Language & Places: The Ritz Hotel

The Ritz is a large, very expensive hotel named after the original Swiss owner, César Ritz. Several large cities including London and Paris have Ritz hotels.
The Hôtel Ritz in the heart of Paris, France, is one of the most prestigious and luxurious hotels in the world and is one of the seven recognized Parisian palace hotels. Established in 1898, it is the oldest Ritz Hotel in the world. The Ritz Hotel London is a 133-room hotel located in Piccadilly and overlooking Green Park in London.
The Ritz is also used to refer to any very luxurious and expensive establishment (usually used with a negative meaning):
This isn't the Ritz, you know.
The expression put on the Ritz (sometimes not capital) means to assume a superior air or make an ostentatious display. To put on the Ritz means to show that one is wealthy by living in a large house, giving parties, etc:
He really puts on the Ritz to impress people.
The informal adjective ritzy means luxurious or elegant. It also means glamorous, fashionable and expensive.

* Ritz Crackers

Rtiz crackers are a type of cracker (= thin biscuit) sold in boxes in the US and UK. They are designed to be eaten on their own or with a topping. They are circular in shape, salted lightly on one side, and have small scalloping around the edges. The crackers were named “Ritz” after the Ritz-Carlton hotels in the US because the name conjured up the image of wealth and glamour.

Did you know?

French fashion designer Coco Chanel died in the Hôtel Ritz Paris of a heart attack in 1971. She was 87 years old.

Legend & Literature in Cornwall

Cornwall, in the south-west of England, is a place which attracts tourists all the year round. It has mild weather and a spectacular coastline with beautiful bays and coves.
Not surprisingly, there are a hundred and one things for tourists to do in Cornwall. Seaside resorts like Newquay, which have wide, clean beaches, are very popular with families and also with people who like water sports, especially windsurfing and surfing. Land's End -the famous "last place" in mainland Britain- has restaurants, amusements and wonderful coastal views. People who prefer to get away from the crowds can visit one of the many fishing villages along the coast, watch the seals at Cornwall's Seal Sanctuary or go inland onto the moors where the scenery is much wilder.
History lovers will enjoy seeing the village and ruined castle of Tintagel, where they can learn about Camelot and the legend of King Arthur. Or they can visit Poldhu Cover near Mullion, where Marconi, the Italian inventor, sent the first wireless signal across the Atlantc in Canada in 1901.
Cornwall has plenty to offer those who are interested in art and literature. Many artists and writers have lived and worked there. Famous names include the sculptor Barbara Hepworth, who had her studio in St Ives, the writer Daphne du Maurier, who wrote her best selling novels Rebecca and Jamaica Inn, and the poet John Betjeman. Also in St Ives there is a branch of the famous art gallery, the Tate.
Like many beautiful places in the world there is another side to Cornwall, which visitors do not always see. Cornwall is quite isolated and, apart from tourism, there is not a lot of work for local people. Mining and fishing, which were once major industries, have almost disappeared and there is a high level of unemployment. The result is that many young Cornish people move away to places where they are more likely to find jobs.
Cornwall may sound like a tourists' paradise, but local people know that life can be hard when visitors leave.

Going Places: Hawaii

Hawaii is a US state in the Pacific Ocean which consists of eight main islands, known as the Hawaiian Islands. Its capital city, Honolulu, is on the island of Oahu.
In the US, Hawaii is seen thought of as a place where many people go for a holiday, especially for their honeymoon. The islands are known for their volcanoes, warm beaches, bright blue water and palm trees, and for particular foods such as macadamia nuts, and pineapples.
One of the strongest stereotypes of Hawaii is that of Hawaiian women dancers, who have long dark hair, wear grass skirts and leis (= a circle made of flowers that you wear around your neck), and who do a dance called the “hula” by shaking their hips from side to side.

Hawaiian Punch

A type of sweet, bright red, non-alcoholic drink with a fruit taste, often drunk by children in the US.

Hawaiian shirt

A shirt with short sleeves, made from thin, brightly coloured cloth, with patterns of Hawaiian things such as flowers, palm trees and ocean waves.

Royals: Hampton Court

A large building southwest of London, which belonged to Henry VIII and was used as a royal palace until the 18th century. It is open to the public, and there is a famous maze (= a system of narow paths, separated by tall hedges, which is difficult to find your way through.)

Cool Link:

Visit Hampton Court Palace

Going Places: The Pocono Mountains

The Pocono Mountains are a mountain region in northern Pennsylvania which cover an area of over 2,000 square miles. The closest town is Allentown, which is about 30 miles north of the Pocono Mountains. Apart from Allentown, however, there is no major population hub or town in the Poconos and folks generally travel there to spend time in vacation homes, camping or skiing. Poconos vacations are popular during the summer among younger kids who often attend some of the highly popular Pocono Mountains summer camps. Poconos vacations are also popular among skiers who head to the hills to hit the slopes. Pocono hotels are often filled with hikers, bikers, skiers and folks simply coming to enjoy a vacation home or rental tucked within the beauty of the mountains.
In addition to Poconos vacations for skiing, there are also a number of Poconos resorts which cater to folks heading into the mountains to hunt and fish. Wild turkeys, grouse, black bear and white-tailed deer are all part of the Pocono hunting scene. Gambling has also recently been legalized within the state of Pennsylvania, and a number of Pocono hotels have sprung up close to Pennsylvania Casinos in the area, which tend to feature slots, video poker and various harness and thoroughbred racing. Golfing is another popular pursuit in the Pocono Mountains, where there are a few excellent courses.
The Poconos are a popular place for short holidays, especially honeymoons, and people from New york and New Jersey go there to get away from their busy cities.

The Mountains and The Illness

The Rocky Mountains (also the Rockies) are a range of high mountains in North America which run from Alaska down to New Mexico, and separate the Midwest of the US from the West Coast. Many parts of the Rocky Mountains are popular places to visit, for camping, walking, climbing and skiing.
Sometimes when people talk about the Rockies in the US they mean the states that contain the Rocky Mountains, such as Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. The stereotype of someone who lives in these states is a man who works on a cattle ranch, wears jeans, cowboy boots and a stetson (= the type of hat that cowboys wear). People also think about the beautiful mountains and the ski resorts where people from all over the US go skiing.

The Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a serious illness found in areas of the US near the Rocky Mountains. It is caused by the bite of a tick (= a small animal like an insect) which produces fever and pain in the muscles and bones, and it can cause death if it is not treated.

British Cities: Manchester

Manchester is a large city in the north west of England, which was formerly known for its wool and cotton industries, but is now the financial and business centre for the area. Many pop and rock bands (such as Oasis) come from Manchester, which is known for its music industries and its many nightclubs. It is also known for its football teams, Manchester United and Manchester City. Many of the buildings in the city centre were destroyed by an IRA bomb in 1996. People who come from Manchester are called Mancunians.

More Than A Beach: Malibu

Malibu is a beach in California, in the US, famous for surfing. Many rich and famous people, especially film stars, live there.
With 21 miles (34 km) of coastline, Malibu lies along the Pacific Coast Highway just west-northwest of Santa Monica. The region, originally inhabited by Chumash Indians, was visited in 1542 by the Spanish explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, who anchored in the lagoon west of what is now Santa Monica. Named for the ranchería settlement Umalibo, a section of a Spanish land grant called Rancho Topanga Malibu Sequit, the city is well known as a beach colony of movie and television celebrities. Malibu’s beaches are popular spots for surfing. Local attractions include the J. Paul Getty Museum, which was based on the plans of an ancient Roman villa, and the Malibu Lagoon Museum, which preserves an early 20th-century mansion and serves as a showplace for tiles made by Malibu Potteries (1926–32). Malibu Creek State Park is nearby.

Malibu is also an alcoholic drink that contains rum and has a taste of coconut. It is usually drunk on its own or mixed with coca cola or fruit juice.

Malibu Barbie vs Malibu Stacy

Malibu Barbie was introduced in 1970. She is considered to be one of the most important Barbie dolls of the 1970s. She was a instant and huge success. She marked the beginning of a new direction (in Barbie and in the fashion of the day) of a more relaxed and contemporary style. Malibu Barbie wears an original aqua blue swimsuit, round sunglasses and yellow towel. Her hair is blonde, she has aqua blue centered eyes, brown eye brows, peach lips and blush.
Malibu Stacy, a doll for young girls, is a fictional character introduced in The Simpsons. It is an obvious parody of a Barbie doll (the Barbie doll line included a doll named Stacey from 1968-1970). Waylon Smithers of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant owns the largest collection of Malibu Stacy dolls in the world. He also took a leave of absence from the power plant to produce and star in Sold Separately - a musical based on the life of Malibu Stacy. Malibu Stacy comes with a wide range of often ludicrous accessories, such as the "Malibu Stacy Lunar Rover".

Australians in London

Earl's Court is a large building in London used especially for exhibitions in which businesses show their new products. The term also refers to the area of West London around this building. It is an area where many young people live in single rooms or small apartments. In the 1960s and 1970s, it was sometimes called Kangaroo Valley, because of the large number of young Australians who lived there.

Hampstead, the home of intellectuals

Hampstead is an area of N London with expensive houses, where many well-known writers and intellectuals live. In the middle of Hampstead there is a large area of grassland called Hampstead Heath.
Hampstead offers many cultural activities for enjoyment including major open-air summer concerts; book and poetry readings. and harpsichord recitals.
Hampstead has long been known as a residence for writers, composers, and intellectuals, actors, artists and architects who created a bohemian community in the late 19th century.
Today Hampstead is home to many prominent celebrities, sports personalities and intellectuals including: Gwyneth Paltrow, Russell Crowe, Hugh Grant, Tim Burton, Helena Bonham Carter, Jude Law, Sting, Elizabeth Taylor, Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Liam Gallagher. etc.

Places and Literature: Thomas Hardy and Dorset

Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) was a British poet and writer. Many of his novels are set in the countryside of Dorset in the southwest of England, and they often describe the unhappy side of life. His characters are often shown struggling against their own feelings and against fate.
Thomas Hardy, internationally renowned poet and novelist, was born in 1840 at Higher Bockhampton, near Dorchester and spent most of his life in Dorset. A lovely thatched cottage was his birthplace (pictures above). 2008 marked the eightieth anniversary of the writer's death on 11th January 1928.
The great majority of locations in Hardy's celebrated novels and stories are set within West Dorset. Among these are 'The Mayor of Casterbridge', 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles', 'Under the Greewood Tree', 'Far from The Madding Crowd', 'The Woodlanders' and 'Return of the Native'.
Hardy is reputed to taken inspiration for 'Tess of the D'Ubervilles' from the case of Martha Browne, who was tried at Dorchester's Old Crown Court & Cells in 1856. The last woman to be publicly hanged in Dorset, Martha Browne was sentenced to death for murdering her husband with an axe.
Hardy adopted the historical name of 'Wessex' as the name for the 'partly real, partly-dream country' in which many of his works were set. Drawing inspiration from the people and landscapes of Dorset, as well as his own life, he went on to write an impressive 14 novels and over 50 short stories in 25 years. These literary works contain a mixture of real and fictional names for towns, villages and landscape features, all drawn from Hardy's extensive knowledge of the area.

Holiday Places: Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern US. Florida is known for having warm weather all year round, and many older people go there to live when they have stopped working.

During spring break many American college students go to the seaside towns in Florida for a short holiday.
Disney World and the Epcot Center are in Florida, and the area is a popular place for British people to go for a holiday.

Exotic Places: Haiti & Jamaica

* Superstition in Haiti

Haiti is a country in the Caribbean Sea on the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Its capital is Port au Prince. For many years it was ruled by the dictators François Duvalier and his son Jean-Claude Duvalier, but now has an elected government. Many people still think of voodoo (= a religion based on magic) and zombies (= dead people who are brought back to life by magic) when they think of Haiti. In Haiti voodoo believers pray and perform animal sacrifices to feed—and beckon—the spirits. Then they dance until a spirit takes over their bodies. Voodoo, meaning "spirit," is reckoned to be one of the world's oldest ancestral, nature-honouring traditions.

* Reggae Music & Rastafarians in Jamaica

Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean Sea which is an independent state and a member of the British Commonwealth. Its capital is Kingston. Many slaves were brought there from Africa from the 17th to the 19th centuries to work on the sugar and banana farms. Jamaica is now known as a beautiful place for tourists to visit, and as the home of the reggae music and the rastafarian religion.