Oddity Central |
- Living with the Dead – Manila’s Cemetery Dwellers
- Build It and They Won’t Come – World’s Largest Shopping Mall Is 99% Empty
- Size Doesn’t Matter – Man Builds $200 Tiny Eco-Homes from Ordinary Household Junk
| Living with the Dead – Manila’s Cemetery Dwellers Posted: 06 Apr 2012 04:09 AM PDT
Graveyards in Manila can be a strange sight for first-time visitors. Some of them hold a strong resemblance to mini-townships, with no sign of the eerie quietness that usually shrouds such spaces. Mausoleums house shops that sell canned sardines, noodle packs, candy, candles and other essential items. Even prepaid cards for mobile phones are available. Meals and drinks are sold at informal restaurants set up between graves. The walls are scaled with makeshift ladders, helping inhabitants to get in and out with ease. Wondering why in the world would the dead need such conveniences? Well, they’re not for the dead, but for the living. Several thousand homeless people in Manila have made graveyards their permanent homes. The biggest graveyard of the Filipino capital, North Cemetery, is now like a small village in itself with a population of 10,000. I'm not sure about for long this has been going on, but it must be a pretty long time considering that some inhabitants have actually inherited mausoleums from their great-grandparents, and ended up living there accidentally. But a majority of the graveyard population consists of those who come from the provinces of Philippines to the big city and are unable to make ends meet. Apart from running shops and eateries, the people here make a living by working with the graves. At funerals, teenagers carry coffins for 50 pesos (about 50 cents), adult men are employed to repair and maintain tombs, while women take care of cleaning mausoleums. Children collect plastic, scrap metal and other garbage, which are eventually sold. Photo: Rudi Roels The people of the graveyards can hardly be considered destitute; they seem to be doing all right. Sure, their living conditions are hardly enviable, but their strong survival instincts are evident from the manner in which they have managed to create a life among the dead. It's almost amusing to note that some empty mausoleums feature television and karaoke sets, where anyone can sing for five pesos. There are people of different vocations within the graveyards as well, such as dressmakers, beauticians and schoolteachers.
Over the years, city officials have made attempts to move people out of graveyards and provide them with housing options, but several of these resettled families prefer to go back to their old creepy homes in the graveyard. Apparently, they prefer the facilities of graveyards to the scanty accommodation provided by the government. The mausoleums provide sturdier protection too, and are closer to their places of work. Well, as they say, I suppose 'there is no place like home', even if it happens to be a graveyard.
Living with the Dead – Manila’s Cemetery Dwellers was originally posted at OddityCentral.com  |
| Build It and They Won’t Come – World’s Largest Shopping Mall Is 99% Empty Posted: 06 Apr 2012 03:52 AM PDT
The New South China Mall in Dongguan, China is the biggest in the world. With an area of over 7 million square feet that can accommodate 2,350 stores, and attractions such as roller coasters, ghost trains and a replica of the bell tower of St Mark's Square in Venice, you would think the place would be swarming with people. So did the owners of the mall, who expected over 70,000 visitors a day when they started building it. But today it stands empty, with almost no customers entering its gates. The 553 meter indoor and outdoor roller coaster hasn't been operated since it was installed and 99% of the shops have never been leased out. The only ones that do operate are a series of fast food joints at the entrance of the mall and another few shops inside the huge complex. New South China Mall was built in 2005 by Hu Guirong, who made his millions making instant noodles. He started the project with great enthusiasm, sending teams all over the world in search of ideas for his dream mall. And most of these ideas were even translated into reality. Where else in the world would be able to see a gondola on a mock Venetian canal inside a mall? But then something went horribly wrong, because when the place was completed in 2005, it simply failed to take off. It wasn’t even a dead mall, where tenants simply depart and business winds down slowly. No, Guirong's mall never attracted merchants in the first place, as they felt it wasn't a realistic place to set up shop. Photo: David290 The failure of New South China mall has surprised many, especially since China's consumer culture is growing by the day. According to retail analyst David Hand, "The Chinese people love shopping, they love brands, and they love international products, even though the average income is low. New shoppers are born every day. We won't run out of them." But some people aren't surprised that the it failed to take off. Retail consultant Dick Groves says that New South China mall failed due to inexperience in the leasing business and the lack of a sound financial system. "When it's easy to get financing without having to convince someone of the project's feasibility, and without having to show pre-leasing commitment, you can start to get into trouble," he points out. Photo: Swoolverton It's rather sad to see pictures of the deserted mall. All that space, hard work, money and resources gone to waste. Well, if you would like to take a closer look at its interiors, a documentary is available on YouTube called "Utopia Part 3: the World's Largest Shopping Mall". Made by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Sam Green, the documentary premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. The film offers several explanations for the failure of the colossal project. Photo: David290
Build It and They Won’t Come – World’s Largest Shopping Mall Is 99% Empty was originally posted at OddityCentral.com  |
| Size Doesn’t Matter – Man Builds $200 Tiny Eco-Homes from Ordinary Household Junk Posted: 06 Apr 2012 03:25 AM PDT
A tiny house doesn't necessarily have to be shabby. And a stylish one doesn't really have to cost a lot of money. Proving these points is carpenter Derek Diedricksen, who makes small wooden dwellings out of junk at $200 apiece. They look nothing like junk, though. The decorative detailing in these houses make them pretty interesting places to live in. The largest structure made by 33-year-old Derek is Gypsy Junker – 24 square feet in size and 5ft 10 inches high. The smallest one is just 4ft tall. But then the interiors of these houses are so pretty that anyone would be interested to spend at least one night in them. Everyday junk is used in the building process, like the glass from the front of a washing machine that becomes a porthole-like window and a sheet of metal is used as a flipdown counter. Castoff storm windows, shipping pallets and discarded cabinets are used as well. Stained glass windows and the likes are used for that decorative touch. Some of the houses built by Derek are also portable, ranging from 4 to 24 square feet in size. Photo: TINY – The Movie I'm especially in love with these portable homes. I suppose you could really live anywhere you liked in these little mobile box homes. But then, there's always the danger of someone wheeling you away in the dead of the night. According to Derek, "It's meant as a secure sleeping place, a micro mobile shelter. For festivals it's a single sleeper: a tent alternative, but one that is not going to tear as easily and offers a little more security." Photo: RelaxShack More of Derek's handsome craftsmanship has been illustrated in his book – "Humble Homes, Simple Shacks, Cozy Cottages, Ramshackle Retreats, Funky Forts." Sure is a long name for a book. He also has a YouTube series called 'Tiny Yellow House', which has become pretty popular. Derek says he has been passionate about carpentry ever since he was a kid. He was always obsessed with tiny architecture, and when his dad gave him a book called 'Tiny Houses' for his 10th birthday, Derek was hooked for life. "There's no better place than inside someplace that is unconventional and bizarre. It helps you think outside the box instead of sitting in some white-walled room." I couldn't agree with him more. What about you? Would you consider living in a tiny, $200 space?
Size Doesn’t Matter – Man Builds $200 Tiny Eco-Homes from Ordinary Household Junk was originally posted at OddityCentral.com  |
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