Chinese paper cutting is a folk art with close to 2000 years of history. Below are some amazing samples of great craftsmanship; most of the graphics are symbols of luck and prosperity, animals & pets, as well as reflections of daily folk lives…
The BIG Bibik & The Little Nyonyas is the latest project from my online friend Quachee. It’s an online cookshow showcasing the Peranakan (or Nyonya) cuisine.
Peranakan refers to descendants of foreign immigrants (primarily Chinese) who assimilated with the Nusantara community during the 15th & 16th century and created a unique culture of their own. Chinese-Peranakan is often referred to as Baba (male) and Nyonya (female).
The BIG Bibik & The Little Nyonyas revolves around a Peranakan grandmother teaching her grandchildren and friends on the art of cooking Nyonya dishes. Below are the first four (of eight) webisodes…
Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug, often credited as the man who saved a billion lives, died on Saturday (Sept 12) at age of 95. Rest in peace.
The American agricultural scientist won the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for pioneering the Green Revolution and developing high-yielding crops that helped to prevent hundreds of millions of people from dying through famine.
Read more about Norman Borlaug at Timesonline & Wiki
Scientists are often unsung heroes. We should sometimes reflect on what we are enjoying these days and thanks those folks that make things happen for us.
Vintage world map by Japanese mapper Nagakubo Sekisui, created in 1850…
Notice how huge Antarctica was portrayed back then; global warming lol?
[more Japanese antique maps at Joel's blog]
Taiwan suffered their worst flood in 50 years after being struck by Typhoon Morakot last week; at least 65 are confirmed dead, with hundreds still missing.
Kaohsiung County was the worst hit area; a deadly mudslide buried Hsiaolin village and nearby neighbourhood, with over 600 villagers feared dead.
Philippines and China were also affected by the typhoon; while Japan hit by tropical storm Etau at the same period. Death toll includes 23 in the Philippines, 13 in Japan and six in China [according to Guardian]
Morakot hit Taiwan late night on August 7 and caused 14+ hours of havoc before leaving for China; but heavy rain continued to pour, which caused massive flood (and landslide, mudflow etc.) particularly in southern Taiwan.
Taiwanese are no strangers to typhoon; but rescue effort appeared to be short-handed because of the unexpected scale of devastation. Hope that more survivors could be rescued, God bless.
Strelitzia, commonly known as the bird-of-paradise flower due to its resemblance; also known as the crane flower in South Africa, its country of origin. Photos taken at the Butterfly Farm in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia, during my July trip…
A bizarre traditional ritual in India where babies are thrown from a height of 50 feet onto a cloth sheet held below for the sake of good health…
Devotees say no babies were injured during the ritual, which is practised annually by Muslims and Hindus in a village in western India’s Solapur district for 500 years.
Speechless.
[video via eltelbarker@Youtube]
Roasted pigs in costumes were paraded on the feast of St. John the Baptist, a hundred-year-old practise in the Philippines. Festival goers also got to sample the roasted suckling pigs (lechón), a famous Filipino delicacy, for free…