Author: Ms. R.

Adaptive reuse is a term commonly used to refer to the repurposing of a building away from its original use. Museums that celebrate the former lives of the buildings they occupy are some of the most common examples. However, another surprisingly common repurposing can be seen in the bevy of churches that have been transformed into libraries.  Perhaps due to the near-sacred value placed on physical books, or maybe it’s just the luxury of high ceilings that can house……

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Dr. Sun Yat-sen was at the forefront of the Chinese democratic revolution. He was the founder of the Republic of China and is a much-respected contributor to Chinese modern history. Sun Yat-sen was a key figure in organizing the revolution against the Qing Empire in the 20th-century. He became the temporary leader of the country when the Qing was finally overthrown in 1912. The home of the former revolutionary was a key stronghold for organizing activities, meetings, and writing……

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Scarborough Station’s 456 foot (139 meters) bench is said to be the longest railway bench in the world. Equal in length to 12 double-decker buses, it’s able to accommodate almost 230 passengers. The bench was constructed by William Bell on behalf of the North Eastern Railway in 1883. It was designed as part of a station-wide effort to provide adequate facilities for the growing number of tourists visiting the northern coastal resort. Now approaching its 240th year, the bench……

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Esteban Martin Martin was a physician in New York who held a lifelong fascination for Christopher Columbus. He believed that there wasn’t a monument anywhere in the world that adequately celebrated his hero—so he decided to build one himself. Martin owned of a large plot of land in the mountains of Benalmadena in Andalucía, with splendid views over the Mediterranean. So he gave up his practice in New York, returned to his hometown, and set to work. Between 1987……

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This month, Gastro Obscura is sharing the recipes and stories behind amazing holiday dishes and drinks from around the world in the ongoing series “Home-Cooked Holidays.” The Simbang Gabi is a devotional nine-day mass practiced by many Christians in the Philippines. Masses start before dawn (usually around 4:00 a.m.) and are held daily from December 16 through Christmas Eve. The tradition dates back to the early days of Spanish colonization in the 1600s, when the morning mass allowed farmers……

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Jessica Sutton didn’t know there was anything unusual about her family’s holiday tradition until she started bringing boyfriends home for Christmas. She grew up on a farm with strong German roots in Howards Grove, a small town in southeastern Wisconsin. To her Christmas Eve always meant performing “O Christmas Tree” in German at the church Christmas pageant by candlelight, followed by “a little Christmas gathering of the immediate family where we had cookies, nuts, and, of course, cannibal sandwiches.”……

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In November 2020, Adam Penford and his cast were doing in-person technical rehearsals for Cinderella, Nottingham Playhouse’s annual pantomime show, when he heard the news that the theater wouldn’t be allowed to open as planned at the beginning of December. It wasn’t entirely unexpected—the show’s opening had already been pushed back a week because of COVID-19 restrictions—but it was unwelcome news nonetheless. The Playhouse has been producing pantomimes—a uniquely British family theater tradition with roots in Italian commedia dell’arte,……

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It’s said that Miantonomo, chief of the Narraganset people, fled on foot from his enemies during a conflict that eventually turned into a war between the Narraganset and Mohegans. In his attempt to escape, it’s rumored that he was cornered at the top of a cliff by Yantic Falls. He leaped over the falls and miraculously made it to the other side, but suffered a broken leg. The folk tale diverges here. Some stories say that Uncas (the Mohegan……

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Once a booming mining town in the late 1800s, Hachita, New Mexico is now relegated to a “Census Designated Place” with between 25 and 50 residents.  The post office is all that keeps this nearly abandoned town from falling off the map. There are no gas stations or grocery stores. However, the most noticeable feature is the Church of St. Catherine of Siena. Rising up from the desert and framed by the Little Hatchet mountains in the background, St…….

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