A nice turn of phrase

Wear your knowledge lightly

Why I enjoy David Baldacci

is not only because of the fantastic momentum he creates right from the first word, but also because he packs in a lot of information on a variety of things.

Here's one:

'"King Fu," literally translated, meant a skilful ability attained through hard work. Thus, someone could be a baseball player and be deemed to have good "kung fu."'

Language of the apes

Apes actually talk to each other.  "The sounds uttered by these apes have all the characteristics of true speech," wrote Garner. "The speaker is conscious of the meaning of the sound used, and uses it with the definite purpose of conveying an idea to the one addressed."

 http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32966907

The monks of Guinsa, South Korea

They don’t mind if you’re rich or poor, Buddhist or Christian, Korean or British; as an expression of gratitude, you are cordially invited to lunch.

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20150429-a-free-meal-with-south-koreas-monk

Through our differences, we are all the same

In a huge leap for transgender people in India, Manobi Bandopadhyay became the first person from the community to head an educational institution. Professor Bandopadhyay took over as Principal of Krishnanagar Women’s College in Nadia district of West Bengal on June 9.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kolkata/bengal-to-have-indias-first-transgender-principal/article7252192.ece

The Kabuliwalas of Calcutta

These people from distant Afghanistan, who have settled down in Calcutta, carry their distinct identity even as they  meld with and become part of Bengali culture. Some have been living here for many, many decades. What holds them together are their customs and traditions.

Today, there are only 5,000 Kabuliwala families in Calcutta, a city of 16 million people. Though officially stateless, the city offers them the dignity of a final resting place.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-32377276

On beauty

Read this in my wanderings through books. Liked the use of words...

The Western conception of beauty – a stylized fantasy constructed by airbrushing reality into a narrow and illusory ideal of perfection.

Whereas,

The zenith of Japanese aesthetics is deeply rooted in the glorious imperfection of the present moment and its relationship to the realities of the past.