Jamie Kassiotis Farmer #4 British India

Hello everybody, it's Caleb again.
Things have basically stayed the same since my last post, so i'm not going to talk about my life. Instead, I'm going to talk about India. India is a very unique place, it is a British colony and is a great source of wealth. Many sons of titled families go to India as army officers to earn their fortune. I am not the son of a titled family, but I don't think you need to be rich and fancy to join the military in India. Why are only the wealthy able to take advantage of these opportunities? It's not fair. India is run mainly by the British, so it would be just like living here except much hotter. British India or British Raj was founded in 1858. The U.K. had complete control over it. The East India Company controlled trade and set up factories and mills in India.


That's the flag of British India.
Well, wish me luck going to India! I don't know how it will work out trying to get into the army there but I make so little money now farming I have to find something else to do. Goodbye!
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/images/i/in~bre.gif
http://www.victorianweb.org/history/empire/india/india.html

Carpenter 4

Ah, Christmas. This looks like it will be one of the best in years, maybe even my life. With the rising amount of entertainment for the middle and lower classes, I have more opportunity than ever. I have made  enough money this year to be able to buy a small turkey for my brother's family and me and Egbert. Before, I hadn't even closed the shop, much less celebrated in previous years. Though I'm not sure why this holiday celebration started, I enjoy it because it gives me a chance to look away from business issues and towards what little family I have.



I am planning on taking my brother's boys to get a tree for the celebration to decorate like the Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Like them, His children made a Christmas card of their own and sent it to me. It may be because I have no wife or children, but I appreciate this gesture of kindness.

Christmas crackers, though new, seem like they will fall out of popularity soon. The are good crackers, but the social aspect of it paired with the silly hats will cause people to be drawn away from it soon enough. I have been perused by many to start giving them out with furniture, as is the business norm, but it is just a waste of money. Unless  they pay for them separately, they are not getting anything more than what they order. That is how business should be.

Though meager the feast shall be, it shall be joyous and exciting. It will most likely resemble Lewis Caroll"s A Christmas Carol. That is currently one of my favorite books, considering ass well that i do not read very well and have but four books from my lack of education and means to buy books.

Exporter Entry #4: Victorian Food/Diet

As an exporter, I travel to many different places. In each  place there is something different, something new. Recently, I have been very interested in the different foods and how various ingredients are used to make food. However, my favorite foods are right here at home, in England. 

For breakfast, I eat a vary of different foods as do other wealthy merchants. We eat a vary of different things in the morning from bacon and eggs to fruit, haddock, and coffee. We enjoy coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon.

Some of the more poor people survive off drippings, bread (probably stale), and a small variety of vegetables, with a small bit of tea. They do not have many luxuries like the wealthier people; they typically eat bland foods. Potatoes and rotten vegetables is a usual daily meal.

This is an example of a common meal that would be easy to acquire for the poor.

Wealthier people, like me, can have meat and cheese daily for dinner, sometimes even bacon at dinner, too! I love bacon as I'm sure you can tell. On average, I have a large breakfast, a lighter lunch, and a very late dinner/supper. In order to fill the gap in the afternoon we have tea, which is my favorite time of the day. My friends and I always come together and drink tea together, relaxing and having a good time.

One of my favorite recipes is one my mother used to make me when I was younger. It is from Fannie Farmer Cook Book 1896. She made Pork Chops with Fried Apples. First she would wipe off the pork chops, then she would swiftly and fluidly sprinkle them with salt and pepper. She looked so graceful when she did so. Although my sister was the one who helped with the cooking, I enjoyed watching. Then she would cook them slowly until they were tender and brown on both sides in a hot frying-pan. After the pork chops were removed and arranged on the plates she would fry the apples in the remaining fat from the pork. The apples were then placed on the plate with the pork chops. It was simple, but it tasted wonderful; apples soon became my favorite fruit, even when they weren't fried in deliciousness.

Although I prefer finer foods, I also enjoy what the street vendors sell. It is sort of a guilty pleasure. I like the rice milk and ginger beer. I find some of the foods there disgusting like the Plum Duff. It is too gluey, and I do not enjoy the gross raisins sprinkled throughout it. I love apples, but I do not like plums in the least.
That is a plum duff^ . Looks gross, right? 

The street vendors have some good foods, but they are mostly for the working class. I usually enjoy meats for dinner rather than cheaper foods. Those poor people are really missing out on the bacon.

Sources:
http://www.victorianchildren.org/victorian-food/
http://www.victorian-era.org/victorian-food.html
http://www.thecompletevictorian.com/thepantry.html
http://listverse.com/2013/01/06/10-weird-foods-sold-by-victorian-street-vendors/

Candle shop owner #4

Thanks to the dowry of my son's wife, We have added an extension to our coffers. My son's wife, Kanaya Maryam -now Kirkland- and my own wife, Clara, went dress shopping. I was forced along, since I needed a new suit from the tailors'. Savile Row had Many tailors,the best for both men and women, so Clara and I headed there. In the carriage ride she told me about the various styles of the day...
     "Good Corsets," She began "Are made of steel or whalebone.They help keep up our figure."
Kanaya, though blushing, listened intently.
      "I once heard a doctor friend of mine talk about the effects of those corsets," I remembered, "They squeezed the lungs,liver,intestines,bladder, and dislocated the stomach"
        Kanaya made a gagging sound.
"Anyway-" Clara glared a little at me "The skirt, in order to be made to look bigger, has a skeleton made out of steel wire. It is more flexible than most other materials used. We put on a first layer, so the springs shan't be seen when we put on a second."
    She pointed to Kanaya's bright green dress ,
"That fabric is dyed with Arsenic to produce that color, And I will have you know that Paisley shawls are quite in-fashion. In fact-" Clara turned to me and giggled, "The brighter the dress the better."
She frowned slightly, her grey eyes growing dark, and leaned toward me.
"Her majesty, Queen Victoria, has recently become enamored by the highlands, so plaid might be in style soon"
Her eyes suddenly twinkled brightly, and she tapped me playfully in the chest with her fan. (I would never allow such a thing in public, but no one outside could see in.)
"We need to get you a dinner jacket!"
And we arrived at the tailors, no more to be said...

Nobleman #4

As a nobleman, I constantly have to deal with money, either coming as profit, leaving as expenses,

buying and selling goods, and more. It has come to my attention that the British monetary system is not as organized and orderly as other currency systems today and so I shall share with you on how its complications work. Today, Queen Victoria is found on most of British currency.
After the Normans invaded England in 1066 and to this day, the basic monetary systems have been the same, although different types of coins have been added to the system. There are three main units of money, the pound, the shilling, and the penny. Each are represented by their own symbols:
Pounds=£ or |; Shillings=s. or /- (from the Latin solidus); Pence=d. (from the Latin denarius, an ancient Roman silver coin). The symbols and numbers are spaced using hyphens. (£1-3s.-5d.)
There are 20 shillings in a pound and 12 pennies in a shilling, meaning that there are 240 pence (the plural of penny) in a pound. Each penny is divided further into two halfpence, and each halfpence is divided into two farthings, so there is 4 farthings in one penny.
Why are there 20s. in £1 and 12d. in 20s.? This is because there used to be a unit of weight for precious metals called a pennyweight during the rein of King Henry II. One penny weighed one pennyweight, and 240 pennyweights equalled one pound.

Here are the coins of the currency system (some are still used but some are defunct):
Farthing (2 farthings in 1 halfpenny)                         Halfpenny (2 halfpennies in 1 penny)
Penny (3 pence in 1 threepenny bit)                          Half-Groat (2 half-groats in 1 groat)
Threepenny Bit/(2 threepence in 1 sixpence)            Groat (4 pence in 1 groat)
Sixpence (2 sixpence in 1 shilling)                            Shilling (2 shillings in 1 florin)                                    Florin (1 florin and 1 sixpence in 1 half crown)        Half Crown (2 half crowns in 1 crown)
Crown (2 crowns in 1 half-soverign)                         Half-Sovereign (2 half-soverigns in 1 sovereign)
Half-Guinea (1 half-soverign and 1 sixpence in one half-guinea)
Sovereign (1 pound coin)                                          Guinea (1 pound and 1 shilling in 1 guinea)
£5 coin
A threepenny bit (or threepenny) is also known as a joey, a sixpence is also known as a tanner, a penny is also known as a copper, a shilling is also known as a bob, and a florin is also known as a two bob bit. 1 crown is equal to 5 shillings and is sometimes called a dollar as well.

The guinea (My favorite denomination) has a value of £1-1s. and is used only when giving or receiving currency with the nobility and gentlemen. There used to be a guinea coin, but in 1816, the coin was taken out of circulation. The Guinea coast in Africa is famous for its gold, which is why the coin was named a guinea.
There are also special ways of writing certain denominations. For instance, 12s.-6d. would be written as 12/6 and 10 shillings would be written as 10/.
There are also paper banknotes for higher denomination values. These include the quid, or the £1 banknote, the fiver, or £5 note, the tenner, or £10 note, the £20 banknote, etc.
There have been many more different coins and banknotes throughout British history, and this is no means a complete list.
Maybe one day the currency system will be decimalised...

Sources:
http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/moneyold.htm#back
http://www.studyenglishtoday.net/british-money.html
http://media.liveauctiongroup.net/i/13425/14157083_1.jpg?v=8CF7F23209D6C60 (Picture)

General Store Owner #4

Hey guys its time for another blog and that time is the Victorian era.  The reaction to Queen Victoria has been that of Universal Acclaim.  They have gone so far as to name our time the Victorian era.  Everything is changing and I have adopted the new fashion with open arms.  Women always wear there best so they wear some variation of a dress with the jewels they can afford.  Men are always in some variation of a suit.  we usually have long coats, matching pants, polished shoes, and a bucket hat(although a bucket hat is not required although they are insanely popular).  Facial hair is extremely popular at this time so I have started to grow all that I can.  Typically we would wear vests underneath our coats with a tie or bow-tie.  Our pants are balloon style similar to what baseball players wear with high socks, just not as tight.  If you don't have a pocket watch to hold in your pocket or hand, you could have a cane even if you didn't need one.  An alternative was to have a cane and a pocket watch.  Truly Yours, Ken.

"Victorian Clothing,Victorian Era Costumes for Women,Men,Children,Shoes,Hats." Victorian Clothing,Victorian Era Costumes for Women,Men,Children,Shoes,Hats. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.

Jamie Kassiotis: Farmer Post #3

(I'm so sorry this is late, I forgot all about it and had a busy weekend)
Hello, it's Caleb again. I'm going to keep this post short and sweet as I am in dire circumstances. With the Industrial Revolution in full swing, factories and foreign farms are ruining my business! The other day, I sold my property and land off to the enclosure and now I am living in Manchester, England. Life is tough, and I can't find a job but I'm sure that things will get better. Anyway a lot of things are going on. Queen Victoria was visiting Manchester today. It was nice to see her for the first time. I like her much more than William IV. Britain has reached it's height of wealth and power with her on the throne. She became queen when she was just 18! I find that amazing. She was only here on business so I only got a glimpse of her, but it was still nice.

Women have been getting a lot more rights nowadays. especially because men are getting more and more. All men in England get universal suffrage, but women get none. This has caused them to hold several militant protests, even here in Manchester! I have a picture I took there too, here it is.



Most of them got arrested, it's risky doing protests nowadays. The riots gain attention but generate no response from government figures, right now only New Zealand out in Oceania lets their women vote.
Women have a lot of rights now but they don't have suffrage.

Mass culture and entertainment is also really emerging. Only the wealthy enjoyed these things before. Now there are so many more things to do and see and it's much cheaper. Because people work so much, they need to let off some steam at things like theater, movies, and sporting events like football and cricket games.

I took this photo during a cricket game that I didn't have enough money to get into. It costed ten shillings! They usually don't cost this much though, but this one was part of a tournament.


My grandmother in Sheffield sent me this photo of a stage at a vaudeville show before the act. She said the show as splendid! It was like nothing she had ever seen in her life. I was I could of seen it too...
I must go now, I have to find a job! Hopefully things will get better...

Candle shop owner #3

Dear diary,
      I apologize for being so late with this entry! My son's marriage was an semi-extravagant affair, We actually had enough space for the guests!

The customary 3 fruit cakes were served with white frosting and candied flower petals. The dress of the bride was blue, which signifies purity.
I have decided not to join the communists, but to help out the poor children who have lost parents and limbs in the mines. News of a high and mighty scandal have reached my ears and eyes through the new newspaper. Some poor, innocent man, has been sent to a terrible island! Even though he is a Jew- damn those folks- There has  been no evidence going against him! Anyway speaking of scandal, A queen has once again taken power in The British empire! I must say her Majesty Queen Victoria, bless her soul, I doing a fabulous job!  My own wife follows her every move through the newspaper. "Did you hear her wedding dress was White?!" She told me the other day, I was surprised as well, since, as I told you before, the traditional color was blue. She married a German prince, by the name of Albert. It seems she is popular with almost the entire country! Not long ago, male suffrage was increased, and I can vote now, thanks to the reform bill.

Carpenter post #3

Life has not changed much for me business wise since the start if communism. I have continued my battle against my competing woodworkers, as well as the dreadful factories. However, labor laws have been passed and though seemingly unrelated to me or my business, they have slowed the production of factories which in turn, help me. And I do not mean to sound self centered or cruel sounding, I do care for the workers in the factories. Just last week, my cousin lost three fingers and hearing in his left ear in a factory incident. I have wanted change for them. But in this new age where, as of now, the working class can not guarantee any degree of safety, it is hard to be generous and caring. In regards to safety, there have been many strings of disease outbreaks in the all major cities threatening to collapse this already unstable society. I have not caught any of these diseases, luckily.



It is especially lucky in regards to the health care i can get. Even if i were wealthy and could afford whatever treatment i needed for my ailment, medicine is a scary thing to face, even in the midst of a deadly disease. Even with these new treatments and do- dads for fixing me, who knows whether or not these "stethoscopes", "X-  rays", and "antibiotics" are some sort of hokum or poison. That same cousin of mine who lost his hearing would have gotten a prescription for drinking mercury infused water had it been three or more weeks before.

However, this disease outbreak, specifically cholera, has impacted my life overall. Egbert, my apprentice has contracted a particularly fierce case of it. As far as i am concerned, with the faulty logic put into the medical industry, he has already passed. Due to the fact i have no family to provide for, and given that his family lives miles away and are too poor to take any sort of measure to help him, i decided to take up that responsibility. I  have tried all of the experimental treatments of our day, yet nothing has worked as of now. If there is one thing to say about these new treatments  and machines, they do know how to see what you are sick with. Most of the time, people die before the doctors know whats  the matter with them.



As i said before, in this troubling time it is hard to try to look after the oppressed if you too are struggling. So women's rights activists might hate me, but i honestly don't see this as a major priority at this time.  Especially in the sense that most people are against it, including me. In all respect, i feel this is rooted in Queen Victoria herself. She, as a leading figure of the country, encourages women to try to attempt the same in their lives. Again, as of now, the priority should be in the public interest, not specified rights. They can already work too. Giving them rights to do more is in discrimination of the entire male population. It just should not be the focus  of all reform.

Exporter Entry #3

My life has been going well; I'm still making a large amount of money trading, and I have more rights now due to reform. I can vote. Or even become a member of Parliament, and I am very pleased. As a part of the upper middle class, I am happy to see more rights being given to me. Also, I have been enjoying the new developments in medicine because I am now vaccinated for so many diseases such as typhus or yellow fever. Now I can live a long, happy, rich life.

Recently, I have been more content with the Reforms. Most of them are pointless and foolish, but I agree with the ones giving me the right to vote, like the Reform Bill of 1812. However, the rural, uneducated farmers should not also get the same right because they are so much lower in class. These Chartists are helping me, but they are also going to far with how far the suffrage rights should go. 

These women movements are just foolish though. Women should remain in the house. I heard of some piece of writing called Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management, and I believe that is exactly what I would look for in a wife, if I even wanted one. Theses women want suffrage, but as tradition has been, women should not be involved in politics. They're not supposed to be and that is the way it has always been. Yet, there are people like the Pankhurst women who try to break tradition too far. The Women's Social and Political Union is just a joke. I didn't even like the labor unions.

Since I am making plenty of money, I recently bought and automobile. Mine came from Germany, but I heard in American Henry Ford made much cheaper cars using interchangeable parts and this very nifty assembly line that made cars cheaper to make and it made them more efficiently. This automobile has been very helpful for my travels, and it helps my trading too. I also don't have to deal with rotten smelly horses; although I still have to deal with other people's. 

Another wonderful thing that has come about are these music halls. I hear Vaudeville is one of the best ones. They are so much fun; there is dancing and acting and many other activities to do there. And let me tell you one time I saw a moving picture, something called a film. It was incredible! I had never seen anything like it. I hear the film business is growing fast all thanks to the people in the Thomas Edison laboratory.

I'd also like to interject my opinions on the Dreyfus Affair. Honestly, I think the man is innocent. This seems to be an unpopular opinion, but what really convinced me was the article J'accuse by Zola. He is my favorite author and I highly respect what he has to say, and he made very valid points. The evidence proving he is innocent has been suppressed and that is not right, as Zola says. 

Finally, I'd like to discuss On the Origin of Species by the Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin. The man seems smart and well educated, but this is completely against religious teachings. I am a firm believer in my faith, and I do not appreciate the publication of things that are so heretical. He must be wrong; God created the Earth, not evolution.