Damaged merchandise: If parents plan to go to a dealership to shop for a new car, it’s best to find a babysitter for their small child. A couple from Guilin, Guangxi Region, China, learned this the hard way. The couple, accompanying a friend, were talking to salespeople and gawking at the luxurious new cars in the showroom. Left to her own devices, their child decided to doodle on a number of the new cars, using a stone to scratch designs into the paint. The little girl’s creative streak led to her father being sued by the dealership for damages.

Black and white: Who knew that a few drops of ink mixed with a bit of water could result in beautiful works of art? Well, perhaps it’s not as easy as that, but French artist David Bayo has figured it out. Using this medium, he creates subtle paintings of his subjects, including animals and people. Bayo has tried different ways to make art, and his experimentation led him to an ability to understand how ink and water work together. The paintings he creates, which are often black and white, are distinctive and understated representations of the subject at hand.

Stolen goods: A woman in St. Paul, Minnesota (U.S.), was miffed when she discovered that a package she ordered had been stolen from her porch. Hilary Smith received a text saying that the package, which contained a phone charger, had been delivered, so she expected to find it upon arriving home from work. In its place was a handwritten note thanking her for leaving the package on her porch so it could be stolen. The thief signed the note, “The new owner of your package.” Police in the area are warning residents to have parcels delivered when someone is home to receive them.

Beautiful harvest: Some farmers in Bangladesh work in an environment of great beauty - at least during the time of harvest. These farmers collect water lily blossoms in the Canal of Water Lilies in the country’s Barisal district. They paddle their long wooden boats through a sea of green leaves and deep pink water lily flowers, collecting the blossoms as they go. Collection is done carefully and by hand. These blossoms are a popular item at local markets, where the farmers go to sell their floral gems.

High design: A city high in the mountains of Bolivia is getting a facelift. El Alto, close to the administrative city of La Paz, is enjoying attention because of the building designs of architect Freddy Mamani. He calls his style New Andean architecture. His modern buildings, called cholets, are usually several stories high with shops at street level, party and gallery space in the next levels, and living space on the top floor. The designs combine vibrant colours and geometric shapes reminiscent of indigenous textile patterns. For Mamani, the architecture of his buildings is a way of promoting his culture’s pre-Columbian roots.

Tree tuggers: A group of friends who like to run took part in the Cape Town, South Africa, marathon, but they were doing more than just running. The group ran the race with tree saplings tied to their backs. Their purpose was to raise awareness about the country’s problem with invasive species, which are taking over indigenous plants. One of the runners, Siyabulela Sokomani, ran with a wild olive sapling, and he sports tattoos of his favourite trees. He and his fellow runners support the nationwide effort to plant trees and rid the country of the damaging species.

Please Note: The economy is slowing opening up but not all businesses are back to 100%, some of our advertisements may have incorrect info (hours, days open, etc.) If in doubt, please contact them directly for more information. Click links to their websites. We plan to return our printed editions in the coming weeks. Stay safe!

Coffee time: Move over watercolours. Coffee has become the new medium for an artist in the small town of Ontinyent, Spain. Nuria Salcedo, an architect by training, learned to draw on her own. She loves to draw and do illustrations of famous people, but she didn’t think she had much skill. To differentiate herself from other artists, she focused on coffee. She uses diluted coffee of different tones in her work, as well as brown pencils. The result is an interesting sepia look with various shades of brown and tan. She often uses photos as her source material, but is moving towards painting original works of art.

Loyal friends: Nurses at a hospital in Rio do Sol, Santa Catarina, Brazil, treated a patient in the emergency department who appeared to be homeless, but certainly wasn’t alone. The man, known only as César, had come to the facility to obtain treatment for a medical condition. Nurse Cris Mamprim and her co-workers wondered if he would be okay when he was released a little while later. They needn’t have worried. Waiting happily at the door for César were four, tail-wagging dogs, excited to see their master again. The nurses realized that, while César may have been homeless, he was a kind man to have such loyal friends.

Splashy entrance: Guests at a wedding in Anglesey, Wales, got a big surprise when the groom arrived at the venue. Wearing his tuxedo, Matt Knight rode a wakeboard behind a boat on the Menai Strait. Accompanying him were his groomsmen - brother Chris and friend Paul - who also wore tuxes. The three did a few tricks for the assembled guests who were waiting outside the hotel where the nuptials would be held. The trio were soaking wet, of course, but all had dry formal wear waiting for them. The bride, Kirsty, loved the show and said the groom made the exciting entrance due to his love of James Bond movies.

Extras: Finding chocolates on the pillow is a nice experience when staying at a hotel. Some luxury hotels are known to offer outlandish “extras” which may be part of the room rate or may incur an extra charge. A Fender guitar, for example, is available to Hard Rock Hotel guests around the world who choose the “Sound of Your Stay” program. The Acqualina Resort in Miami, Florida (U.S.), provides a Rolls-Royce Ghost to those renting a certain deluxe suite. And, if you are athletic, you can enjoy a free acrobatic skills program from Cirque du Soleil while staying at Club Med Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

Reunited: Mike Plas of Thunder Bay, Ontario (Canada), lost his dog Jack in 2015 when Jack disappeared from his yard. When Jack didn’t come home, Mike had to face the fact that he might never see his canine friend again. Imagine his surprise when, four years later, he got a call from an animal hospital located in Winnipeg, Manitoba – 800 kilometres (500 miles) away. They had found a dog with a microchip that contained Mike’s contact information. Mike drove all the way to the hospital and was reunited with Jack, who whined and jumped, and gave him lots of doggy kisses. It was a happy reunion!

Making up time: Jenny Wilson and Kath Millns lived all their lives only 20 minutes away from each other near Rothingham, England. However, the twin sisters in their seventies didn’t know each other. Millns never knew she had a twin, but at age 11, Wilson had discovered that their mother had placed them for adoption when they were born. Wilson’s daughter, Nicole O’Halloran, initiated a search on social media, and eventually found Millns. Since their emotional reunion, the sisters have become very close, visiting each other’s homes regularly and going out for coffee.