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The Floating Man-Made Islands of Lake Titicaca
Caramelized Sugar Painting – A Tasty Chinese Tradition
Meet Jim Cripps, the Incredible Backwards Bowler

The Floating Man-Made Islands of Lake Titicaca

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:35 AM PST

The people of Uros, a small South American tribe in Peru, have made living arrangements for themselves that are so unique, they're not found anywhere else in the world. These people live most of their lives on man-made floating islands? The islands were created on Lake Titicaca in Peru, for the protection against other stronger tribes. The lake is the largest by volume in South America, and provides ample protection by itself since it is completely isolated and located about 3000 m above sea level.

But the Uros people were apparently not satisfied with the protection of the lake alone. They went one step further to ensure their safety, making good use of the reeds that grow in abundance along the banks of the lake. The reeds proved to be a malleable material, so they were dried out, bundled and shaped into boats that float very well. This natural material also made it possible for the ancient Uros to create a system of floating domiciles that could be quickly moved away from the mainland in case of any emergency, called the tortora islands. Today, about half the population of the Uros about 500 individuals), still prefer to live in this age-old manner. Of course, they've renovated their floating islands to include some modern amenities as well.

Photo: Templar1307

The Uros people create their tortora reed islands with great care. The reeds are interwoven to create 'roots' that have a dense layer about 2m thick, on top of which the island is developed. To provide anchorage, large logs are drilled through the island to the base of the lake. The ropes attached to these logs provide stability to the island. But the islanders' work is far from done after an island has been constructed, because the reed leaves rot quite frequently, so they need to be replaced with new ones frequently. This is done about four times a year for each island. But the floating structure itself has a very long life – each one can last for up to 3 decades. Lake Titicaca is home to forty small islands, and a large central one which acts as the focal point of the tribal community.

Photo: Benjamin

The reeds provide not just shelter to the Uros people, but a source of livelihood as well. You could say that in many ways it has been the foundation of this unique community for centuries. Iodine is produced from the reeds and sold. They are also used for general medicinal purposes – when wrapped around a painful part of the body, the pain is said to simply vanish – and the flowers of the reeds are also used to brew coffee. The Uros people represent a near-perfect community that has learned to live in great harmony with their surroundings. But unfortunately, like all other unique cultures in the world, they are under threat from assimilation. They are said to have lost their own language half a century ago and now speak Aymara – the language of the mainland tribes. The recent arrival of the Europeans has also dealt a huge blow to their cultural identity, because the Uros had to pay taxes and give up many of their people as slaves.

Photo: Emre Safak

But despite all the struggles they have been through over the years, the Uros are still thriving today, although in small numbers. They have successfully adopted a few aspects of European society that suit their ways. Solar panels installed on the reed homes help to run electronic appliances such as television sets. The largest island also has a radio station that broadcasts for several hours during the day. They have a couple of schools that provide education for children. The learning is very traditional though, in an attempt to preserve the culture of the Uros. If there's one thing this tribe does not have on their reed islands and in their reed homes, it is the modern cooker. For obvious reasons, they cannot use an open flame to cook food. So they use their own traditional models – with stones piled high enough to create a fire on top, without the heat being too strong to reach the leaves. A very small island near the larger ones serves the purpose of attending to nature's calls. The reeds are great at absorbing the waste, which makes great fertilizer for the next healthy crop.

Photo: Ben Neumeyer

Tourism is one of the major sources of income for the Uros. A large number of curious visitors flock to these islands each year, to observe the unique way of life. Several families have specially designated guest rooms in their homes to accommodate the tourists. They also perform a special dance each night, encouraging the visitors to dress up and join in. Lake Titicaca certainly does sound like must-visit destination, for who could resist the experience of spending a night on a floating island?

The Floating Man-Made Islands of Lake Titicaca was originally posted at OddityCentral.com

Caramelized Sugar Painting – A Tasty Chinese Tradition

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 05:38 AM PST

The sweet art of painting with caramelized sugar can be witnessed in China’s Sichuan province. Although not as popular as it once was, this ancient craft still manages to amaze tourists lucky enough to stumble upon a skilled street artist.

According to experts, this type of Chinese folk art originated from the Ming Dynasty when sugar animals and figures were created as part of sacrificial rituals. During the Qing Dynasty, it gained even more popularity and the techniques were upgraded, which resulted in an increased number of patterns, most of them inspired by nature, wildlife and religion . In the beginning, people used molds to shape the caramelized sugar, but they were gradually replaced with a small bronze spoon that had to be wielded by talented artists who were usually well versed in the art of normal painting as well. “Painting” artistic pieces from melted sugar is very different than regular painting. Because the hot sugar cools down very quickly, the painter has to work swiftly, making sure he follows the correct order of strokes to get every shape just right. In order to get familiar with the process and the technique, it’s recommended that artists practice normal painting first.

Photo: Chinese Time School

Practitioners of this centuries-old craft use brown or white sugar as the main material, a bronze spoon and a small shovel as tools, and a slab of marble as the canvas. The sugar is melted over a fiery pot and spread over the canvas with the spoon. Once the shape is completed, the shovel is used to glue a wooden stick to the artwork and to separate it from the marble slab. For around to Chinese yuan (30 cents) you can have your very own caramelized sugar dragon or phoenix and a unique souvenir.

The number of sugar painters in the Sichuan province has been declining for some time, as kids these days are more attracted to computer games and gadgets than such ancient traditions, but the art it’s garnering support from both the general public and the Government, who had it listed as a Provincial Non-Material Culture Heritage.

Caramelized Sugar Painting – A Tasty Chinese Tradition was originally posted at OddityCentral.com

Meet Jim Cripps, the Incredible Backwards Bowler

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 03:55 AM PST

You’ve probably never seen anything like this before, I sure haven’t. Tennessee native James Cripps earned the nickname Backwards Bowler for a very simple reason – he’s able to bowl perfectly well without even facing the lanes.

Believe it or not, it all started as a friendly bet. Jim Cripps loved bowling, but he admits he was pretty terrible at it, so at one point a friend challenged him to try and score 150 points backwards. It sounds impossible, but Jim says he managed to land a strike on his first try, and ended up with a final score of 163. After that he just couldn’t stop bowling backwards. "We never settled up on the bet, but I think I definitely came out the winner of the bet because it truly has been great,”Cripps said. As you can imagine, his skills improved dramatically over the next few years, and he now has an average of 204 points per game and holds a Guinness record of 278.

Photo: The Advocate

But what many people don’t know is Jim was almost forced to stop bowling backwards, because bowling lane operators didn’t approve of his unorthodox style. “No backward bowling, they considered it horseplay,” Cripps says. ” The first time, I actually had a 90 in a fifth frame, and they kicked me out. And I looked at the two lanes beside me; I said nobody else had the score higher than me. But yet I'm horseplaying, we don't allow it get out. So I got out.” Luckily he found places in which he could practice his skills, and has once even managed to strike 11 times in a row.

"I love the sport of bowling & turning around has changed my life as well as given me the opportunity to meet and make friends from all walks of life. From Bowlfest in Las Vegas to Trick shots in Tokyo and all the stops in between, seeing the wonder from both children and adults when you make a shot they thought was impossible is both humbling and AWESOME!" Jim says on his official site. He definitely deserves all this new-found fame. I can hardly hit a few pins the old-fashioned way, but he plays a great game without even looking.