a master of constructing books in such a way so that he could convey deep meaning to the reader not only through the master theme but also with the help of...

With Indiana Jones back in the cinemas once more, an interest in ancient civilisations is no longer confined to professors and archaeologists. Indeed, cultural heritage holidays are growing increasingly popular, with many AITO tour operators offering trips that look at some of the most notable ancient ruins in the world. While most of the great monuments of ancient civilisations have been eroded or destroyed, some still survive, and visiting one of these sites is like going on a holiday in ancient history. In addition to being spectacular structures in their own right, they form an invaluable part of any cultural heritage holiday, giving a glimpse of a way of life that has long since disappeared...

Your wedding cake is the central piece of decoration, and probably the most delicious decoration, that brings your entire theme into focus. The culminating factor of the vital wedding cake is the elegant design, symbol, or figurines that you place on top of all the cake's luxurious tiers. Cake tops are a great way to really put your personality and your good taste into your wedding reception. Also, wedding cake toppers are great keepsakes for you and your newly wedded spouse to take home in remembrance of your special day. You can keep these durable items for a lifetime, keeping them out on display in your new home as a testament to the bond you share and the memories you've made and will continue...

June 30, 2007, is an unforgettable part of history for Britain as it is the 10th anniversary of the controversial handover of Hong Kong to China. For the British it was the loss of the most valuable of her few remaining vestiges of empire. For China it was the acquisition of a prize that gave her a bustling, thriving financial hub, a portal into the Western capitalist world, complete with its own stock exchange index, the Hang Seng. Negotiating the transfer proved to be one of the more painful episodes of Britain's withdrawal from her former colonial status. As the 99-year lease drew to an end, the two parties negotiated hard. The British eventually accepted Chinese premier Deng Xiaoping's "one...

We have had masks for many years now. Ancient theatre was greatly dependent on them. The now famous image of two masks, one joyful and the other sorrowful, are associated with the theatre of the ancient Greeks, back in the times of playwrights like Sophocles and Euripides. In those times, masks were used to differentiate the good from the evil, the hero from the villain. However, as time went on, masks fell into disuse. Later, playwrights such as Brecht and Cocteau tried to make use of theatrical masks. Yet, masks had by now moved away from the world of performances and had begun making its way into ordinary life. Today, masks have a whole new role to play. Nowadays, they are used entirely for...

The Six Best Places to Hold an Irish Wedding As any newly-wed will attest to, wedding ceremonies are a enchanting event, whether at a chapel in Las Vegas or on a cliff-top in Hawaii. There is something special, however, about an Irish Celtic wedding. It might be the beautiful Celtic light that silhouettes the bride, or the crackling fire in an ancient castle, but it is certainly unique. Adare Manor, once the hunting retreat of an English gentleman, is awe inspiring and stunning, and tops our poll. The staff, unassuming yet courteous, are of the highest quality. A candlelit dinner in the great hall is an experience in itself. As a location for a wedding, it is incomparable. However, Powerscourt...

How does it feel like to be tattooed? It is painful, alright. After all it is an art. Art needs emotions (which presumably cover pain!) to bring out the best from an art piece. The money aside, pain in tattooing is part of the investment. It makes you really appreciate what you are doing. And depending on the design of your tattoo, the process will get on more painful and painful. So please bear with it. The more decorative or the more symbolic your tattoo design is, the more artistic it will get. Tattoo is simply a means of self-expression. It is after all, used among wide scopes of culture and its history runs down from ages to ages. And understandably, as the 'ages' went, the tattoo designs...

The history of golf has roots deep in the history of man since for the past five hundred years they have at some point or another taken a stick to a ball or rock. Thus making it difficult to determine just when the sport was created and put a timeline to golf history. So exactly who is credited with inventing golf and developing golf history? Well, it was really a collaboration of a number of countries and the efforts of many men hitting objects with a stick. Understandingly, with such a wide description of how the game was developed it left it wide open for everyone to claim ownership. So basically everyone has laid claim to originating the game and contributing to the history of golf. Scotland...

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley The Quiet Man - 4 Stars (Excellent) No one ever said that filmmaking was easy, only that it could be very good and sometimes enduring, as in "The Quiet Man", starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara with legendary Director John Ford. Like a lot of great films, The Quiet Man is a story of the conflict and conquest in the courtship of a man and a woman. A woman determined to get her way, a brother determined to keep his sister from the man she loves, and a man determined to win the heart of the woman he marries. Irish-born Sean Thornton (John "Duke" Wayne) is an American who swears off being a professional fighter after accidentally killing an opponent in the ring...

The oldest recorded exchange of engagement rings dates back nearly 5000 years ago to ancient Egypt when a never ending band was linked with eternal love. Later for the Romans, a young ladies acceptance of a ring was a legal agreement and meant that the girl was no longer available. These ancient engagement and wedding rings were not gold engagement rings but were often made from simple and crude bands of iron. Even in these modern times, the gold engagement ring is still regarded as a potent symbol of unity and marriage, which sends out a message about a persons marital status. Traditions have changed over the centuries and not only have the materials which the rings are made out of changed, but men...

Seven hills, ruins of the Colosseum, Renaissance churches, romantic fountains, streets cafes, a hundred types of spaghetti... its time to add another characteristic to this list - "national park," with 110 bird and 26 mammal species, 15 species of reptiles and fish and 6 amphibia species. Falcons settled atop of the Colosseum, ducks feel fine at the former riverbed of the Tiber, and there are newts living in its nowadays riverbed. Rome has a unique ecosystem, like a true national park - in many ways, thanks to the absence of industrial premises and lack of housing in many of its districts. Animals feel at home even in the city centre. There is enough food, the number of predators is minimum, hunting...

Contributions of Ancient Arabian and Egyptian Scientists on Chemistry Md. Wasim Aktar* and M. Paramasivam Deptt. of Agril. Chemicals, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, India. Abstracts The modern chemistry is based on the findings and thinking of the people of historical age. If no one knows the base and work of the previous on a subject, he or she could mere develop a new thought or findings. For, a civilization must know its past. Hence, the present work is a small effort to find out the contribution of ancient Arabian and Egyptian scientists in the field of Chemistry. Different scientists of different school of thought, correlating different streams of science...