Roasted pigs in costumes were paraded on the feast of St. John the Baptist in the hundred year old practise in the Philippines. Festival goers also got to sample the roasted suckling pigs (lechón), a famous Filipino delicacy, for free…
Both North Korea and South Korea have qualified from the Asian groupings to play in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
It will be the first time in history that both nations are participating in the same tournament.
North Korea will be making only their 2nd appearance; their first was a fairy tale journey in 1966 in which they defeated European giant Italy en route to the quarter finals, a result that stunned the footballing world.
South Korea on the other hand is the most successful Asian team in World Cup history and will be making their 8th appearance in 2010. Their best result was 4th place in 2002 when they were joint host (with Japan) for the event.
The Koreans met in the qualifying stage in which the southern counterpart has the upper hand with a win and a draw. The northern boys are unlikely to get their revenge in 2010 though, as chances are pretty slim for them to meet each other.
Discovery snippets from other sources…
Archaeology – Missing link found; from lemurs to higher primates [NatGeo]
Archaeology – Oldest pottery found in China [BBC]
Astronomy – Star size comparison [Youtube]
Bio – Awakening of a 120,000-year-old microbe [Livescience]
Robotic wheelchair controlled by thought alone [Newscientist]
Russia – Cat army guards treasures at Hermitage Museum [NatGeo]
Safety – Global Peace Index 2009 [Visionhumanity]
Seriously? Battling termites? Just add sugar [NatGeo]
The diary of a Saudi princess…
Staying at George V Hotel in Paris – £2,500 a night
Shopping at O Caprices De Lili for expensive lingeries – £60,000
Shopping at Key Largo for casual wear – £130,000
Shopping at other 30 fashion boutiques – NA… too many zeros to count
Dry cleaning my wardrobe collection – £30,000 a week
Total unpaid bills – £15 million
Solution… claims diplomatic immunity; no need to pay a single cent
Life is good for a Saudi princess.
Nakizumo (lit. crying sumo) is a traditional Japanese festival with 400-years of history. The event, believed to bring good health to the babies, is held annually in temples across Japan where the kids would face-off each other to see who’s crying the soonest (and loudest)…
The above video [credits to garyjpn@youtube for the upload] is probably from Hiroshima in 2009; there are other slightly different format in other places, including in Tokyo where some real sumo wrestlers were involved.
The way you hold your glass can reveal your personality, according to Dr Glenn Wilson, a consultant psychologist in UK…
Dr Wilson, who carried out a research for the Walkabout bar chain, has observed the body language of 500 drinkers and divided them into eight personality types… the flirt, the gossip, the fun lover, the wallflower, the ice-queen, the playboy, Jack-the-lad and brow-beater [more details on BBC]
Quite accurate in my case; how about yours? Or are you old enough to drink yet?
The polluted Buriganga River in Dhaka city, capital of Bangladesh which is often rated as one of the world’s worst cities to live in…
My heart wrenched when I watched the kids swimming in the river like a fun-filled swimming pool; it’s saddening, yet reminded me of how blessed I am.
Former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun died after falling from a mountainside on Saturday morning.
Roh left a suicide note on his computer that he was going through hard times, apparently referring to the recent bribery probe surrounding him and his family [more on Yonhap]
Roh, 62, was South Korea’s President in 2003-2008. He moved to Bongha Village, near his birthplace, after leaving the office in March 2008.
Reports have suggested that investigation on Roh and his family is likely to be ended following his death; and it might be what Roh was hoping for.
His death still sounds fishy though… leaving a suicide note on PC instead of a hand written one? And amusingly discovered by his aides in hours? Who would bother to check his PC shortly after his death? It’s just a bit too convenient imo.