San Diego Comic-Con International, a nonprofit educational corporation which create awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular art forms through conventions and events; is held annually in San Diego California. Inaugurated as Golden State Comic Book Convention on March 21, 1970, it celebrates the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture. It was founded by four San Diego natives namely Sheldon Dorf, an American comic book enthusiast; Richard Alf, an American businessman and former comic book store owner; Ken Krueger, an American publisher and retailer and Mike Towry, an American businessman. This four day event held from Thursday to Sunday, is the “largest convention of its kind in the world” according to Forbes; which drew 167,000 attendees in 2015.

This year’s comic-con which marks the 48^th year for the show  will commence with Preview Night on Wednesday, July 19, 2017. The main event at the San Diego Convention Center will run Thursday, July 20, until Sunday, July 23, 2017.

Some of the activities lined-up for the San Diego Comic Con International 2017 are the following:

Anime screenings – Comic Con 2017 will once again feature Anime screenings in a complete 4-day schedule.

Art Show – This features original works for sale by amateurs and professionals. This is open to public who are looking for drawings, paintings, sculpture, jewelry and more.

Autograph – The Autograph Area which is the place to go for a special memento from a variety of artists, authors, and actors from every area of popular culture, will be opened from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm Thursday through Saturday and from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Sunday.

Children’s Film Festival – This is a day-long programming of some of the finest short films for children of all ages.

Games – The Games Department previously featured board, card, and dice games; new, classic, role-playing games, and live action role playing games or LARPs. There were also tournaments, demos, and a huge game library to check out games for free.

Maquerade – Comic-Con’s Saturday night showcases the Masquerade. This is a unique evening of amazing costume creations and imaginative and entertaining ways to present them. Awards and special prizes await the winners from various categories.

More activities will be revealed a week before the actual convention.

How about you? What are you most excited for the Comic Con’s 48^th celebration this July?

French National Day is more commonly known as Bastille Day. It is celebrated every 14th of July each year. In France, it is called la Fete nationale, which means The National Celebration and le 14 julliet, meaning the fourteenth of July.

The holiday is a commemoration of the Storming of the Bastille on June 24, 1789, a turning point of the French Revolution; and the celebration of the Fete de la Federation, a festival honoring the unity of the French people on July 14, 1790.

Bastille Day is celebrated by a military parade. The Bastille Day Military Parade is held on the morning of July 14 each year, in Paris since 1880. This popular event and the oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe, passes down the Champs-Elysees – an avenue in Paris where Arc de Triomphe is located, to the Place de la Concorde – the largest square in the French capital. The celebration will not be complete without the world-famous spectacular fireworks display in the Eiffel Tower.

Bastille celebrations in other countries

Belgium

The celebration of Bastille Day in Belgium is held in Liege, a major city in Belgium. It started since the end of World War 1. It is held with an extravagant fireworks display at the Congress Hall.

India

Bastille Day in India is held in Pondicherry, a former French colony. The celebration is marked by the French and Indian flags flying side by side in the military parade. This is also a celebration of the mixture of the Indian and French cultures and heritages. Cancan dancers perform next to Bollywood dancers during Bastille Day.

Ireland

Several events are organized around Dublin, Cork and Limerick for Bastille Day, which includes evenings of French music and tasting of French food.

South Africa

Bastille Day in South Africa is held in Franschhoek, one of the oldest towns in South Africa which was settled by the French refugees in 1688. Champagne and croissants are popular during the day. It is celebrated with a barrel-rolling competition and a dance competition with the grand prize of a week-long vacation in Seychelles.

USA

New Orleans, Louisiana has the most French flair celebration of Bastille Day in the United States. The celebration is filled with live music, kids’ crafts and oodles of beignets. A French Dog Competition is held, in which dogs are judged based on their costumes and overall Parisian air.

The United States Independence Day is referred to as the Fourth of July. It is a federal holiday in the US commemorating the Declaration of Independence 241 years ago, on July 4, 1776. It’s the day when the United States of America was declared as a new nation and was no longer part of the British Empire.

Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were the Founding Fathers of Independence Day and signers of the Declaration of Independence. John Adams later served as the second President of the United States while Thomas Jefferson served as the third President. Coincidentally, both of them died on the 50th celebration of Independence Day, on July 4, 1826.

The celebration of Independence Day is marked with extravagant displays of fireworks, parades, carnivals, fairs, concerts, old fashioned picnics and barbecues, family reunions, lots of outdoor activities, political speeches and ceremonies. Since this is a national holiday, most families gather for a long weekend vacation.

One of the most famous activities during this day is the Nathan’s Hotdog Eating Contest in Brooklyn, New York. Anyone who eats the most hotdogs and buns in 10 minutes will be declared as the winner and will take home the prize money and the Mustard Belt. Joey Chestnut of San Jose, California, has won the title nine times (2007-2014 and 2016) and also holds the world record for eating 73 hot dogs. Miki Sudo from New York is the current title holder for the women. In 2016, she won the title by eating 38.5 hot dogs.

An Independence Day celebration will not be complete without a grand fireworks display. In 2009, New York City had the largest fireworks display in the country, with more than 22 tons of pyrotechnics exploded. Major displays are held in New York on the East River, in Chicago on Lake Michigan; in San Diego over Mission Bay; in Boston on the Charles River; in St. Louis on the Mississippi River; in San Francisco over the San Francisco Bay; and at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The whole world is surely excited for what the United States of America has prepared for its next celebration of their independence.

Lee Jun-fan, professionally known as Bruce Lee was a Chinese-American actor, film director and martial artist born on November 27, 1940 in Chinatown, San Francisco. He is considered as one of the most influential martial artists of all time because of his unparalleled skills and passion in teaching martial arts. He was also a pop culture icon of the 20th century for helping to change the way Asians were presented in American films. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and relive the 5 movies of Bruce Lee.

The Big Boss (1971)

This Hong Kong martial arts action film was  Lee’s first major film and the film that made him famous across Asia. In this film, he played the role of Cheng Chao-an, a Chinese man who moves to Thailand to live with his cousins and work in an ice factory with them. When the members of his family began to disappear after meeting the management of the factory, he broke his promise of not getting involve to any fight so as to discover the mystery of the big boss.

Fist of Fury (1972)

This is Bruce Lee’s second major film after The Big Boss. This film grossed HK$4,431,423 surpassing the box office record set by The Big Boss. It was mistakenly released in the US as “The Chinese Connection.” Lee played the role of Chen Zhen, a martial arts student. When he returned to Shanghai, he discovered that the death of his master was due to poisoning, so he sets off on a mission of revenge.

Way of the Dragon (1972)

This is a Hong Kong martial arts action-comedy film written, produced and directed by Bruce Lee, who also played the lead role. It was released in Hong Kong on December 30, 1972 and was released in the United States as Return of the Dragon. The film grossed HK$5,307,350.50 in the Hong Kong box office, making it the highest-grossing film of 1972 in Hong Kong. The film is about Tang Lung (Dragon) who arrives in Rome to help his cousins in their business. When they are pressured to sell their property to a syndicate, he does everything to finish their enemies off.

Enter the Dragon (1973)

This is a Hong Kong – American martial arts film starring Bruce Lee as Lee, a man who was recruited to investigate a tournament where an alleged Opium trade happens. The film is considered as one of the greatest martial arts film of all time. Enter the Dragon grossed an estimated $21.5 million in North America, making it one of the most successful films in 1973. It was first released in Hong Kong on July 26, 1973, 6 days after Lee’s death.

The Game of Death ( 1979)

This is an incomplete 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film directed, written, produced by and starring Bruce Lee. It was his final attempt because he died during the making of the film. In this movie, Bruce Lee played as a popular martial-arts master who stars in many films. Everyone thinks he is dead after an unsuccessful attempt to kill him, but he’s just hiding preparing for revenge. The movie was released in the US on June 8, 1979, 6 years after Lee’s death.

The term buffet originated from the French sideboard furniture where the food was served. It eventually became applied to a system of service. In the second half of the 20th century after the Swedes had popularized the “smorgasbord” in New York, “buffet” became popular in the English-speaking world. Nowadays, the word is fully accepted into the English language.

In a buffet, meals are served by placing the food in a public area where the diners serve themselves. Buffets are offered at various places including hotels, restaurants and many social events. Buffet restaurants normally offer all-you-can-eat food for a set price.

To give you a wider idea about buffet, we’ve gathered some of the best all-you-can-eat buffets in the world.

Imperium in Dubai, UAE

Imperium is a grand all-day dining buffet restaurant in hotel Jumeirah Zabeel Saray in Dubai, UAE. It serves a wide range of an international cuisines for breakfast, dinner and weekend brunches in an elegant and opulent settings. The regular buffet breakfast and dinner  starts at AED 160 ($44). They also have themed nights offering a taste of different cuisines from around the world on Saturdays through Thursdays, starting at AED 250 ($68). The famous Elegant Friday Brunch offering French Braserrie starts at AED 330 ($90) with its Classic Brunch up to as high as AED 2500 ($681) with its Royale Brunch.

Sterling Brunch in Las Vegas Nevada, USA

Sterling Brunch is an extravagant buffet restaurant located in Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. It has been serving Vegas visitors for 30 years. It is a weekend brunch buffet which is opened only on Sundays from 9:30am till 2:30pm. It is famous for serving endless pours of Perrier-Jouët Champagne and unlimited American Sturgeon Caviar. Price is $85 per head plus tax.

Hechi World Kitchen in Belgium

The Hechi World Kitchen Restaurant is one of the best buffet restaurants in Europe when it comes to food, service, value and atmosphere. It is a unique all-in cuisine with live cooking located in the city of Antwerp in Belgium. It serves sushi and European and Asian dishes starting at €19.5 ($22) to as much as €30.5 ($34) for two hours of dining. Dining can be extended for a rate of €4 ($4.5) per person per hour.

Rodizio Rico in London, UK

Rodizio Rico is a Brazilian restaurant with branches in The O2, Birmingham and Islington in London, UK. It offers true churrascaria-style, offering eat-as-much-as-you-can for £26.50 ($34) a head, or £19.50 ($25) for vegetarians. Diners are given a card which is red on one side and green on the other side. Once ready for the meat service, just turn the card green side up and the Passadores will start carving you with succulent meats from their large skewers straight onto your plates. When you are already satisfied of need a break just flip the card to the red side.

Feast in Sydney, Australia

Feast is an award-winning signature buffet restaurant at Sheraton on the Park Sydney, Australia and by far, the best in the continent. It offers a contemporary dining concept with the renowned International Seafood Buffet. Price ranges from $79 up to $99 per head. Inside their kitchen are 20 different nationalities that make the diversity of flavors immense.