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Video of Thai soccer team’s gorgeous passing play leaves us amazed

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I’ll be completely honest with you here–I don’t know much of anything about soccer. I hate to fit the dumb American stereotype, but when it comes to sports, soccer is one that I definitely never got into.

I have nothing against it, of course! Partly, it’s just exhausting watching the ball bounce back and forth between players, changing directions like a whip. But on the other hand, I have to admit that it’s easy to see why some call it a “beautiful” game, and this video of a Thailand soccer team ably slipping through a Malaysian team’s defenses is nothing less than amazing.

Even if you’re like me and you don’t know the difference between rugby and soccer (I think you can bite people in rugby, maybe?), there’s no questioning the skill on display in this video from the December 17 AFF Suzuki Cup game. Thailand might not be the first name you think of when you see “tika-taka play,” but it probably will be soon. Though the short passing play with lots of movement was apparently first mastered in the Spanish league, it looks as if Thailand has been practicing it as well.

With a series of 27 short, snappy passes, the Thai team works the ball down the field until they get within easy range of the goal. With a nearly perfect shot lined up, one determined player takes aim and…

…misses. Just completely, absolutely misses! It’s almost as if the ball and the goal were both the north poles of two magnets.

While the missed goal (which would have put the score at 3 – 0 in Thailand’s favor) was a bit of a let down, I will definitely say that I appreciated the passing techniques that Thailand’s team showed off. Regardless of the sport, that kind of synchronized teamwork and deft movement is as beautiful as any dance routine!

Though maybe someone can tell me why they spend all that time kicking the ball instead of picking it up and tossing it. Surely that would be much easier…

Sources: YouTube, AFF Suzuki Cup 2014
Images: YouTube
[ Read in Japanese ]

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Origin: Video of Thai soccer team’s gorgeous passing play leaves us amazed
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Nailed it: Thai man’s low budget cosplay is a gift to the Internet【Photos】

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Taking up cosplay as a hobby takes a pretty significant time commitment to put together that perfect costume to dress up as your favorite video game, comic book or movie character. And for those of us without the, ahem, natural assets to boost our cosplay game, buying all those wigs, fashion accessories and snowman apparel can make the hobby an extremely expensive way to spend your free time.

However, this innovative cosplay enthusiast from Thailand doesn’t let his limited budget get in the way of making some creative, and frankly, kind of creepy costumes. We’ve spotted him before, but click below to see his latest creative, if not incredibly cheap, take on Dragonball Z, the Teletubbies, Taylor Swift and much more.

The Thai man behind the Low Cost Cosplay Facebook page admittedly spends as little as possible on his costumes and instead uses what’s around him, including cardboard boxes, plenty of tape, and even some fruit. His somewhat simple approach to cosplay may not land him any prizes for attention to detail, but his super quick designs means his fans won’t be waiting around too long to see his newest costume. For example, to become the inflatable robot Baymax from the latest Disney cartoon Big Hero 6, he just used some white paint and a black marker.

▼ Hey Disney, ever think about going live-action for the sequel with Low Cost Cosplay?

2015.01.10 thai cosply 3Image: Facebook (lowcostcosplay)

While there are plenty of opportunities for those dedicated to cosplay to show off their craft and take tips from others, Low Cost Cosplay celebrates using what’s available to create a one-of-a-kind costume. Taking days to make the perfect costume to become Gon Freecss from the Japanese manga Hunter x Hunter may land you applause in other parts of the cosplay universe, but all you need here is a spare tennis racket bag, a pair of white underwear and a white undershirt. These cosplay fans aren’t looking for perfection, they’re looking for a quick get-up that will make them laugh.

▼ Either this man is doing cosplay or he has no idea how to play tennis

2015.01.10 thai cosply 2Image: Facebook (lowcostcosplay)

▼ We’re not sure that’s the right way to play a guitar, but this is the right Shizuzka-chan from Doraemon costume to thoroughly crack us up

2015.01.10 thai cosply 4Image: Facebook (lowcostcosplay)

From using massive amounts of scotch tape as an unforgettable Mickey Mouse to somehow incorporating carrots in a Dragonball Z-inspired costume, it’s hard to pick a favorite look from this Thai genius. Check out some of the low-budget outfits that caught our eye and let us know what you think in the comments below!

▼ While this Teletubbies remake is pretty disturbing, to be fair, the original is pretty terrifying

2015.01.10 thai cosply 1Image: Facebook (lowcostcosplay)

▼ Taylor Swift enjoying an ice cream cone and a Thai cosplayer recreating the scene. We’ll let you figure out which one is which.

2015.01.10 thai cosply 12Image: Facebook (lowcostcosplay)

▼ Doraemon after a particularly rough night

2015.01.10 thai cosply 10Image: Facebook (lowcostcosplay)

▼ The Elsa cosplay outfit for when your bank account is Frozen

2015.01.10 thai cosply 6Image: Facebook (lowcostcosplay)

▼ Kamen Rider meets Low Cost Cosplay and apparently forgot half his uniform

2015.01.10 thai cosply 7Image: Facebook (lowcostcosplay)

▼ A plastic bottle and some forced perspective and voila, Buzz Lightyear

2015.01.10 thai cosply 15Image: Facebook (lowcostcosplay)

▼ Goku doing a special PSA pitch about adding nutrient-rich carrots to your diet

2015.01.10 thai cosply 8Image: Facebook (lowcostcosplay)

▼ Pikachu, I do NOT choose you

2015.01.10 thai cosply 9Image: Facebook (lowcostcosplay)

▼ The forgotten Hellraiser movie where Pinhead taught us how to use Q-tips correctly

2015.01.10 thai cosply 13Image: Facebook (lowcostcosplay)

▼ Cleverly placed bowls and plenty of scotch tape make for one scary-looking Mickey Mouse

2015.01.10 thai cosply 14Image: Facebook (lowcostcosplay)

▼ I bet you had no idea Stallone has had a Thai body double all these years

2015.01.10 thai cosply 16Image: Facebook (lowcostcosplay)

[ Read in Japanese ]

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Origin: Nailed it: Thai man’s low budget cosplay is a gift to the Internet【Photos】
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Pampered hamsters chill in tiny home, eat pies, win hearts 【Videos】

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Needing some cuteness in your day? Well do we have just the thing for you! Meet hamsters Enoki and Bunapi from Singapore as they invite you into their home and go about their day, chilling in front of the TV, eating apple pies, taking a bath… you know, just normal hamster things.

YouTuber Jaieden Ace Shen has only just recently started uploading videos of his little pampered pets, but it’s no surprise that they’ve already started raking in the views. I mean, what’s not to love about watching little fluffy Enoki get tucked into her wee hamster-sized bed and drift off to hamster dreamland as she’s gently stroked to sleep?

▼The captions add personality and up the cuteness factor.

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These two are definitely living the life. Their pint-sized home has everything – bitty beds and bathtub, a tiny toilet, and a quaint little couch for lounging around in while snacking. Everything a hamster could ever need.

▼Hygiene is important, even for hamsters!

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▼Turning in after another rough day.

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Here are the videos, so you can enjoy them in all of their adorable glory.

▼Little Enoki insists on being petted until she’s fast asleep.

Still haven’t gotten enough apple pie-munching? Here’s more of Bunapi crunching away, little feet sticking out, before he drifts off into a food-coma in his human’s pocket.

Haven’t quite gotten your fill of little hamsters in little homes? You can revisit this little guy’s awesome handcrafted ninja house that we’re all pretty jealous of.

Source/images/video: YouTube (Jaiden Ace Shen)

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Origin: Pampered hamsters chill in tiny home, eat pies, win hearts 【Videos】
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“Is that you, Hiro?” This kid’s Big Hero 6 cosplay is out of this world! 【Photos】

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“How is your cosplay so perfect…?” “How did you escape from the movie screen?!” “Are you ACTUALLY Hiro?”

For Filipino artist and self-confessed “cosplay dork” Jin, questions like these are a regular occurrence. Already an internationally recognised cosplayer, when promo images for Big Hero 6 were released last year, Jin began to get messages from fans pointing out an uncanny resemblance to the film’s central protagonist Hiro Hamada. Which is pretty interesting, seeing Big Hero 6 is a Disney movie and Hiro is, of course, computer-animated.

Intrigued, Jin tried it out – and has been cosplaying Hiro ever since. Fast-forward a few months and Jin and friends continue to produce incredibly realistic, beautifully produced photos of cosplayed Big Hero 6 scenes. Join us after the jump as we take a look!

In case you haven’t seen the movie and don’t know what Hiro looks like, here’s the Big Hero 6 trailer:

Screen Shot 2015-01-16 at 10.03.59YouTube

And here’s Jin cosplaying him!

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Hiro is Disney’s first Japanese protagonist, and also the only character in the movie with that awesome spiky anime hair. All in all he’s just about the ideal Disney character to cosplay.

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In a blog post on tumblr, Jin goes into some detail about the disarming experience of seeing a Disney character that looks just like you. When brother Miguel saw a picture of Hiro for the first time, they were both so struck by the likeness that Miguel said, “like seeing Disney renders of you!” And when the pair finally saw the movie together, Miguel kept prodding Jin, going “It’s you! It’s you!”

There really are some striking physical similarities – as we can see in this imagine Jin posted of the shape of their front teeth side-by-side.

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That’s not to say that the likeness is all natural though. There’s an impressive amount of work gone into completing this look, from the hand-finished wig to the tea leaves Jin uses to black out Hiro’s tooth gap.

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Here’s Jin with fellow cosplayer Miguel as Hiro’s big brother Tadashi, for a series of shots cosplaying the family.

▼ They’ve both got that crooked smile down to a tee, for sure.

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With cosplay group Tuxedo Team, Jin and Miguel focus on shoots, rather than attending cosplay competitions. In an interview with Filipino Japan pop culture website Magnetic Rose a few years ago, Jin explained the motivation behind this:

“My friends and I aren’t really the competitive sort so we’re really happy just coming up with photos that express our appreciation for a series. A lot of our costumes are quite simple, so there’s not much point in competing with them against the many brilliant cosplayers in our local community.”

Above all, the team’s Big Hero 6 cosplay series is proof that a simple idea done really well can be the most effective art.

▼ Here they are joined by NyanKat as Aunt Cass.

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▼ Check out the characters next to their animated counterparts.

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Sources: Facebook/Jin (behindinfinity), Tumblr (behindinfinity)
Related: Facebook/Miguel merkymerx, Kat Langomez
Images: Facebook/Jin (behindinfinity), DeviantArt (behindinfinity) unless otherwise stated
[ Read in Japanese ]

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Origin: “Is that you, Hiro?” This kid’s Big Hero 6 cosplay is out of this world! 【Photos】
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Vietnamese police detain 16 pigeons on suspicion of being Chinese spies, discover true identities

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With all of the advanced technology intelligence agencies can employ, plus the fact that so much information is now stored digitally, it’s easy to make the assumption that modern espionage is all hacking and drone surveillance. In fact, though, there’s still plenty of room in the spy game for carbon-based operatives working in the field.

As such, it’s the responsibility of militaries and police forces the world over to be on guard against organic espionage threats. So while you can admire the diligence and zeal shown by a group of citizens and police in Vietnam who captured and detained what they thought was a ring of 16 Chinese spies, the suspects turned out to be innocent.

They also happen to be pigeons.

As first reported by Thanh Nien News, since November last year police in Da Nang have been presented with 16 pigeons captured by residents of the Vietnamese port city. Being a city of roughly a million people, pigeons themselves aren’t any cause for alarm in Da Nang, but the 16 that were turned in to the police stood out from their winged brethren in the urban landscape.

For starters, a series of markings had been placed on their wings, in colors such as red and green, which some suspected could be a code of some sort. In addition, the birds had bands on their legs, on which were written letters and numbers.

At least one bore the letters “CHN,” which many took to stand for “China.” But while that seems like a reasonable conclusion, it’s a bit of a jump to get to the next one some concerned citizens arrived at, which was that these 16 pigeons were spies sent from China.

Lending a whiff of believability to the accusations are Vietnamese media reports that some of the birds were found with “something that looked like a memory card” inside the leg bands. Still, regardless of how much or little faith you have in the might of China’s espionage agencies, it seems unlikely that they would essentially write their name on their spy tools, as though they were the jackets of forgetful grade school students.

▼ If found, please return to Wei, second grade, Ms. Chen’s class. P.S. Dibs on any industrial secrets in the pockets.

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International espionage is no laughing matter, though, so the Da Nang police carried out an investigation, which just wrapped up this month. The findings have been announced to the public, and we’re sure those who were worried about foreign threats had their minds put at ease to hear that the pigeons are not, in fact, spies. It turns out they’re something almost as unexpected: racers.

The police have confirmed that all 16 of the birds were competitors in event held by pigeon racing clubs based in China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and even domestically inside Vietnam. The markings and leg bands serve as registration and identifiers for the competitions, some of which involve crossing oceans and international boundaries. None of that explains the memory card-like devices some people say were attached to some of the birds, but we’re just going to assume the police didn’t address them directly because they were all filed with photo files of hot lady pigeons the racers used to help get through the lonely nights of the multi-day races.

On the other hand, if you just can’t bear to let a juicy conspiracy theory go to waste, it does seem a little suspicious that real racing pigeons wouldn’t be fast enough to escape some vigilantes armed with nets, even if they were tired out from their long flights and stopping to rest in Da Nang. Plus, “international racer” is exactly the kind of awesome, globe-trotting cover we’d choose if we were spies.

Sources: Thanh Nien News via Iroiro via Hachima Kikou
Top image: Pigeon Insider
Insert images: Rocky Mountain Ski and Board

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Origin: Vietnamese police detain 16 pigeons on suspicion of being Chinese spies, discover true identities
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Fly-kicking good?! KFC Malaysia apologises after employees brawl in front of customers

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KFC Malaysia has launched an investigation after a fist-fight broke out between employees in a branch of the restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. The fight, which happened directly in front of customers, was captured on camera and uploaded Facebook, where it has been shared and viewed thousands of times.

A video of the punch-up, which appears to show one member of staff verbally abusing another before a third employee dives in with a flying kick, was uploaded on January 17. KFC Malaysia was surprisingly quick to respond.

In the video, other staff in the Jalan Raja Laut store in Kuala Lumpur can be seen continuing to take orders and serve customers as the fight goes on in the background. At the end of the 36-second clip, the brawl appears to move into the kitchen. Since being uploaded last week, the clip has been watched over 60,000 times at time of writing.

 Which also means approximately 60,000 people have yelled “gahhh vertical video whyyyy” at the screen.

▼ Another employee enters the brawl with a high kick.

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Meanwhile, a staff member continues to serve a customer, who can be heard ordering a snack plate.

▼ “Yes, I’ll have that with a side of unnecessary violence, please.”

Screen Shot 2015-01-23 at 09.30.54

KFC Malaysia responded to the controversy online, saying the fight appeared to be “between two siblings over a private matter” and promising to investigate further:

Sources: Coconuts KL, Facebook
Screenshots: Facebook

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Origin: Fly-kicking good?! KFC Malaysia apologises after employees brawl in front of customers
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Autistic teen artist creates masterful sketches with help of photographic memory

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Sixteen-year-old Yap Hanzhen of Malaysia apparently suffered through a childhood in which even the most simple of communications was difficult. Hanzhen’s parents say he barely spoke through most of his adolescence.

Like many children who display difficulties communicating during early development, Yap turned out to have a form of autism – a fact that his parents struggled to convince doctors and child psychologists, who were apparently quick to presume simple bad parenting as the source of young Yap’s speech difficulties.

In taking the special needs care of their young son into their own hands, Yap’s parents gave him a sketch book and pencil to help him associate thumbnail drawings with words for everyday objects, inadvertently nurturing a latent talent that would eventually see Yap touring the world, showing off his extraordinary drawings.

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By his own admission, Yap’s sketches benefit from the boy’s “photographic memory,” which allows him to remember extremely fine details of things he’s seen up to 24 hours after leaving the scene. Yap takes great care in his sketches, preferring 3B or softer leads that enable finer gradation and, we hear, other cool stuff that’s way over our heads.

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Yap’s works were chosen for display at the Asia ParaArt Tokyo competition in Japan, and the boy has even published his works in his own compilation book.

According to the young artist’s website, about one in ten people with Autism display some type of “savant” talent. While Yap’s primary talent may be drawing, he’s also interested in music and wants to be both an artist and a musician when he finishes school. Yap says he spends six hours a day on schoolwork, and as many as six hours a day on his art.

For comparison, we spent six hours yesterday watching cat videos on the Internet.

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Source: The Straits Times
Images: Yap Hanzhen official Website

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Origin: Autistic teen artist creates masterful sketches with help of photographic memory
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Indonesian Muslim cleric declares selfies a sin, youths reciprocate with new selfie trend

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While Islam is practiced worldwide, many of us tend to only think of the Muslims in the Middle East, looking past those in Southeast Asia. However, with over 87% of its people identifying as Muslim, Indonesia actually has the largest population of Muslims in the world.

The young adult Muslim culture in Indonesia is not that much different from youth culture anywhere else in the world these days: everyone has smartphones and, like them or not, selfies are the norm. A previously celebrated young Muslim cleric, however, has recently proclaimed that the act of taking a selfie is a sin – a claim which many young Muslims in Indonesia have taken great offense to.

How did they respond to the condemnation of their smartphone snaps? By taking even more selfies than ever before.

The young cleric, Felix Siauw, made his anti-selfie remarks via Twitter on Monday last week, with subsequent tweets explaining his reasoning. Online news source Coconuts Jakarta translated the tweets into English:

▲ “If we take a selfie, sift through and chose our best pose, and then we’re awed and impressed by ourselves–worryingly, that’s call PRIDE.”

▲ “If we take a selfie and upload it on social media, desperately hoping for views, likes, comments or whatever–we’ve fallen into the OSTENTATIOUS trap.”

▲ “If we take a selfie and we feel cooler and better than others–we’ve fallen into the worst sin of all, ARROGANCE.”

▲ “These days many Muslim women are taking selfies without shame. There are usually nine frames in one photo with facial poses that are just–My Goodness–where’s the purity in women?”

While he makes some interesting points, it’s not hard to understand why many Indonesian youths, especially girls, are retaliating. To make matters worse for Siauw, some netizens pointed out that he was recently a judge for a selfie contest, a claim he vehemently denies. He insists, instead, that he was actually giving a lecture on “a different kind of selfie, self-introspection.”

Regardless of his supposed hypocrisy, young Indonesians are fighting back hard on Twitter with #selfie4siauw. The hashtag has exploded and the new trend is even reaching outside of the archipelago.

▼ Young women, who usually don’t even take selfies, have been posting pictures of themselves just out of spite.

“You’re mean!”

“It’s a sin? Really?”

▼ Some of these girls have sass!

▼ She probably went out of her way to make a nine-frame photo, just as Siauw mentioned in his tweet.

▼ It seems to have all started with Indonesian activist @dianparamita.

We’re in no position to say what defined as a sin in the Islamic faith, but the Indonesian youth are making a pretty clear statement about how they feel about those trying to use religion to stop them from posting pics of themselves. There’s no word about how Siauw is reacting to the backlash, but it’s pretty safe to say that his comments won’t be changing the minds of many Indonesian youngsters anytime soon.

Source: Coconut Jakarta, Twitter
Top Image: Twitter (@dianparamita)

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Origin: Indonesian Muslim cleric declares selfies a sin, youths reciprocate with new selfie trend
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Filipina singing sensation Charice is back with a short clip of ‘Let it Go,’ karaoke style!

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This one goes out to all our readers in the Philippines–Charice is back, and she’s telling everyone to “Let it Go!”

We haven’t heard much about Charice for about a year, so it was a pleasant surprise to see the talented singer belting out the iconic song from Disney’s Frozen in a short YouTube karaoke clip. Also, we love that short new-ish ‘do she’s sporting!

Charmaine Pempengco, better known simply as Charice, is a 22-year-old Filipina singer who shot to fame on YouTube and was largely introduced to the world through The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show. She released her first studio album in 2010 and quickly became an international superstar.

Earlier this month, Charice uploaded a clip of herself singing “Let it Go” at karaoke to her YouTube account. It’s a shortie, but a nice little treat for all of her fans:

Also, it’s a shame that the video appears to have been taken on a cell phone, leaving the sound a bit muffled. Then again, we’d probably shy away from even going to karaoke with her if we had the chance to hear her powerful vocals in person!

Source: Coconuts Manila
Images: YouTube (Super Charice)

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Origin: Filipina singing sensation Charice is back with a short clip of ‘Let it Go,’ karaoke style!
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KFC’s Double Down evolves into a fried chicken-wrapped hot dog in the Philippines

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KFC launched its Double Down menu item in 2010, and after it sunk in that the fast food chain was serious about making a bacon and cheese sandwich with two pieces of fried chicken substituting for the bread, reactions were split between horrified and hungry. All agreed though that the decadent offering was in no way to be mistaken for a healthy dining option, and many commentators declared it the sort of thing that could only have been birthed in response to the extra-gluttonous fast food culture of the U.S.

Except it turns out that Americans aren’t the only ones who occasionally like to go crazy and stuff themselves with as much KFC-cooked meat as their mouths and stomachs can hold. The Double Down was also a sales success in Korea, and this week, KFC launched an evolved version in the Philippines called the Double Down Dog.

KFC describes the Double Down Dog as “outrageously meaty,” and there’s really not much room to argue. Consisting of a wiener with mustard wrapped in a deep-fried chicken fillet, the breadless hot dog went on sale January 26 at select locations in the Philippines, with its limited quantities of 50 per restaurant quickly selling out.

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▼ The list of participating KFC Philippines branches

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However, even as hungry hordes descended upon KFC to satisfy their carnivorous cravings, some voiced their misgivings about the chain’s apparent desire to escalate past the already over-the-top original Double Down.

But whether you feel the Double Down Dog is “a crime against humanity” or the real crime is simply that countries other than the Philippines have presently been denied the pleasure of eating it, by the time you read this, it’ll be too late to ask the Colonel’s team of employees to make you one. The Double Down Dog was given only a two-day run of January 26-27.

That said, the extremely limited availability sounds more like a market test than a full-blown product roll-out, and given the response the Double Down Dog generated, it wouldn’t be surprising to see KFC offer it again in the future. In the meantime, taking a short break will give everyone who ate one and is hankering for another some time to properly digest their first Double Down Dog, plus give KFC a chance to think up ways to make it even better.

▼ For example, we can’t help but notice that the Double Down Dog has only one deep-fried chicken filet, as opposed to the two that we’ve come to associate with the brand.

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Source: Huffington Post Japan, KFC Philippines Facebook (1, 2)
Top image: KFC Philippines Facebook
Insert images: KFC Philippines Facebook (1, 2)

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Origin: KFC’s Double Down evolves into a fried chicken-wrapped hot dog in the Philippines
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Photos of hot Thai model/moto-taxi driver go viral, we kick off the corny pick-up lines

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We normally don’t think of ourselves as a shallow bunch here at RocketNews24–not when we have such potentially life-altering news to report as the latest Sailor Moon-themed merchandise or the newest collection of cute cat photos to come out of Japan.

But occasionally there are those days when a little eye-candy does wonders to brighten up our wonderful readers’ days. For instance–anyone care to see photos of a hot Thai model/moto-taxi driver dude?

It’s time for the latest post in the recurring “hot guys doing things” series!

According to the folks at Coconuts Bangkok, a female assistant of the famous Thai TV and radio host Vuthithorn “Woody” Milintachinda recognized the model/part-time moto-taxi driver, who then took a picture of him; the photo has since gone viral.

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So who is this mysterious hottie? He’s Dechapat Thanadawong, a male model who also earns some side money as a motorcycle taxi driver stationed outside of Bangkok’s Praram 9 (Rama IX). “It’s better than staying home and pointlessly waiting for good luck,” he wrote on Instagram after the photo of him blew up. “Don’t be embarrassed to work. Don’t be offended by small money!”

Here are some more pictures of him working at both of his jobs:

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We suppose now is the time to start cracking the silly pick-up lines. Ten points and a high-five from Mr. Sato to whomever can come up with the best!

We’ll start you off–“Hey babe, want a ride?”

Sources/Images: Coconuts BangkokWebsta (artboysza)

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Origin: Photos of hot Thai model/moto-taxi driver go viral, we kick off the corny pick-up lines
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Woman drying underwear in airport lobby deals blow to Asian relations

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On 1 February, 2015 the often contentious relations between Asian countries were further inflamed when a woman of uncertain nationality spread out her pink bra and black panties to dry on the back of a bench in the lobby of Chiang Mai International Airport in Thailand.

According to Record China, Thai television programs have been introducing segments highlighting rude behavior of sightseers with titles like “Again, with the Chinese tourists!” In this instance the show Morning Bectero presented some images from a Facebook page showing some woman drying her underwear in the middle of the Thailand’s fourth-busiest airport.

Also shown are the Thai people’s comments which perhaps can best be summed up in this Garfield jpeg.

It should be noted that Morning Bectero mentions that this is only claimed to be a Chinese woman by the poster of the images, and perhaps wisely so. When word of this caught wind in China people were none too happy with the accusation. Here is some of the online reaction from China.

“Where’s the proof this is a Chinese woman?”
“She’s definitely Taiwanese.”
“These days anything and everything is blamed on the Chinese.”
“I think she’s Japanese.”
“That’s malicious reporting.”
“She’s from Hong Kong.”
“Don’t just go and assume she’s Chinese.”
“I’m just going to decide it’s a Thai transgender for no reason.”
“She’s a South Korean.”

The Chinese netizens certainly have a point that accusations shouldn’t be hurled around without the proper evidence. However, with their own charges directed at several other East Asian nations, this has now become yet another territorial dispute in the region.

No leaders have yet to comment on the underwear-drying-lady for fear it many link their country to her. This is a common tactic that Asian political scientists refer to as the “Smelt-It-Dealt-It Protocol” but unfortunately may leave this woman’s true nationality in dispute for years to come.

RocketNews24 reached out the White House to inquire whether President Obama may help to negotiate a settlement in this delicate matter. They have yet to get back to us…again.

Source: Yahoo! Japan News via Toychan (Japanese)
Video & Images: YouTube – Morning Bectero

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Origin: Woman drying underwear in airport lobby deals blow to Asian relations
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Calling all Cat Lovers: Did you know that Singapore has a ‘Cat Museum’?

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Cat cafes are still all the rage, and there are even cat pubs for adults to enjoy some feline company. So when we heard that Singapore now has a ‘cat museum,’ we were definitely excited.

When I first heard the name, I envisioned an actual museum with exhibits on the history of the feline race, along with a gift shop filled with adorable cat-inspired merchandise. However, the Cat Museum in Singapore, it turns out, is supposedly a non-profit organization. According to their official website, it’s “a mission with the message that every home or small office deserves a cat… or two!” Yeah, sure, I’d love a cat or two in my office!

While Singapore has several cat cafes, the Cat Museum is the first of its kind where guests can interact with rescued stray cats, and all of its feline residents are up for adoption. Their website doesn’t go into that precise of details describing what they do, but what we do know is that you get to play with cats and learn about living with them. Their ultimate mission is to find warm, happy and loving homes for these kitties.

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Just look at all their cute faces!

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▼ Meal time!

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▼ Say hello to Brad (named after Brad Pitt)!

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Next time you’re visiting the tropical island, why not stop by to say hello to these feline friends, and perhaps even bring one home with you?

The Cat Museum
Address: 8 Purvis Street, #02-02 Singapore 188587
Open: Fri: 4:30PM-7:30PM, Sat/Sun: 12:00PM-7:30PM (closed from 3:30PM-4:30PM for nap time)
Admission: $9 (US$7.20), free for children under 6

Source/Images: The Cat Museum, Channel News Asia

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Origin: Calling all Cat Lovers: Did you know that Singapore has a ‘Cat Museum’?
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As foreign tourists come streaming in, Hokkaido’s New Chitose Airport nears breaking point

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SONY DSC

World-class skiing; Japan’s largest national park; even ice hotels. For those who are looking to experience Japan outside of Tokyo or Kyoto, Hokkaido remains a prime destination. Indeed, as the last major island to be settled by the Japanese, Hokkaido arguably stands out from the rest of the nation in everything from topography to daily life.

It seems the secret is out of the bag. Taking advantage of a weak yen, travelers from Southeast Asia are flying en masse to the island of Hokkaido. However, this influx has proved to be a double-edged sword. While the tourist boom is certainly bringing money into local economies, it is also straining transportation resources–perhaps nowhere more than at New Chitose Airport.

Located about 45 kilometers from the city of Sapporo, New Chitose Airport is the largest airport in Hokkaido and the third busiest in Japan. As the main hub for foreign travelers passing into Hokkaido, the airport has recently been on the front lines of the tourist boom.

First, let’s take a look at the numbers. Below are the results of a report by the city of New Chitose detailing the number of travelers making use of international air routes at New Chitose Airport.

2011: 842,000
2012: 1,079,000
2013: 1,270,000

Looking at the numbers over this period of time, we see that use of international air routes has increased to 1.5 times its previous levels. Another report from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism breaks down the increase in travelers by country.

Seoul: 388,810 travelers (22.2% increase)
Hong Kong: 221,388 travelers (10.5% increase)
Taipei: 462,617 travelers (6% increase)
Bangkok: 178,745 travelers (46.7% increase)
Mainland China/Shanghai: 75,022 travelers (85.3% increase)

Which raises the question: why the dramatic rise in Asian tourists? As mentioned earlier, a weak yen is merely the icing on the cake to what is already an enticing tourist destination. With no shortage of snow and places to enjoy it, including the famous Niseko ski resort, Hokkaido offers a marked change for people from parts of Asia where snow is nonexistent.

Some other factors might also be at play in fueling the rise in tourism. For one, direct flights began running between Bangkok and New Chitose Aiport in late 2012. For another, in recent years Japan has offered visa exemptions to short-term travelers from Thailand and four other Southeast Asian nations.

Many may well be celebrating the ensuing influx of tourists. In the case of Niseko, investment by non-Japanese in local ski areas and condominiums has fueled collective economic growth. Furthermore, operators of tour buses are finding themselves booked to capacity.

▼ Niseko ski area

1024px-Niseko-Higashiyama

Yet New Chitose Airport offers a glimpse at the other side of the tourist boom. With too few departure gates to serve all international travelers, long lines have become a common sight, as have delays. From April to November of last year, 386 flights were delayed by more than 30 minutes, an increase of 65 percent.

The dramatic rise in delays may have an unexpected cause: passengers carrying oversized baggage. It appears that many foreign visitors return home with several cardboard boxes of omiyage, or souvenirs. Seeing as the list of tax exempt items was expanded in October of 2014, now is certainly a good time to stock up on gifts.

Regarding this shopping craze, one store employee at New Chitose Airport said: “Visitors from China and Taiwan generally buy gifts in large quantities, so we consider them very valued customers.”

And well they might be. However, these visitors with oversized baggage often end up being sent to a limited number of service counters, causing a rush in processing and subsequent delays.

▼ We’ve all been here before

The_crowded_departure_lobby_of_Tokyo-Narita_Airport_Terminal_2

Even the aforementioned tour bus drivers seem to be feeling the strain, despite thriving business. A driver for M’s MESSE, a Sapporo-based tour service, was quoted as saying: “Even if we can mobilize management to double as drivers, it still won’t be enough [to keep up with demand].”

Seeing as New Chitose Aiport is aiming for 3 million international travelers in 2020 (for comparison, there were 1,540,000 in 2014), some big changes will have to be made to deal with the increased traffic. Some say the answer lies in more equipment and staff, while others argue that the airport should both begin providing 24-hour service and expand the number of landing areas for planes arriving from China.

Whatever the solution, there seems to be no sign of letting up in the flow of foreign travelers to Hokkaido.

Source: [Hokkaido News Link, JCast News, Kaigai no Hannou Blog, and Keizaikai] via Naver Matome, Mainichi Shinbun
Images: Wikipedia/663highland, Wikipedia/Wakimasa, Wikipedia/Nanashinodensyaku

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Origin: As foreign tourists come streaming in, Hokkaido’s New Chitose Airport nears breaking point
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Hideous werebeast (unsuccessfully) attacks Indonesian palm oil plant workers 【Video】

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In what might be the first ever case of one of those viral cryptozoological animal videos actually being real, a bunch of Indonesian palm oil plant workers recently recorded a run-in with some sort of crazy-looking, hairless werebeast that supposedly charged them.

Of course, this being a real video and not a hoax, instead of running away and shooting grainy, over-the-shoulder footage of the guy the group agreed make wear some silly Halloween costume, the workers who recorded this video responded to the charging beast by beating the ever-living crap out of it.

Supposedly the below footage was taken after the creature woke up from beating-induced unconsciousness and started pitifully crawling away in a daze.

Astonishingly, instead of claiming they’d seen some sort of alien or real-life demon come to earth in order to get their 15 minutes of fame and a book deal, the workers remained realistic about the encounter, apparently presuming the scary-looking creature was a regular – albeit agitated – animal with some type of disease.

Indeed, wildlife officials say the creature was most likely a sun bear that had somehow lost, or been born without, its coat of fur. This seems to be the explanation for a lot of cryptozoological sightings, but before you go accusing cryptozoologists of purposefully inflating their encounters, let us assure you: Hairless mammals genuinely look frikkin’ terrifying.

Source: Stomp
Featured Image: Stomp via Borneo Post

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Origin: Hideous werebeast (unsuccessfully) attacks Indonesian palm oil plant workers 【Video】
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Cats in places they shouldn’t be, humans and spirits just have to deal【Photos】

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If it’s worth saying once, it’s worth repeating hundreds of times over, cats own everything. It doesn’t matter what an object’s original purpose was, or who it was built for, because according to the cat, it was built for them.

It’s said that cats are also spiritual animals, that they can see spirits and beings that we humans can’t. Which is why, when you think about it, a cat moving into a shrine set up specifically for spirits, doesn’t makes a lot of sense. Because if cats can communicate with the other world, wouldn’t the two of them have a debate over who is the main tenant?

Heck, no! A cat doesn’t give a meow! Spirit houses in Thailand have found some furry little inhabitants, and simple humans can’t believe the audacity of those cats. These spirit houses are set up to provide shelter and a distraction to beings who would think about entering your home, with votive offerings placed on them which are meant to nourish the spirits. A cat, on the other hand, sees food, water and shelter and thinks, “There’s my new home!”

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They don’t seem to be bothered by any discontent spirits who were parking their butts there. If any of these cats could talk to ghosts, they would definitely be saying, “What’s yours is mine and what’s mine is mine. Shouldn’t somebody be cleaning my litter box right now?”

Source: Coconuts Bangkok
Images: Facebook (สมาคมต่อต้านสิ่งงมงาย), Inunt, Din, Pantip

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Origin: Cats in places they shouldn’t be, humans and spirits just have to deal【Photos】
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Learn a month’s worth of delicious Indonesian dishes with Frenchman’s punk rock song 【Video】

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Nasi_Kuning

Unfortunately for everyone who loves delicious food, Indonesian restaurants are in short supply around the world and some people’s knowledge of the cuisine is limited to Indonesian “Ethnic” Cup Noodle. Fortunately though, a French singer named Fransoa, fell in love with Indonesian food and decided to write a punk song about it.

Using the bizarre music video as a base, we are going to introduce 30 of the Indonesian dishes that Fransoa mentions in his song. Get out a napkin because you’ll be drooling by the end of this.

Before we start with the food, let’s talk about Fransoa. We wish we could tell you more, because he seems like quite the character. As far as we can tell, he is a wacky Frenchman who brought his musical talents to the shores of Indonesia and had a “hit” parody song a few years back, entitled “Kalu Saya Kaya.”

With years living in the world’s largest archipelago under his belt, he has apparently developed quite the appetite for Indonesian cuisine. His new song, “Aku Lapar” (I’m Hungry), is said to be a parody of “Ça plane pour moi” a 1977 song by Plastic Bertrand. “Aku Lapar” is also “the only song in the world that includes 43 Indonesian dishes.” This makes us wonder how many dishes the previous holder of this record mentioned in their song.

▼ The video doesn’t exactly increase your appetite though.

The video was shot at The Bistro, ironically, a French restaurant in Seminyak, Bali. It’s nice to see the staff getting into it, despite not normally serving the dishes in the lyrics!

As mentioned above, the title of the song is “Aku Lapar,” which means, “I’m hungry.” As the song progresses, Fransoa gets progressively hungrier as well, singing, aku mulai lapar (I’m getting hungry), saya sudah lapar (I’m hungry), aku masih lapar (I’m still hungry) and then near the end, saya sudah penuh (I’m full).

Now, let’s make you hungry! Going in the order in which Fransoa sings them, we now present to you 30 of the 43 Indonesian dishes he loves.

1. Mie rebus
A sweet and spicy curry sauce served with yellow egg noodles and a variety of meat and vegetable toppings.

Mie Rebus Jawa

2. Mie bakso
Another noodle dish (mie = noodle), but this time with bakso, Indonesian meat balls. Although usually made with beef and tapioca flour, bakso can be made with any meat or fish. (When you watch the video again, pay attention to the necklaces, one spells bakso!)

Bakso_mi_bihun

3. Ayam bakar
Ayam bakar is a generic term for charcoal grilled chicken. (Ayam = chicken)

Ayam_bakar_Aie_Badarun

4. Ikan goreng
Another generic term, this is fried fish, usually covered in delicious spices! (Ikan= fish)

ikan_goreng

5. Ikan bakar
Ikan bakar is… can you guess? Ayam bakar is grilled chicken, and ikan goreng is fried fish, so ikan bakar is…you got it, grilled fish!

Ikan_kakap_bakar_madu

6. Karedok
This healthy dish is a salad of mixed raw vegetables with a peanut sauce.

Karedok

7. Ketuput Sayur (In the song, sayur ketaput)
A vegetable dish featuring Indonesian rice cakes, ketaput (the white chunks).

Ketupat_sayur_Betawi

8. Paniki 
The main ingredient in this interesting dish is fruit bat! It’s cooked with coconut milk and spices. Yum…?

paniki

9. Papeda
A staple food, this is eaten in place of rice on some islands. It’s translated into English as sago congee, and then translated into understandable English as a starchy porridge made from the heart of a certain kind of palm.

Papeda, Kuah Kuning, Ikan Tude Bakar 2

10. Krupuk
These are deep-fried crackers that come in a variety of different seasonings. (There’s a necklace and an earring honoring it in the video!)

kerupuk.1

11. Nasi Goreng
Nasi means “rice” (this knowledge will come in handy with the next few entries). Nasi goreng is fried rice.

Nasi Goreng Sosis Breakfast Savoy Homann Hotel

12. Nasi Campur
This rice dish is “mixed rice,” but really, it’s a mixed assortment of side dishes served with white rice.

Plate_of_nasi_campur_(Mandarin_Oriental_Hotel_Mahapahit_Surabaya_Indonesia)

13. Nasi Kuning
Kuning means “yellow.” Can you guess what this one is? Yellow rice! It’s named for the color (obviously), which it gets from the spice turmeric.

Nasi_Kuning

14. Nasi Liwet
Nasi liwet looks like steamed rice, but boy, it is so much more. Instead of being cooked with water, it’s cooked with coconut milk, chicken stock and lemongrass.

Nasi Liwet Solo

15. Mie Ayam
You might know these words by now, mie ayam, literally means, “noodle chicken,” but this is also known as bakmi ayam. Bakmi is the name of the yellow wheat noodles.

Mi_ayam_jamur

16. Roti Canai
This flatbread originally comes from India and is usually curry flavored.

Canai

17. Tumpeng
You saw that yellow rice cone earlier under nasi kuning, but here the focus is on the goodies surrounding the rice. This festive platter is an arrangement of meats and vegetables.

Tumpeng-Jawa

18. Gado-gado
Another healthy dish, not that they don’t all seem pretty healthy. Here we have a cooked vegetable salad with peanut sauce.

Gado-gado_in_Jakarta

19. Bubur Ayam
If you’re thinking “something chicken,” you’re quite correct. This is a rice porridge with chicken and other condiments.

Bubur_ayam_chicken_porridge

20. Manado Sayur
Manado style cooking comes from the Minahasan people in North Sulawesi. They’re known to use exotic animals (see #8) and lots of spices. Sayur means vegetable, so we’re assuming Fransoa is talking about something like the papaya flower bud salad pictured below, a dish of Manado cuisine.

Manado sayur

21. Lemper
Lempur is kind of like an oblong onigiri. A filling of chicken or fish is wrapped up in rice to make a roll, which is then covered in a banana leaf.

Lemper

22. Getuk
Getuk is a sweet food made with mashed cassava, sugar and coconut.

Getuk_Magelang

23. Mie Kocok
If you remember from above, mie means noodle. This soup is made with beef stock, noodles, meat and other delicious toppings.

745px-Mie_Kocok_Bandung

24. Nasi Padang
Yet another rice dish for the collection. This one originated in Padang City and is more about the presentation than the rice. The rice is just steamed white rice, but it’s served with an array of side dishes.

768px-Masakan_Khas_Minang_Melayu

25. Nasi Pecel 
This is similar to gado-gado, the cooked veggies with peanut sauce, but here it’s served over steamed rice.

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26. Pepes
Pepes is a cooking style of wrapping food up in a banana leaf then roasting it over a fire, steaming or boiling it. Below is pepes ikan (the fish version).

Pepes ikan emas (pais lauk mas) Sunda

27. Sayur Asem
This is a dish featuring tamarind, but also contains a variety of fruits and veggies, including jackfruit.

Sayur_asem_vegetable_soup

28. Sayur Lodeh
This soup has a coconut and beef-stock base and is served with vegetables.

Sayur_lodeh

29. Sambal Goreng
Sambal is a sauce made with crushed red and green chili peppers and goreng means fried. You can create a variety of dishes by frying with sambal, such as the sambal goreng krecheck dish below, which contains cattle skin (yes, cattle skin).

SONY DSC

30. Kari
Fransoa mentions kari, or Indonesian curry, sporadically throughout the song, so we decided to save it for last. It is often served with chicken, kari ayam, or with goat meat, kari kambing (below).

Roti_Cane_Kari_Kambing

So now you’ve been introduced to pretty much all of the foods found in Fransoa’s song, which are in turn, some of the more common dishes in Indonesian cuisine. Your next two challenges are to listen to the song again and try to pick out all of the different food names, and then try to eat everything on this list! Good luck!

Sources: Jakarta Coconuts, Tribune Kaltim, YouTube (Fransoa Indonesia, mbakyu lanjar [lyrics]), RocketNews24’s Amy Chavez‘s brain
Images: Info Lamongan 25, Wikimedia Commons  [Christian r 2; Christina Razukas 24Dietrich Ayala 29; Fitri Agung 30Gunawan Kartapranata 1, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 23; Gunkarta 26, Hariadhi 21;Indradi Soemardjan 16;Merutsault2004 17; mattjlc 8; Midori 45, 7, 15, 22, 28; Miss_Yasmina 13; Ramzy Muliawan 3; Sakai Midori 18, 19, 27; Serenity 10; Top Image: Taken from YouTube (Fransoa Indonesia)

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Origin: Learn a month’s worth of delicious Indonesian dishes with Frenchman’s punk rock song 【Video】
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Resort in Philippines has literally giant Gundam rip-off, plus Disney and Marvel knockoffs galore

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PG 30

Although the Philippines have plenty of seaside travel destinations, Jed’s Island Resort isn’t one of them. Being located in the landlocked municipality of Calumpit means that while Jed’s isn’t far from Manila Bay, it doesn’t have any coastline to call its own.

That’s OK, though, because you can still relax in one of the resort’s nine advertised swimming pools. And while you may not be able to enjoy listening to the sound of the waves, you will be able to look up at Jed’s gigantic Gundam statue that’s as tall as the one in Tokyo yet far, far skinnier. Not into anime? Not a problem! Jed’s is also home to beloved characters from Disney, Marvel, and DC…or at least their disturbingly off-model, knockoff doppelgangers.

The facility’s grounds used to be a private estate, but were opened to guests as Jed’s Island Resort in 1995. The resort’s website boasts that “During its five summers of existence, Jed’s has welcomed actors and actresses, singers, and band members from showbiz as its guest.” Ordinarily, we’d write the use of “guest” off as a typo, but considering that the reference to Jed’s five summers of existence is on a web page updated in 2014, nearly 20 years after the resort’s opening, it’s possible the management simply isn’t very good at math.

But hey, who needs statistical accuracy when you’ve got the most iconic giant robot in the history of Japanese animation, the RX-78-2 Gundam!

PG 1

Wow…looks like Gundam needs a sandwich. Or, seeing as how he’s in the Philippines, maybe a plate of lechon, the local variety of suckling pig. The robot is looking so skinny that we’re surprised it can still stand, and also so anemic that there’s no way it could survive an attack by the bellicose Zeon forces.

Gundam is so gaunt that at first glance it seems like the photo is the product of a weird camera lens, but the proportions of the woman standing between his feet aren’t warped at all.

PG 25

As further proof, here’s the anorexic mobile suit from a different angle that reveals more of its narrow dimensions.

PG 20

Still, this is a pretty gutsy move by Jed’s designers. Non-official wonky physique and large letter J on its crotch, that’s clearly and literally a huge Gundam rip-off. We’re sure executives at Bandai, the company which holds the licensing rights to all things Gundam, aren’t happy about it. If it’s any consolation, though, Bandai’s lawyers should bear in mind that Jed’s Island Resort isn’t just ripping off Gundam, they’re ripping off everybody!

Well, maybe not everybody, but that only seems to be because there’s not enough space for a project of that magnitude. Still, Jed’s has done an impressive job of filling its property with as many unlicensed likenesses as it can hold. The resort isn’t shy about this, either, at least in the case of these two photos from its Facebook page, which are excitedly touted as “New attraction-One Piece at Jed’s! and Big Hero Robot Baymax!”

PG 2

Among Frozen’s many crowd-pleasing aspects, some fans were thrilled to see a Disney movie with two princesses. But apparently the special Jed’s edition of the film features no less than three royal ladies.

PG 4

Elsewhere, Jed’s gets the number of siblings just right. Can’t say the same about their facial features, though.

PG 22

▼ Elsa must be hitting the gym regularly to have added that much muscle definition to her shoulders. She’s apparently become so addicted to the pump from lifting weights that she’s curling half a head of cabbage.

PG 23

Going from Disney’s newest hit characters to their oldest, here’s Mickey and pals Goofy, Donald, and Mickey Clones 1 through 3, plus rival Bugs Bunny, all posing in front of a brachiosaur.

▼ Because really, wouldn’t you want a shot of that?

PG 17

We’re guessing some older, hand-drawn cartoon characters must look down on their nouveau rich CG counterparts. How else could you explain why the heroes of Avatar were left out of the Disney/Warner Bros. group photo?

PG 13

Of course, not all classic animated characters are so set in their ways. For example, Snow White has expanded her social circle beyond her seven stout housemates, and is seen here in the company of 1977 anime mecha Voltes V.

PG 12

▼ Can he still wake her from her sleep with a kiss if he doesn’t have lips?

PG 11

As a matter of fact, Jed’s Island Resort seems to be all about crossovers, like this snapshot of the Sesame Street gang hanging out with Mother Goose.

PG 6

▼ Big Bird looks both remarkably skinny and decidedly militant in this photo.

PG 7
▼ Hey, did you steal the slice of pizza Big Bird was planning to eat for lunch, weirdly tall Elmo?

PG 8

Awesome as it is to see Superman and Captain America in the same place, it’d still be cooler if they were fighting.

PG 14

Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Wonder Woman seem to have climbed all the way to the top of the water slide tower before losing their nerve to actually go down it.

PG 10

Legalities aside, we can at least see why the management of Jed’s Island Resort would want to decorate their pools with these instantly recognizable and hugely popular characters. They may have been a little too zealous in their efforts to copy as much as possible, though. For example, can you imagine any travelers picking where to stay according to which resort has the cast of free mobile game Clash of Clans?

PG 18

But even then, Jed’s “creative” team wasn’t done scraping the bottom of the barrel, because you haven’t exhausted every option until you’ve made a knock-off based on the cover 1980’s flight disaster satire Airplane!

PG 21

If that doesn’t have kids begging their parents to come, we don’t know what will.

Related: Jed’s Island Resort
Source: Gogo Tsushin
Top image: Jed’s Island Resort (1, 2, 3) (edited by RocketNews24)
Insert images: Jed’s Island Resort Facebook (1, 2, 3, 4), Wikipedia/Before My Ken (edited by RocketNews24)

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Origin: Resort in Philippines has literally giant Gundam rip-off, plus Disney and Marvel knockoffs galore
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Japan, China, Thailand and Korea summed up in one phrase each – but are they accurate?

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A thought-provoking post recently appeared on Chinese micro-blogging site Weibo purporting to sum up the national characteristic of Japan, China, Thailand and Korea in one simple phrase each. The post gained a huge amount of attention online for its controversial nature, with many people criticising the reducing of entire countries down to a single limiting phrase. Others, however, thought that the phrases chosen were pretty spot on

The poster, who has over a million followers on the site, posted their one-phrase summaries of the four different Asian countries with a disclaimer stating “This is my true opinion… there can be no denial.” While we’re not sure why exactly the four phrases chosen seem to focus on themes of beauty and self-image, here’s what they came up with…

China = SELFIE

Hmm, we’re not so sure about this one. In fact, “selfie” probably isn’t even on the top ten list of things that symbolise China for us. However, the poster explains that the Chinese are very good at making themselves look good through the use of clever angles and Photoshop. Hmm.

Flickr © Azchael

Japan = MAKEUP

Again, not the first thing we’d think of. But in terms of beauty tricks, we have to agree that Japan’s ladies have a pretty awesome arsenal of cosmetics designed to conceal every flaw and enhance every feature. It’s pretty amazing what they can do with some circle lenses and false eyelashes, after all.

Flickr © ict.wa4

Korea = COSMETIC SURGERY

No points for originality here. Still, whether you agree with the idea of going under the knife to fix your flaws or not, we have to admit some South Korean cosmetic surgery is genuinely  impressive. But what about K-pop, or delicious kimchi, or a million other awesome things Korea has that we could use to describe the country? We’re starting to think that the original poster is kinda shallow here!

Flickr © Aiena Zahira Daim

Thailand = SEX CHANGE

Really? How about beautiful beaches, delicious pad thai, or a bazillion other awesome things about Thailand we could mention? Nope, it’s ladyboys all the way here, and while we can’t deny that Thailand’s got some real stunners, we still think it’s a bit too limiting to state that the entirety of Thailand could be summarised by a single subset of its culture.

Flickr ©Adeel Anwer

What do you think of the Chinese netizen’s “concepts” of China, Japan, Korea and Thailand? Accurate? Lazy? What short phrase would you use to sum up your own country? Answers, as always, in the comments section below!

Source: NicoVideo
Main Image: Flickr © Jonathan Leung

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Origin: Japan, China, Thailand and Korea summed up in one phrase each – but are they accurate?
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Fake 7-Elevens across Asia: you can hide, but we’re on to you

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Take a quick look at the picture above. Notice anything strange? Perceptive readers may have spotted something out-of-place right away. If you didn’t, well, no worries, but you’ll probably want to facepalm yourself when you take a second look.

Like this Chinese “7-Twelve,” there are a number of fake, localized versions of popular convenience store 7-Eleven scattered throughout the Asian continent. They may think they can slip through the cracks, but perhaps it’s only a matter of time before a lawyer comes knocking at their doors. We have to hand it to them, though–they score high on creativity for coming up with some amusing names.

Let’s take a look at some photographic evidence of the various 7-Eleven wannabes out there.

Japan

You may not have guessed it, but our first offender is actually from none other than Japan! Err, was, that is–this particular store is no longer in business.

“7-Mercy” apparently opened during the latter years of the Showa Era (1926-1989) somewhere in Miyagi Prefecture. We certainly did a double take the first time we glanced at the store’s logo:

3Pds exblog 

Ironically, there’s now a real 7-Eleven located right across the street:

4Tabitsubo

China

Moving on to China, we’re once again almost, but not quite, fooled by the familiar-looking red and green logo. Perhaps someone was trying to make a statement by one-upping the number eleven? At least they spelled it right…

1Twitter (@livein_china)

 Here we’ve got the presumably less-convenient “9-One.” We wonder what the significance of the numbers “nine” and “one” is…

5

Blogimg goo

Vietnam

If you travel further south in Asia, you can find a mini-mart in the guise of “7-Days.”

6    Norinpop

Cambodia

Does the name “7-Bright” suggest that it’s only open when there’s still light outside? Or that the shop workers will greet you with bright smiles? Perhaps only intelligent people can shop here…

7Aicoaico

Nepal (Pokhara)

Although the sign reads “7-Eleven,” the merchandise being sold there appears to be fitting only for some kind of school festival.

8Bengal-hime

Here’s a new one–how would you like to waste the night away at the “7-Eleven Dance Bar”?

2Sekai Tsunagaru (junjun2310)

South Korea (Dongdaemun district, Seoul)

Finally, we have this “7-Seven” mart located in a popular Korean tourist area. While lacking the chain’s distinctive red and green stripes, the design of the numeral “7” still comes a little too close to the real thing.

10Sky geocities

Has anyone seen any other fake 7-Elevens out there during their travels around the globe? We’re sure there’s a whole slew of counterfeit shops for other popular chains, such as McDonald’s and Starbucks, as well. Feel free to share your observations in the comments section below!

Sources: Naver Matome; H/T Kotaku USA
Top image: Twitter (@livein_China)

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Origin: Fake 7-Elevens across Asia: you can hide, but we’re on to you
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