November Newsletter
November is here, with the autumn wind, the unexpected rain, and something that is still unknown – the results of the mid-term elections in the U.S. that will take place several days from now.
Those of you who may think that this is a marginal issue should know that these are the elections that will determine whether and how easy it will be for President Trump to carry out his policy on a variety of issues, and this will have a wide ranging impact on the entire world.
So while all eyes will be awaiting the results of the mid-term elections in the U.S., this month our eyes will be focused on some facts that you may not know about the world superpower, the United States.
Also, the eyes that will reach the end of the newsletter will find a bonus in preparing for the new year, 2019 🙂
A Country a Month
Let’s take a short tour of some of lesser-known facts about the U.S.:
• The donkey, the symbol of the Democratic party, does not represent stubbornness or hard work. It was adopted by the party in 1828 after an opponent of then President Jackson branded him a “jackass”.
• Since first designed in 1775, the design of the American flag was modified 28 times. Its current version was designed by a 17-year old boy as part of a school project for which the grade he received was a B. It was selected from among more than 1,500 designs submitted to President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
• Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world? Not when its height is measured from its base in the sea to its summit. In this case Mauna Kea in Hawaii is the tallest mountain in the world, with over half the
mountain submerged in the sea.
• Chinatown is home to the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere, with an estimated population 100,000 people!
• Not only rodeo. If Texas were a sovereign country it would be ranked among the ten countries with the highest GDP in the world. That’s how it is when you have huge deposits of crude oil.
Language differences between the northern and the southern states in the U.S.:
• Want a carbonated soft drink?
In the north order pop, and in the south: a Coke
• “Gimme some sugar?”
When you ask for some sugar in the north you will receive white sugar or a sweetener. When you say “gimme some sugar” in the south you may get a kiss.
• Press the elevator button or mash it?
In the north you will press the elevator button, while in some states in southern U.S. you will mash it.
• You bet!
In the north you place a bet on something, while in the south this expression is used to show agreement.
• Bless your heart.
In the north this is a way to express genuine sympathy or concern, while in the south this is the way to call someone an idiot without outright saying so.
Tip from Hever
How to Stick to our Decisions
Speaking about elections, or the decisions we make, let’s see how we can stick to our decisions. We all imagine ourselves doing something differently. We will join a fitness club, floss our teeth every day or come home from work at four in the afternoon twice a week. Now back to reality, it is difficult to change our habits.
Prof. Dan Ariely suggests that we connect our new decisions to a specific and binding mechanism. For example, join the fitness club with a friend in order to link your new activity to an external and binding factor, thus increasing the probability that you will really stand by your decision.
To start doing sport for example, it is recommended to perform the activity at a regular hour and to add another activity to go with it. For example you could listen to a podcast or read the Hever Translations monthly newsletter while walking briskly on the stepper in the fitness room.
Words the Hebrew Language Should Adopt
• Meraki, Greek – To do something with all your heart, with passion and soul, to do it with love and absolute devotion.
• Cavoli riscaldati, Italian – Literally meaning “reheated cabbage”, it is a failed attempt to get back an old love.
• Donaldkacsázás, Hungarian – to walk around the house wearing only a shirt. The word is even more entertaining if you know that its literal meaning is: “to act like Donald Duck” or “Donald Ducking”.
What to Wish Whom in November
Wishes Around the World in November
November 1 – All Saints’ Day
On November 1st Western Christianity will celebrate All Saints’ Day, dedicated to the saints and to the strong and spiritual bond between those in heaven and the living. Other denominations in Christianity celebrate this day on different dates of the year.
Mexico. November 1 – Day of the Dead
Coinciding with All Saints’ Day comes the festival of the Day of the Dead. On this day people gather in graveyards with flowers and candles and faces made up as skeletons. Dead children and infants are honored on November 1, and deceased adults on November 2.
India. 6-7 November – Diwali
Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights and one of the popular holidays in India. It celebrates the victory of light over darkness, and it is customary to light candles and fireworks and float little boats filled with flowers. Something to wish a loved person: “’May your life be as colorful, shimmering and magical as the lights of Diwali”.
Belgium. November 15 – The King’s Birthday
When the King of Belgium celebrates his birthday the whole country is invited. We would like to update you that this is not really the King’s date of birth, and the official name is King’s Day. It marks the official birthday of all the Kings of Belgium and was declared a national holiday and a vacation day.
USA, 28 November – Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November and it is the official opening of the Holiday Season. As its name denotes, it is a day of giving thanks, in this case for the harvest and the preceding year. As a gift for the holiday you can bring a turkey that will be carved at the holiday table.