3d illusion arts: Oddity Central

Oddity Central

The Maeklong Railway Food Market – A Strange Wonder of Thailand
Sound of Silence CD Sold by Church Proves Big Hit
The Pain of Growing Up – Being Stung by Hundreds of Bullet Ants in the Amazon Rain-Forest

The Maeklong Railway Food Market – A Strange Wonder of Thailand

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 03:06 AM PST

Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory loves trains, but I'm not too sure if he'd like this particular one. The Maeklong market railway passes right through the middle of a tightly packed market – so tight, that passengers can probably grab a few vegetables as they pass through. The market's stalls are actually set up on the train rails, but shopkeepers know the train's schedule, so just before it passes through, they quickly drag their goods into the shops and pull the roofs down. After the train has passed through, it's back to business as usual. This happens no less than 8 times a day.

The Maeklong market has become so popular with tourists that there might actually be more people visiting to see it rather than buy anything. Located 72 km or an hour's drive south-west of Bangkok, Maeklong is the capital of the Samut Songkhram province. Most people compare the market to something like a movie set; it's that surreal. It's amazing how every inch of space available has been utilized. The small stalls on either side of the railway track are made from tarpaulins and sometimes just a bedspread. They consist of plastic trays filled with vegetables and vibrant Thai fruit like mangosteens and rambutans. You can also find fresh-cut flowers, fragrant spices, cuts of meat, fresh seafood and poultry. And it doesn't just stop with food; there are other goods to be purchased as well, like clothes, lingerie, toys, and pirated DVDs. Sometimes there aren't even stalls, just people sitting on the ground with trays of fruit at their feet.

Photo: Hai Thinh

The marketplace is great, but the best time to visit it is exactly before a train is about to make an appearance. That's when the magic happens. The shopkeepers start working calmly and quickly, like a chain reaction. But there isn't any train whistle or horn to warn them. Thankfully, the train is always on time, so the schedule can be adhered to. Trays are dragged in, the awnings are folded and everything is put away neatly. Tourists are reminded to step back. And then the train rumbles through the market. It passes in what only seems like milliseconds, after which the stallholders will set up shop once more, as though nothing ever happened.

Photo: Travel Tour Planet

Despite the passing train, Maeklong market is a pretty safe place. Only two people have ever been killed so far, and that was so long ago hardly anyone remembers it. Nobody really knows why the market even exists this way, although it's been around for about 50 years. "This is Thailand, there doesn't need to be a reason," is the best answer you’ll get out of locals. No one even knows which came first – the market or the railway…

The Maeklong Railway Food Market – A Strange Wonder of Thailand was originally posted at OddityCentral.com

Sound of Silence CD Sold by Church Proves Big Hit

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 02:27 AM PST

St Peter's Church, in East Sussex, England, has found a novel way to found its repairs – selling CDs with the sound of silence recorded inside the 800-year-old house of worship.

Believe it or not, the 30-minute recording featuring only dull sounds like squeaking pews, soft footsteps and the hum of distant traffic proved a hit not only with local parishioners eager to contribute to the repair fund, but also peace and quiet lovers from countries like Germany, Austria and even Ghana. It seems that in this day and age, chill-out music like Buddha Bar just doesn’t cut it anymore. People have such busy and noisy lives they often feel the need for simple silence. ”There are a few noises here and there – if it was total silence people might get bored,” said one East Sussex churchgoer. “Those who have bought it have enjoyed it.”

“We thought the idea of the peaceful silence you get inside the church could be something a bit different. I'm delighted it's proved so popular. Our church is an 800-year-old sacred space with a wonderful quality of silence,” said Dr Andrew Mayes, the Rev Canon of St Peter's Church. The sell-out hit “The Sound of Silence” is currently available on CD, which doesn’t have a price. The church thought it best to let people decide its worth and give as much as they like as a donation to the church.

Source: Metro.co.uk

Sound of Silence CD Sold by Church Proves Big Hit was originally posted at OddityCentral.com

The Pain of Growing Up – Being Stung by Hundreds of Bullet Ants in the Amazon Rain-Forest

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 01:44 AM PST

Among the most bizarre coming-of-age rites we’ve ever featured is the one followed by the Satere-Mawe Tribe, an indigenous tribe from the Amazon rain forest, Brazil. What a boy has to do to become a man in this tribal community is painful, to say the least – he has to withstand being stung by not one, but a swarm of Bullet Ants. In case you’e not familiar with this exotic insect, here’s an interesting fact: the Bullet Ant claims the number one spot on the SSPI (Schmidt Sting Pain Index), a scale created by Justin Schmidt that rates the pain caused by different Hymenopteran stings. Some say the ant's sting is just as agonizing as being shot by a bullet.

In preparation for the initiation rite, the elders of the tribe collect the ants from the jungle. These ants are drugged and placed stinger- first into special gloves woven from leaves. As the drug wears off, the ants become increasingly agitated and are raring to sting. This is when the boy puts on the gloves and lets the bullet ants work their magic, for 10 whole minutes, no less. "It's the same as having your hands on fire," says one Satere man. But the real pain starts once the gloves come off, and the venom starts to take effect. As the pain continues to rise, the hands become paralyzed and look like stumps. But just one attempt is usually not enough to turn a Stare boy into a man. He must go through this ritual as many times as it takes for him not to cry during the process. The day he doesn't shed a single tear, is when he becomes a real man. Sometimes, this can take up to 20 attempts.

Photo via Oti the Lis

The practices of the Satere-Mawe are a stark contrast to the urban world, where initiation rites are as simple as going to college, getting a job and moving out of your parents' home. But it's different in tribes like these because men generally have little contact with young boys in the tribe, who spend most of their time with the women. But after the initiation is complete, the boy is taken away from the women's world and introduced to that of men. It sounds primitive, but perhaps it is no different from a father taking his son out fishing or camping, or just spending time with him. Oh, and excluding the unbearable pain, of course…