chiboa

three lemons

2012-02-01T18:11:00.001+02:00

Three lemons is how it all began.

A short while ago I had made oven-baked fish for dinner. The guests were aboutto arrive and as I was setting the table, it occurred to me that I had nolemons to serve with my meal. So I rushed down to the local greengrocer's,picked up three lemons and when it came to paying he just smiled at me and said“if this is all you're having I can't possibly charge you for your purchase. Havea good evening!”

I made a mental note to go back to him soon for a moresubstantial fruit and veg shopping excursion. Ever since, he has added acucumber or two after weighing the bag, rounded down the final price, and givenme bits and pieces as tasters whenever I went.

Today was one of those days where a fruit & veg shop wasonce again very overdue. I popped down to the greengrocer's on my way home fromwork, picked up potatoes, cucumbers, carrots, mint leaves, avocado, celery,fennel, beetroot, kiwi, bananas, ginger and an interesting looking rootvegetable I had never seen or tasted before. As I dug around my bag to locatemy wallet, he just smiled and said, “this time it's on me”.

I insisted.

So didhe.

He won.

As a result, my fridge is full and happy. As is mywallet.

At this rate, I'll have to become creative and think of someway of ensuring that the good-hearted man down the road does not go bankrupt;lest I'll end up having to cook for him – but with nowhere left to buy theingredients from!

doodles

2012-01-26T11:10:00.000+02:00

a page of notes I took during a recent workshop on strategies of dealing with trauma...

how to stop people littering.....

2012-01-24T15:54:00.000+02:00

I know it's cheap to steal other people's blog entries and repost them, but i just could't not share this initiative.....
http://www.nowlebanon.com/BlogDetails.aspx?TID=2151&FID=6

i promise i'll write an update of my own very soon!

serving suggestion with a twist?

2012-01-18T20:15:00.003+02:00

...anyone can write "eggs" on a carton of eggs. this is a much more interesting option!

the good life

2012-01-16T16:07:00.002+02:00

fresh fruit, freshly squeezed juice, labneh and vegetable breakfast with good coffee and even better company, playing scrabble while talking about life, the universe and everything ..........ah, i love these types of rainy Saturdays!

retrospective

2012-01-08T20:56:00.000+02:00

allow me to post one set of backward looking ramblings before i launch into future musings and observations....
during the course of the year 2011, i visited 7 countries on 3 continents; i read 11 books; spent 12 nights sleeping in a tent; [too many] hours on planes, buses, trains; successfully grew 4 plants from seeds of fruit i had eaten myself; attended 3 live concerts (really? only 3?); had countless encounters with people - brief ones to deep ones - which all had an impact on my life in one way or another......and hopefully touched the lives of a few people around me.
unlike many of my peers, i found myself at midnight of the 31st of December not wishing the year that's gone good riddance but rather looking back at it with a smile, trying to consciously appreciate all it has brought me - happiness, trials, insecurity, hope, but above all, the feeling of a year well lived.
here's to an equally exhilarating yet quintessentially different year to come.
may we all rise up to new challenges, take leaps of faith and step out of our comfort zones in 2012!

awakening

2012-01-05T16:27:00.003+02:00

so..... i've been asked by a few friends to revive chiboa after rather along hiatus.

and what better excuse than a new year to do just that?

here's to a bright, colourful and inspiring 2012~!

a friend of mine has started the year with a "photo a day" project - I will make no promises to keep up with that pace, but it's as good an incentive as any to honour each day in its own little way.
On that backdrop: I look forward to what 2012 has in store for all of us...

Only in Yemen.....

2010-01-03T20:12:00.001+02:00

...would you find an insanely polite sign asking guests/visitors to refrain from loitering and/or chewing qat on the premises!

--
spotted at Shaharan Hotel in Sanaa

water is life

2010-01-03T19:59:00.000+02:00

spare wheel covers illustrating the German water initiative in Yemen....of course there is absolute equality between male and female water droplets ;o)

Yemeni Barbies

2010-01-03T19:52:00.000+02:00

--
Spotted in Sanaa's Old Town

Yet another reason to love Australia!

2010-01-03T19:43:00.001+02:00

--
spotted at Darling Harbour during Sydney Food Festival '09

Reumungs Ferkauf?

2010-01-03T19:39:00.000+02:00

A (mis-)spelling gem for the German speakers (and readers) among you. ^_^

Only in Germany.....

2010-01-03T19:33:00.000+02:00

We took our car for its regular "check-up" and had it returned with this sticker.
It reads: For your own safety, recommended top speed 190 km/hr.
What other country would even dream of allowing such speeds on the motorways?

flowers & trees

2009-11-05T06:44:00.002+02:00

what does one do with it?

2009-11-05T06:40:00.001+02:00

--
spotted in Sydney's China Town

dead ducks

2009-11-05T06:39:00.000+02:00

~~hundreds~~ thousands of them!

yummy?

Your guess is as good as mine..................

2009-11-05T06:32:00.001+02:00

spotted on the side of the road in Annandale

Thai African Fusion

2009-10-03T03:14:00.002+03:00

Went to Marrickville Street Festival last weekend, which, essentially was just a big excuse to try lots of yummy food and have a bit of a stroll.
Of course, I couldn't go past the African food stall for a good dose of some ndizi, bean stew and Nigerian akara...........and was delighted to see that this staple African dish was made using Thai fish sauce, perched on an African wax print :o)

spring cleaning

2009-09-24T08:19:00.006+03:00

As I sit here, surrounded by cinnamon-coloured surfaces, amidst the sounds of sneezing, coughing and still spotting the odd face mask, life in Sydney has vastly returned to normal.
Alongside a huge collection of both professional and amateur photographs, the papers are virtually dominated by the orange dust phenomenon that struck the Australian East coast just 24 hours ago. While tabloids are flowing over with proclamations of 'doomsday' and speculations of some sort of timely link tying yesterday's natural phenomenon to the climate talks in Bangkok, advertisers have been quick to embrace the freak occurrence and incorporate them into ad campaign. Telstra, whose slogan is usually "time to call your mum?" came up with "How do you get dust out of your white pants? Time to call your mum.", Westbank's "We see the world in Orange. We wanted you to see it that way too." (the bank has an orange logo), Omo's "A bit of dirt is not the end of the world." (alluding to the apocalyptic claims) and the prompt to "Get to dust before the dust gets to you." offered by Viva a window and mirror wipes manufacturer. Meanwhile, VISA has a full page spread featuring a dusty car, withthe word 'go' written underneath - presumably targeting drivers to pay for that carwash using their credit card. I hope I don't get in trouble for posting ads on here, but here are a few photos of my paper (unfortunately not featuring all of the ads I mentioned here):

Interstingly it seems that print has actually overtaken the web in speed of delivery here, with a plethora of ads popping up in the print media while the same cannot be said for the online world (where I have yet to come across one today).
Looking out the window today , the clear blue sky and bright sunshine make it hard to believe yesterday's events weren't just a figment of everybody's imagination. Until, that is, we look around at those cars that did not have the time to queue for a carwashe yesterday afternoon ~ and bear unmistakable witness to the pervailing dusty experience which will, no doubt leave a lasting legacy not only in our memories but also in our living rooms, most certainly in the nooks and crannies that even the most thorough spring clean is unlikely to reach.

seeing Sydney in a different light

2009-09-23T13:18:00.010+03:00

Sydneysiders are usually blessed with beautiful blue skies year-round.
Today, however, they (we) woke up to quite an unusual (and initially downright terrifying) sight: a warm orange glow penetrated into my bedroom window when the alarm went off just before 7AM. Realising it was a bit late for sunrise (and mos certainly too early for sunset) I half-consciously grabbed my camera and stumbled sleepily to the verandah, from which the backyard was barely visible.
As the radio was playing REM's It's the end of the world as we know it, I put the kettle on, in hope that a cup of tea would help me make sense of what I was witnessing.

Hitting the sreets it quickly became apparent that, unsurprisingly, the Asian population was first to whip out the face masks. However, it's fair to say that the vast majority of pedestrians had wrapped a scarf around their nose and mouth, were holding handkerchiefs in front of their faces or found some other way of minimising the amount of fine dust particles they would inevitably inhale. A commuter myself, I was joined by a large number of would-be drivers who decided to follow their better judgement and leave their cars at home in favour of public transport, either to protect their engines from the dust or to avoid the havock on major roads caused by drivers inching along the dense traffic (and dense air) at walking speed with visibility reaching a record low of of less than 200m at peak hour. Rather eerielie, major landmarks which usually adorn the harbourside were swallowed entirely by the ubiquitous dust much to the amazement of regular commuters (and the chagrin of snap-happy tourists).

As I sit here writing this, a good 12 hours later (and marginally more awake), the southern winds have picked up and it is now possible to walk outside and breathe (reasonably) deeply. Tabletops, shelves, chairs, CDs, the carpet, sofa, bed and everything inbetween are covered in a thin but pervailing sheet of dust, which seems to have penetrated the sealed windows and doors we all were sure to shut before leaving home. By the looks of it, children will be going back to school tomorrow, it will once again be safe for asthmatics and the elderly to go to walk up the road to the local corner stores, and planes will once again be departing from Sydney Airport. Normality (and visibility) will return once again to the harbourside city ~ unlikely to witness such a spectacle for another few decades to come.

another cryptic sign

2009-09-17T10:33:00.002+03:00

........watch out for wallabies jumping out of trees?

Rotary Timeliness

2009-09-17T10:25:00.002+03:00

so do they want people to be 1/2 hour early for the 7PM meeting?

he catches ferries, you know.......

2009-09-12T06:29:00.003+03:00

...........and he has an Australian accent!

--
spotted aboard the Manly Ferry

coming without food

2009-09-12T06:16:00.002+03:00

--
spotted in Sydney China Town

Every Colour?

2009-09-10T08:59:00.005+03:00

Really?
--
spotted at a department store

no way out

2009-09-10T08:39:00.001+03:00

--
spotted at Sydney's Kings Cross Station

Can't we just let him rest?!?

2009-06-30T10:05:00.000+03:00

I am positively sickened by all the media frenzy, accusations, speculations, consipiracy theories, analyses, etc revolving around Michael Jackson's death.

He was a great artist, a controversial personality, he left his mark on this world ~ and now it is time for us to accept that he is no longer among us. He (and his family) deserve all the peace and respect we can offer. Let's not rip to shreds what we know close to nothing about.

detour

2009-06-30T07:53:00.001+03:00

Juvenile Article Store

2009-06-27T04:49:00.001+03:00

bins

2009-06-27T04:16:00.001+03:00

makes sense, right?

groggery

2009-06-27T04:11:00.001+03:00

Beijing strikes again :o)

beijing subway

2009-06-27T04:03:00.001+03:00

all the things you're not allowed to do........

Emergency Shelter

2009-06-07T07:37:00.003+03:00

Clearly, this is some new use of the word "shelter" i was previously unaware of.

--
spotted in Beijing along Wusi St

Reverse Vending Machine

2009-06-07T07:29:00.001+03:00

spotted on Shanghai's Nanjing Lu

only in China.... Part I (of many)

2009-06-07T06:39:00.005+03:00

At the entrance to a subway station:

No bikes.

No exploding briefcases.

---
spotted in Hangzhou

THIS MOTHER'S DAY

2009-05-06T05:30:00.003+03:00

brolly bagger

2009-04-27T06:35:00.004+03:00

another clever quirky idea

the idea is simple: slide in your umbrella, have it wrapped in plastic foil, and don't drip all over the carpets when you enter a building.

bonuses:

**you don't have to leave your brolly by the door (and run the 96% risk of forgetting it there)
**saves on carpet cleaning

..........on the other hand, it generates a whole lot of unnecessary plastic waste.
Hmmm....

--
spotted at the entrance to some office building on George Street

I love tea, but..........

2009-04-22T18:03:00.003+03:00

..........here's a post in honour of coffee!

sneaky tree

2009-04-19T16:58:00.005+03:00

--
spotted at Sydney Royal Botanical Gardens

daytime drinking

2009-04-14T06:58:00.003+03:00

...................but while the sun's out get plastered all you like!

sheep?

2009-04-14T06:51:00.004+03:00

how to confuse hordes of school children on a field trip: take them to the Sydney Royal Easter Show

the dog ate my ....... mail !

2009-04-07T09:14:00.002+03:00

spotted in stanmore/petersham or thereabouts

Gadget Charger at Changi

2009-02-28T02:45:00.003+02:00

How's this for a brilliant idea?
Open your window of choice, plug in your device, lock it up, enjoy some duty free shopping while waiting for your flight to be called, and get on with it with a fully charged battery!
There SO should be more of these scattered around, in "real life" as well.
.......although i do wonder how many phones/cameras/PDAs Changi airport collects at the end of every day, left behind by passengers who are now well on their way to Tokyo/Delhi/Sydney/Rome/Abu Dhabi....

Airport Signs

2009-02-28T02:37:00.004+02:00

........thanks for that clarification. I'd have had no idea where to collect my bags otherwise!
--
Spotted at Frankfurt Airport

Good way to start 2009

2009-01-05T18:07:00.002+02:00

Roughly this time last year, we posted an entry on the sad and short-lived love affair between people and their Christmas trees.

This year, in a related topic, the news are much happier: apparently, not all Christmas trees end up in ditches or on roadsides after all. Some actually make a few young babies very very happy!

As reported in the online version of National Geographic: Elephants in German zoos will be fed a treat of about 5 Christmas trees each now that the trees have served their purpose of looking pretty in the living rooms.
Better still: pine tree oils are beneficial to the elephants' digestion. According to the article, "people too might benefit from a little bark—but not necessarily in their bites. Some doctors are touting supplements with a pine bark extract called Pycnogenol. Supporters claim the antioxidant compound can reduce asthma attacks, thin blood, improve circulation, lower blood pressure, and relieve symptoms of diabetes."

......now if that isn't a win-win situation, we challenge you to show us a better one!

--
Link to original story

It's that time of the year..........

2008-12-31T13:42:00.001+02:00

Giant in Cologne

2008-12-03T23:06:00.002+02:00

Nearly two years ago, in Jan 2007, we had a sneaking suspicion that there was a giant roaming around Cologne. Back then, he had dropped his ice cream cone on top of a shopping mall

There is recent proof that this suspicion may, indeed have been true.This time, he carelessly dropped his ipod headphones. Can't have been too long ago. They were still playing music as they were lying there.........

currywurst

2008-11-28T21:46:00.003+02:00

Spotted at Stuttgart train station.
The poster reads:

"Headache?
Currywusrt! (a type of sausage served with ketchup and curry powder)
doesn't help against headaches....
...but tastes great!"

remedial action at wetness

2008-11-20T11:47:00.000+02:00

more menu fun

2008-11-02T18:47:00.002+02:00

mmmmh, unpurified applejuice juice.......my favourite! :D

another Belgian gem

2008-10-28T00:36:00.002+02:00

'nuff said.

Pocari Sweat

2008-10-28T00:23:00.004+02:00

..............we couldn't make it up if we tried!

oh, and of course you can choose to have a can of sweat or a bottle of it.

honest German portaloo ad

2008-10-28T00:21:00.002+02:00

you'd have to be really desperate to use one!

Only in Belgium.....Part II

2008-10-28T00:13:00.003+02:00

can you tell what it is yet?

Harry Potter is real, we tell you!

2008-10-27T23:35:00.003+02:00

in an earlier post we reported on invisibility cloaks.....now we expand the Potter world's real life finds to something that got us at chiboa overly excited: a stick insect in Borneo that not only broke a world record by measuring a whopping 35.7 cm (excluding the legs), but also, much more excitingly, it has snitch-like eggs (as in, eggs with wings, yes)!!!

:D

nature, we <3 you!

signs, signs, signs

2008-09-08T23:09:00.002+03:00

eight points to anyone who can tell me what this is for.

cake!!!

2008-08-18T19:57:00.005+03:00

i made this yesterday.

(see pics) before & after:

pretty, no? :)

your daily wisdom

2008-08-18T19:55:00.001+03:00

Just when we thought we'd seen it all.......

2008-07-30T18:49:00.003+03:00

......along comes a gadget (if you can call it that) to top even our previously featured topless flip flop.

Tis the season, it seems, (at least in the northern hemisphere) for a walk in the park! You live in a big city, you say? You'd have to drive for miles to find a patch of grass? Well, then just take the park with you! Attached to your feet. (Just don't forget to water them.) If only all of life's problems could be solved so easily!

--
think we're making it up? google it!

Indian Humour

2008-06-30T16:17:00.002+03:00

thanks go to Ankana, who spotted this for chiboa.

a few gems from recent travels

2008-05-08T04:11:00.009+03:00

Three guesses on where this sign adorns a market stall. Actually no, make that one!

Okay, so this one had me puzzled for a while. I was always under the impression that Citroen was French. How exactly is it "unmistakeably German"? also, what's that e doing in unmistakeably? Or am I just being a pedant? Enlightenment would be thoroughly appreciated!

just thought this was cute. spotted at Edinburgh airport.

oh-so-wrong. on oh-so-many levels!

Once a church.........now a sports bar! Only in Dundee.

it seems Edinburgh buses have a spitting problem?????

.......only in Crete would you find FREE raki on the menu!

arrogant ad

2008-03-22T18:04:00.002+02:00

How arrogant is this?
This is one in a series of German ads for a popular Czech beer:

It reads: "Should come from Germany, really!"

Germany strikes again!

2008-03-13T21:43:00.006+02:00

......this time in the form of too much meticulous information on a train time table:
(just look at the grey bar)

(it reads: arrival 16.08 [4.08PM], departure 16.10 [4.10PM]...except for the time from the 21st to 24th of March, where arrival and departure are pushed back by ONE MINUTE!!!)

Seasonal..... ?

2008-03-04T19:43:00.002+02:00

The Berlin public transport is dedicating the weekend of 15-16 March 2008 to welcoming the Spring Season by providing additional trains that run between areas with 'seasonal' activities.
The poster is adorned with.....um.....Balloons? (Does is say something about my mind that I seem to think they look like.....erm....something else??)

another German gem

2008-03-03T17:45:00.005+02:00

Many of Germany's train stations are now smoke-free.

Some, however still have designated smoking areas.

Helpfully indicated by a yellow box drawn on the platform.

Whatever you do.......DON'T overstep the line!

Apologies for shoddy image quality. Picture taken from a moving train. The little yellow sign above the guy on the very left's head reads "smoking area". Trust me on this one. I'll make it my mission to take another similar image from a position of standing still. But felt that for now this was too good not to share.

update: okay, so still far from fantastic, here's a marginally better shot, this time taken from a slower-moving train.ONE DAY I'll get a good shot!

Kosovo. Freedom. Come. Dance.

2008-02-17T19:54:00.005+02:00

Stumbled across spontaneous celebrations of the declaration of independence of the Republic of Kosovo in Berlin today. While standing amidst the cheering crowd, I overheard an American tourist asking a man hoisting a flag asking what was going here. English clearly not being his first language, he gave her the best possible, most beautiful answer: "Kosovo. Freedom. Come. Dance." and proceeded to take her hand and drag her into the exultant, dancing crowd.
Politics can be so heart-warming sometimes. Albeit rarely.
Let's hope Kosovo's future is as peaceful as today's celebrations have been.
:D

only in Germany.........

2008-02-15T18:48:00.001+02:00

....would you find graffiti glorifying efficiency!

Durchgangsärzte

2008-02-10T16:08:00.001+02:00

"Durchgang" means passage/tunnel/thoroughfare
"Ärzte" are doctors

.... passage doctors? (a theory strongly supported by the fact that the side of the same building in the next road over features an identical sign - inferring that they are somehow connected via a passage).

EDIT: as it turns out, the truth isn't quite as amusing as that, as Durchgangsärzte are merely medical referees. Still, it was fun while it lasted.

Only In Belgium....

2008-02-05T00:29:00.000+02:00

......would there be a special bus time schedule for Wednesdays (see purple band)
Spotted in Brussels, 03 Feb 08

care for some Loo light?

2008-01-24T15:03:00.000+02:00

........couldn't make it up!

spotted in a Berlin supermarket 22 Jan '08. apologies for shoddy quality and high glare; had to be somewhat discreet!

goat mobile

2008-01-23T14:50:00.000+02:00

fred says it best

2008-01-23T14:30:00.000+02:00

in a follow up to the previous post.

Disclaimer: As much as we love Fred Basset, he does not belong to us but unfortunately belongs to Alex Graham. Big thanks and big yay to him for his creative genius.

over.............. and out!

2008-01-15T22:56:00.000+02:00

So this is 2008.

We welcomed it with a bang and promptly discarded 2007 from one moment to another. Barely two weeks have passed, and having left the "old year" behind us the next wave of remorseless disposals comes along: left, right, and centre - look where you may - the sorry remnants serve as sobering reminders of the end of the latest love affair: the Christmas tree. A mere 4-5 weeks ago, the country was whizzed into a shopping frenzy for the "perfect tree" that would fit just right next to the fireplace, match the curtains, god knows what other criteria go into the choosing of a Christmas tree (I have never owned or bought one myself so I speak from second-hand experience, so to speak). But I do feel I have come close enough to the madness of buying, decorating, adoring, disposing and forgetting to speak with authority on the matter of this annual short-term love affair which we never seem to learn from.

Ditches, roadsides, bus stops, front lawns, tree-tops (believe it or not)..........you name it, chances are there are at least 1 1/2 trees strewn, left and abandoned there! [collage of once-loved-but-promptly-forgotten Christmas trees of Berlin coming soon - check back some time in the near future]

Lucky are those trees that grew in an environment where the "love" for them is not expressed by chopping them down, where no one complains about having to hoover up the dropped needles, where they are allowed to stay in their element.

UPDATE: Thanks to Sandy for providing this eerily related link.

out of solidarity........

2008-01-06T17:10:00.001+02:00

.......and for lack of power to take direct action,

our hearts, thoughts and minds are in Kenya a hundred percent

**UPDATE: Bloody hell, my heart is bleeding for this country and all i can do is post a picture of the flag on a blog?!??!?!

dubious sweets

2008-01-06T16:40:00.000+02:00

NOT photoshopped! These can all be found at your local Turkish grocery store! :o)

for the love of airports and planes

2008-01-06T16:04:00.001+02:00

We don't exactly have a short history of flying. And yet, there's something strangely enthralling about those massive objects that transport people and goods across land, water, mountains and clouds seemingly effortlessly. Until, that is, a shock freeze comes along between boarding and scheduled take-off.
That calls for instant de-icing.
Which looks kinda spooky at first. But respectively cool (or hot) up close.
here's a pic of our neighbouring plane being de-iced.

Why they got first dibs no one really knows...but I shan't complain. Any excuse for a good photo opp is always fully appreciated.

......and here's a quick three-photo sequence of when it was our turn to get the de-icing treatment. Can you blame me for getting a little over excited? I think not!

(click on pic for full size)

statement.

2007-12-09T03:55:00.001+02:00

Been a while since we've uploaded any street signs. Here's a rather inspiring (if simple) one:

spotted in Berlin 08 Dec 2007

any excuse to celebrate

2007-12-04T13:15:00.000+02:00

Happy Anniversary to us!

The observant among you will have noticed that it's December 2007. This means that chiboa has been in existence for a year now! Sounds like a good excuse as any to celebrate. YAY to us! :D

the joys of teaching English

2007-11-27T19:12:00.000+02:00

I recently did a substitution for a fellow English teacher. Substitutions are always fun - you never know quite what to expect, nor do the course participants. Not infrequently do students want to pick up on previous lessons, seemingly oblivious to the fact that you (the substitute teacher) have little to no idea what the previous lesson was actually about, let alone in what direction the discussion veered off....as they so frequently do. Picture, if you will, my delight when I walked into the "classroom" (a tiny little box of a room filled to the brim with electronic appliances, most of which did not seem to be connected, old files piled carelessly on a shelf and on the floor in front of it, and a (fully functional) coffee dispenser) and discovered this flip chart resting against the far corner of the room. I sincerely hope I'm not infringing any privacy agreements, but this just brought a smile to my face. Cheap thrills, I'll admit. But as we all know: good things come to those who are easily amused.

bright white smile

2007-11-25T05:28:00.001+02:00

it's a full moon night and big fat fluffy flakes of snow are falling on the city.
makes me happy! :o)

wall - or not

2007-11-09T22:43:00.000+02:00

Today (09 Nov. 2007) marks the 18th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall.
In Germany this event is commonly heralded as the day the reunification 'comes of age'.
In honour of this occasion, Korean artist Eun Sook Lee has placed an illuminated installation entitled "Vanished Berlin Wall" opposite the Brandenburg gate, where the wall used to be. But instead of being solid and serving the purpose of dividing, it is soft, hollow and brightly lit from within with rods of black light, giving it a mystical feel that draws tourists and locals alike together out of sheer curiosity. I couldn't resist - gave it a poke as well! And took a few obligatory touristy shots while i was at it.
(click images for bigger)

Liebeserklärungen

2007-11-02T17:29:00.000+02:00

declarations of love to the city of Berlin......
(a new ad campaign by a local newspaper)

...apologies for shoddy image quality; to be replaced by less reflective ones when available!

**UPDATE** better images unlikely to follow as it seems these posters have all been taken down :o(

modernise it!

2007-10-20T12:02:00.000+03:00

order slip issued by my local tailor

your options: tighten, widen, shorten, lengthen, or modernise!

Free Burma!

2007-10-02T20:18:00.001+03:00

the joys of cheap air travel

2007-09-24T00:18:00.001+03:00

...ever so welcoming: Berlin Schoenefeld Airport

also, Ryanair has the safety card safely glued to the back of the seat in front of you.
That way, it doubles up as in-flight entertainment. wonderful....

.......which, upon closer inspection, reveals some invaluable security information.
such as: be sure to remove your dentures before evacuating the aircraft. ah, priceless!
kudos to them. i certainly wouldn't have thought of that!

--
cheers to sven for pointing this out!

lovin' the colours...

2007-09-24T00:04:00.000+03:00

we are. are you?

2007-09-20T19:53:00.000+03:00

happy penguins

puppy wisdom

2007-09-08T12:41:00.000+03:00

"For a long time, domesticated dogs were seen as just the slobbering, dumbed-down ancestor of the wild wolf. Dogs, though, have learned a few tricks of their own through the millennia -- and can teach us a lot about ourselves."

no doubt about it. puppies are smart. we know it. you know it. now there's a new study that provides scientific proof that we were right all along. not only that - but this study of canine behaviour can actually give us an insight into the human psyche. outsmarting apes and cats, dogs have just proven themselves once again as the bestest creatures in living existence. read the full article - and click your way through the photo gallery while you're at it!
that should be enough to make anybody's day! :D

another summer treat

2007-09-07T20:23:00.001+03:00

a few weeks (months?) ago, we brought you the anti-flip-flop. ok, so strictly speaking we only linked to it - wouldn't want to make any false claims to fame.

browsing the wonderful world wide web never ceases to entertain - those of us who are easily amused. we are therefore proud to present to you today [insert drum roll here]......tada: the most impractical, noisy, presumably uncomfortable BUT ORIGINAL footwear we've come across in a long time (if ever): tongs-in-bottles.

not sure i'd necessarily opt to wear them.
....but that's not the point, is it?

chavez an unprecendented trendsetter?

2007-09-05T19:25:00.000+03:00

the move may or may not have been inspired by Chavez.
But it ties in nicely on Chiboa so we'll just create non-existent links and make you believe they make sense.

be that as it may, news just out: INDIA is now considering switching time zones from GMT+5.5 to GMT+6. How will this save them Rs. 10bn? click here to find out (you weren't expecting us to spoon feed you the details, were you?)

--
NOTE: it's not the bbc! same rules/disclaimer/stuff as ever apply.

Chavez testing the limits of time???

2007-08-26T22:11:00.001+03:00

okay, so we ususally refrain from posting political stuff on here.

but we're always open to suggestions and willing to make an exception. you'll be glad we did once you've had a look at this.

as if changing the flag, name and official coat of arms wasn't enough, Hugo Chavez has decided to shift Venezuela's time zone by 1/2 hour, placing his country at GMT -4 1/2, as opposed to GMT-4. Supposedly, he is "seeking to move the country's time zone to offer a more equitable distribution of sunlight."

hmmmmmmm......and to think: Venezuela only entered its current time zone in the 1960s!

---
brought to you by Reuters (via chiboa.blogspot.com) out of sheer amusement.

lunar eclipse coming up!

2007-08-26T21:22:00.001+03:00

Those of you lucky enough to live in eastern Asia, Australasia, the Pacific or western parts of the Americas will have the opportunity to witness this year's second total lunar eclipse on Tuesday night (28 August).

The map above, taken from this website, shows where the eclipse will be visible.
Those of us living in Africa and Europe are very jealous so YOU'd better go out and admire the spectacular sight so that we can live through you.

Hachiko

2007-08-26T20:43:00.000+03:00

In case it's not blatantly obvious yet, WE LOVE DOGS!

So imagine how my heart leapt upon reading the story of Hachikō, the Japanese dog that DEFINES loyalty!

Not quite news as such (Hachikō died in 1935), the story is still heart-warming.

Basically, Hachikō came to Tokyo in 1924, best friend to a Tokyo University Professor. And, as a true best friend would, Hachikō accompanied him to the station every morning and waited for his return in the afternoon.

One day in May 1925, the professor went to work in the morning, never to return. Hachikō did not attend his funeral, but returned to Shibuya Station every day, loyally waiting for his master until his (Hachikō's) death ten years later. The station now sports a statue of Hachikō, commemorating him in bronze.

awwwwwwwww!

Pamela S. Turner has written a book about Hachikō, winning a number of rewards, and, in 1987, a Japanese movie, Hachikō monogatari was released in the dog's honour. In recent developments to revive this story of loyalty, hope and compassion, Richard Gere has signed a deal to star in a hollywood remake called simply, Hachiko: A dog's story, to be aired in 2008.

Why are we devoting a whole post to this?

Because WE LOVE DOGS!!

---

Disclaimer: no proceeds go to us from Wikipedia, IMDb or Mrs. Turner. Nor are we in any way or form seeking to promote any of this for any commercial benefit whatsoever. If anything, we just want to share our never-ending admiration for puppies of all shapes and sizes. :D

sniff-sniff

2007-08-18T02:18:00.000+03:00

On a recent trip to Bolivia, Explorer Colonel John Blashford-Snell thought he smelled a rat when he came across a dog that didn't quite look like any he had seen before. The remarkable thing about it was by no means the dog's looks but much rather an enhaned sense of smell: the dog had two noses. Upon closer inspection he realised that it was not a single dog but a whole breed which possesses this quality.

There have been speculations and plans of how this skill could be best employed, for instance in searching for drugs.
We, on the other hand, just think it's cool!

--
thanks BBC for never letting us down in our quest for news and entertainment.

taking a train to Cologne?

2007-07-29T18:38:00.001+03:00

.... think again!

(don't say we didn't warn you)

--
thanks to Mark for spotting, capturing and submitting this gem!

toilet philanthropist in Japan

2007-07-12T23:59:00.000+03:00

some men who have been going to relieve themselves in Japan made an unexpected yet surprising pleasant discovery: an envelope containing 10,000 yen (US$ 82) and a note with good wishes.

The mystery has gripped the nation, with much media speculation about the identity of the unknown benefactor.
The only thing everyone agrees on, given where the money is found, is that the person leaving them is likely to be a man.
Handwriting experts say the letters are all written by the same person, whose shaky handwriting suggests somebody elderly or seriously ill.

------
thanks and admiration, as ever, go out to the bbc!

Good news!!!!

2007-07-08T17:24:00.000+03:00

Not tea this time, but chocolate. Tea's best friend.

The good news? It's good for you!
Apparently, and i quote,

"A mouthful of dark chocolate each day could reduce blood pressure, cutting the risk of stroke, research suggests."

The BBC said so.............so it must be true! :D

Pottermania

2007-07-08T17:01:00.000+03:00

did you know that the BBC has a whole section devoted to Harry Potter?

WANTED: Condom Testers

2007-07-06T21:36:00.000+03:00

Stretch your talents as a condom tester....

Okay, so admittedly I'm only posting this story for the picture that came with it.

Aren't they pretty?

But if you fancy being all intellectual about it and finding out how to stand a chance of earning about US$850, and you *happen* to be Australian, you can check out the details on the Reuters website.

One last bit of advice from the organisers:

"To apply, simply explain why you think you're right for the position (missionary is acceptable) and you could be eligible for the employee bonus of [AUS]$1,000," said the ad on Web site www.durex.com.au.

make poverty history

2007-07-06T21:30:00.000+03:00

......a pretty campaign at Syndey Opera House, as captured by someone at the BBC