Hong Kong is the phonetic equivalent of (heung gong) in Cantonese, which literally translates as "fragrant harbour," derived from the delicious perfume of Aquilaria sinensis, Dongguan incense.

Ballroom dancing was once thought to be a kind of exclusivity reserved only for the wealthy and privileged. Ballroom dancing was a secular event in the 17th and 19th centuries, and only members of the nobility classes could participate. Ballroom dancing became regarded as a relic of the past in the twentieth century. However, over the course of the twentieth century, they gradually began to open training courses for trainers. So, a decade later, ballroom dancing has regained popularity and is now available to the general public.

Furthermore, it is not the only novel that has abandoned the letter. Ernest Vincent Wright, an American novelist, wrote Gadsby in 1939, a 50,000-word novel in which the letter "e" appears just once. In 1969, author Georges Perec also published the French-language novel La Disparition sans the letter 'e.' That's even more remarkable when you realize that the letter 'e' is the most often used in English. And here are the 23 Words You Should Stop Mispronouncing.

Afrikaans continues to be a contentious language in South Africa due to its direct ties to the oppressive measures taken by the National Party regime. This and other elements have contributed to the growth of English in the nation.

In 2016, a Ukrainian aero-engineer unveiled a system that would allow pilots to eject the cabin of a plane if the engine failed. After ejection, parachutes would be deployed to safely lower passengers to the ground. However, as it turns out, most crashes are not caused by engine failure. Because problems typically occur during takeoff and landing, the pilots would have very little time to successfully eject the cabin and save passengers. But kudos for your effort!

Coffee connoisseurs may not want to believe it, but it's true. If you're feeling a little peckish in the afternoon, consider eating an apple instead of buying a cup of coffee. Eating apples is a great (and healthy) way to stay energised throughout the day because of their high carbohydrate, fibre, vitamin C, and mineral content. The world's most despised vegetable is also one of the healthiest.

Andy Serkis had to play King Kong twice for Peter Jackson's King Kong (2005). First, he had to play the giant ape alongside Naomi Watts (Ann Darrow) in a rough-and-ready gorilla costume, so his co-star could react. After principal photography was finished, he had to perform again, this time in a motion capture suit. Andy, fantastic double performance!

Countless species, including fireflies, are bioluminescent, or able to generate their own light.

Tendulkar became Yorkshire's first overseas-born player when he was 19 years old in 1992. Yorkshire had never chosen anyone from outside the county before Tendulkar's arrival. Tendulkar was chosen for Yorkshire as a replacement for injured Australian fast bowler Craig McDermott, and he scored 1070 runs in 16 first-class matches at an average of 46.52.

A command entered in the "master machine" where the animation for Toy Story 2 was stored deleted 90 percent of the work the Pixar team had done on it. As Mental Floss describes, "A plan was quickly hatched to restore the data from a regular backup, which meant that only half a day of work would have been lost. But the backup system had failed. Pixar, incredibly, did not have a copy of the Toy Story 2 files on its servers." Fortunately, the film's technical director had a copy she had been working on from home, and much of it was restored.

I really had no idea about this crochet fact and was a little surprised when I opened a book of patterns instead of expecting instructions and found a book full of symbols and diagrams. If you are just starting out with crocheting, I would suggest learning how to read crochet patterns as soon as you can so you can fully benefit from the abundance of fantastic patterns available!

Shells left over during lobster processing are typically discarded in landfills. A University of Maine researcher designed golf balls with a core made of lobster shells in an effort to make them valuable and keep the money in the lobster industry. They're also biodegradable, making them ideal for golfing on cruise ships or on courses near bodies of water.

The films remain ambiguous on Natasha Romanov's age, simply implying that she is old enough to have been nurtured by the KGB. In the comics, though, she has been able to survive for decades thanks to different medical operations and pieces of biotechnology. As the KGB fades from memory, it's increasingly likely that the youthful Natasha is considerably older than she appears. She's reported to be 70 years old in the comics!

This was back when the couple was attempting to get the film made in Hollywood with only one puppet.

In reality, some women may require more or less of the vitamin S. Particularly pregnant women might profit from taking a supplement.

Halibut is, indeed, a flat fish. Flatfish can be mottled brown, black, and beige in colour, like the black sea turbot, or spotted, like the blue-and-yellow peacock flounder. The majority of species dwell in the various tropical and subtropical waters.

Dog owners in Turin, Italy will be fined up to €500 if they don’t walk their pets at least three times a day, under a new law from the city’s council. Italy considers itself an animal-loving nation and in many cities, stray cats are protected by law.

To enforce the law, Turin police would rely largely on the help of tipsters spotting cruel treatment by neighbors. Turin has the most stringent animal protection rules in the country. They even ban fairgrounds from giving away goldfish in bags.

Folklore has evolved in every society throughout human history, and the majority of these tales serve to allay anxieties about the unknown. For instance, while the majority of Americans today are convinced that Bigfoot does not exist, some still do. The Qallupilluk was the name of the mythical being that the ancient Inuit people feared and revered. This word means "monster," and stories about its horrifying deeds were used to discourage kids from becoming lost. Early tales claimed that Qallupilluk was an aquatic creature that tore children away from their parents and dragged them to an icy tomb.

In 1996, a team of anatomists at the University of Adelaide in Australia revealed that koala and human fingerprints are readily confused, most likely due to the fact that koalas are primates' progenitors.

The other 97.7% are ethnically Chinese. This is because Taiwan was ruled by the Qing Dynasty for 200 years from 1683 to 1895. During this time, the locals were pushed out in the same way native Americans, Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders were by Europeans. This isn’t an upbeat Taiwan fact but it’s important to know.

Nowadays, there are just 500,000 indigenous people made up of eight different tribal groups. Sadly, their 26 native languages have become almost extinct. Unemployment rates are high and education levels low. However, since the 80s there has been a bit of a revival and several cities host indigenous cultural events. Will it be enough?

Another impact of spirituality is to help you find inner peace. You’ll find it easier to stay at peace with yourself and the world around you no matter what is happening externally. You’ll feel a sense of calm as you turn inwards instead of outwards and your mind chatter slows down.

Did you think it took a long time for clothes to decompose? Shoes are even more time consuming! The midsoles of shoes, which are commonly made with ethylene vinyl, can take a long time to degrade. Rather than adding to landfills, consider donating or selling your shoes!