Big loaves: The country of Vietnam holds many tourist attractions, but one unlikely item has people talking – giant loaves of bread. Baker Pham Thi Bac of An Giang province in the Mekong Delta, started making the big loaves in 2018, just for fun. At about one metre (3 ft.) long and weighing approximately three kilograms (6.5 lbs.), the loaves taste great and are glazed with butter and seeds. Local people heard about the bread first and started asking for it. Then tourists joined in, wanting to take home a loaf or two as souvenirs – if they could figure out a way to carry them! See them here...

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House for raffle: Katherine Jablonowska and Ryan Mclean wanted to do something different, so they took on a unique project. They bought a 19th-century cottage on the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales and renovated it. But their goal was not to live there. Instead, they plan to raffle it off for £5 per ticket, with the lucky winner becoming the new owner. Originally a working barn, the home is now a beautiful, peaceful abode, with all the “bells and whistles” of modern life. When selling tickets, the pair is requesting a £1 donation, which they will match and donate to The Children’s Society.

Underwater art: A young Bahamian girl sits beneath the sea off the coast of New Providence, an island in the Bahamas. Actually, the girl is a statue, made of sustainable materials designed to encourage the growth of coral. Named “Ocean Atlas,” this statue was made by Jason deCaires Taylor, an artist and photographer. “Ocean Atlas” was installed in 2014 under the water near the city of Nassau. It is 5.5 metres (18 ft.) tall and weighs over 60 tonnes. It is possible to go snorkelling in the area to see this interesting art installment up close.

Tiny tree: Fairy Lake near the town of Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island, Canada, draws people to its shores so they can view a little fir tree. This small conifer is special because it is growing out of a log that is submerged in the lake. The tree is thought to be between 30 and 40 years old, and no one is quite sure how it survives on the log, which is the source of its nutrients. The tree is the subject of many photographs, and no two are alike. In times of high water, it may be almost submerged, while on still summer mornings, it sits peacefully in the mist. Take a look here... www.myCoffeeNews.ca/extra

Animal sanctuary: A couple in India love wildlife. In 1998, wildlife photographer Aditya Singh and his artist wife, Poonam Singh, started purchasing farmland near the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, northern India. Farmers happily sold their land because the big cats on the reserve threatened farmers’ livelihoods. The couple has allowed the forest to regrow on the land, and today it is a lush home for tigers, leopards, wild boars, and other animals. The Singhs even dug watering holes for the animals. Now that these predators have the food and water they need, they are not as much of a threat to farmers.

More than cherry soda: When people grab a soda, the roster of flavours usually includes such things as cola, strawberry soda, ginger ale, and limeade. Now, a soft drink company based in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, may have won the competition for the weirdest soda flavours. The company, called Kimura Beverage, has produced sodas with flavours that include pickled plums, curry, melon bread, and eel. Developing the flavours is no small undertaking, as it can take up to a year to get it just right.

Spider-Man hero: An Indonesian man discovered that a Spider-Man costume can attract a lot of positive attention. Rudi Hartono, of Parepare, South Sulawesi, was concerned about all the litter in the streets, and he took it upon himself to go on clean-up missions. However, no one else followed his example until he dressed as Spider-Man. He had purchased the costume to amuse his nephew, but decided to wear it while picking up garbage. People took notice and started joining him in his endeavour. Since then, he has become a bit of a superhero in his community.

Ball catcher: Many dogs like to play catch, but one Labrador retriever, named Finley, can’t get enough of it. Finley lives in Canandaigua, New York (U.S.), with his human family, the Molloys. He has fine-tuned his catching skills to the point that he can fit six tennis balls in his mouth without help from his human playmates. When he was two years old, he could pick up four balls; eventually he graduated to five, and then to six. Finley looks a bit odd with all those balls in his mouth, but his family is convinced he is proud of his unusual talent. See Finley in action at www.myCoffeeNews.ca/extra

Birds of a feather: An artist from Bogotá, Colombia, wanted to learn about nature, so she started by observing and studying various species of birds. This led Diana Beltran Herrera to the art of making beautiful and precise life-size sculptures of birds from basic materials, such as paper and wire. She creates a form for the bird and then cuts and glues paper feathers to the form. She paints each creation so that it looks real. Her work includes pelicans, roosters, parrots, sparrows, and many more. Over time, Herrera has managed to create sculptures representing over 100 bird species.

Key conundrum: It’s not unusual for people to lose their car keys. They might leave them in a restaurant or accidentally drop them on the ground. But not many people lose their keys the way Jovino Huerta lost his. Huerta is a political candidate in Huánuco, Peru. While campaigning, he decided to hand out key chains with the phrase, “Vamos Peru!” Unfortunately, in the excitement of meeting people and shaking their hands, Huerta gave his own keys to someone by mistake. He explained his plight on social media, hoping that they would be returned. No word on that yet.

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