Happy 100th Birthday Crossword Puzzle!

This weekend, one of my favourite pastimes turned a century old! To celebrate 100 years of the crossword, an American culture icon, here are some interesting facts about crosswords taken from a speech I gave about crosswords for college last year.

The first crossword was invented in 1913 by a journalist called Arthur Wynne for the New York World. It was a diamond shape with no blackened out squares and easy clues.

Arthur Wynne called his game a "word-cross". The name was later changed to "cross-word", but then there was a typo one day and the hyphen was dropped, with the game becoming "crossword" as we know it.

Although the New York Times wasn't initially a big fan of the crossword, it would eventually publish its first Sunday crossword almost 20 years later in 1942, during World War II. An editor at the Times argued that they should published crosswords to give readers something do during the blackouts that happened after the bombing of Pearl Harbour.

Now the New York Times' crossword is considered one of the most popular crosswords in America. The difficulty gets harder throughout the week, with the easiest on Monday and the most difficult on Saturday. Sunday's large puzzle is around the same difficulty as Thursday's puzzle.

Lots of celebrities are fans of the Times' Sunday crossword, including talk show host Jon Stewart and former President Bill Clinton, who can apparently finish one in 20 minutes!

Bill Clinton was also featured in one of the most famous crossword puzzles published in the New York Times on the day of the U.S. presidential election in 1996 between Bill Clinton and Bob Dole. The answer to "Tomorrow's headline" could either be CLINTON ELECTED or BOBDOLE ELECTED, depending on how you filled in the answers going down.

In another cool crossword moment, a guy proposed to his girlfriend using the New York Times crossword. One of the answers was Paula Abdul's hit song "Will you marry me?" The crossword writer even managed to include the guy and his girlfriend's names in the crossword. She said yes!

The clue for the longest word ever used in a crossword is "Giggling troll follows Clancy, Larry, Billy and Peggy who howl, wrongly disturbing a place in Wales." The answer is: 

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch*

*a town in Wales

Pope Francis Named TIME's Person of the Year 2013

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This week, TIME magazine named its Person of the Year for 2013! Every year, TIME dedicates a magazine issue to a person, group, idea or object that "for better or for worse, ... has done the most to influence the events of the year." This year, the magazine has chosen Pope Francis, the current leader of the Catholic Church.

Ever since he was elected as the Pope in March following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI due to ill-health, Pope Francis has captured the attention of many across the world.

As the Pope, he is less formal than the popes before him. Francis doesn't live in the papal palace. He drives a Ford Focus instead of a Mercedes. He doesn't wear the red Prada shoes or the gilded cross, opting instead for an iron one around his neck.

When he was elected, he told journalists that he chose the name Francis (in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi) because he was especially concerned for the well-being of the poor. From the beginning, he told an Archbishop, "You can sell your desk. You don't need it. You need to get out o the Vatican. Don't wait for people to come ringing. You need to go out and look for the poor."

He has since earned the nickname "Pope of the Poor." It was recently revealed that the Pope often sneaks out of the Vatican at night dressed as a regular priest to help the homeless. When he was a Cardinal, he even bought food to the homeless and sat and ate with them on the streets.

Although he has shown support for the Catholic Church's present teachings, Pope Francis has said that Catholics have become too obsessed with "small-minded rules" that they have forgotten about the greater need for tenderness, mercy, compassion, and as TIME puts it, "the vast possibilities of grace." He has urged the Catholic Church to emphasise compassion over condemnation of topics such as abortion, gay rights and contraception. As TIME writes, "Don't preach; listen, he says. Don't scold, heal."

As the Catholic Church is one of the world's oldest and largest institutions, change does not come easily. It has also been the subject of much criticism because of the scandal and corruption that goes on inside. But instead of passing harsh judgements, Pope Francis has reminded the Church and its followers about the importance of compassion, and in doing so, he has started to bring the Catholic Church back to its mission of healing – serving and comforting those in need – and balancing judgement with mercy.

"I see the church as a field hospital after battle. It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars!" Pope Francis said.

Sources:
TIME Magazine: "Pope Francis, the Choice" & "Pope Francis, The People's Pope"
The Guardian: "Pope Francis named Time magazine person of the year for 2013"
Wikipedia: "Pope Francis", "Time Person of the Year"
Yahoo: "'Pope of the Poor' Secretly Living Up to His Nickname"
American Magazine: "A Big Heart Open to God"

Remembering Nelson Mandela: Quotes, Poems & Passages

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Nelson Mandela once said, "It is never my custom to use words lightly. If 27 years in prison have done anything to us, it was to use the silence of solitude to make us understand how precious words are and how real speech is in its impact on the way people live and die."

Indeed, Nelson Mandela, the hero of millions, has uttered and written many words of wisdom and inspiration throughout his lifetime. Here are some of his best quotes:

"A good head and a good heart always a formidable combination"

"Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another."

"I learned that courage was the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects the freedom of others." 

"There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living."

"It always seems impossible until it's done."

"Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again."

"In my country we go to prison first and then become president."

"Man's goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished." 

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."

"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the way in which you yourself have altered."

"If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner." 

"After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb."

"It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership."

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Besides composing his own words of wisdom, Mandela had some good taste in poems and passages. For example, while Nelson Mandela was imprisoned on Robben Island, he discovered the poem "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley and loved its message. As seen in the 2009 film of the same name, Mandela often recited the poem to other prisoners.

Below is Henley's "Invictus" poem in its entirety:

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance 
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishment the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

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When Mandela became the President of South Africa in 1994, he sent the captain of the South African rugby team a copy of the "Man in the Arena" passage – also quoted by Brené Brown in her TED talk about vulnerability – from President Theordore "Teddy" Roosevelt's "Citizenship in a Republic"speech. Mandela inspired the South African rugby team to defeat my other home country New Zealand in the 1995 Rugby World Cup final in an emotional sweep. As seen in the film Invictus, Mandela walked onto the field after the win wearing the South African team's green rugby jersey as 80,000 fans burst into chants of "Nel-son! Nel-son!"

Teddy Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena" passage goes as follows:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." 

Nelson Mandela 1918 – 2013

No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.

– Nelson Mandela

The world lost a great man today. Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first African American president and the man who led South Africa to freedom, died Thursday night. He was 95. 

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Born Rolihlahla Mandela in a South African village in 1918, Nelson Mandela is often hailed as the father of South Africa and a hero to millions around the world. While he was at university, he became involved in the African National Congress (ANC). When apartheid began in 1948, Mandela led the ANC's Defiance Campaign against apartheid. 

In 1948, after World War II, the South African government introduced apartheid, literally "apartness" in Afrikaans, as an official policy. Under apartheid, South Africans were grouped into four groups ("black," "white," "coloured" and "Indian") and segregated. The whites, who were a minority, ruled South Africa, while the blacks, who were the majority, were stripped of many of their rights. By the 1970s, blacks were no longer allowed to hold political office, nor were they allowed South African citizenship. They were instead forced to become citizens of one of bantustans, self-governing homelands and townships. The segregation occurred in residential areas, education, medical care, beaches and other public services. The blacks were provided with inferior services to those of the white people. 

Mandela was often arrested for rebelling against the government. Although he originally believed in non-violent protest (like Gandhi), he eventually led a sabotage campaign against the apartheid government. He was arrested in 1962 and convicted of conspiracy to overthrow the government and sentenced to imprisonment for the rest of his life.

While he was on trial at the Supremer Court of South Africa, Mandela gave a four hour speech from the dock. In it, he said, "I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination... I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to see realized. But my lord, if it needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

For his ideal, Mandela spent 27 years in prison. He was 44 when he was imprisoned on Robben Island, and he would be 71 when he was released in 1990. During his years in prison, Nelson Mandela became, according to the New York Times, a symbol of the opposition of apartheid. After he was released, Mandela started negotiating with the South African President F.W. de Klerk to abolish apartheid. He became South Africa's first African American president in 1994. 

Today, many people around the world have gathered to mourn the loss of Nelson Mandela. Mandela's death was announced by current South African President Jacob Zuma, who said, "Our nation has lost its greatest son." President Obama called Mandela an inspiration, saying, "He no longer belongs with us. He belongs with the ages." British Prime Minister David Cameron called Mandela, "A great light...in the world," and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called Mandela, "A giant among men."

"I have had the privilege of spending time with President Mandela and I can say his sense of humor was as great as his optimism," said Harvey Weinstein, the co-chairman of the company that produced the upcoming film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, based on Mandela's autobiography. Idris Elba, who portrays Mandela in the film, said, "What an honour it was to step into the shoes of Nelson Mandela and portray a man who defied odds, broke down barriers, and championed human rights before the eyes of the world."

Morgan Freeman, who also portrayed Mandela in the 2009 film Invictus, said, "Today the world lost one of the true giants of the past century. Nelson Mandela was a man of incomparable honour, unconquerable strength, and unyielding resolve – a saint to many, a hero to all who treasure liberty, freedom and the dignity of humankind. As we remember his triumphs, let us, in his memory, not just reflect on how far we've come, but on how far we have to go. Madiba may no longer be with us, but his journey continues on with me and with all of us." Freeman, who watched Invictus with the former South African president, continued, "When you meet Mandela, you know you are in the presence of greatness. It is something that just emanates from him."

"Playing God is not a challenge at all... and playing the president, who's the president? He's just a guy," Freeman, who has also portrayed the President of the United States and God, said, "Mandela's not just a guy."

Rest in peace, Madiba.

Sources: The Guardian, The New York Times, Buzzfeed, The Hollywood Reporter and The Week

Movies You Must See Before You Grow Up

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It has recently dawned upon me that this is the perfect time for me to introduce you to some of the movies that defined my childhood. I'm a bit of a film buff – movies are my thing – so I'm really excited to do this and introduce you to the worlds of Marty McFly, Jar Jar Binks and Forrest, Forrest Gump.

Sandy and Selina finished the Back to the Future series the other week, and we were all really sad that hoverboards had not been invented yet. Technically, Marty travelled to 2015, so I don't know about you but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for hoverboards in two years. Sandy even wrote a short blog post and Selina an essay about how much they loved the film.

These past few weeks, I've racked my brain, as well as the brains of my mum and sister, to come up with a list of movies that you absolutely must watch before you grow up. And if you're grown up and haven't watched them, then there's no better time to start!

• Back to the Future I
• Back to the Future II
• Back to the Future III
• Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
• Star Wars IV: A New Hope
• Star Wars V: The Empire Strike Back
• Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi
• Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace
• Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones
• Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith
• Jurassic Park 
• The Lost World: Jurassic Park
• Jurassic Park III
• Die Hard
• Die Hard 2
• Die Hard with a Vengeance 
• E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
• Grease
• Mary Poppins
• The Sound of Music
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
• The Princess Bride
• Big
• Forrest Gump
• Dirty Dancing
• Babe
• Ghostbusters
• Jaws
• Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the old one)
• The King and I
• Clueless
• Sister Act
• The Wizard of Oz
• Superman 
• Superman II 

A few personal favourites:

• Forrest Gump (again)
• It's a Wonderful Life
• My Fair Lady
• Singin' in the Rain
• The Phantom of the Opera
• Romeo + Juliet
• The Truman Show
• Groundhog Day
• House of Flying Daggers
• Hero
• Gone with the Wind
• The Snowman

Comedy:

• Rush Hour 
• Rush Hour 2
• Beverly Hills Ninja
• Flubber
• Mrs. Doubtfire
• Hook
• Bean

And of course:

• Everything Disney
• Everything Pixar 
• Everything Hayao Miyazaki

Now children, go forth into the world, and may the force be with you.

Celebrating Mark Twain's Birthday with His Words of Wisdom (and Humour)

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Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist. Hailed as the Father of American Literature by William Faulkner, Twain is the author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and its sequel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a "Great American Novel" because it accurately represented the United States at the time it was written.

Twain grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, which served as the setting of many of his books. When he was young, he worked as a typesetter for a magazine before he discovered he was good at writing humour (we may read The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County). Twain liked to make fun of people in the upper classes. He was the first author to use American dialect – the way Americans speak – and humour.

Twain was born on November 30, 1835 during a visit by Halley's Comet, which can be seen from Earth every 75 to 76 years. Twain predicted that he would die when Halley's Comet came back, and he was right! He died on April 21, 1910, the day after the comet returned.

To celebrate his birthday, here are some of Mark Twain's best quotes:

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"If you always tell truth, you don't have to remember anything."

"A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read."

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started."

"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first."

"Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astonish the rest."

"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please."

"Kindness is the language which the deaf can see and the blind can see."

"The best way to cheer yourself up is to try cheer somebody else up."

"Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company." 

"Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life." 

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary

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At long last, the Day of the Doctor is upon us. After half a century of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff, today, November 23rd, 2013, is the 50th anniversary of the British science-fiction TV show Doctor Who, the longest-running science-fiction TV show in the world ever!

Obviously, I am terribly biased because I am a die-hard Whovian (a Doctor Who fan), but I simply could not let this opportunity pass by without writing at least a short blog post to acknowledge the other 50th landmark (besides JFK's assassination) this year. I have been waiting for this day for some time now, and it appears the Internet has been as excited as I am. There's been a big bang in Doctor Who stuff in the past two weeks after the BBC launched a Build the TARDIS site, which collects all the information tagged with the hashtag #SavetheDay. Check it out, it's very "cool," as the Eleventh Doctor would say.

Yesterday was a very Who day for me, starting from when Selina told me about the Google 'Whodle'. Without Selina, I'd never have realized that Google had done a doodle to celebrate one of my favourite TV shows turning 50 years old! I absolutely love that it was Selina who told me – it was a complete full circle/Who-esque moment. I introduced her to Doctor Who, and she would in turn tell me about the 'Whodle'. This is turning out to be a lot like a Doctor Who episode. No? Then "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," as the Tenth Doctor (AKA, my Doctor) would say.

Naturally, when I got home, I ran, got exterminated by Daleks, deleted by Cybermen and zapped back in time by the Weeping Angels and regenerated more than a few times. I was able to finally save the Google logo and defeat the Daleks – as the Doctor always does – and see all 11 Doctors united and rejoicing:

For reference, here's what the 11 Doctors look like:

And here is a video celebrating the 50 years, featuring all 11 Doctors in costume (Let me know if you want to talk Easter Eggs in the vid):

And a little bit of an introduction about Doctor Who from author Neil Gaiman for any new potential Whovians amongst my students (ahem, Sandy):

No, look, there's a blue box. It's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. It can go anywhere in time and space and sometimes even where it's meant to go. And when it turns up, there's a bloke in it called The Doctor and there will be stuff wrong and he will do his best to sort it out and he will probably succeed 'cause he's awesome. Now sit down, shut up, and watch 'Blink'.

Continuing my Who celebrations – and because they didn't know who the Weeping Angels are and what they are capable of – Selina, Sandy and I then followed Neil Gaiman's advice and watched "Blink" together yesterday. It was creepy and "fantastic!" as the Ninth Doctor would say.

Anyway, this blog post has turned into me dashing about being really excited about "The Day of the Doctor" (and trying to insert as many Doctor Who references as possible). "The Day of the Doctor," the 50th anniversary special episode, is going to air this Sunday (11/24) at 3:50 AM in Taiwan on BBC Asia. Before you ask, yes, I will be up at the unearthly child hour.

Now some links to cool Doctor Who stuff done by our own:

• Selina has written two wonderful blog posts about two episodes that we watched together – "Father's Day" and "The Girl in the Fireplace."
• On the other hand, I have written a post on my other blog about my favourite episode of each season of the new Doctor Who.

That's all for now. Until then, you'll find me eating fish fingers and custard in the little shop – I love a little shop! Now, onto the TARDIS and to 23.11.13 we go! Geronimo! Allons-y! RUN!

P.S. Spoilers! I am going to be geeking out all of next week.