Tag Archives: weird

Historical Wonders, Holy Curiosities

The Mystery of Shuanglin’s Scooped-Eye Statues

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A $2 tuktuk ride from the ancient city of Pingyao 平遥, in the deserts of Shanxi Province, there's a wonderful little temple called Shuanglin Temple (双林寺). The name translates to something like A Pair of Forests Temple.  Cute.  Inside, though, you'll find a strange sight. Walk to the back, and you'll come across the Goddess Temple, ...

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Andy Deemer / 2 Comments
Extraordinary Eats

Blood Hair Strength Stew

When they heard I'd never tried 毛血旺 (maoxuewang) Stew, my coworkers were horrified. Absolutely aghast. "What, you have to try it! You'd love it! It's my favorite dish," said Ginger.  "In English, it means 'Blood Hair Strength.'"  Oh, I knew I'd like this. And it was pretty damn good. Fat solid ...

Posted on February 22, 2011 by Andy Deemer / Leave a comment
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If Amy Chua was mother to us all, maybe we could do this too…

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The young kids in this video practiced for the entire year, or longer, to get the show right... and it's just remarkable. They're just six or seven years old, if I understood correctly. The whole effort, the Mass Games, is devoted to the Dear Leader (who turned 69 this week) and the Great Leader ...

Posted on February 19, 2011 by Andy Deemer / Leave a comment
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Remarkable Pet Carrying Device

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I'd just climbed off a Guangdong bus, and was waiting for Michelle at the bus station, when this little fellow popped his head -- quite unexpectedly -- out of his box. When I started taking pictures, of course his mom had to come and have a look... make sure everything was okay, and all...  

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Andy Deemer / Leave a comment
Historical Wonders, Holy Curiosities

The Story of (These Creepily Awesome) Big Head Buddhas, with video

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Michelle's spent a slew of Chinese New Years here in Beijing, but she's never seen these before -- 大头娃娃 (Dàtóu wáwá or Dai Tao Fut) -- incredible paper mache masks that we found in the back of a junk store, in Bangkok's Chinatown.  In English, they're called Big Headed Buddhas, and for just a few ...

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Andy Deemer / 2 Comments
Extraordinary Eats

Alien Vegetables

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We happened on these strange little monsters in the local grocery store the other night, and couldn't resist picking them up.  The first one, I still have no idea what it is.  We haven't broken it open yet...  we're perhaps just waiting for it to hatch.  (Honestly, we could have saved... oh, tens of dollars... ...

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Andy Deemer / Leave a comment
Holy Curiosities, Somewhat Perverted

Strange Moments in a Bangkok Temple

Old Hag Gets Waylaid

Wat Suwannaram, a 12th-century temple, is hidden on the far side of the river in Bangkok. It's remote -- no tourists, only two praying women in short skirts (they'd left their high heels outside.) The real draw here is the mouth-dropping murals, which tell the most bizarre and glorious tales. While we tiptoed ...

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Andy Deemer / 3 Comments
Extraordinary Eats

Fish Head in Hong Kong

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I'm generally an adventurous eater, but this time... well... I was frankly completely unable to handle this. I didn't even know where to start! The waiters here, at Lok Sau Sun (1-5 Takshing Road, Hong Hong), didn't speak enough English for me to communicate my questions, so I ended up fudging ...

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Andy Deemer / Leave a comment
Historical Wonders, Holy Curiosities

Three (Really Huge) Wise Men

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An hour east of Beijing on the 930 bus, you'll pass a couple of ominous industrial (nuclear?) chimneys. They're real big. Springfield Simpsons bastards, if you pardon my French. Hop off the bus, and sneak behind them. That's where you'll find the most charmingly bizarre guesthouse, The Tianzi Hotel (天子大酒店). Apparently, business was bad. The ...

Posted on July 25, 2009 by Andy Deemer / Leave a comment
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Mystery, Intrigue, Trans-Siberian Express

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To get from Beijing to Mongolia, you have a few choices.  A flight takes just over an hour.  The Trans-Siberian Express, meanwhile, offers a rugged thirty-hour ride through cities, towns, barren landscapes, desert, and finally the capital of Chingghis Khan.It's a famously hard ride.  I pictured drunk Russians and fiery Mongols and live chickens and ...

Posted on May 17, 2009 by Andy Deemer / 1 Comment
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Old Pirate Ships in Old Japan

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After the insanity of Tokyo, I really needed a break. So, on the advice of a teenage stranger at a sushi bar, I bought a 3-day pass to Hakone.  And what a break it is. A mountain town, there's almost nothing to do here. No madness, no crowds, and certainly no stress. Just groups of ...

Posted on April 22, 2009 by Andy Deemer / 1 Comment
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50-foot Shaq, Towering Over Beijing

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On the east side of Beijing's Chaoyang Park, you'll find some weird stuff. A dog park, for starters. Filled with statues of Santa Claus. For dogs to ride on. This is weird.But what really blew my mind was this 50-foot tall statue of Shaq, which towers over trees in the entrance ...

Posted on March 22, 2009 by Andy Deemer / Leave a comment
Historical Wonders, Holy Curiosities, Offbeat Museums, The Occult

The Craziest Holy Sculptor in Laos

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The long, slow, dusty bus-ride cost 20 cents and took lord knows how long. But eventually it delivered us to the incredible Buddha Park. You see, 40 or so years ago, some loony Lao was hiking along a remote mountain trace, accidentally tripped, and fell into a hole. A deep hole. It was a lot like ...

Posted on March 10, 2009 by Andy Deemer / Leave a comment
Holy Curiosities

The Weirdest Temple in Chiang Rai

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An insane Thai artist, who resides somewhere between Henry Darger and Moebius the Frenchman, realized he needed to return to his hometown, Chiang Rai, and build a temple. Not just any Wat -- it had to be something bigger, something bolder, something more... white. It was to be the most renowned tribute ...

Posted on February 28, 2009 by Andy Deemer / Leave a comment
Holy Curiosities

The Weirdest Temple in Chiang Mai

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Out near the zoo, hidden in a dusty residential neighborhood, miles from the nearest high street, is a Chiang Mai forest. In the middle of that forest, lies this piece of majesty: Wat Umong. The koans, which you'll find nailed to trees at random, read like a stocking-stuffer self-help book. But they're great. Chickens peck ...

Posted on February 23, 2009 by Andy Deemer / Leave a comment
Uncategorized

Weird Things in Chiang Mai

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My favorite things about Chiang Mai were all pretty weird... Watch the video for dancing elephants and more.

Posted on February 21, 2009 by Andy Deemer / Leave a comment
Offbeat Museums

Chiang Mai Insect Museum

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The owner/founder/curator/resident artist calls it the quirkiest museum in all of Chiang Mai, and admission is twice the cost of my hotel room.  And it's terrible.A billion mosquitoes stuck on boards, some mounted spectacles (to represent our inability to see), and some Santa Fe-style paintings.  I know my quirk.  And I know my bad.  And ...

Posted on February 19, 2009 by Andy Deemer / Leave a comment
Offbeat Museums, Somewhat Perverted, Strange Medicine

Forensic Science Museum, Bangkok

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Deep in the bowels of the King's Hospital, if you look hard enough, you'll eventually find the stomach-churning absolutely wonderful Forensic Science Museum. I've a weak stomach, but the permanent exhibit here is unmissable. (Photos aren't allowed, so I apologize for this scarce and clumsy record. You'll clearly have to go, yourself.) ...

Posted on February 10, 2009 by Andy Deemer / Leave a comment