One of Sicily’s quirkiest charms nearby in the city of Palermo is in a crypt below its Capuchin monastery. The Capuchins, a branch of the Franciscan order, have a passion for reminding people of their mortality. Historically, when their brothers died, their bones were saved and put on display.

The Capuchins of Palermo took this tradition a step further. Rather than just saving bones, they preserved the bodies in their entirety. Back in the 16th century, the monks here found that this particular crypt preserved bodies almost miraculously. They later realized that they could actually charge wealthy parishioners for the privilege of being mummified here with their brothers. And this helped raise money to support their monastery.

This maze of corridors contains thousands of skeletons and mummies, dressed in the clothing of their choice. Each area features a different group, monks in their brown robes, women with their favorite dresses, priests with their vestments, soldiers still in uniform, and children looking almost as if taking a long nap.

The oldest body, Brother Sylvester, has been hanging here since 1599. One of the brothers gave me a lovely little sermon. He explained that our time on Earth is short and what really matters is what comes next. These bodies without souls, as they call them, are a reminder that we’re all mortal. For this monk, being with all these bodies brought him great joy and peace, as it caused him to focus not on our earthly existence, but on eternity.

Today, the public’s welcome to wander thoughtfully through these halls of haunting faces, which seem determined to tell us a truth that perhaps we’ve yet to learn. I’m not quite ready for a Capuchin crypt, but I could go for a cappuccino. And I’m joined by my Capuchin friend, who, in good Franciscan style, enjoys embracing the moment as well. So we have the same colors. Yes, same color. Brown and the white and the robe. So we got the white and the brown. Enjoy.

DID YOU KNOW?

‘Cappuccino’ takes its name from the Capuchin friars: the color of the espresso mixed with frothed milk was similar to the color of the Capuchin robe. (source: Merriam-Webster)

Students demand sleepwalker sculpture is removed over ‘sexual assault’ fears

The greyish hue, the outstretched arms, the unnerving facial expression. Yes, we can certainly see why this piece of ‘art’ is giving university students such a fright. An incredibly lifelike sculpture of a half-naked, sleepwalking man is striking fear into the hearts of students at a women’s college. So far, more than 300 students have signed a petition demanding its removal from the Wellesley College campus – but the president says the piece of art is part of the intellectual process. 

The sculpture – titled Sleepwalker – is the work of artist Tony Matelli and part of an exhibition at the Massachusetts college’s Davis Museum. It shows a man dressed in only his underpants apparently frozen in time as he sleepwalks. But according to some who signed the petition, the piece of art is ‘a source of apprehension, fear, and triggering thoughts regarding sexual assault’. The college defended the work claiming it ‘has started an impassioned conversation about art, gender, sexuality and individual experience, both on campus and on social media’.

to demand – követel
sleepwalker – alvajáró
sculpture – szobor
to remove – eltávolítani
over sg. – itt: valami miatt
hue – árnyalat
outstretched – kinyújtott
unnerving – nyugtalanító
facial expression – arckifejezés
fright –  ijedelem
incredibly –  hihetetlenül
lifelike – élethű
to strike fear – megrémíszteni
college – főiskola
to sign – aláírni
petition – petíció
to demand – követel
removal – eltávolítás
exhibition – kiállítás
underpants – alsónadrág
apparently – láthatóan, szemlátomást
frozen – megfagyott
source – forrás
apprehension – itt. Félelem, nyugtalanság
to trigger – kivált
regarding – valamit illető
assault – támadás
to defend – megvéd
impassioned – szenvedélyes
gender – társadalmi nem
experience – élmény, tapasztalat
campus – iskola/főiskola/egyetem területe
joint statement – közös nyilatkozat
to stimulate – stimulálni, előidézni
to provoke – provokálni
exception – kivétel
freshman – elsőéves
freaked out – nagyon megijedt

source: Metro

True or false?

1. A campus sculpture depicting sexual assault outraged female students of the college.

2. The sculpture shows a naked sleepwalker with not even underpants on.

3.  More than 300 students have signed a petition demanding its removal.

4.  The college did not defend the work although it has started an impassioned conversation about art.

5. A student said the sculpture could be a trigger for those students who had experienced sexual assault.

answers: 1-f 2-f 3-t 4-f 5-t

One in three road users get behind the wheel in flip flops and a study shows they are more dangerous than driving in high heels. Flip flops appear to cause 1.4 million road accidents every year. In apoll, 27% of drivers admitted driving in flip flops had caused a mishap, and 11% said the shoe had got stuck under pedals.

A device to make flip flops, which reduce braking times, more stable has been brought out by insurers Sheilas’ Wheels.The firm’s Jacky Brown said it was the “ultimate” summer car accessory. The design tucks into a car glovebox and securely customises any flip flop providing extra foot support around the heel while offering added stability on the pedals. The flip flop accessory can also be scrunched up to fit inside a handbag or pocket.

Just one in seven motorists have chosen not to drive due to concerns about their footwear with 36 per cent of safety-conscious women carrying a pair of driving shoes in the car – compared to just one in eight men. More than half of motorists called for further guidelines and advice on the impacts of driving in different footwear to be made available as a quarter  admit to choosing style over safety, picking out their footwear based on whether it goes with their outfit. One in 10 women revealed that they have even worn shoes behind the wheel that they have struggled to walk in.

The survey revealed the top five summer footwear styles which Brits struggle to drive in: 1. Flip flops 2. Bare feet 3. Wedge heels 4. Espadrilles 5. Sandals

Joseph O’Connor, from Sale, blamed a ‘poor choice’ of flip flops as footwear when he appeared in court last week to plead guilty to drink driving and driving without due care and attention. He said his foot slipped on the break – causing him to crash into a minibus full of pensioners in Sale. He was banned from the road for 14 months.

And a 50-year-old woman currently on trial at Bristol Crown Court charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent after hitting a pedestrian and reversing back over him blamed her flip flops for getting caught in the pedal. She denies additional dangerous driving offences.

source: Mirror

… és akkor nézzük meg, milyen lábbelikről is volt szó:

flip-flops

wedge heels

espadrilles

sandals

to blame – hibáztatni
footwear – lábbeli
mishap – baleset, szerencsétlenség
wheel – kormány
study – tanulmány
to appear – megjelenni, tűnni
road accident – közúti baleset
poll – felmérés
to admit – bevallani
to get stuck – beszorulni
device – eszköz
to reduce – csökkenteni
stable – stabil
insurer – biztosító
ultimate – legfőbb, legfontosabb, legjobb
accessory – kiegészítő
to tuck into – begyömöszölni
glovebox – kesztyűtartó
securely – biztonságosan
to customise – személyre szabni
to provide – lehetővé tenni
support – támaszték, tartás
stability – stabilitás
to be scrunched up – kicsire összegyűrve lenni
due to – valaminek köszönhetően
concern – aggodalom
safety-conscious – biztonságtudatos
compared to – valamivel összehasonlítva
further – további
guideline – útmutató
advice – tanács
impact – hatás, kihatás
available – megszerezhető. elérhető
to pick out – kiválasztani
to be based on – valamin alapulni
outfit – öltözet
to reveal – felfedni, elárulni
to struggle to – küzdeni valamivel
bare feet – mezítláb
court – bíróság
to plead guilty – bűnösnek találva lenni
care – odafigyelés, óvatosság
to slip on – megcsúszni valamin
to be banned from – eltiltva lenni valamitől
currently – jelenleg

Queen Mary Long Beach

Set against the backdrop of the dramatic Long Beach city skyline, the Queen Mary ship has been a coastal icon in California since 1967. She was purchased by the city at a cost of $3.5 million, and has been a tourist attraction and hotel ever since.

Veronica Hill of California Travel Tips tours this massive ship and learns a little bit more about its ghostly residents and the Queen Mary history.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Cunard Queen Mary launched at Clydebank, Scotland in 1934, and was the most luxurious ocean liner of Her time.

Roughly twice the size of Titanic, the RMS Queen Mary sailed the Atlantic for White Star Lines between 1936 and 1967.

Designed in the Art Deco style, this ship boasted the finest materials and modern comforts, including puncalouvers for air conditioning and a choice of fresh or salt water in the bath.

During its heydey, the Queen Mary carried famous passengers such as Fred Astaire, Greta Garbo, and Winston Churchill, who signed D-Day invasion plans right on the ship.

In fact, during World War 2, the Queen Mary became a troopship, swiftly transporting as many as 16,000 soldiers at a time. She was one of the fastest and largest ships in the War.

Adolph Hitler offered a $250,000 bounty for the ship, which was nicknamed the Grey Ghost. The Queen Mary weighs over 81,000 tons and stretches more than 1,000 feet.

Today, the Queen Mary Hotel in Long Beach offers a bit of nostalgia in a very modern city, with several fine restaurants and 365 updated staterooms, complete with flat-screen TVs and iPod docking stations.

Check out the Upper Deck, where you can get great views of the Long Beach skyline, then head over to the Observation Bar, which was once the First Class Lounge. In the Verandah Grill, you’ll spy a famous painting of Marie Antionette with a mouse in her hair.

Dozens of Queen Mary tours are offered day and night, but by far the most entertaining are the Queen Mary ghost tour and Queen Mary Dinner with the Spirits Tour, hosted by paranormal expert Erika Frost.

The paranormal investigation starts out with a gourmet Continental meal at Sir Winstons, which is worth a visit even if you don’t go on the Queen Mary tour, followed by a 2-hour exploration into the most haunted Queen Mary hallways and rooms.

Walking down into the ships engine room, Frost uses dousing rods and a recording device to connect with the most famous Queen Mary ghost John Pedder, who was killed during a drill in 1966.

“John got crushed in a door during a game of chicken or last man standing with friends,” says Frost. “He is the Casper of the Queen Mary. John is a person who’s in transition, he’s a lot of fun.”

Other ghost sightings include soldiers marching down empty hallways, a man wearing black boots in the restroom of Sir Winstons, and a very angry spirit named Henry who is believed to haunt the ships Green Room.

“Henry is bald, about 6 foot 3, and he’s just angry,” says Frost. “He is very bitter very angry, negative. He’s upset and frustrated by the fact that he was killed doing something he was passionate about, which was working in the boiler room. From what I understand a boiler exploded and he was scalded. I don’t usually open myself up to communicate with him. I try to focus more on the positive side of things, but it is a bit of an adrenaline rush when he comes around.”

We never did see any ghosts, but I did capture some weird green lights in the Engine Room.

Was it a ghost or a reflection? You decide!

TRAVEL TIP: Be sure to save your parking ticket stub on arrival. A lost ticket will cost you $85!

Credit: Queen Mary thumbnail by Mike Harbison/Stockxchg free stock photography