The Fascinating Wooden World of Livio De Marchi
Venetian artist Livio De Marchi is like a real-life Gepetto. Except, he doesn’t need a fairy god mother for his works to come alive. De Marchi’s works of art are so life-like, sometimes it’s hard to tell they’re made of wood. The tools that De Marchi works with are fairly simple – a hundred varieties […]
The Fattening Farms of Mauritania – Force-Feeding Young Girls in the name of Beauty
While the whole world is obsessed over getting thin, it seems there are far-flung places in the world today where fat is still considered a thing of beauty. Not in a good way, though. In the West African nation of Mauritania, it is so important for girls to be fat that they are sent away […]
Tianducheng – A Small Piece of Paris, Made in China
It appears that the Chinese have tired of imitating objects, so they’ve now moved on to entire cities. How else could you explain the gated community of Tianducheng, that boasts its very own Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and European-style villas? Located near Hangzhou, the capital of the coastal Zhejiang province, the community built by […]
Chinese Millionaire Works as a Street Cleaner to Set a Good Example for Her Kids
Yu Youzhen, a millionaire from Wuhan City, China, has been making headlines recently, after it was discovered she works as a street cleaner, for a 1,420 yuan monthly salary, in order to set a positive example for her two children. During the 1980s, Yu Youzhen was just an average vegetable farmer in the Hongshan District Donghu Village Huojiawan, working hard […]
Ghost Money – Currency of the Afterlife
If there is indeed such a thing as afterlife, the Chinese and Vietnamese might just be the richest people there. And that’s because their living relatives make sure they are well provided for – by throwing money into flames. Well, not real money. Only fake notes. This fake money is commonly known as ghost money, […]
Orlan – The French Performance Artist Who Used Plastic Surgery to Challenge Beauty Standards
We’ve heard countless stories of women who go through procedure after procedure in an attempt to improve their looks, but when I first read about Orlan, a French performance artist, I was shocked. She has also undergone several surgical alterations to her face, but for a different reason – to challenge the standards of beauty […]
The Paris Syndrome – A Bizarre Psychological Condition Affecting Japanese Tourists?
Among a host of first world problems is the mysterious Paris Syndrome – that horrible feeling you get when you realize the beautiful City of Lights isn’t all that you imagined it to be. And strangely, the worst to be affected by this bizarre condistion are the otherwise calm and collected Japanese. As ridiculous as […]
Sweet Art – The Gummy Bear Artworks of Johannes Cortes
Gummy bears are a favorite treat for millions of people, young and old, but for German artist Johannes Cordes they are a muse, an art medium and his trademark. Cordes uses thousands of delicious gummy bears to create colorful works of art. Johannes Cordes, from Meppen, Germany, somehow resists the temptation to stuff his face […]
Style Oddities – Fake Braces Worn as Fashion Accessories
It’s at times like this that I simply don’t understand fashion trends. I mean, what would prompt otherwise normal teenagers to consider something as horrendous as braces to be a fashionable accessories? Don’t get me wrong, I think braces are an extremely useful dental tool and I used to wear them as well, but I […]
Mind-Blowing Portrait Made by Hand with 2.1 Million Dots Hides an Amazing Story
The portrait below was painstakingly done by hand, in 138 hours, using a technique called stippling, which required the artist, Miguel Endara to “draw” it with around 2.1 million ink dots. As amazing as that may be, it’s the story behind this incredible work of art that’s really mind-blowing. The man whose face Endara recreated with […]
Pepsi-Chicken Flavor Potato Chips Hit China
Every year, potato chip maker Lay’s launches a new flavor in China, and this time it seems like they have a real winner on their hands – pepsi-chicken, a very popular dish in the world’s most populated country. Who new Pepsi and chicken go so well, together, right? Well, the Chinese, apparently. Chicken wings tossed […]
24K Gold Pills Will Make Luxury Addicts Poop Gold
Created back in 2005 by by late New York artist Tobi Wong in collaboration with Ken Courtney, these swallowable 24G gold pills are said to turn your innermost parts into chambers of wealth”. Gold Pills were originally launched by Wong and Courtney as part of their ‘Indulgence’ line – an art project that comments on society’s ‘ever-expanding market of luxury items’, […]
Poor Chinese Family Make Their Home in Public Toilet
A family of migrant workers in China too poor to rent a proper apartment, have made their home in a public restroom, on Beijing Road, the busiest and most popular shopping strip in Guangzhou. Earlier this year, I wrote a post about a resourceful Chinese family in Shenyang who managed to turn an abandoned public restroom into […]
Chinese Company Knocks Off Entire Austrian Village
A Chinese metals and mining company has invested nearly 1 billion dollars into replicating an entire Austrian scenic village just an hour away from Huizhou city, in subtropical southern China. Nestled deep in the breathtaking Northern Limestone Alps, the village of Hallstatt is one of Austria’s most popular tourist attractions. Featuring a rich culture and history […]
Indonesian Villages Use Piles of Sand Instead of Mattresses
The residents of three small fishing villages in the Batang region of Indonesia prefer to sleep on piles of sand than on modern mattresses. This ancient tradition that’s still practiced today for its supposed health benefits. Taking a nap on a sandy beach is pretty relaxing, but can you imagine going to sleep on a […]