CHOCOLATE!

     As you can tell by the new blog theme I am now obssessed with...yup thats right...chocolate. I recently read a book (which I will not name because it may ruin things for you...hint check book list for the Secret series) which got me interested in chocolate. Not that I wasn't already. Ha ha. So I did some research. Now we all know how chocolate comes from Cocoa beans right? Wrong! Cocoa is actually a mispronunciation of Cacao, and they are not beans but seeds so all in all, chocolate comes from Cacao Seeds. The Aztecs used to make a beverage out of it called Chocolatl or Xocolatl. It used to be only reserved for the rich and powerful. People of "Lower Class" weren't allowed to have any, and if they did (gasp) well lets just say that wouldn't be a good idea.

     The original Seeds have a bitter taste so they must be fermented, to develop the flavour. After that comes the drying, cleaning and roasting, and then the shell is removed to reveal...Cacao nibs. They are then ground to cacao mass, because it is then added to other ingredients it is called chocolate liquer. Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate made with milk powder or condensed milk.

     Also Cacao trees grew in South America so until the 16th century the Europeans hadn't even heard of this tasty treat. It was only after the spanish conquered the Aztecs did they then learn of it. The first solidified chocolate or the first official chocolate bar was invented in 1847 by Joseph Fry and Son.

                  
A Mayan Priest forbids a person to                 Cacao pods.
touch the chocolate.


Thnx to Wikipedia 4 the info.

Ciao, Ciao!

Hey all

Really Hey! Now I know you're thinking "Hey? thats all? A post about...Hey?" or maybe you're not...how do I know I'm not a mind reader!! Or am I? No todays random topic will be...completely random! Big surprise. No I was thinking about zodiac signs. I don't exactly believe they have so much to do with the sky as with simple observations. Most people while writing about zodiac signs write incredibly broad things that seem specific but are not such as: they are quite quiet (see what I did there?) but can also sometimes be quite loud. You see! Now thats only an example...or a representation of my point. Why couldn't they just say...well why did they have to say anything at all? Now I am not saying all websites are like this I'm just saying some are...and trust me I should know...I once went crazy and looked up everything on my zodiac sign! Some sites though are really good! But there are some basics I've found, by basics I mean facts, although I am not going to state them because you may get mad at me...which I do not want. Ok thats all for the random topic today...I'll end tis as it began...Hey!

What I learnt while grocery shopping.

What did I learn? Ok this was a while back but its still fresh in my mind. I was out grocery shopping. I was at the check out counter when I had a sneeze attack. I get those a lot so I sneezed. Into my elbow of course like I've been taught to do. The guy checking out my groceries starts lecturing me on how you should not sneeze in your arm.
     "You see," he said, speaking to me as if I were 2 years old, "All the germs go onto your arm, so when you touch something they go on that too." Ok, whats the liklihood that I'll touch someone with my elbow anyway? His alternetive? Turn around and sneeze! Yeah and let the germs go into the air, where they can go up someones nose and mouth. And then he gets real personal and says..."Canadians have no class" that was the last straw. I muttered something rude under my breath, or in my head, either one and willed him  to HURRY UP! BTW he was probably not canadian as he referred to "canadians" seperately so... actually the only real canadians, like people whos bloodline goes to canada and only canada are probably only the aboriginals. Although they are said to have been from what is now Asia or Africa... whatever thats besides the point. Anyway I never responded to his ranting, I've learnt just let 'em talk. I did give him a "look" though.
Ah well...if you guys learn anything at a grocery store let me know! Grocery stores are very educational places.

Ciao, Ciao!

The jar of Salsa hates me!!

Yes it does. I am not proud to admit it. I tried in vain to open it and alas was unable to. Sad isn't it? My mom taught me a trick on how to open it. Yeah...it didn't work out so well for me. I practically broke my hand trying to open that darn jar. All I wanted was some salsa! What did I do to make the jar hate me so? Ok thats a bit melodramatic but...it does hate me. As if it wanted to taunt me even more...my mom opened it easy-peasy. RIDICULOUS! This is the height of ridiculosity (is that even a word...oh well now it is).

Ciao, Ciao!

Synesthaesia

     Synesthaesia...(or at least I think thats how its spelt) what is it? I know it sounds like anaesthesia which is something people use to put you to sleep (actually I mean docters), and maybe to some this may sound like a type of fabric (I know it did to me!) but its actually not.
    
     Synesthesia is a (I won't say disease) condition. Now its really too complex to just explain it in one sentence, I mean on the websites I checked? The explanation was like 1 million paragraphs long! Ok thats an exaggeration...but you get the point!

     Ok I promise I'll get to the point now...Synesthesia is a condition well I guess you could say its sort of like an umbrella...It has different forms. There are over 60 (one website said 63) types of synesthaesia. There's colour synesthaesia, where certain tastes, sights, smells, numbers etc. have specific colours, like the letter A might be red.
   
     There's also personification. This type was identified in the late 1800's but wasn't really dwelled upon (don't you love the word dwelled? Its like a dwarf living in a mushroom!). This type means that certain words, numbers, letters, smells, tastes etc. have certain personalities. Like the letter 9 may be a tall dark handsome stranger! (To me personally I always thought of it as a tall girl, probably the oldest in her family (maybe blonde? definately fair-haired,)who enjoys to cook. She is slightly traditional and is dedicated to her family. To me 9 is a pioneer number. Don't even ask what that means...'cause I don't know!)

     There's also a number form, but I didn't really understand how it works.

     Theres also lexical ---> gustatory synesthaesia. Its sort of like when words, sounds (you know the drill) evoke a certain taste. Pretty cool I think, kind of like having a perrsonal restoraunt on your tongue. Ooh...I really feel like having cinnamon, apple and pecan pie. Is there even such a thing?

     One website said that more women have it than men...I don't know if thats true but...

     Some traits are like a mild confusion between left and right, difficulties in arithmatic and sense of direction. Some even have photographic memory...(lucky ducks, that'd make studying for tests a snap!) Also Autism and Epilepsy can occur. I hope not though. Synesthaesia has been so far linked to chromosome 2 which is also linked to autism and epilepsy...Synesthetes are also likely to participate in creative activities.

     Below is a picture used in some synesthaesia tests.


Which would you call "bouba" and which would you call "kiki"?
Most call the second shape bouba because the mouth makes a sort of roundish shape while saying bouba-I don't know why but to me the second shape is just..."bouba" like the first is just "kiki". Not because the first is jagged and tough and K is a tough letter to say, but because it just is. What do you all think?

References: Wikipedia, google images and http://home.comcast.net/~sean.day/html/types.htm

Go to http://home.comcast.net/~sean.day/html/types.htm if you're interested in different types.

Ciao, Ciao!