Fruit or colour? What came first? The word “orange” has two definitions, something we all have been referring to. The fruit’s name originally goes back to the Sanskrit nāranga, which means ‘orange tree.’ This then became the Persian nārang, the Arabic nāranj and eventually old French orenge. It finally made its way to commonly known English ‘orange’ in the 1300s, referring to the fruit. What about the colour? The colour did not appear until the early 1500s. It was probably the wider availability of the fruit that inspired people to come up with a name for the colour.

The first person to ever have blue eyes lived around 6,000 to 10,000 years back. During that time, everyone had brown eyes. A research published in 2008 found that the earliest mutations in the eye-colour genes that led to the evolution of blue eyes occurred about 10,000 years ago in individuals living around the Black Sea. A genetic mutation is the cause of the eye colour of all blue-eyed humans alive on the planet today. If you have blue-coloured eyes, you share a common ancestor. So, if you have blue eyes, you share a common ancestor with the likes of Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift!

There are many anecdotes about the origin of “paint the town red”. Although we associate red with anger, it is also linked with excitement, good times and even love or romance. Many people might now know that "paint the town red" is euphuism for celebration whereas in South Africa red is the colour of mourning. It is also an old slang for drinking and painting the town red, usually involving a heavy drinking spree. Back in the day, in the west, the idiom was referred to a gun-toting cowboy who would threaten to “paint the town red” with the blood of anyone who dares to interfere with them.

Painting an exposed brick wall or façade? The most important step is to prime the walls. First, clean the wall gently with a soapy solution. Then, rinse it with clean water and let it dry completely for a few days. Next, use two coats of primer so that the likelihood of dark colour of the brick showing through the paint reduces. It is recommended to have one extra can of paint than what you think is required. Bricks have porous and uneven surfaces and tiny holes so the paint is likely to seep into it easily, using up more paint than that is required on any other surface that is flat and even.

Monsoons are the best time to be your lazy self and spend plenty of time indoors in your favourite, comfortable spot. Your bed and blanket become your best friends, usually coupled with some hot coffee and your favourite book. To create a comforting space, use calming and soothing shades like lilac, lavender or purple for the wall colours. Use natural colours and fabrics for the bed sheets and pillows. Invest in colourful throws and scented candles and diffusers. You can also DIY some homemade potpourri using coffee beans in a bowl or make your own essential oils using orange, cinnamon and clove— great to remove the musty monsoon smells and odours.

Are you thinking of getting your house painted during the monsoons? Ensure that you have your walls scanned with a moisture meter to inspect if there are any traces of moisture left behind on the walls. If left undetected and untreated, the moisture in your walls will not only ruin fresh paint but cause leakage, cracks and mould. In India, the best time to get your house painted is from February to April. The dry weather conditions and fewer drops in the day and night temperatures make it ideal weather for house painting. We stress on doing a thorough moisture scanning since there could be moisture trapped in your home walls from the previous rainy season.