Our mother nature is full of wonder. When comes to florist, beauty isn’t the only thing make you admire the wonder of nature, sometimes, weirdness is even remember-able. When look at these strangest flowers we found around the world, the first idea comes to me is are they real? How can they look like that? How can a flower shaped like a human skull or a baby in swaddle?
“Homage to Humanity” is a recently completed project by photography Jimmy Nelson and his team who visited 34 indigenous cultures in five continents and took some really impressive photos of the isolated tribes around the world. In this project, Nilson explores the idea of reconnecting to our roots and our humanity and he believes that indigenous people play an important role in our perception of ourselves as human beings. Therefore this book will not only be an adventure, but an investigation into a far more in-depth catalyst of ethnographic discussion as to the lasting values and importance of these precious cultures.
Hakamou’i, Ua Pou, Marguesas Islands, French Polynesia
Yang Shuo Cormorants, China
Mask Dancers, Paro, Bhutan
Vaioa River, Atuona, Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia
Samburu Tribe, Kenya
Perak Women, Thikse Monastery, Ladakh, India
Khoyor Tolgoi Hill, Altan Tsogts County Bayan Ulgii Provence, Mongolia
Huli Wigmen, Ambua Falls, Tari Valley, Papua New Guinea
Ni Vanuatu Men Rah Lava Island, Torba Province Vanuatu Islands
Ganges, Haridwar, India
Ndoto Mountain Range, Kenya
Te Aroha Mikaka & Sky Bay Of Islands, Haruru Falls, North Island, New Zealand
Likekaipia Tribe Ponowi Village, Jalibu Mountains, Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea
Paro Pass, Bhutan
Mount Bosavi Waterfall, Papua New Guinea
I will never consider wrapping animal fur around my neck without even thinking about animal protection. Honestly, it is a kind of gross for me and feel likes wearing some dead body. However, there are many fashion hunters still want to achieve a sophisticated, vintage look of women in the 1920s, dressed to the nines in their furs and stoles. To satisfy their needs without letting them feel guilty, Polish sisters Celina and Maja Debowska decided below elegantly animal felted scarves. There are many animal options such as swan, fox, owl, cat and so on. Each scarf is made by hand with 100% raw materials and heaps of attention to detail. Although I am not quite sure how many animals can be saved by these types of scarf, they are definitely playful and creative. Like those scarfs? You can purchase them from Celina and Maja Debowska’s Etsy shop.
Whenever yoga instructors Claudine and Honza Lafond aren’t teaching at their Sydney-based studio YogaBeyond, they’re often wandering off to exotic locations and commemorating their journeys with graceful poses. Over the years, they’ve taken their mind and body endeavors everywhere. They’ve posed in front of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, jungles of Bali, London, and even on Cockatoo Island. The couple doesn’t pose separately in their photos. Instead, they work together and pull off amazing acrobatic stances that require strength, balance, and trust of one another. It shows you just how incredible the human body is. These yogi-soulmates never let love slow them down from seeing the world from new perspectives.
What is it about tree houses that we love so much? Their playfulness? Escapism they offer? Or the platforms they provide into nature? When I was a kid, the most exciting thing I can imganine is to live at a treehouse in forest. However, treehouse isn’t only associated with one’s childhood. In these days, more and more adults are seeking the peace and playfulness a treehouse can provide. Hence, we can find more and more interesting and amazing treehouse built around the world. Take a look at the 11 amazing treehouses we collected around the world and let us know which one is your favorite.
1. HemLoft – Canada
Built by a Canadian software developer Joel Allen, this tiny HemLoft treehouse was built using mostly recycled materials and located in the woods of Whistler. The treehouse is shaped like an egg. Of course, it can’t be that spacious but with well organized, it has plenty of room to spend a few nights under the stars, enjoying everything the great outdoors has to offer. However, the hemloft was built on crown land and is kinda of illegal. Joel kept this project a secret for three years, but he eventually contacted Dwell Magazine, which was the first publication to break the story. After all the effort Joel made and support people gave, owner of Canadian Wilderness Adventures (CWA) Allan Crawford has agreed to house the egg-shaped structure on the tour company’s tenure in the Callaghan Valley.
2. Exotic Treehouse in Lion Sands Game Reserve
There are three treehouse in Lion Sand, chalkley treehouse, tinyeleti treehouse and kingston treehouse, each offering its own unique experience. The tree house is a secure and lavish platform under the African stars, with all the comforts that you can experience at a five star safari lodge. The hours of African dusk can be enjoyed relaxing and absorbing the vastness of the bushveld as it transforms from day to night, before turning in for slumber beneath the incredible night sky.
3. Bird’s Nest
This giant “bird nest“, is one of five existing tree hotel designed by Swedish group Inrednin Gsgruppen. It is supported by the tree in which it is perched and covered in twigs. From the outside it appears as a big nest, only the scale separating it from other nests in the vicinity. Discreet windows are almost hidden by the network of branches. Inside it’s a high standard room with modern design. A coachwork panel decorates the inner wall. There is space and beds for a family with two children. The bedroom is a separate room with sliding doors. You access the nest by a retractable staircase.
4. Three Story Treehouse
This one is said to be the tallest tree house in British Columbia, Canada. You can find it somewhere near Revelstoke. The interesting thing here is that the house almost perfectly complements to the forest.
5. Free Spirit Sphere Treehouses
Built on vision and engineering these handcrafted spheres are suspended like pendants from a web of rope. They occupy a truly unique place in the world while providing a habitat for the un-tamed spirit that exists in us all.
6. Invisible Treehouse Hotel
The ‘mirrorcube’, designed by tham & videgard architects stands four meters high and four meters wide, and has drawn widespread attention as it will be attached to a single tree and is clad entirely in mirrored glass. They have all been constructed from wood and glass and feature an electric floor heating system, a state-of-the-art eco-friendly incineration toilet and a water-efficient hand basin.
7. Treehouse in Muskoka
Designed by Lukasz Kos, this amaizing creation floats within the fir trees on Lake Muskoka, Ontario, Canada. At night the tree house takes on a cocoon like quality when the lit skin transforms the surface into a lantern suspended from the forest.
8. Finca Bellavisa Treehouse Community
Finca Bellavista is a fantastic yet real treetop paradise where people can live out their dreams. The whole of the property is now close to 600 acres, encompassing an entire peninsula of rainforest mountain, frontage on two whitewater rivers, countless big trees, and lots of cool critters like frogs, birds and monkeys.
9. Beach Rock treehouse
High above the ground in Japan’s Okinawa forest lies the Beach Rock Tree house. It was built by tree house creator Kobayashi Takashi – originally to communicating with extra-terrestrials.
Ladders and platforms providing safe access to the tree house despite its height. For the adrenalin junkies, there’s a giant rope swing nearby to take you sailing through the treetops!
10. Terunobu Fujimori’s fantastical treehouse
As for the human-oriented purpose of the treehouse, the design has been envisioned as a tea house with breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape laden with baby-pink hue of cherry blossom trees. The one-legged bearing has been specially designed to conform to the upright credentials of the host tree itself. Similarly, the structure can also mitigate the effect of earthquakes with its swaying tendency that keeps up with the seismic vibrations.
11. Castle in the Air
The tea house is built atop two chestnut trees, cut from a nearby mountain and transported to the site, and is accessible only by free-standing ladders propped against one of the trees. The building’s own is Fujimori, who designed and built the whole house.
It is exciting to dine abroad, however, how not to be a barbarian when eating in different countries is definitely something we need to pay attention when travel around. Dining customsvary from country to country, and what’s acceptable behavior in one place might be seen as rude in another. For example, tipping is common in North America however, it is seen as rude in Japan and China even has restaurants with a no tipping policy. That is only one example, other things like how to use utensils, how to show appreciation, should you ask extra seasoning and should you share food with others, are all different from countries to countries. Some of them might sound a bit weird for you, however, if you want to be a polite person while you eat in those countries, it’s important to respect their customs. The website Restaurant Choice released an educational infographic that explains a few do’s and dont’s of meals for seven countries. Taka a look and hope it helps to prepare you for your next cross-cultural culinary tour.
NEW Ideas and Innovations 