This appeared in today's "The Hindu" supplement - Metroplus. I really found this very informative. Most of you might have read it in the morning, but for those who missed it...
Q: What is Kalahandi Syndrome?
It is starvation in spite of plenty. Kalahandi district in Orissa contributes about 40,000 tonnes of rice to the central food kitty, but small time farmers and landless agricultural labourers starve to death as they do not have the means to buy food.
Q: Which is the only South American country where the Euro can be spent?
French Guyana, which is politically a part of France
Q: Which recent Indian movie is inspired by the 1962 film Miracle Worker?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Blackbased on the story of Hellen Keller.
Q: Why does a Kashmiri weaver sing as he works?
The designs for the carpets are embedded in intricate codes that have been set into lyrics.
The leader or ustaad sings as he weaves the carpet and the rest of his team follows.
Q: What is the "Paradoxical Frog"?
It is a frog that as a tadpole measures 10 inches but as it grows it gets smaller till it measures only three inches as an adult!
Q: What is the significance of "One horse, twelve perfect shawl goats (six males and six females) and three pairs of Cashmere shawls"?
This was the annual rent, decided by the Second Treaty of Amritsar in 1846, for the Kashmir Valley.
Q: Most bull fighting arenas have a statue or shrine that pays homage to a scientist. Who is he?
Alexander Fleming, whose discovery of Penicillin saved the lives of many injured matadors.
Q: Bei Bei, Jing Jing, Huan Huan, Ying Ying, Ni Ni _ who, or what are they?
They are the Beijing Olympic Mascots that together mean, "Beijing welcomes you".
Q: Who are the Nooglers at the Google Inc.?
They are the new employees at the organisation.
Q: What was the factual error in Van Gogh's self-portrait?
Though he cut off his left ear with a razor following an altercation with Gauguin, in the self-portrait he is shown with the right ear bandaged.
(That is because he painted it while looking at a mirror!)
Courtesy: "The Hindu"
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