It has been called “the world’s deadliest” due to this being the sixth death since 2007 due to sharks there.

People who saw what happened said he was in shallow water (1.5m deep) when a bull shark struck. He then wrestled with the animal for about 5 minutes while the sea around him turned red as he was bitten again and again on both his arms and stomach. Msungubana was finally dragged out of the water by a lifeguard. Unfortunately, he died on the way to a hospital.

Bull sharks hunt by themselves and are dangerously aggressive.

Previous fatal attacks:

- 2007: a lifeguard
- 2009: 3 attacks
- 2011 (15th Jan): a surfer

World shark attack stats show that only 1 in 6 attacks is fatal, but here it’s 6 out of 6.

A possible cause is that many sharks like to come there to eat animals slaughtered during traditional sacrifices.

There are several contenders for this title:

Gangkhar Puensum, 7,570m, Bhutan

Probably strongest contender. Mountaineering was allowed in Bhutan only relatively recently viz. 1983. 4 expeditions have so far made the attempt for the summit, all failed. Since 1994 the country has banned climbing of mountains higher than 6,000m; in 2003 mountaineering was totally banned, so no further attempts are possible.

Saser Kangri II East, 7,513m, Kashmir

Probably highest unclimbed non-prohibited mountain.

It was opened in 1943 and named after Juliana of the Netherlands, then the crown princess.

Airplanes landing at the airport fly low over the renowned Maho Beach. Hence, the approach is awe inspiring and being on the beach is a perfect place for plane-watching, not to mention nerve wracking.

I think one would not find the tranquility one would expect from a lazy day by the sea here.

A video of a 747 i.e. huge plane, landing:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Amazingly, despite what one might see as an extremely difficult approach, there has apparently been no major incidents there.

Some comments from the youtube video:

The engineer who designed this airport might have been drunk or high.

That’s one beach you can’t fall asleep on.

Maybe they made the beach after they made the airport.

It has been described as the world’s most modern and humane prison. In other words, a prison that doesn’t feel or look like one.

Guiding principle:

Repressive prisons do not work and that treating prisoners humanely boosts their chances of reintegrating into society.

Well, judging from the appearance of the front, it does seem so right?

Features:
- Area: 75 acres (30 hectares)
- cells look like college dorm rooms, with flat-screen TVs & mini fridges
- cells have long vertical windows to let in natural light
- no bars on windows or doors
- every 10 – 12 cells share a living room and kitchen.
- living room look like Ikea showrooms: stainless-steel countertops, wraparound sofas & birch-coloured coffee tables
- sound studio
- jogging trails
- freestanding two-bedroom house where inmates can host their families during overnight visits. Wow, I suppose they can even call for a baby eczema treatment cream in the middle of the night, courtesy of the Norwegian government of course?
- “kitchen laboratory” where inmates are offered cooking courses.

But probably the best feature of all:
- Guards do not carry guns, and they routinely eat meals and play sports with prisoners, to create a sense of family

The prison received it’s first inmates March 1, 2010 but was officially opened on April 8 by the Norwegian King Harald V.

Source
Time, 10th May 2010

The Guolizhuang Restaurant, based in Beijing does so.

Apparently there are 4 franchises in that city itself, and it’s expanding even to the US, to the city of Atlanta, Georgia.

The menu explains why it’s good to eat the private parts of donkeys, dogs and other four-legged mammals, totalling more than 30.

The ox wee-wee cut into star shapes. How cute. Apparently good for male virility.

The following tube used to be attached to a yak, served with a dragon, no less.

Sheep schlangs on a stick.

Donkey wang ready to be devoured.

Apparently the schlongs are usually dipped in soy or hot sauce before being consumed.

For women especially, eating these things is supposed to be good for the skin, the best acne treatment I heard!

Bon apetit!

He spent 3 months in Dubai and wrote:

I no longer think of the seven star Burj Al Arab hotel when I think of Dubai, but of emaciated, wretched men, lining up for buses before the sun has risen, resigned to the fact that their hard day’s work wouldn’t earn them enough to buy a round of coffee here. It works out incredibly well for the developers – they can charge first world fortunes for the dream villas and apartments, but pay third world salaries to the men actually building them.

Dubai: From riches to rags.

… Looks like one better head to Westgate instead …

The house itself was built in 1960.

A Bill Heine, an American owns the house and commissioned the shark. He explains why the shark is there thus:

The shark was to express someone feeling totally impotent and ripping a hole in their roof out of a sense of impotence and anger and desperation…. It is saying something about CND, nuclear power, Chernobyl and Nagasaki.

The headless sculpture, labelled “Untitled 1986″, was erected on the 41st anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki.

It was created by the sculptor John Buckley, made of fibreglass, weighs slightly more than 200kg with a length of slightly less than 10m.

More strange statues

Limited to 20 couples.

What you get:
- privilege of dining on the helipad of Swissotel at the Stamford, the tallest hotel in Singapore at 73-storeys
- 9 course French dinner with Dom Perignon champagne (cost SGD6,000)
- a SGD9,000 diamond studded Valentino watch

This is a video of what the place looks like:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Source
Today Online, 7 Feb 2009

Many people have been coming here for years to collect the so-called healing or miracle water, which originates from a natural spring and flows freely from six PVC pipes on the side of the road.

It’s so popular that traffic jams are not uncommon on the stretch of the road near it.

People of various races and faiths say that the water can cure sickness and restore health, with testimonials spreading around like wildfire. Sicknesses being cured include diabetes, backaches, high blood pressure, arthrities and gout.

Someone having a field day:

Photo credit

And apparently it tastes good too, proponents claim that it tastes cooler, fresher and looks crystal clearl; definitely better than normal piped water.

“A person from a laboratory” reportedly did a test and found that the water “contains a lot of minerals”.

Now that it’s been mentioned by the media, the free ride’s days are surely numbered.

Source
The Star, 29 Jan 2009

The Job went to Ben Southall, 34 of Great Britain. The man from Hampshire defeated 34,000 other hopefuls.

Asked why he thought he won, he said:

I have, over the last six to 10 years, done quite a lot of different things. I haven’t stuck at a single career. I’ve been an event manager. I’ve gone out there and organised my own expedition. I’ve raised lots of money for charity. I do a heck of a lot of things involving fitness, in swimming, in running and I think I’ve just got a broad spectrum of things that appealed to the panel of judges.

I really put myself out as the individual that I am. I’ve been honest as much as I can and I think they like the person they came across. I’m extremely happy. I’m extremely thankful they’ve chosen me because I now get a chance to lap up what Queensland and the [Great] Barrier Reef have got to offer over the next six months.

Before this, Southall had worked as a tour guide in South Africa, charity fundrasier. His application video showed images of him riding an ostrich, scuba diving, running a marathon and kissing a giraffe.

There were 16 finalists, who all spent 4 days on the island for the final leg of the selection process, in which they had to:
(i) snorkel
(ii) participate in a barbecue party
(iii) spend time at a spa
(iv) demonstrate their blogging abilities
(v) take swimming tests
(vi) sit through in-person interviews.

He starts work on 1st July 2009, and won’t be alone since he plans to bring his Canadian girlfriend along.

Some scandals to hit the contest since its announcement in January 2009:

(i) many applicants were angry because they could not submit their videos due to the contest website crumbling under the weight of too many visitors.
(ii) The tourism department had to admit that it created a video “application” that showed a woman being tattooed expressing her love of the Great Barrier Reef.
(iii) A finalist was kicked out when it was found out that she had connections to the adult entertainment industry.
(iv) Someone claiming to be Osama bin Laden submitted an application via a video on youtube.

————————————-

This has been described as the best job in the world, and it’s open for applications.

Tourism officials in Australia want somebody to work as “caretaker” on Hamilton Island, a tropical island, the largest inhabited island among the Whitsunday Islands, located just off the Queensland Coast, part of the world-famous Great Barrier Reef.

Why is it the best job in the world?

For starters, it’s a beauty, with good weather all year round: blue skies, crystal water and pure sands.

Then look at these requirements:

Formal qualifications: none, but must be “willing to swim, snorkel, dive and sail.”

Salary: A$150,000 (USD103,000) for 6 months.

Working hours: 12 hours a month.

Duties: fish feeding, being the island’s postman, island exploring and photographing/videoing and running a blog with of course the many photos and videos to attract visitors to the island.

Accomodation: three-bedroom villa, complete with pool, rent-free.

Anthony Hayes, Chief Executive of Tourism Queensland said: “We need a special person. They are going to be pretty busy having a good time.”

Deadline for application: 22nd February 2009. Applications are open to everybody anywhere in the world. The successful candidate will start 1st July.

Interested? Go for it!!!

Source
The BBC, 12 Jan 2009