Izana with Arakanese Clothing

This is Izana, with Arakanese traditional clothing at home.

He is very pround of it. So do I!

Meanings of the Given Names (M)

Margaret = A pearl

People often ask me about - what does my name mean.
Sometimes, I also ask other peoples if his or her name means something.
These are not important but it is good to know about each other in our cultures of mankind.
For my friends who want to know, the meanings of (Western) given names:

Men’s Names (M)

Malcolm: (Celtic) Servant of Columba
Manuel: (Hebrew) God is with us
Marcus, Mark: (Latin) Of Mars, god of war
Mario: (Hebrew, Latin) Bitterness; of Mars, god of war
Marlin: (Old English, Celtic) The merlin, sparrow hawk; sea-hill
Marmaduke: (Celtic) Sea leader
Marshall: (Old French) Official in charge of horses
Martin: (Latin) Of Mars, god of war
Marvin: (Germanic) Fame, friend
Matthew: (Hebrew) Gift of God
Maurice: (Latin) Moorish or dark-skinned
Maximillian, Max: (Latin) The greatest
Melvin: (Celtic) Chieftain
Merle: (Latin-Old French) Blackbird
Merton: (Old English) Sea, farm
Meyer: (Germanic) Head servant; farmer
Michael: (Hebrew) Who is like God
Miles, Milo: (Latin) Soldier
Milton: (Old English) Middle homestead; mill homestead
Monroe: (Celtic) From the read marsh
Morgan: (Welsh) Great, bright
Morris: (Latin) Moorish or dark-skinned
Morton: (Old English) Homestead by a marsh
Moses: (Coptic) Son; boy
Murray: (Middle English) Merry
Myron: (Greek) Fragrant


Women’s Names (M)

Mabel: (Latin) Lovable; amiable
Madeline: (Aramaic) Woman from Magdala; tower
Mamie: (Hebrew) Pet form, see MARY
Margaret: (Greek) A pearl
Maria, Marian, Marilyn: (Hebrew) see MARY
Marie: (Hebrew-French) See MARY
Marjorie: (Greek-French) A pearl
Marlene: (Hebrew) See MARY; elevated
Martha: (Aramaic) Lady, mistress
Mary: (Hebrew) Bitterness; wished-for child; rebellion
Matilda, Maud: (Germanic) Might, war
Maxine: (Latin-French) The greatest
May, Mae: (Hebrew, Latin) See MARY; from goddess Maia
Melanie: (Greek) Black
Melissa: (Greek) Honeybee
Melody: (Latin) Musical quality
Mercedes: (Spanish) Of mercies (Mary)
Merle: (Latin) A blackbird
Mildred: (Old English) Mild, power
Millicent, Millie: (Germanic) Work, strength
Minnette: (Hebrew) See MARY; small
Miranda: (Latin) Worthy of admiration
Muriel: (Celtic) Sea-white
Myrtle: (Greek) From the shrub myrtle


Source: Smith, Elsdon C. “Vocabulary of Given Names.” The World Book Dictionary. 1968 edition. 1968.Picture: http://www.lakewoodconferences.com/direct/dbimage/50295532/Pearl_Brooch.jpg

Independence Day of Peru

Today is the Independence Day of Peru. Peru gained her independence on July 28, 1821 from Spain.

Official Name: Republic of Peru
Area: 496,224 sq miles. (1,285,220 sq. km)
Cities: Capital – Lima, Other Cities – Arequipa, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Callao

Population: 27.9 million (UN, 2007)
Religions: 90% Roman Catholic

Languages: Spanish and Quechua (official)
Type of Government: Constitutional Republic
GDP: $ 155.3 billion (2004 est.)
Monetary Unit: 1 nuevo sol = 100 centimos

President: Alan Garcia
Internet domain: .pe
International Dialing Code: +51
Official Web Pages: http://www.peru.gob.pe/
http://www.congreso.gob.pe/
http://www.pcm.gob.pe/


Sources: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1224656.stm
http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/
The New York Times Almanac 2007


Picture: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pe.html
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/pe-flag.html
http://www.studyabroadinternational.com/file/image/Peru_Machu_Picchu_Sunrise.jpg
http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2004/12/05/peru_wideweb__430x315,1.jpg

Yesterday’s Wedding

Yesterday, my wife and I went to a wedding of one of my wife’s friends. It was in a Marriot Hotel. It was a grand wedding.
Both of bride and groom were pretty. I found five things those I like the most in the reception:
- I had the chance to eat shrimp, which is my favorite one, the longest animal in the world.
- Nice and fondly dancing of bride’s parents.
- Good speech of groom’s father.
- Dance of the beautiful people.
- Final dance of all friends and me.


Picture: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/Wedding_rings.jpg/800px-Wedding_rings.jpg

Independence Day of Maldives

Today is the Independence Day of Maldives. Maldives gained her independence on July 26, 1965 from the United Kingdom.

Official Name: Republic of Maldives
Area: 116 sq miles. (300 sq. km)
Cities: Capital – Male

Population: 306,000 (UN, 2007)
Religions: Sunni Muslim

Languages: Maldivian Divehi (Dialect of Dinhala; script derived from Arabic); English spoken by most government officials.
Type of Government: Republic
GDP: $ 1.25 billion (2002 est.)
Monetary Unit: rufiyaaPresident: Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
Internet domain: .mv
International Dialing Code: +960
Official Web Pages:
http://www.presidencymaldives.gov.mv/pages/index.php
http://www.themaldives.com/government/

Sources:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/country_profiles/1166511.stm

http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/
The New York Times Almanac 2007

Picture:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mv.html
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/mv-flag.html
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v137/rayhey2/BLOG/maldives01.jpg

Jumping baby

One Way Drive?

(An iPod Ad in NYC)

It was in 1980s. I usually went to the local markets with my grandpa. When we bought or sold things, I noticed that grandpa could count the numbers very quickly though he did not learn higher education. Even he was not counting those numbers on paper, but in his mind and memory. Amazing!

My dad, a middle class educator who was a secretary of the village-track of four villages, often used pen and papers to count the numbers.

Me? I used to count the numbers in my mind and by calculator, as well.

When I got in Thailand, I bought a book from a store. Price of the book was 12 bahts. I gave a banknote of 20 bahts to the seller. I noticed that the seller was using calculator to count the change between 20 bahts and 12 bahts.

Now, I am in the United States where we don’t need to know what makes five minus two, since computers, credit companies and banks do the job.
As the above picture, which I took in the New York City, are we going on a one way drive?

Izana and GYM III

Izana and GYM II

Independence Day of Colombia

Today is the Independence Day of Colombia. Colombia gained her independence on July 20, 1810 from Spain.

Official Name: Republic of Colombia

Area: 439,734 sq miles. (1,138,910 sq. km)

Cities: Capital – Bogota, Other Cities – Cali, Medellin, Cartagena
Population: 46.1 million (UN, 2007)

Religions: 90% Roman Catholic
Languages: Spanish

Type of Government: Republic

GDP: $ 281.1 billion (2004 est.)

Monetary Unit: 1 Colombian peso = 100 centavos
President: Alvaro Uribe

Internet domain: .co

International Dialing Code: +57

Official Web Pages:

http://web.presidencia.gov.co/
http://www.vicepresidencia.gov.co/
http://www.dafp.gov.co/

Sources:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1212798.stm
http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/

http://www.scopesys.com/anyday/

The New York Times Almanac 2007

Picture: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/co.html
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/co-flag.html
http://drake.marin.k12.ca.us/students/hernandezma/Images/colombia-viva.jpeg