Scarecrow Village-Wray

Hidden in the crook of the Northwest of England is the small village of Wray, more commonly known as the scarecrow village. Every year this village of just over 500 residents sets up an unusual fair as a lead up to May Day. This year the Scarecrow Festival featured a theme of popular anniversaries, such as the bi-century anniversary of Charles Dickens, the 100^th anniversary of the Titanic and the 400^th anniversary of the Pendle Witch trials.

The village established this unique tradition in 1995 and to mark the occasion of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee this year, residents saw it fit to dedicate the festival to a theme of anniversaries. I went along to Wray to take a look at the village’s new additions and was greeted by an extraordinary array of exceptional straw creations.

Timeline Of a Few of The Greatest Third World Film Auteurs Who Put The Developing World On Market

nyarai Tinashe G. on Dipity.

Results: Where in The World WOuld You Rather Be-Most desirable place to live

Looks like the most desrable place for early 20-somethings is NEW YORK, with late 20-somethings rather opting for a more beachy MIAMI and 30-somethings choosing the more quiet but beautiful destination of South Africa!

Christmas Celebrations Across The World

Provided by google images

What's your typical christmas day like? I'll let you in on mine which, unlike the annual televised scenario of snow and snowmen, red stockings over warm fire places, eggnog and wool knitwear, comprises of a hot summers day enjoying fresh watermelon and ice cream...no great importance on presents (though they're always welcome), but there's always a big dose of family, pool side braais (barbecues) and an evening spent singing carols at church service! Guess where i'm from?? Somewhere deep in the South of Africa...i'll leave it at that.

Here's how other people celebrate:

AUSTRALIA
1.The hot temperatures of up to 38 degrees Celcius means lots of beaching, surfing and shopping,

Provided by google images

2. With a cultural mix of  heritages derived from England, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Europe, Italy, Greece, Spain, France, Middle East, Vietnam, China, Japan, Thailand as well as North and South America christmas becomes a joyous amalgamation of all cultures!
3. Traditional dinners are replaced with family gatherings in back yards, picnics in parks, gardens and on the beach.
4. It's all about family...
5. And lastly, because of the possibilty of Santa suffering heat stroke down under, he's replaced by 'Swag Man' who wears a brown Akubra (those iconic outback wide-brimmed hats), a blue singlet and long baggy shorts. He spends all winter under Uluru with his merry dingoes (wild Australian dog) and then at Christmas time, he gets in his huge four-wheel drive and sets off through the red dust to deliver his presents.

BETHLEHEM

Provided by google images

1. As the place where Jesus was born, means christmas is a very humble and religious event where celebrations are focused on ritualistic church events.
2.  Christian homes in Bethlehem are marked by a cross painted over the door and each home displays a homemade manger scene.


CZECHOSLOVAKIA

Provided by google images

1. St. Nicholas is called Svaty Mikalas and is believed to climb to earth down from heaven on a golden rope along with his companions: an angel and a whip-carrying devil.
2.They enjoy the practice of cutting a branch from a cherry tree and putting it in water indoors to bloom. If the bloom opens in time for Christmas it is considered good luck, and also a sign that the winter may be short. The hope of early spring helps keep spirits up during the long dark winter.

INDIA
1. Christians in India decorate mango or banana trees at Christmas time.

Provided by google images

2. Churches are decorated with poinsettias and lit with candles for the Christmas Evening service.









MEXICO

Provided by google images

1. Much like every other celebration in this country they go big and loud! Flambouyant decorations, christmas stalls, plenty food, la familia and los amigos all around (disclaimer: i only took spanish for half a year before dropping out)!
2. The main Christmas celebration in Mexico is called las posadas, which refers to processions reenacting Joseph and Mary's search for a place to stay in Bethlehem. The processions begin nine days before Christmas because the original journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem took nine days. Friends and family members divide themselves into two groups - pilgrims and innkeepers and proceed with the full re-inactment.

ANGLOPHONE WORLD (UK, English Canada and America primarily)
Ah the selling TV christmas; snow, snowmen, warm fire places, decorated christmas trees, miseltoe, christmas carols, knitted reeindeer sweaters and red sown stockings!

Provided by google images

 Santa Clause/Father Christmas slides down the chimney carrying with him a great big bag filled with presents which he slides under the  christmas tree/ or into the hanging stockings after indulging himself in the little snacks layed in preparation of his arrival :)
A time for family, a time for shopping, and a time for food, food and more food (turkey, puddings, chocolates...etc)!!!

Is there a particularly special way you celebrate christmas???

Information provided from http://www.the-north-pole.com/around/

'Tats', 'Ink', 'Art', 'Work' and 'Pieces'

Different periods-different meanings

The ritual and practise of body tattoo-ing has transformed drastically (much as many other historic and traditional rituals) into a simplistic popular fashion statement. Human history records illustrate tattoos being used in many diverse cultures; namely as rites of passage, marks of status, rank, symbols of religious and spiritual devotion, decorations for bravery, sexual lures, marks of fertility, punishment, amulets, protection and as the marks of convicts.

Cook's arrival

SO, who brought on this fashionable practise to the British Isles? Well, British explorer James Cook was his name. He brought the practise back with him after an expedition to Tahiti in 1769. The Polynesians permanently tattooed themselves as protective and therapeutic symbols, but when the 'fashion' arrived in Europe it was adopted, primarily, by men in dangerous professions (gangsters and rebels-ooooh).


Fast forward to today and it's no surprise to see any girl or guy over the age of 18 with a tattoo inked across their backs, arms, wrists, thighs, ankles, necks or bottoms. It's well enough to assume you get a free tattoo with every purchase of skinny jeans....i must admit, i myself have got both; skinny jeans and tattoo.

I went in to my local Tat shop to do a little amateur filming and aside from capturing the shop's surroundings i found an 18 year old girl getting her first tattoo :). I also captured a little of the guy sitting next to her who looked like a right ink addict!

Black Reaction to Cinema Conduct

When you find yourself sitting in a cinema where there's a competitive amount of action and sound effects between those 'watching' the movie and the actual movie itself...you know ther gon'b sum black peeps up in thur, standard.

Don't blame us,  I swear it's in our genes (I'll explain)! And even though i get really annoyed when I'm sitting there watching a movie with a manic lady screaming at the screen, with popcorn flying everywhere around her as she targets at the film's antagonist...wait, who am i kidding?! That manic freak is me, I'm that annoying lady in the cinema...well at least last night at a Preston cinema i was. I never really realised it back at home (In Africa) amongst my fellow 'homeboys' (please excuse the cheesy American slang), with them I'd just blend in!

'Oh hell no, he did not just go there', these are the words i found myself saying in the epic scene in Twilight: Breaking Dawn when Jacob ***** ***** ** *** ****** *** .........(Starred out for the sake of those who haven't watched). Anyway the point is, well who was i talking to and why did i feel the need to comment, in a cinema, where the only lights on are pointing to the screen and the rest of the room is in darkness, clearly indicating a separation between where there SHOULD be action/sound/talk and where there SHOULDN'T!!!

Well here's the deal, I'm black, my roots stem from the African soils (Though science/history shows we all did, for the sake of the point I'm trying to make I'm speaking from the perspective of Post-Ape era here). It all boils down to understanding, meaning and the nature of communication taught amongst the African society. And yes, though it may be true that to some extent different cultures and races are gradually amalgamating into one unison popular way of life (especially in the 'first world'), the change definitely hasn't fully affected this largely inherent characteristic difference in communication between, well for the sake of simplicity in this writing, the black and white race.

Both storytellers and audience are involved in creating the sense of the story

Let's take away the cinemas, theatres, ipads, kindles and even books...and understand a form of communication that exists largely in the context of an integrated, communal oral performance. That is the background in which storytelling (and cinema) exists in African tradition. Without back and forth interaction (oral and physical) a story does not exist. Storytelling was and continues to be used as a way to teach, involve and excite the listener.

If you look at the example of hip hop (considering it as a black art form), there isn't a rapper out there who doesn't provide a platform that allows for the integration of the audience with his art...there's always a 'Can i get a Hip Hop Hip Hop' or a 'Wave your hands in the air, like you just don't curr' (feel free to adapt to modern day lingo). The point is it isn't worth the watch if you can't get involved in one way another....


'Throw your hands in the airya and wave dem like u juss dont careya'!

Anyway, this brings me back to cinema and why i find myself having a hard time maintaining my composure through action sequences, love scenes and even through the scenes in between. It's just not in me to sit and silently internalise what is to me a natural reaction to performed storytelling. Whether it be on screen, radio, on paper or on line my culture has ingrained in me to physically and orally react, while involving those around me. Screaming, squirming, popcorn throwing and posing hysteric rhetorical questions during a film are all a part of the cinema experience for me, if i had to sit motionless and quiet for a full on 120mins i honestly, without doubt, wouldn't be able to follow the film's narrative!

Where would you rather be in the World?

With the globalisation of the world's culture and capitalism there are just so many different options you could choose when deciding where you want to live and work. Where in the world would you rather be??
Fill out the survey below and find out what people, perhaps similar to you, would prefer: