Let’s Look the World Through the Children’s Eyes
Childhood is a magical part of our life. A time when we do not stop dreaming, believing in the good and loving strongly, without a reason for it… A time when we are real and happy. And June 1 is a time to remember all these things.
Happy holiday!
We wish you to keep the child in you, in spite of everything! Smile and enjoy the little things!
International Children’s Day
Children’s Day in different countries is celebrated on different dates. In the former socialist camp, however, the special date is June 1. The holiday began with the World Conference on Children’s Health in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1925. Immediately after that, people in Bulgaria began to celebrate it, but on May 8. Since 1949, however, June 1 has been considered International Children’s Day.
When is Children’s Day celebrated around the world?
- The second Saturday in January – Thailand;
- March 3 – Japan;
- April 4 – Hong Kong, Taiwan;
- April 23 – Turkey;
- Last Sunday in April – Colombia;
- April 30 – Mexico;
- May 5 – South Korea, Japan;
- May 27 – Nigeria;
- Last Sunday in May – Hungary;
- June 1 (International Children’s Day) – Azerbaijan, Albania, Angola, Armenia, Belarus, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Vietnam (also celebrated during the full moon of the eighth lunar month during the Spring Festival), Guinea-Bissau, Georgia, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, East Timor, Yemen, Cape Verde, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, China, Cuba, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Macau, Mozambique, Moldova, Mongolia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, North Korea (until 1945 – May 1), Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Uruguay, Croatia, Montenegro, the Czech Republic;
- July 4 (Children’s Day in Islamic States) – Algeria, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Djibouti, Egypt, Western Sahara, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Qatar, Comoros, Kuwait, Libya, Lebanon, Mauritania, Malaysia, Maldives , Mali, Morocco, Niger, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Yemen;
- June 16 – South Africa;
- The third Sunday in July – Venezuela;
- July 23 – Indonesia;
- August 5 – Tuvalu;
- The second Sunday in August – Argentina, Chile;
- August 16 – Paraguay;
- August 30 – Afghanistan;
- September 20 – Germany;
- October 1 – Singapore, Sri Lanka;
- October 12 – Brazil;
- November 14 – India;
- November 20 – UNESCO (World Children’s Day);
- December 11 – Greece;
- December 25 – Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, São Tomé and Príncipe, CAR, Chad.
Want to be a Part of the Biggest Film Festivals in the World? This is How to Do it
The proliferation of COVID-19 turned the art world upside down. Due to the infection, a number of film festivals were canceled and therefore the organizers of the events quickly reoriented themselves and found a way to reach the audience. That is why we will have the unique opportunity from the sofa at home to watch some of the hit titles from the programs of the most prestigious forums.
A unique opportunity
More than 20 film festivals come together to delight fans of the Seventh Art for free. For 10 days we can be part of the virtual event “We are united: Global Film Festival”, which starts this Friday, May 29. It will include titles from festivals in Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Toronto.
How to watch the movies?
For this purpose, a special channel has been created in the YouTube video sharing platform – We Are One. A On the official website of the festival you can see the full program. Among the movies we will be able to watch are short and full-length titles, web series, 360 VR offers.
What does the program include?
There will be the world premiere of the Ricky Powell: The Individualist – movie which traces the life and the fame of a street photographer in New York in the 1980s and 1990s. The character travels with the music stars of the Beastie Boys and captures some of the most memorable moments in the pop culture. The winner of the Mumbai Film Festival – the Indian Eeb Allay Ooo !, is other movie from the virtual fest. It tells about a young migrant in the heart of New Delhi.
The online festival will also include specially supervised talks from past festivals, as well as new discussions. World cinema legends such as Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro and others will take part.
As a bonus, the audience will also have access to 50 of the best documentary short titles. A special selection of 360 VR offers has also been made. The Emmy-nominated documentary Traveling While Black and Alteration will be presented, as well as a science fiction story starring Bill Skarsgård and other productions, too.
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And in case you have a trip to the Bulgarian capital Sofia, welcome to Art Hotel Simona – an artistic place for artistic natures. We promise you to make your stay unforgettable!
Top Foods That Never Spoil
Have you ever forgotten a packet of rice or can in the cupboard and remember them in half a year or even more?! Yes ?! Well, don’t worry, you’re not the only one! But are they still good to eat?
Why is it important to know the expiration date?
First of all, it should be clarified that the expiry date does not necessarily mean that the food is unfit for consumption. The dates of “use from” and “sale to” on the packaging are set by the manufacturer to indicate the period during which he guarantees the quality.
What does this mean? Many unopened packages can actually be used. What is important to make sure that everything is fine with the products? Pay attention to an unpleasant odor, change in texture or mold.
Foods that never spoil
Important condition: Store under suitable conditions.
White rice
According to research, it can retain its nutritional value and flavor for 30 years. Of course, there are certain storage requirements, as we already mentioned. It must be in an oxygen-free container at a temperature below 4.5 degrees Celsius.
However, brown rice won’t be good for such a long time because of the natural oils in it. It has been proven that you can use it for up to 6 months.
Honey
This is the only one food that is practically eternal. And this is thanks to its magical ingredients and the work of bees – another proof of how important these small hard-working insects are.
Processing and sealing in jars also contribute to its indefinite shelf life. When heated and filtered honey is sealed properly, moisture cannot be absorbed and it remains unchanged forever.
And something curious: The oldest honey ever discovered is 5,500 years old.
Salt
It is a mineral taken from nature and it has been used for centuries to preserve other foods because it removes moisture. So the salt in the cupboard is actually eternal. What can reduce the shelf life is the addition of iodine, notes Morton Salt. If you use iodized salt, know that you can use it 5 years.
Sugar
Here again we will remind you of the method of storage, because it determines whether the sugar will be eternal or not. Powdered and crystal sugar are best stored in airtight containers to protect it from moisture. For best quality, still use within two years.
Dried beans
As with rice research, dried beans are also considered suitable for up to 30 years. That’s according to researchers at Brigham Young University in the United States. The results show that 80% of the samples are fit for use. It is also claimed that the digestibility of proteins remains stable over time.
Powdered milk
Well, the taste is not as good as real milk, but it can be kept for up to 5 years if it is in a cool, dry and dark place. However, when stored at high temperatures (for example, near the stove), it can spoil in only 3 months.
Water
If it is bottled and you keep it in a dark and cool place, you can be sure that there will be no problem with it. However, the taste changes if it is in the sun, as well as depending on the objects around it.
Soy sauce
If you forget a bottle of soy sauce in the fridge, don’t worry – it is good for use. It can be used to 3 years, even if it is not cold.
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And in case you don’t want to cook a meal at home, we invite you to Simona Restaurant to try some of our irresistible culinary temptations. For us, food is an art that you should enjoy with all your senses.
Pandemic Car Cinema – an innovation in Sofia art entertainment
We present you one of the new ways to have fun in Sofia – Pandemin Car Cinema. The official start is on Friday evening (May 29) at 20:30, and the place is 92 Tsarigradsko Shosse Blvd.
What is Pandemic Car Cinema?
The title suggests it, but here are some explanations! In response to the new conditions due to COVID-19 in the capital opens car cinema with a capacity of between 70 and 80 cars. For a start, the most watched Bulgarian film for 2019 will be screened – “The Reunion”, directed by Niki Iliev, who will be a special guest at the event.
Innovation
The opening of Pandemic Car Cinema will definitely be memorable event. In addition to good titles, the organizers of the project have prepared for the guests and many surprises. It is planned to start with the first car concert in our country, and there will be such before other (selected) titles.
You will hear live the performances of Mariam Movsesyan, Asya Andonova, Svetoslav Slavkov and Stanley Petrov from Magnito Band. DJ Efo, who was part of the Tall, fat and small team in 1994, will sing Holiday rap, and the two-time champion of Bulgaria in the competition named Dj Bobby I – DJ Nuri, will be part of the guests.
Saturday is reserved for Stand Up Car Comedy – another thing we haven’t seen in our latitudes. Guests will be able to enjoy their cars on the humor of the famous stand-up comedian Ivan Kirkov.
Measures during a pandemic
The organization is made so that guests will not have direct contact with each other. They will not get out of the cars, and the sound will be reproduced in their vehicles on a special radio frequency.
The program
For now, Pandemic Car Cinema will focus on Bulgarian films. In the future, however, they do not rule out the possibility of presenting foreign titles.
Holiday in Simona restaurant
Hello friends!
One of the brightest Bulgarian holidays is coming up – May 24 (the Day of the Slavic alphabet). And therefore we from the restaurant Simona will celebrate!
On May 24 and 25, Simona Restaurant will be closed, but Art Hotel Simona is at your disposal if you need a cozy and artistic place to spend the night. And from Tuesday (May 26) we promise to welcome you again with irresistibly delicious offers.
Be healthy and smile!
New standard at Art Hotel Simona’s hygiene
After 2 months in a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we from the team of Art Hotel Simona are aware that life will no longer be the same. And although the safety and security of our guests and team members have always been particularly important to us, we will now place even more emphasis on these priorities.
Simona’s hygiene standard
Art Hotel Simona has a new standard for cleaning and disinfection of the hotel, called Clean & Safe. With it we want to guarantee an even calmer stay for our guests, given the new COVID-19 environment.
It is a specially developed system of hygiene rules and activities, which includes clear procedures. They train and enable the staff of Art Hotel Simona to work in the safest possible conditions.
For us, cleanliness has always been a priority № 1, because it is a sign of professionalism. And yet here are some new moments in improving this aspect of our business:
- Appointment of a hygiene officer focused on the application and improvement of current hygiene procedures;
- Daily disinfection of the room with products approved by the health authorities and inspection of hygiene with special lamps. Each room remains unusable for 24 hours, until our next guest;
- The common areas of the hotel are cleaned every hour with extra attention to the areas that are most frequently visited – reception, toilets, dining areas and more.
Increased safety and comfort of guests:
- Customers have at their disposal a disinfectant at the reception, as well as in the restaurant;
- The restaurant will work with reduced capacity to provide adequate space and social distance;
- The service in our restaurants will be a-la-carte, and guests will be able to order digitally;
- We will use a mobile application and chat, providing contactless real-time connection with employees, payment by bank transfer or virtual card …
New times require new thinking and new attitudes. Now the responsibility to the client is even greater, because we know that by staying with us, you leave your life in our hands. That is why we have no right to compromise on your safety and will not do so.
Sincerely, Art Hotel Simona
