Pen art: Most people use a ballpoint pen for taking notes. Not Samia Al Homsi Dagher of Tripoli, Lebanon. This talented artist, who is also a software engineer, uses the ubiquitous writing instrument to create beautiful and realistic portraits. The illustrator has had lots of time to hone her skills; she was only five years old when she started drawing. Now, she is well-known for her work and receives commissions from many individuals, including celebrities, as well as average folk. That’s because her work is so precise that the portraits could be mistaken for photographs.

Icky desserts? How would you feel if you were presented with a dessert that looks like a kitchen sponge topped with a sudsy soap bubble? Or beans on toast? However, if the dessert is made by British chef Ben Churchill, you’d be wise to overlook the illusion and take a bite. That’s because Churchill’s creations are sweet treats. For example, the beans are made of marzipan and sit atop a cake drizzled with a sweet orange-red syrup that appears to be ketchup. The kitchen scrubber is really an olive oil sponge cake topped with green mint crumbs, with sweet milk foam as soapsuds. It’s a weird but interesting hobby! See the “icky desserts” here: www.myCoffeeNews.ca/extra

Bottle cap art: A Russian grandmother discovered a unique medium with which to make her art: plastic bottle caps. Nina Krinitsina, of the village of Makarye, designs mosaics using caps of different colours. She displays the mosaics on the walls of her house and in her garden, and passersby have noticed. To get the caps, Krinitsina searches for discarded bottles. She will even go on searches at the town’s landfill site to find them. The artist’s subject matter leans towards Russian folktale and cartoon characters. She is so prolific that families bring their children to view her works, bringing bottle caps as payment.

Blue man: A Canadian man really likes the colour blue. In fact, Donnie Snider of Scarborough, Ontario, likes a certain hue of blue so much that he decided to tattoo his whole body with the colour. Formerly a forklift driver, Snider now makes and sells jewelry, but he’s also spent a lot of time tattooing himself. He started by asking his sister to tattoo some blue onto his leg. After that, he decided to become a complete non-conformist. He slowly, but surely, completed different portions of his body, including his hands and face. Needless to say, Snider attracts attention from friends and strangers alike.

Best for baby: If you want the best of the best for your baby, you can get it from a company in Spain called Suommo. But you’d have to be quite wealthy to afford some of their wares. Suommo sells things like cribs and baby bottles, and the items are designed with flair and made of expensive components such as gold. Even the company’s baby pacifiers are things of beauty. Parents can purchase one of three styles: diamond and gold, diamond and white gold, or diamond and rose gold. For those on a budget, some less expensive items are available, but the prices still will likely make a buyer think twice.

Motorcycle madness: Men wanting to impress their girlfriends should avoid breaking the law to do so. A man named Lalit from New Delhi, India, learned this the hard way. Lalit’s girlfriend had made fun of him because he did not own a motorcycle. So Lalit enlisted the help of a friend to steal as many of the two-wheeled vehicles as possible. Before getting caught by the cops, the pair managed to steal eight high-end motorcycles for the simple purpose of showing off to Lalit’s girlfriend. The water plant worker did not have a criminal record before, but he and his friend do now!

Alien pods: A farmer in Japan had an over abundance of Chinese cabbages last year, so he decided to leave some in the field to become natural fertilizer. The farmer didn’t realize that by spring, his field would resemble a scene from the 1979 sci-fi movie, Alien. The cabbages ended up looking like rows and rows of alien eggs ready to hatch. This occurred because the cabbages have an outer layer of water that froze. The resulting gray-brown, oblong “pods” might scare someone who has seen the movie, but they are really just heads of rotten cabbage!

Cuddly, but not cute: The sphynx is a breed of cats with hairless bodies and lots of wrinkles. One of these felines, Xherdan of Rüti, Switzerland, is becoming known due to social media. His owner, Sandra Filippi, realizes that not all people would find Xherdan to be a cute cat; they may even call him ugly! But she doesn’t care because she loves her unique pet. Xherdan has long ears and skin with so many folds that it looks like a brain. But his skin is silky to the touch and he’s as cuddly as a long haired kitten. He’s also smart and extroverted, which are personality traits of this breed.

Big complainer: Bernie Carroll of Liverpool, England, is in the habit of sending angry letters to his local newspaper, and he’s been doing it daily since 1978. The Liverpool Echo is the recipient of all the mail. Carroll started doing this many years ago to rant about the politics of the time, and today he gives his opinions on anything and everything. For example, he writes about the thoughtless behaviour of dog owners who don’t pick up after their pets and about people who make too much noise setting off fire works. For Carroll, writing letters is cathartic because it lets him express his irritation in a creative way.

Garden mania: A unique gardening competition in Japan is known as the Kei Truck Garden Contest. In it, competitors use the bed of a Kei Truck (or kei-tora) as the canvas for their creations. These small trucks are well-known in Asia for use in construction and agriculture. Once a year, competitors meet at the designated location with an empty truck. Then, they begin their creative pro- jects and soon the truck beds are filled with soil, greenery, flowers, pebble paths, waterfalls, benches, and even aquariums. The mini-garden creations are ranked by a panel of judges who name a winner. See the creations here... www.myCoffeeNews.ca/extra

Big burger: Those who enjoy eating great big burgers might want to visit Chris Steaks and Burgers in Bangkok, Thailand. The burger in question is enormous. The ground beef or pork patty weighs six kilograms (13 lbs.) and is loaded with fattening extras, such as bacon, mayonnaise, and onion rings. Lomdech Kongsuwan, the restaurant owner, is offering 10,000 baht to any diner able to gobble up the meal in nine minutes. So far, very few customers have been able to accomplish the feat. See this monster burger at www.myCoffeeNews.ca/extra

Lost and found: Ken Woroschuk may be missing a truck, but the important thing is that he has his dog, whose name is Nick. Woroschuk, from Edmonton, Alberta (Canada), left the vehicle running to keep Nick warm while he ran an errand. The truck, along with the attached flatbed trailer, was stolen, along with Nick, who had been waiting patiently in the cab. The trailer was found quickly, but not the truck or Nick. Luckily, the thief must have decided to let the dog go, as Nick was found, unharmed, on a nearby street. For Woroschuk, that was all that mattered.

Good Peruvian eats: People in London, England, who crave a bit of Peruvian cuisine would be wise to try out the bottomless brunch at Coya Mayfair, a restaurant in the city’s West End. First, guests are greeted with colourful decor and the music of Peru, and then they are served the wonderful food. Dishes include crocantes and guacamole, which is freshly made right at the table, ceviche, and vegan options like grilled corn with lime and chili butter. People who attend this brunch need lots of free time, as it takes all afternoon to get through the many courses.

Going squirrely: Those who live in neighbourhoods frequented by squirrels know that the little critters like to gather nuts. But a couple from Allegheny Country, Pennsylvania (U.S.), were shocked to discover that the rodents near their home were stashing nuts under the hood of their SUV. They could smell something burning when they started the car. Upon further investigation, they found over 200 walnuts and wads of grass under the hood. Luckily, the grass was damp, so it didn’t catch fire. The pair cleaned up the mess and took the vehicle to their mechanic, who gave them the “all clear.”

Big book: Paper-making experts Bela Varga and his son Gábor Varga, of the tiny village of Szinpetri in northern Hungary, made what is thought to be the world’s largest handmade book. The duo’s book measures 4.18 x 3.77 metres (13.7 x 12.4 ft.) and weighs 1,420 kilograms (3,130 lbs.). Its 346 pages are filled with information and photos about the flora and fauna of the region. On display at the Szinpetri paper mill, the book had to be lowered into place with a crane. So as not to rip the paper when reading, six people are needed to turn one of the enormous pages. The name of the book is Our Fragile Natural Heritage. See it here: www.myCoffeeNews.ca/extra

Magical place: Off the west coast of Scotland lies the Isle of Skye, on which is a magical place called the Fairy Pools. Located near the village of Carbost, the pools contain crystal clear turquoise waters. There are numerous small waterfalls that flow from one pool to another. Surrounding the Fairy Pools is a craggy range known as the Cuillin Mountains. Visitors can swim in the pools, but the water is cold, so a wetsuit is recommended. To get to this natural wonder, it is necessary to hike through the Glen Brittle forest, but visitors say it’s worth the effort!

Fake pool: New owners of units in a high-rise building in Changsha, in central China, are not very happy. The property developer didn’t accurately explain the amenities of their new home, and the buyers thought they were getting something luxurious. The buyers were told that the area included lush vegetation and a pool. However, the pool was actually blue plastic on the ground, which looks like a pool when viewed from a high balcony, but most certainly is not. The park-like vegetation also turned out to be non-existent. The developers are hoping to work things out with the new residents of the units.

Bad burglar: A Polish man didn’t make a very good burglar. He broke into an older couple’s house when they were away on a holiday. Apparently, Lukasz Chojnowski made himself right at home for a couple of days. When owners Pat Dyson and Martin Holtby returned, they found Chojnowski sleeping in their bed. The man had been evicted from his rental accommodation and, as he had nowhere to go, decided to break into the empty house. He didn’t steal anything and cleaned up after himself. The owners called police, but were not angry because Chojnowski was tidy and apparently didn’t mean any harm.

Red water: A lake in Chile has red water. Called Laguna Roja (Red Lagoon), it is located near the city of Camarones, in the Arica y Parinacota Region. The temperature of the fresh water is 40° to 50° C (104° to 122° F) because the lake is fed by hot springs. No conclusive evidence explains why the waters are red. It may be because of algae or suspended sediment. The lake’s depth is not known. Laguna Roja is surrounded by treeless hills, mountains, and rocky outcrops, and is one of the country’s hidden gems.

Sand art: Japan is home to The Sand Museum. Located near the Tottori Sand Dunes on the island of Honshu, the open-air museum honours the natural wonder of the dunes. Visitors can view the enormous works of sand sculptors from around the world, with themed exhibitions changing each year. Sculptures might feature mythical figures, religious icons, and depictions of modern literature, such as The Jungle Book. Themes have ranged from “Czech Republic and Slovakia” to “South America.” The museum closes for a few months between displays so the sculptors can work their magic in sand.

On eggshells: A man in Turkey loves to carve eggshells. For Hamit Hayran, of the capital of Ankara, it is his way of expressing himself. He starts by removing the contents of the egg with a syringe. Then he carefully carves elaborate designs and figures into the delicate shells. Hayran’s newest challenge was puncturing thousands of holes into a chicken egg to break the world record. He already won the title a few years ago by putting 8,708 holes into an eggshell. More recently, he beat his own record with 11,827 holes. All this without breaking the shell!

Crazy contortion: A young girl from the small village of Gaulapar in Uttarakhand State, India, can do a difficult yoga pose – the Niralamba Poorna Chakrasana contortion – 21 times in a minute. The girl’s name is Riya Paladia. She seemed to need barely any effort to bend over backwards at the waist, lower her head down to the mat, slide to a horizontal position on her back, and then do the reverse to stand up again, all without using her hands. And she did it 21 times in a row! Paladia has always loved participating in gymnastic activities and yoga, and she trains to get better. She has dreams of becoming an Olympian.

Calm down, kitty! Most people who own cats spend their time cuddling and petting them. Not so for a woman in the city of Arjánguelsk, Russia. Her cat may have been a good kitty, but something came over it one day and it started to act strangely. When the woman tried to get out of the kitchen of her apartment, the cat would start hissing and go into attack mode. After being trapped for quite some time and unable to get to her phone, she called out the window to a passerby on the street, who called the local rescue service. Everything turned out all right, with no injuries, and the kitty was taken to the vet for an assessment.

Croc problem: Anyone interested in getting up close and personal with a crocodile could get their chance in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. However, only wildlife rescue specialists can take on the job. It seems that a crocodile managed to get a motorcycle tire wrapped around its body, which could endanger the reptile’s life. It’s not possible to tranquillize the beast because it might swim away before it becomes sedated. A few attempts have been made to remove the tire, but to no avail. Authorities are offering a reward to a qualified person who is able to succeed with the job.