English in Madrid

Source: Wikipedia   French history myths: Marie-Antoinette said ‘Let them eat cake’ It's one of history's most famous quotes , synonymous with the French revolution, but there's little evidence that any real-life royal actually said it. The Myth: French queen Marie-Antoinette, on be ing told that an ongoing famine meant that many people did not even have bread to eat, said “Let them eat cake”. It’s the perfect symbol of the out-of-touch French royalty who would shortly be deposed and executed in the French Revolution, but there are two problems with this ‘fact’.  In response to be ing told about the famine, the Austrian queen supposedly answered “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche” dismissing the widespread hunger and making it obvious she did not understand the gravity of the situation.  However , even the English translation of ‘Let them eat cake’ on its own might merit a fact check, as brioche is in fact a sweet bread made with butter and egg, so it is not ex...

Source: Wikipedia (Brianboru100) Things got very feisty during 823rd Atherstone Ball Game To most people in the UK, Shrove Tuesday means a lovely pile of warm pancakes for breakfast, saturated with lemon juice or maple syrup. But in the town of Atherstone in Warwickshire, the only ‘ batter ’ locals worry about is battering the opposing team in a brutal game of medieval football. The traditional Atherstone Ball Game, which has now been running for more than eight centuries, involves hundreds of people brawling for possession of a large ball. Unsurprisingly , it has a tendency to turn violent, as pictures from this year’s event – the 823rd – demonstrate. Shopfronts around the small town are boarded up in preparation for the Ball Game, and it is clear to see why. Things may start off relatively calm when the ball is first tossed down to the crowd at 3pm, but as the clock ticks towards the end of the game at 5pm, it gets a bit feisty. Luckily for the participants, one of the few s...

Source: YouTube (Saina Asadi)   Roald Dahl books rewritten to remove language deemed offensive Augustus Gloop now ‘enormous’ instead of ‘fat’, Mrs Twit no longer ‘ugly’ and Oompa Loompas are gender neutral Roald Dahl’s children’s books are being rewritten to remove language deemed offensive by the publisher Puffin. Puffin has hired sensitivity readers to rewrite chunks of the author’s text to make sure the books “can continue to be enjoyed by all today”, resulting in extensive changes across Dahl’s work. Edits have been made to descriptions of characters’ physical appearance. The word “fat” has been cut from every new edition of relevant books, while the word “ugly” has also been culled , the Daily Telegraph reported . Augustus Gloop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is now described as “enormous”. In The Twits, Mrs Twit is no longer “ugly and beastly ” but just “beastly”. Hundreds of changes were made to the original text – and some passages not written by Dahl have been ...

Spain passes law allowing anyone over 16 to change registered gender Legislation will also ban conversion therapy, introduce menstrual leave and ease abortion limits Spain’s parliament has approved new legislation that will allow anyone over 16 to change their legally registered gender, ease abortion limits for those aged 16 and 17, and make the country the first in Europe to introduce paid menstrual leave. The new transgender law – which was passed despite protests from feminist groups, warnings from opposition parties, and amid tensions between different wings of the Socialist- led coalition government – means that anyone aged over 16 will be able to change their gender on official documents without medical supervision. However, a judge will need to authorise the change for minors aged between 12 and 14, while those aged between 14 and 16 will need the consent of their parents or guardians. No such changes will be available to those under the age of 12. The law will also see ...

Source:  blackieshoot en Unsplash How to cook Spanish tortilla: Salmonella outbreak   sparks  national debate A restaurant in Madrid known for its egg tortillas has temporarily closed after a salmonella outbreak - triggering  a debate over how the iconic Spanish dish should be cooked and how runny it should be. The dish typically contains a mixture of fried potato and egg, often with onion, and is one of Spain's most widely eaten foods. Casa Dani is known for only lightly cooking the eggs, serving a particularly runny version. It closed temporarily after at least 59 people complained of food poisoning , having eaten tortilla there last week. Six have been hospitalised, according to the Madrid region's health department. Casa Dani says it is co-operating with the local health authorities to ensure its kitchens are salmonella-free and can open again soon. It has won a number of prizes, including the 2019 Spanish potato tortilla championship, and featured in th...

Source:  Firmbee.com en Unsplash Facebook: Quarter of global population used site daily in December The number of people using Facebook daily grew to an average of two billion in December - about a quarter of the world's population. The bigger - than - expected growth helped drive new optimism about the company, which has been under pressure as its costs rise and advertising sales slump . Shares in parent company Meta surged more than 15% in after-hours trade as boss Mark Zuckerberg declared 2023 the "year of efficiency". He said he was focused on cost cuts. "We're in a different environment now," he said, pointing to the firm's revenue , which declined in 2022 for the first time in its history after years of double-digit growth. "We don't anticipate that that's going to continue, but I also don't think it's going to go back to the way it was before." Meta, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, announced a major restru...