4 Amazing Things People Ate

Remember when you were a kid, and you swallowed that piece of gum accidentally? These people are kind of like that, only they didn’t think it was so chewy. Or did they? Remember the superheroes that could eat anything? Well, these people aren’t exactly heroes, but they ate things that we weren’t meant to eat!

1. A plane. But how can you eat one of those? Michel Lotito did. He broke a Cessna 150 into little pieces and ate it over two years. The term iron stomach now has a whole new meaning.

2. Rocks. Wait, people eat rocks? A lady from China did. She ate 20 cobblestones, which she thought would pass through her system. The rocks eventually had to be surgically removed.

3. Frogs and rats. Not just frogs and rats. Living ones. Yes, alive. Yang Dingcai from China has been eating them for 40 years, which he claims benefited his health. Whatever floats your boat, old man.

4. Hair. But hair isn’t a big deal! For one 18-year old girl, it is. A short lifetime of chewing her own hair led to a 10-pound hairball taking up her entire stomach, which had to be operated on.

Ate anything like these lately?

Everyday is Mother’s Day

I know I just wrote something about Mother’s Day facts, but I want to extend this a little further. You see, for me, that day is just another holiday. It’s a holiday for our special and beloved mothers, sure, but how is that different from every day? It doesn’t take one Sunday a year to show your mom you care.

My friends are always puzzled why I don’t do anything overtly special for Mother’s Day, aside from the call and small gifts here and there. It is because I try to make most days that special day. To be honest, I’m not close to my mother. She’s really piling on the years and getting senile, causing quite an annoyance sometimes. I still love her though, and she knows it. And I show it. Love is all she has left in her life now.

My kids also learned that lesson. They love their mother, no matter how far away they are, and they call and email at least once a week. Mother’s Day is just an excuse for them to visit. They also visit at other times, too. It makes me happy that they still care for us. I must have done something right.

Mother’s Day isn’t that special. Every single day is much more.

5 Interesting Facts About Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day has come and gone! I made sure it was a special day for my dearest, even though I couldn’t take her to the resort she likes this year. The kids came to visit too, so it was a wonderful day for us all. To celebrate this special holiday for mothers everywhere, I’ve compiled these little tidbits about this special occasion!

1. There are at least 30 dates for Mother’s Day! The one we Americans know is on the second Sunday of May (May 11 this year), which is also the most common date it’s celebrated. March 8 is the next most common, which is mostly celebrated in some parts of Asia and Europe. British and Irish people celebrate Mothering Sunday on the fourth Sunday of Lent, which is March 2 this year. Indonesia has theirs on December 22! If you forget the date there, at least you can claim your Christmas present is also for Mother’s Day!

2. Mongolia celebrates Mother’s Day twice! March 8 marks International Women’s Day in this country, which is treated like Mother’s Day. June 1 sees Mothers and Children’s Day, which is also celebrated! It’s the only country which celebrates this occasion twice. The moms there must be quite happy with all the attention!

3. Anna Marie Jarvis is the woman responsible for Mother’s Day in America. When her mother died on May 9, 1905, she devoted her time to making Mother’s Day a holiday for mothers everywhere. Her mother was an advocate of the holiday, joining campaigns for peace, worker’s safety and health, ever since the Civil War ended. It was first celebrated in 1907, with only a few people. In 1908, it was 407 children and their mothers. The holiday became official in 1910, and a proclamation from President Woodrow Wilson came in 1914. By then it had finally turned into the holiday to appreciate mothers, not just for peace.

4. Mothering Sunday is deeply rooted in the church. It was originally a mass held in one’s mother church on the fourth Sunday of Lent. Families gathered at such days, and mothers and children were often reunited for one day of the year. Later, it became the day that servants would be allowed to visit their mothers. Today, it is interchangeable with Mother’s Day. It was also called Simnel Sunday, Rose Sunday and Refreshment Sunday before, due to certain traditions on the day. Talk about a deep history!

5. Ancient Greeks and Romans also celebrated Mother’s Day! Although it wasn’t called that specifically, the two peoples celebrated dates related to their gods. Greeks honored Cybele, great mother of the Greek gods, at a date around mid-March. Romans had a holiday called Matronalia, dedicated to Juno. At the same time, mothers got gifts on that day.

Pretty interesting, hm? Mother’s Day is a holiday rooted within our society, as appreciation to those hardworking women who gave birth and took care of us. Did you give your mom a present this year? If not, at least give her a call!

3 Things You Should Know Before Going To China

The Beijing Olympics are getting closer and closer, and more people are considering going to the most populated country in the world to watch. I don’t really condone China and their policies, but for those who want to make the trip, here are a few important reminders.

1. China has only one time zone. All places in China use Beijing’s time, which is GMT+8, no matter where in the country you are. On the off chance you wander quite far, don’t panic when the sun sets early!

2. There are three units of currency. They’re all called Renminbi. The primary unit is the yuan. The jiao is a tenth of a yuan, and the fen is a tenth of a jiao. The latter two are available in 1, 2 and 5 units while yuan is available in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100. The exchange rate hovers at around 7 yuan per US dollar. You can’t use the dollar in most places so convert quickly. Also, you can’t bring Renminbi into the country.

3. Mind your manners. In China, everyone gets food from a big plate, with each person having smaller plates. Chinese hosts also love to place food on your plate. Don’t refuse! This displays their politeness and friendship. Leave it on the plate if you are full.

There are more things but I feel these are the most essential. What tips can you give?

A Family Lost

I want to take a break from the trivia to tell a story. I know a young man. He was 21 years old, had a stable job, and recently got married to the girl of his dreams. They weren’t rich, but they were very happy. He was going to get their own place once he saved up enough money, since his parents were putting up the couple in the meantime.

It was taking his young wife a while to go into labor, so she told him to go back home and sleep. He did so, and it was a few hours later that the call came.

Excited, much like a first-time father was, he hurriedly dressed and set out to catch a bus. He crossed a few streets, being careful but quick.

It was then when fate decided to frown on him. A truck driver, a very drunk one, did not see the red light, nor saw him cross the street. It was only when his body was flying in the air did the driver realize what he had done.

The wife didn’t know of his husband’s death until after she had given birth.

It’s a very sad tale, and it happens all over the world. This is why I never drink before driving. And for those who get behind the wheel when under the influence, it will only end in tears. Yours or the family you just destroyed.

4 Firsts in Exploration

Humans are known for their inherent curiosity, the desire to learn more about the world around them. In the past, man’s need to explore was as strong as his need to eat and breathe! Even now this is the case for many, who, even with very few places left to discover, now try to explore the world with conditions set upon them to further challenge themselves. We’ve heard of the disabled man who reached the top of Mount Everest, or the men who reached the South Pole only on skis. To many of us, this sounds absurd, but they are merely following the built-in call for travel and exploration that all humans have.

There are, however, men who set an example in the past, men who were undoubtedly the first people to unlock yet another place in this earth for everyone to see. Who are these men?

1. Roald Amundsen and his party were the first men to reach the South Pole, on December 14, 1911. He was 39 at the time. This man from Norway was obsessed with reaching the poles ever since he was a child, training his body just for the task. He was beaten to the race to the North Pole, but eventually became the first to reach the South. We could learn from him! Even after he was beaten, he did not falter and still went for the other goal.

2. Pavel Kononovich Sen’ko, Mikhail Michailovich Somov, Pavel Afanasyevich Geordiyenko and Mikhail Yemel’ Yanovich Ostrekin were the first men officially to have reached the North Pole. There are earlier claims of having reached it, which stopped Roald Amundsen’s trek, but this Soviet party is the earliest one with complete proof. Earlier claims were eventually proven to not have actually reached the pole. They got there using planes, but it was still dangerous as the conditions there did not favor flying that type of aircraft.

3. Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni are the two climbers to have reached the summit of K2, the world’s second tallest mountain. The Italians were heavily aided by their teammates, the two reached the summit on July 31, 1954. Efforts to reach the top started in 1892, but success only came much later. It was thanks to the previous expeditions that they were successful.

4. Ferdinand Magellan led the fleet that first circumnavigated the world, giving firsthand proof that the world is round, even though it is known already because of mathematics as early as the Greek times. Only one of his ships survived. Magellan was killed on April 17, 1521, in the Philippines, fighting the natives, before he could finish the journey. Juan Sebastian Elcano took over and eventually finished the trip. Magellan did not intend to sail around the world, it had simply turned out that way due to his exploration.

I didn’t mention Mount Everest since everyone knows that already. These people are indeed remarkable pioneers of their time, and led the way to future explorations. What do you think of these men?

5 Interesting Airline Facts

Like many other things, corporations like airlines have their own little facts and figures that may surprise some people. Here are a few of the more interesting ones I found on this website.

1. Singapore Airlines ranks second when it comes to buying Dom Perignon in the entire world! Business class has almost 100 bottles of champagne assigned to it, all by itself. That’s a lot of champagne! No wonder passengers have a good time there.

2. Cathay Pacific carries rice cookers, toasters, cappuccino makers and skillets on board their airplanes. Breakfast there is always fresh!

3. Qantas, Australia’s national airline, originally stood for Queensland And Northern Territories Air Service. I guess that had to drop it when they went international.

4. Abu Dhabi Airport Services once did a complete turn around for a Boeing 777 in under 40 minutes, as opposed to a normal minimum of one hour. They unloaded passengers, cargo, mail, cleaned the aircraft, and loaded outbound passengers, cargo and mail in that short time. It must have been exhausting!

5. Virgin Atlantic lists catering as their third biggest expense, after fuel and maintenance.

These are interesting little things to know! Do you know any more little facts?

Shark Beaches

I was surfing the net yesterday when I saw this article on North America’s shark beaches. I will be the first to say that sharks normally do not attack people. I was impressed by the article’s view on that, citing research and evidence. As you remember, I have written informative shark posts on my blog here and here. I still believe that we can learn from these animals.

Sadly, like the article says, human paranoia helps a lot in discrediting the shark. One story filled with terror, one high-budget Hollywood production is all it takes for people to shut their ears and scream. It is hard to be logical when you are afraid, but we can do it. Humans fear what is out of their reach.

This doesn’t mean that I approve of shark attacks. We simply have to accept that it is part of nature. Lightning is more likely to strike you than a shark biting you, but we don’t make a big fuss about it. Shark attacks make for more headlines.

What is the point of this? Just education and information. Knowledge is power, and the more we know the less we fear. Everyone should try and know as much as they can.

5 Riskiest Travel Places

It’s no secret that the world isn’t a safe place. Not every place is as safe as a strongbox, and you can’t feel secure in certain places as when you’re staying at a fancy resort. Even if there is danger, some people still love to explore and are rewarded, while some are easily frightened. So, what kinds of countries do you definitely need to avoid if you want to be sure to come home with your belongings (and yourself) intact? iJet, an expert in this type of security, can give us a few ideas.

1. Iraq – A well-known unstable region that is definitely on this list. No region here is truly secure, even the green zone, and the insurgency is still at large. Despite security attempts by the US Forces, bombs and civilian deaths are still common, although this is lessening. Journalists are escorted by soldiers at all times. Don’t expect that much protection if you’re here just for kicks.

2. Haiti – Lack of a police force and corruption plagues this country. It has severe environmental and economical problems. Peacekeeping troops have been stationed here, but they can’t do that much. Firearms are rampant, with people walking down the streets with weapons not an uncommon sight. The culture is, however, rich, and you may want to take the risk if you know how to watch yourself. Don’t think there are any five-star hotels.

3. Somalia – This African country is not well-supported by the US, which is trouble for American travelers. Violence flares often here, with fighting still ongoing. Even with the Islamic Courts Union largely gone, they are still active along with Ethiopian troops. The nation is still broken. Parts of the nation are recovering, though, with technological aspects developing nicely. Food in Somalia is great, too. Fly in and sample the local dishes, and remember to stay on the beaten path.

4. Democratic Republic of the Congo – The worst place for women to be, so if you’re one, avoid going here at all costs. Violence against women is considered common by a majority, and rape happens often. A movement is out to right this wrong, but their influence is minor at best. Crime levels are high, and you’re likely to get kidnapped or killed for your belongings here. Their art and music, however, are great. I recommend viewing them from very far away.

5. Afghanistan – The Taliban has a powerful presence in this war-torn country. Outside of the capital, the risk of being kidnapped or killed is high. Beware when walking along the road; land mines still litter the landscape. Homemade bombs are also common. But there is something good here. Residents are proud of their culture, and if you play your cards right, you’ll enjoy your time here immensely.

I was about to place the US as an honorable mention, but only a few areas are risky in the traditional sense. What other places do you think are risky or places you shouldn’t go? Any comments? Speak up!

Three Fastest Ships

Since I already talked about fast planes, how about fast ships? Boats have been around longer than planes, thus people have been using them for centuries. As with all modes of transport, man still aims to break his limits and go faster. So, what are these ships that have earned the right to be called the fastest?

1. Fastest Yacht-class Sailboat. Wind-powered ships may be a thing of the past, but they are still wildly used because you don’t need an engine for them. The Maltese Falcon costs $100 million and is the fastest yacht sailboat at 14 knots, and also the largest! It took one million man-hours to make. Talk about a waste of time and effort! At least the owner has bragging rights.

2. Fastest Yacht. This record is held by the 118 WallyPower. With three gas turbines generating 16,800 horsepower, it can cruise at 60 knots. It also makes for a smooth ride. That’s a fast boat!

3. Fastest Battleship. It’s difficult to compare battleships since the standards are different for every nation. The honor for US Battleships goes to the New Jersey, reaching 35.2 knots during the Vietnam War.

So, what do you think of these fast ships?