Anyone who has been to a few quiz nights has probably encountered the question “what is the smallest nation in the world?” Answer: Vatican City, right? Well, perhaps not, as there is an “island” that’s been making claim to this envious title. So please stand aside, Your Holiness, whilst I investigate!
There’s a theory in psychology that all men are obsessed by size, and that they’ll compete with each other by displaying large objects to substitute for their (often inversely proportional) physical attributes. I’ve no idea if this theory is correct, so let’s try not to think about it as we take a look at some of the world’s biggest man-made structures.
If you’re a fan of religious paraphernalia, then the Hill of Crosses is definitely the place for you. Situated in northern Lithuania, just outside the city of Siauliai, the hill is home to over 100,000 crosses, crucifixes, statues and carvings brought to the site by visiting Catholic pilgrims.
I hate insects. If any are discovered in my flat, a coordinated emergency “trap and extract” campaign is put into action. Once, my mother and I spent at least an hour trying to evict a massive spider from the bathroom. This delicate operation was carried out largely unsuccessfully using a plastic beaker which we shoddily sellotaped to the end of a feather duster handle. I know spiders aren’t insects, by the way, but elephant beetles are, and if I was being accurate, I wouldn’t be able to mention my hilarious spider anecdote…
I have often stood at train stations cursing the delay of my train, or queued behind miles of road traffic and wondered if there was another way. You might have wondered this too… Teleportation devices, computer-chauffeured travel booths, time travel and hovercrafts must all be rapidly approaching our horizon, surely… But in the meantime, some wacky ideas have sprung into life to make our lives more convenient. Here are my favourite, which also happen to be the wackiest!
We all love a good old dessert to tantalise our taste buds, don’t we? Well, I know I do and if you’re anything like me, old fashioned favourites like ice cream and black forest gateaux hit the spot. But, will these bizarre sweet numbers tempt you too?
Do you have some warm clothes and a reckless disregard for your own safety? If so, why not try skiing? Warm clothes optional! The 2012/13 ski season is about to come to an end, but there’s still time to book a last minute weekend of throwing yourself down a snowy mountain. Before you can ski down a hill, you first have to get to the top. The descent may be fun, but the trip up is often so miserable that the activity as a whole provides the skier with no net happiness benefit. Here’s a look at three different types of ski lift and the ways in which they can cause hurt and disappointment…
Hapus Dydd Gŵyl Dewi! Or, if you aren’t from Wales or the town of Gaiman, Argentina – happy St David’s Day! For amazingly, this Argentine town’s mother tongue is Welsh! Just how a Welsh-speaking town, complete with Welsh identity and architecture, managed to emerge in a country where Spanish is the official language is pretty fascinating, or “diddorol”, as the Welsh/Gaimanions may say.
Whenever I see pictures of this building, the first thing that comes to mind is “who the hell dreamt this up?!” Although, seeing as this modern-day pyramid is the product of the secretive North Korean government, I must accept that my question will forever go unanswered.
Most trees have a pretty good reputation already, down to their part in converting carbon dioxide into lovely, life-giving oxygen. But I don’t think any other tree could possibly have a better reputation than the Theobroma cacao… especially not in our office! After all, it’s the tree that gives us chocolate!
