1. A mascot for Canberra? Yeah, thanks for the mammary!
http://t.news.xin.msn.com/en/weird/gigantic-balloon-creature-splits-opinion-in-australia-6
A gigantic whale-like balloon with pendulous udder-like appendages, designed to mark the centenary of Australia's capital Canberra, has divided opinion, with some branding it an ugly waste of money and others saying it is an inspiration.
The hot-air balloon Skywhale, designed to mark the centenary of Australia's capital Canberra, has divided opinion, with some branding it an ugly waste of money and others saying it is an inspiration.
Skywhale, believed to be the first hot-air balloon commissioned to celebrate a city's 100th birthday, has the flowing form of a giant pink-and-black-hued fish.
But its face could be that of a parrot, or a turtle, and the renowned artist who designed it, Patricia Piccinini, refuses to say just what it is.
I lived in Canberra for a good number of years and I was once told the place-name comes from an Aboriginal word for "a woman's breasts", since the city's Civic area is sited on the plain between two mountains, Black Mountain and Mount Ainslie.
So, maybe Skywhale is quite the right mascot for Canberra after all. Anyway, Canberrans won't have to live with it forever since it's a hot-air balloon, unlike the weird invention that passes for Singapore's mascot.
My family and I do have very fond memories of Canberra, and I'm glad I found this link below:
http://www.canberrahistoryweb.com/meaningofcanberra.htm
Discussion on the meaning of "Canberra"
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2. A Mandarin Duck? Welcome to 'Cantonese' Hong Kong!
http://t.news.xin.msn.com/en/weird/giant-rubber-duck-sails-into-hong-kong-4
An inflatable bright yellow rubber duck six storeys high sailed into Hong Kong harbour [earlier his month] to the cheers of hundreds of people who gathered to watch the classic bath-time inspired artistic creation.
The 16.5-metre-tall (54-feet) Rubber Duck was seen in the Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong on May 2, 2013. The artwork, conceived by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, dwarfed other craft as it was towed past the city's iconic skyline by a tugboat a fraction of its size.
Since 2007 the duck has travelled to 13 different cities in nine countries ranging from Brazil to Australia in its journey around the world.
Did I read that second paragraph right? The duck was conceived by a human????
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3. When in Rome, do as the Romans do... dress like King Tutankhamun!
http://t.news.xin.msn.com/en/weird/fake-pope-held-in-rome-for-looking-like-john-paul-ii
A Slovak street performer dressed in white papal vestments has been detained and fined by the police in Rome for bearing too close a resemblance to the late John Paul II.
"The problem was that he looked a lot like Karol Wojtyla. He was detained for usurpation of title which is a misdemeanour," a police spokeswoman told AFP. "The cassock he was wearing has been confiscated," she added.
The man has been released and will have to pay between 154 and 929 euros, depending on a decision by a judge, the spokeswoman said.
Another officer at the station where the 55-year-old man was taken quipped: "If he had been dressed like Tutankhamun nothing would have happened."
So, remember, hor, next time you are in Rome, try to dress like this gentleman:
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Finally, Rev Kang Ho Soon sent this item ahead of Mother's Day (Sunday, May 12):
LETTER FROM A MOTHER TO A DAUGHTER
My dear girl, the day you see I'm getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I'm going through.
If when we talk, I repeat the same thing a thousand times, don't interrupt to say: "You said the same thing a minute ago"... Just listen, please. Try to remember the times when you were little and I would read the same story night after night until you would fall asleep.
When I don't want to take a bath, don't be mad and don't embarrass me. Remember when I had to run after you making excuses and trying to get you to take a shower when you were just a girl?
When you see how ignorant I am when it comes to new technology, give me the time to learn and don't look at me that way. Remember, honey, I patiently taught you how to do many things like eating appropriately, getting dressed, combing your hair, and dealing with life's issues every day. The day you see I'm getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I'm going through.
If I occasionally lose track of what we're talking about, give me time to remember, and if I can't, don't be nervous, impatient or arrogant. Just know in your heart that the most important thing for me is to be with you.
And when my old, tired legs don't let me move as quickly as before, give me your hand the same way that I offered mine to you when you first walked.
When those days come, don't feel sad ... just be with me, and understand me while I get to the end of my life with love.
I'll cherish and thank you for the gift of time and joy we shared. With a big smile and the huge love I've always had for you, I just want to say, I love you, my darling daughter.
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