Roman Edirisinghe

According to Wikipedia, 33 is:

• the largest positive integer that can not be expressed as a sum of different triangular numbers.
• the atomic number of arsenic
• the “smile to the camera” word in Spanish, as is “cheese” in English. Diga treinta y tres (“Say thirty-three”) is the same as “Say cheese”
• a recurring, important number to the Freemasons, used often in their sacred rituals

33 was also:

• Jesus‘ alleged age at his crucifixion in 33 A.D. (historically unverified)
• The age of Alexander the Great when he died

For the sake of amusement, here are Biblical references:

• Genesis 33, Exodus 33, Numbers 33, Deuteronomy 33, 2 Chronicles 33, Job 33, Psalm 33, Isaiah 33, Jeremiah 33, Ezekiel 33

And from Islamic Holy Q’uran:

• Surah (chapter) 33, Aayah (verse) 33

33 in 69 languages, in order of complexity, highest to lowest (from A Playground of Thoughts):

1. Huli: ngui ki, ngui tebone-gonaga tebira
2. Ndom: tondor abo mer an thef abo ithin
3. Nimbia: gume bi ni tanran
4. Hindi: tayntees
5. Tzotzil: ‘ox lajuneb xcha’-vinik
6. Ainu: rep ikasma wanpe etu hotnep
7. Alamblak: yima yohtti tir hosfi hosfirpat
8. Nahuatl: cem-pöhualli-om-mahtlactli-om-ëyi
9. Malagasy: telo amby telopolo
10. Yoruba: metalelogbon
11. Welsh (Traditional): tri ar ddeg ar hugain
12. Breton: tri / teir ha tregont
13. Manx: tree-jeig as feed
14. Scots Gaelic: trì deug air fhichead
15. Georgian: otsdatsamet’i
16. Danish: treogtredive
17. Javanese: telung puluh telu
18. Latin: tr?gint? tr?s
19. French: trente-trois
20. Zulu: amashumi amathathu nantathu
21. Basque: hogei ta hamairu
22. Arabic: thalâthata wa thalâthûn (masculine), thalâth wa thalâthûn (feminine)
23. Ganda: amakumi asatu mu ssatu
24. Maltese: tlieta u tletin
25. Assyrian: klaay-‘td’laa
26. Kurmanji: sî û sisê
27. Dutch: drieendertig
28. German: dreiunddreißig
29. Swahili: thelathini na tatu
30. Ojibwa: nisimidana ashi niswi
31. Italian: trentatré
32. Spanish: treinta y tres
33. Swiss French: trente-trois
34. Tigrinya: selasan-selesten
35. Turkish: otuz üç
36. Balkan Romani: tránda-te-trin
37. Hungarian: harminchárom
38. Tagalog: tatlumpu’t tatlo
39. Polari: trey dacha and trey
40. Scots: thertie three
41. English: thirty-three
42. Norwegian: trettitre
43. Swedish: trettiotre
44. Sukuma: makumiadatu na idatu
45. Hawaiian: kanakoluk?m?kolu
46. Finnish: kolmekymmentäkolme
47. Estonian: kolmkümmend kolm
48. Romanian: treizeci ?i trei
49. Ancient Japanese: misodi amari mitu (ancient), misoji amari mittsu (modern)
50. Kiribati: tenibwi ma tenua
51. Wolof: ñetta fukka ak ñetta
52. Croatian: trideset-tri
53. Seneca: së niwashê së
54. Indonesian: tiga puluh tiga
55. Mandinka: ta? saba ni? saba
56. Wu Chinese: ??? sezhekse
57. Tok Pisin: tripela ten tri
58. Vietnamese: ba mu’o’i ba
59. Igbo: iri ato. na ato.
60. Thai: s?hm sìp s?hm
61. Welsh (Modern): tri deg tri
62. Aymara: kimsa-tunka-kimsani
63. Cuzco Quechua: kinsa chunka kinsa-yoq
64. Chinook Wawa: klone tahtlum pe klone
65. Mandarin: ??? s?nshi s?n
66. Japanese: ??? sanjû san
67. Cantonese: ??? saam¹sap⁶saam¹ (Cantonese has six tones, and they are given by numbers after syllables. The tone number means: 1 – high level, 2 – high rising, 3 – middle level, 4 – low falling, 5 – low rising, and 6 – low level.)
68. Esperanto: tridek tri
69. Tongan: tolu tolu

Blogger Gene Smith has a list of 33 things on his blog, Atomiq.

The Tr?yastri??a, or the Heaven of Thirty Three Gods, is referenced in Buddhist Cosmology.

Today is World Vegan Day, the Day of the Dead (Día de Los Muertos), Samhain Day, and All Saints’ Day.

Can you guess anything else about this day?

Integrating screenshots of Google Maps and using Flickr notes, Memory Maps are visual representations of one’s memories, an annotated satellite view of places steeped in personal meaning.

I found out about Memory Maps on Lifehacker, and decided it was worth a try. After all, I’ve had an interesting childhood, moving around to different countries, and so forth.

Check out my Memory Maps photoset on Flickr. The Memory Maps group is worth perusing as well.

I was not impressed with The Lost City, Andy Garcia’s movie about Cuba. My biggest problem is the fact that it was done in English, and the occasional Spanish words, including Havana, were grossly mispronounced. A movie set in Cuba should be spoken en Español.

For some reason, the English was tough to understand. The fake accents were somehow unable to reach my brain. What I did digest, however, is the following bit of ancient wisdom:

The bird is in the beak
Edith is weak

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has created a safety report on the numerous substances we use for body care. The site allows the visitor to search through numerous brands and find out what poisons they are using on their bodies. It’s fascinating and (not just mildly) frightening.

EWG Report: Skin Deep

Master Accordionist, originally uploaded by romanedirisinghe.

Last night, we got together with a bunch of Nicole’s friends at an Italian restaurant called “Il Dolce Vita,” or the sweet life. Situated in the historically Italian naighborhood of Boston’s North End, the restaurant dishes out an excellent culinary experience coupled with fine wines, live music, and exceptionally generous service, albeit at a lofty price. Glancing at the bill at the end of the night, I was quite thankful there were 10 of us to split it. Had I been dining alone, it would have amounted to a hefty car loan payment! Nevertheless, I enjoyed myself thouroughly. When the old crooning accordion player came to our table during his rounds, I scatted improvised vocal lines with him. He was so into singing that I would occasionally get sprayed with a fine mist of saliva. It was quite a blast. Really, it was. I felt like I was suddenly on the “in.” The food? Well, my scallops were excellent and slightly sweet, but I was disappointed by the shrimp, which were tougher than I expected from an expensive restaurant in a coastal city like Boston. Overall? I had a rippin’ good time, and the food was good. Bring extra money.

My friend Tim just recently sent me this article, and I totally want to go to this outstanding event. However, my finances will likely not permit it, so I’ll have to encourage my friends and family in Sri Lanka to check it out.

The creation of WOMAD (which stands for World Of Music, Arts, and Dance) was inspired by Peter Gabriel in the early 1980’s, and since its inception has dazzled audiences by bringing together the most awe inspiring performers from around the world.

I’m quite excited that WOMAD will be held in Sri Lanka this year, especially since most people had never heard of the country prior to last December’s tragic tsunami. WOMAD’s presence in Sri Lanka will bring greater awareness of this cultural gem to the rest of the world, and only time will tell what creative bridges will be spanned as a result.

For any of you in the general area (Sri Lanka is quite a short trip from Europe, Asia, Australia, and India), the WOMAD festival will feature such greats as Billy Cobham, the Master Drummers of Burundi, and many more.
via World Music Central

I was reading Music Thing today when I stumbled across a great article on a Congolese group called Konono N°1. For the past 25 years, these musical innovators have been using low-tech ingenuity on traditional and found instruments to create a irresistable grooves. Using hand-carved wooden microphones and electrified likembé (thumb piano) plugged into amplifiers and custom-built mixers, Konono N°1 finds it’s roots in Bazombo trance music. The resulting sonic mélange has inadvertently linked them to experimental music and electronic music.

I’m really excited to pick up their CD, ‘Congotronics’, from Amazon.

via Music thing
via Inaudible Cities | more
via The Suburbs Are Killing Us

Check out this Konono N°1 page in French, featuring a great video clip of them in action.

I tried to find out more about the Bazombo and their music, and the only reference I could find is on zyama.com, an African art museum.