Weeping for Strangers – The Professional Mourners of Taiwan
In Taiwan, staging a dramatic funeral for relatives who have passed away is of the utmost importance. So, to create the proper atmosphere, wealthy families hire professional mourners who cry, sing and crawl on the ground to show their grief. Taiwan’s “filial daughter” phenomenon emerged during the 1970s, when sons and daughters left their families to […]
English Farmer Makes Vodka from Cow Milk
Jason Barber, a farmer from Dorset, England, has spent three years creating the world’s first milk vodka. Now, his Black Cow label is the poison of choice for celebrities like Elizabeth Hurley and James Bond star Daniel Craig. 47-year-old Jason Barber, a sixth generation farmer, got the idea for his pure cow milk vodka after […]
Sidewall Skiing – Saudi Arabia’s Latest Driving Craze
Nobody does dangerous driving stunts quite like the youth of Saudi Arabia. Sure, drifting is pretty cool, and Ken Block’s Gymkhana is awesome, but they’re nothing compared to the latest driving craze in the Middle East. It’s called “sidewall skiing” and it basically means driving a car on its side wheels at high speed. A […]
Fangweng – China’s Cliff-Hanging Restaurant
Trekking in the mountains generally means having to survive on packaged food; but not if you’re in China. There’s a particular mountain in the Hubei Province, 12 km north of the city of Yichang, where you can actually experience fine-dining on the side of a cliff. Located in the Happy Valley of Xiling Gorge, the Fangweng hanging restaurant […]
Would You Pay $91,500 for a Crocodile Skin T-Shirt?
French luxury goods manufacturer Hermes has recently made headlines after it’s been discovered that its flagship store on Madison Avenue is selling a crocodile skin shirt for the mind-blowing price of $91,500. Yes, today is April 1st, but this story is no joke. The pricey men’s garment was actually presented last fall as part of […]
Tokyo’s Monk-Run Bar Mixes Cocktails with Buddhism
Who says booze and religion don’t mix? That’s certainly not the case at Vowz, a unique Tokyo bar run by two Buddhist monks who serve customers delicious cocktails, religious chants and sermons. There are over 10,000 bars in Tokyo, but none like the Vowz, in the city’s Yotsuya neighborhood. Opened by Japanese Buddhist monk Yoshinobu Fujioka, this […]