Links

Fun and Entertainment Links:

Twin Cities of Minnesota Performing Arts Directory -- If you love theater and live in the middle of Iowa, do not despair: dozens of Twin Cities theaters are only three hours away. Twin Cities of Minnesota Performing Arts Directory site contains the complete directory of theaters in Greater Minneapolis and St. Paul. In addition, you can find current shows by specific date, by particular performance genre or by theater company. Even though this site does not contain all the necessary credentials, I use it regularly and have found it highly reliable.

Engrish -- Real-life examples of meaning lost in translation. This site pokes gentle fun at English-language advertising campaigns, street signs, product labels, etc. created by nonnative English speakers. The site contains hundreds of photos of these linguistic bloopers ranging from mildly funny to downright hilarious. Most photos on the site were taken in Japan, but many come from other countries. The photos on the site are original and exclusive. The site also includes a FAQ and takes pains not to ridicule non-English-speaking people, but rather have to fun with this language phenomenon.

Definition of Russian joke -- The Russian joke culture is somewhat different from that of its American counterpart. If you like to learn about different cultures and want to have fun at the same time, explore this part of the Wikipedia website. Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia written by users. Even though some pages on Wikipedia may be biased or incorrect, this one is accurate (I know most of these jokes, and can confirm that they are translated well, and explanations provided for them are correct).

The Onion is an online newspaper (printed version is also available), however, news are invented by the authors. It is a satirical reflection of the reality and intended for grownups. You should explore this site only if you like political satire. The Onion newspaper is issued by the Onion, Inc., and has all the required credentials.

LiveJournal.com -- Do you want to publish your own online journal or participate in discussions on interesting topics? Create an account on LiveJournal.com, find virtual friends and communities you like and enjoy yourself. This experience may be very beneficial, because many participants are intelligent and knowledgeable individuals. For example, many known Russian scholars, artists, writers and journalists have personal journals on LiveJournal.com and participate in discussions.

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