Bangladeshi taka

The Bangladeshi taka (Bengali: টাকা, sign: ৳ or Tk, code: BDT) is the official currency of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. Issuance of banknotes ৳5 and larger is controlled by Bangladesh Bank, and for the ৳1 and ৳2 banknotes, which are the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance of the government of Bangladesh. The most commonly used symbol for the taka is "৳" and "Tk", used on receipts while purchasing goods and services. ৳1 is subdivided into 100 poisha.

The word taka in Bangla is also commonly used generically to mean any money, currency, or notes. Thus, colloquially, a person speaking Bangla may use "taka" to refer to money regardless of what currency it is denominated in. This is common in the Indian state of West Bengal and Tripura, where the official name of the Indian rupees is "taka" as well.

History

The word taka is derived from the Sanskrit term tangka (ṭaṃka), which was an ancient denomination for silver coins. In the region of Bengal, the term has always been used to refer to currency. In the 14th century, Ibn Battuta noticed that people in the Bengal Sultanate referred to gold and silver coins as taka instead of dinar.

Taka (paper mache)

Taka refers to paper mache made using carved wooden sculpture used as a mold. The craft originated in the town of Paete, Laguna in the Philippines.

History

Taka was pioneered by Paete local, Maria Piday. During Christmas, Piday was in charge of the church's decorations. The wooden angels and cherub was heavy causing the carvings to fall. Piday devised the lightweight taka paper mache as an alternative to the wooden sculptures. Piday was also a maker of local toys such as the yoyo and the small acrobat hand puppet. Taka eventually became folk art and was sold to nearby towns for festivals. In the 1970s, Tere Afuang, a knowledgeable practitioner of the craft, popularized the craft.

Taka-making

A takaan, a carved wooden sculpture, is used as a mold in making taka. Brown craft paper is used as a final layer for taka made for export. This provides a thicker base and smoother finish for the craft. Taka is also painted. The traditional way of painting a taka is to use primary colors, add simple flower motifs and use repetitive lines and shapes. Gold finish, usually used in angel, reindeer and huge taka is accomplished by using gilded paper.

Taka (boat)

Taka is a traditional small boat, typical of the Black Sea shores of Turkey where they are primarily, but not exclusively, built and used. They can be used in fishing or for carrying small loads and a limited number of passengers. Although not very fast, they are well-balanced and resistant and are especially well-suited for the thick waves of the Black Sea. In Turkey, they are very often built by Laz people and are associated with Laz culture or with the wider Black Sea culture.

Description

Their length may vary between 8 to 12 meters (26 to 39 ft) and they are usually conceived in a way as to ensure a load capacity of 5 to 10 tons in weight. Those employed in fishing are generally smaller.

History

Until recent years, they were primarily built in boatyards in (from east to west on Turkey's Black Sea shores) Sürmene, Amasra, Bartın, Kurucaşile and Şile, and within İstanbul, in Silivri, Ayvansaray and Rumelikavağı districts or quarters. Even when situated in the Western Black Sea coasts of Turkey, these boatyards are usually owned, managed and staffed by boatbuilders from the eastern ends of the Black Sea.

Denim

Denim is a sturdy cotton warp-facedtwill textile in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. This twill weaving produces the familiar diagonal ribbing of the denim that distinguishes it from cotton duck (a linen canvas).

It is a characteristic of most indigo denim that only the warp threads are dyed, whereas the weft threads remain plain white. As a result of the warp-faced twill weaving, one side of the textile then shows the blue warp threads and the other side shows the white weft threads. This is why blue jeans are white on the inside. The indigo dyeing process, in which the core of the warp threads remains white, creates denim's fading characteristics, which are unique compared to every other textile.

Etymology and origin

The name "denim" derives from French serge de Nîmes, meaning "serge from Nîmes".

Indigo

Indigo is a color that is traditionally regarded as a color on the visible spectrum, as well as one of the seven colors of the rainbow: the color between blue and violet. Although traditionally considered one of seven major spectral colors, sources differ as to its actual position in the electromagnetic spectrum. Indigo is a deep and bright color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine.

The color indigo was named after the indigo dye derived from the plant Indigofera tinctoria and related species.

The first known recorded use of indigo as a color name in English was in 1289.

History

India is believed to be the oldest center of indigo dyeing in the Old World. It was a primary supplier of indigo dye, derived from the plant Indigofera tinctoria, to Europe as early as the Greco-Roman era. The association of India with indigo is reflected in the Greek word for the 'dye', which was indikon (ινδικόν). The Romans used the term indicum, which passed into Italian dialect and eventually into English as the word indigo. El Salvador has lately been the biggest producer of indigo.

Denim (band)

Denim was a British indie rock band, the brainchild of Lawrence (formerly of Felt), and was based in Birmingham, England.

History

Following the end of his former group, 1980s post-punk outfit Felt, Lawrence moved into different territory with Denim, a band whose brash teaming of glam rock with cutting and highly satirical lyrics was very much the opposite of his previous work.

Back in Denim

Denim debuted in 1992 with the album, Back in Denim, a record which was both a revival (particularly with its glam rock influences and its mix of synth and guitar) and critique (in its satirical lyrics) of the 1970s music scene. A single, "Middle Of The Road", was released from the album in January 1993 on Boy's Own Records.

Denim on Ice

Denim followed Back in Denim with the 1996 release of Denim on Ice, which was preceded by a single "It Fell Off The Back Of A Lorry". Following the same musical path as its predecessor, whilst added notable reference to bands such as Devo and Ultravox. Denim on Ice featured even more cutting lyrics with comment on the current state of music in England (The Great Pub Rock Revival, which was a stinging attack on Britpop and the realities of England's social malaise (on the tracks "Glue & Smack" and "Council Houses"). The album earned Denim a support slot with Pulp who were fans of Lawrence and his work.