The Express Tribune hi five - May 12

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Your Proofness: Mahim Maher Master Storyteller: Ameer Hamza Creativity Analysts: Amna Iqbal, Essa Malik, Jamal Khurshid, Maha Haider, Samra Aamir, Kiran Shahid, Faizan Dawood, Anam Haleem, Umar Waqas

Story

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MAY 12, 2013

Hi light Light g Hi

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The Story Shoe shopping is difficult. Isn’t it? First of all, we decide whatt s, type of shoes we want — sandals, sports shoes, boots, slippers, st slip-ons etc. Then, we move on to decide which one looks nicest — the green one or the black one, the brown one or pink or purple. The final deciding factor being comfort! Thousands off en, years ago, people were not as lucky as we are now. Back then, oes the only way to travel was by walking and running. So shoes were created to protect the feet from the jagged rocks, burning sands, and rugged terrain

Walk like an Egyptian iian an

Ice Ice Baby Let’s travel back 5,000,000 years to the Ice Age. There were glaciers, ice caps, more glaciers and more ice caps. Well you get the picture. It was so cold that man had to wear something so he didn’t freeze to death. One of the most important clothing items were shoes. No one knows when the first shoes were worn for there are no records of such things so we can only make guesses. sses. Scientists estimate that the first shoes were most likely bag-like wrappings made of fur or skin.

The first sandals were created by early Egyptians. They were plain, practical and consisted of only two parts: The sole and the thong. The first “flip flop” so to speak. Except these first sandals weren’t made of colourful plastic or rubber. They had to be made from whatever was available, which wasn’t much. The first sandals were basically made from a footprint in wet sand. Braided papyrus was then moulded into the sole prints and then they were attached to the foot by palm fibre by way of the thong. In ancient Egypt, the sandal was the sign of power and rank, because they were considered a luxury and not everyone could afford good ones. But those Egyptians went so far as to allocate class by colour. Gold and jewelled sandals were for the king and his court, pastels for dignitaries with red and yellow being the only colours allowed for the middle class. What about the poor and the slaves? They went barefoot, of course. urse.

All Roads Lead To Rome

The Romans excelled in shoemaking and by 400 BC shoe and sandal making attained a high degree of sophistication. They had different shoes for walking inside the house, others for outside and even special ones for sleeping! A Roman would never enter a house without removing his shoes so outdoor footwear was quickly replaced by banqueting slippers called soleae which were carried by a servant.

Brides had their own shoes; priests had their own and so did actors. They even devised military style shoes called ‘caligae’, which enabled their armies to travel the empire on foot. When victorious soldiers returned from war they frequently replaced the bronze nails, which held the caligae together with gold and silver nails.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MAY 12, 2013

Did you know?

• When the great Swedish-Italian ballerina Marie Taglioni made her final appearance at St Petersburg in 1842, a group of admirers paid 200 roubles for a pair of her shoes, cooked them and ate them in a special sauce.

• In Hungary the groom drinks a toast to the bride out of her wedding shoe.

• Up until 1850, there were no ‘left’ or ‘right’ shoes, both were identical!

• In The Dark Knight Rises, Bane needed to wear 3-inch heels to look Batman in the eye!

• The length of your foot is the same as the length of your forearm.

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Brand New Kicks

Hi light

Enough with the history, ever wonder how sneakers were invented? Sneakers go back a long way. In the late 18th century, people wore rubber soled shoes called plimsolls, but they were pretty crude — for one thing, there was no right foot or left foot! In 1892, the US Rubber Company came up with more comfortable rubber sneakers with canvas tops, called Keds. By 1917, these sneakers began to be mass produced. They got the nickname sneakers because they were so quiet, a person wearing them could sneak up on someone!

Sneakers went international in 1924. That’s when a German man named Adi Dassler created a sneaker that he named after himself: Adidas. Soon Adi’s brother Rudi started up another famous sports shoe company: Puma.

Did you know that after Nike released the first Air Jordan sneakers, the NBA banned Michael Jordan from wearing them? It was because their vibrant red-and-black colour scheme didn’t match the shoes and jerseys that the rest of Jordan’s Chicago Bulls teammates were wearing. Jordan continued wearing them and was fined $5,000 for each game he wore the shoes. The fines really didn’t matter to Jordan,, though, because Nike paid them!

Next time you go to a shoe store, you might want to stop and think about what our ancestors wore on their feet. It will make you grateful that you didn't have to walk a mile in their shoes!

China Girl In Ancient China, shoes were a sign of status. Peasants wore straw sandals and nobles wore coloured fine cloth slippers sometimes made of silk. In the early 10th century, emperor Li Yu of the Southern Tang dynasty in China ordered one of his slave girls to bind her feet in silk ribbons and dance on a platform littered with golden lotus flowers. ers.

At first, foot binding was something pracacticed only by those within the royal court but soon women of all social classes were eager ger to have dainty, “beautiful” and desirable feet. eet.

Women would bind their feet in small shoess to make them real small. The practice was very painful and it was banned in 1902.

Head over Heels Did you know that high heels were originally created for men? men You wouldn’t believe it but it’s true. When high heels heel were invented, men were the first to wear them!

The history of heeled shoes started long time ago in ancient Greece where the first high heel was designed. anci A man m with high heels was considered to be someone powerful or of an upper class or military man. Back then, pow male actors were only allowed to act in plays. They used to wear high heels in order to be referred to as powerw ful and a above the other actors. High heels were also efficient for horseback riding since they kept the rider’s effic feet in their stirrups of the saddles whenever they were riding ridin a horse.

What would you like to see in Hi Five? Send an email to hifive@tribune.com.pk and let us know!

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MAY 12, 2013

4 It’s Mothers Day! You didn’t forget, did you? If you did, don’t worry. Just collect some stones, paint, wire, markers and follow our activities to make some really cool gifts.

Rock Photo Holder You will need: A stone Wire A picture or postcard

Instructions: Tightly loop one end of the wire around a stone; then wrap the wire around itself to secure. Stand the remaining length of wire upright, twisting the top inch or so into a flattened spiral circle. Insert a postcard or snapshot for a picture-perfect effect.

Love Rocks!

You will need: Different sized stones Paint Brushes Markers

Instructions: Love rocks are super easy to make.

All you need to do is to collect some rocks and paint them. You can write your own personal message on your stones with a black marker once the paint is dry.

Do you have any craft ideas? Drop us an email at hifive@tribune.com.pk

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MAY 12, 2013

Get your weekly dose of the unusual and funny from across the globe!

We can see you!

This cheeky critter attempted to hide from a nearby photographer — but his enormous eyes gave him away. Tiny damselflys like this one, which has a face just 1mm wide, are almost impossible to spot in the wild when they first start to emerge during spring. And because they are too young to fly, keen snapper Patrick Zephyr had to get up close and down low with the colourful creatures. But as he approached to take a shot with his camera with a powerful lens, the bug attempted to move around the blade of grass he was on thinking he could hide. However his huge eyes meant he stood out as Patrick snapped away.

DAILYMAIL.CO.UK

That’s a mice bit of stuffing!

They may look like they’re from a bizarre animation but these neatly dressed creatures are real — or at least, they were. Embalmed and mounted in fashions from different eras of history, the mice are the work of taxidermist Liz Davis.

She buys them from a pet shop, where they have been frozen as reptile food, and sets to work on transforming them into miniature dandies, punks and whatever takes her fancy. Each one can fetch up to £80 but even fashion has its limits. “Mice have very short legs and arms so trousers are often not an option. And it would be difficult to have a mouse riding a bike,” she added. BROOKLYNPAPER.COM

Man 1— Bear 0 A hero dad fought off a bear by punching it on the head as it attacked him and his family. Wildlife biologist Toby Burke, 48, leapt in front of his terrified wife Laura and their three children, one a baby, as the huge 160kg beast charged. “It was just me between my family and the bear,” said the 48-year-old, who had been on a bird-watching weekend. Toby then prodded at the brown bear with his 6ft camera tripod to try to fend it off — but the beast “swatted it and severed it”. The animal, a female aged about 20, tried to sink its teeth into his left forearm, so he began punching it repeatedly in the face — until it eventually turned and ran off.

But a relieved Toby, despite his horrific encounter this week on the picturesque Kenai Peninsula in Alaska, felt only sympathy for the bear. He said: “It looked like a very unhealthy bear, not just its appearance but its behaviour.”

World wide weird

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Stuck in a very tight spot

A driver will probably be bemused when he returns to his vehicle to find the car park around it has vanished.

Rather than actually disappearing into thin air, the surrounding area has been demolished after construction workers in Taiyuan, Shanxi, China, grew impatient. They had been waiting for the driver to return for 10 days in order to complete a street-broadening development and felt they could hold off no longer. That’s when they decided to level the area around the car, leaving it stranded among a huge collection of rubble. No one is sure whether those using the location were told the work was going ahead but it is certain that, when the owner returns, he or she will be wondering how on earth they’re going to get their car out.

We’re not sure either but it will probably involve a crane.

DAILYMAIL.CO.UK

To infinity and beyond!

A Toy Story fan has brought space ranger Buzz Lightyear to life with this incredible inflatable costume. It’s unlikely the man underneath the costume is going to be heading ‘To infinity … and beyond!’ anytime soon, however, in a suit that could go ‘pop’ at any minute.

The costume was created by Jeff Wright of Balloon Distractions, a company looking to make ‘the world a better place, one balloon at a time’. Woody the cowboy is bound to be jealous of this crazy creation made from hundreds of colourful balloons. METRO.CO.UK

MIRROR.COM.UK

Destination Mars More than 78,000 people have applied for the chance to leave Earth forever and live on Mars as part of an ambitious reality TV project. Non-profit organisation Mars One plans to establish a human settlement on the Red Planet by 2023 and televise every aspect of the decade-long mission. Successful candidates must come through a two-year selection process and train for another seven before heading to Mars, never returning to Earth.

Mars One has received applications from over 120 countries. As part of the application process every candidate is required to explain why they want to go to Mars in a 60-second video. Around 50-100 candidates will be selected from the first stage of the selection process. “Applications we have received come from a very wide range of personalities, professions and ages,” said Dr Norbert Kraft, Mars One chief medical officer. Finally, the audience will elect a team to be the first envoy of humanity to Mars. GUARDIAN.CO.UK

Welcome to Cat Cafe!

A café filled with cats looks set to open in London in the coming months, with thousands of feline fans set to battle it out to be the first through the door.

Australian entrepreneur Lauren Pears revealed recently that she is on the verge of signing a lease on a property in the capital as she looks to open the cat café before the start of the summer. The idea has sparked interest in cat lovers across the country and despite not even advertising, Pears revealed she has received over 700 job applications for less than 10 expected positions.

METRO.CO.UK

Chocolate? Crisps? Why not both in the same bar!

Many people have said it is wrong but that hasn’t stopped Irish food company Tayto from making a cheese and onion flavoured chocolate bar. The firm has already sold out of the 100,000 bars it initially produced in response to requests from people on social networks.

Tayto boss Eamon Eastwood admitted customers had reacted strongly to the snack, which has a flavour normally associated with crisps. “I couldn’t believe the reaction,” he said. “It went off the Richter scale with almost half a million impressions.” The chief executive described the bar as ‘crunchy chocolate and then a lingering taste of cheese and onion’. Unsurprisingly the treat has received a mixed response. INDEPENDENT.IE

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MAY 12, 2013

Did you know?

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s n i g i r O d r o W The Origin of the Names of the Continents First on this list is Africa. The most popular theory is that it was named for a native tribe there—the Afri, with “Africa” then being the feminine form of “Africus”, literally meaning “land of the Afri”.

Antarctica comes from the Greek word “antarktike,” which literally means “opposite to the north.” Asia derives from the Ancient Greek “Ἀσία”, which was used as early as 440 BC by Herodotus in his Histories. The name Australia comes from ‘Terra Australis Incognita’ which means the unknown land in the south in Latin.

Europe was likely named after Europa, one of Zeus’ many wives in Greek mythology. The Americas (North and South) were named after Amerigo Vespucci. He was a navigator who travelled to “the new world” in 1499 and 1502.

How to wish ‘people a good or safe journey’ in many different languages.

Afrikaans Aragonese Basque Belarusian Breton Catalan Chechen Corsican Danish Dutch Estonian Fijian French Galician Greenlandic Haitian Creole Italian Japanese Korean Latin Malay Norwegian

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Veilige reis!

Buen viache Ondo ibili!

Dobraj darohi Beaj vat!

Bon viatge!

Neq dika khiila!

Bona strada God rejse!

Goede reis!

Head reisi Vanuinui vinaka e nomu volau Bon voyage!

Boa viaxe!

Angalalluarina Bon vwayaj Buon viaggio! itte irasshai jalda nyeoo sip sio!

Bonum cursum!

Selamat jalan!

God reise!

Cool facts In the 17th century, the value of pi was known to 35 decimal places. Today, to 1.2411 trillion.

Pearls melt in vinegar.

Nepal is the only country that doesn’t have a rectangular flag. Switzerland is the only country with a square flag.

Most household dust is made of dead skin cells.

The Falkland Isles (pop. about 2000) has over 700,000 sheep (350 per person).

The city of Venice stands on about 120 small islands.

The past-tense of the English word “dare” is “durst”.

Hummingbirds can’t walk.

In some parts of the world, trained monkeys are used to harvest coconuts.

The average person eats 65 apples per year.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MAY 12, 2013

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How carefully did you read this week’s issue of HiFive? If you think you are upto the task, try to solve our special crossword. The answers are all over 17 HiFive! Put on your thinking caps, it is time to put the old noggin to work!

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Across 2. Up until 1850, left and right shoes were...

3. Which little insect tried to hide behind a blade of grass?

5. In Dark Knight Rises, Bane needed to wear 3-inch heels to look who in the eyes?

8. The length of your foot is the same as the length of your...

11. Who were high heels originally created for?

12. A special cafe is opening up in London, what animals will it have?

16. What were the Roman banqueting slippers called?

17. What animals does Liz Davis dress up in costumes?

18. What did Jeff Wright use to make his awesome costume?

19. Sandals had two parts: The sole and the...

20. What were Sneakers originally called?

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Down Who paid the fines for Michael Jordon?

Antarctica comes from the Greek word __________ Rudi Dassler created which company?

Toby Burke ________ the angry bear!

Adi Dassler created which company?

78,000 people have applied to go to which planet?

What did the Egyptians invent?

What were the Roman military shoes called?

In the late 18th century, people wore rubber soled shoes called...

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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MAY 12, 2013

Comic strip

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