DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
The “airplane house” built by Chrach Pov is seen in Siem Reap province, Cambodia, on 2nd February, 2023. PICTURE: Reuters/Cindy Liu
• A Cambodian man, inspired by a lifelong dream of flying, has built a home that is modelled on a plane, complete with a fuselage-like structure standing six metres above the ground housing his two bedrooms and bathrooms. The concrete construction, which has mock engines, wings and a tailplane, was built by Chrach Pov, 43, and has created a stir in the district of Siem Reap province where he lives. “I am so excited that I can fulfil my dream now even though it is not yet 100 per cent done,” said Pov, who reckons he has spent about $20,000 so far after saving up for 30 years for the project. The construction worker plans to build a coffee shop next to his home for visitors and still hopes to be able to fly on a real plane one day, despite admitting he is nervous about actually flying. – CHANTHA LACH/Reuters
Leonel Costa caresses the dog, Bobi, that broke the record for oldest dog ever at 30 years-old, at Conqueiros, in Leiria, Portugal, on 4th February, 2023. PICTURE: Reuters/Catarina Demony
• When his dog was born three decades ago in a tiny village in central Portugal, Leonel Costa was only eight-years-old. Little did he know that his beloved Bobi would one day be recorded as the world’s oldest dog. When Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, celebrated its 30th birthday last year, Costa knew he had broken an almost century-old record held by an Australian cattle-dog that died at 29 years and five months in 1939. Costa got in touch with the Guinness World of Records, submitted all the paperwork and a year later Bobi was officially named the oldest dog on record. Bobi was 30 years and 269 days old as of 4th February. “It’s a feeling of pride we can’t explain,” Costa, 38, told Reuters as he petted Bobi near a church in the village of Conqueiros in central Portugal. “Some people told us we wouldn’t make it…but we knew Bobi’s age and were sure the exams would only prove what we already knew.” The Guinness World of Records, which made the announcement on Thursday, described Bobi’s story as “miraculous”. At the time Bobi was born, Costa’s family had many animals and little money so his father, a hunter, generally buried newborn puppies rather than keep them. But Bobi hid among a pile of firewood. Costa and his siblings found it a few days later and kept it a secret until the puppy opened its eyes. “We knew that when he opened his eyes, my parents wouldn’t be able to bury him, ” he said. Bobi’s breed usually has a life expectancy of 12 to 14 years and Costa attributed its longevity to a number of factors, including living in calm countryside, never having been chained or kept on a leash and always eating “human food”. “Of course our love and affection throughout his life has also helped,” he said, giggling. – CATARINA DEMONY and MIGUEL PEREIRA/Reuters
AJ Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil during the Groundhog Day Festivities, at Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, US, on 2nd February, 2023. PICTURE: Reuters/Alan Freed
• The celebrated groundhog known as Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his Pennsylvania burrow last Thursday and saw his shadow, a sign of six more weeks of frosty weather in North America, which so far has enjoyed one of the mildest winters on record. Thousands of revelers gathered at dawn in Punxsutawney, a small town northeast of Pittsburgh, to celebrate Groundhog Day and watch Phil climb out of his tree stump to offer his prognostication of what lies ahead in a quirky yearly ritual. “I see a shadow on my stage, and so no matter how you measure, it’s six more weeks of winter,” Phil’s official “interpreter” read in a proclamation that was met by a round of cheers and applause. According to folklore, if the rodent sees his shadow on Groundhog Day, then frigid and blustery weather will persist for six weeks. If it is cloudy and no shadow appears, the onset of spring is near. Groundhog Day, which falls on 2nd February, evolved from an ancient ritual brought to America by German immigrants who settled in what is now the state of Pennsylvania. The first official celebration of Groundhog Day was in 1886, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. The annual event, famously featured in the classic 1993 film “Groundhog Day” starring Bill Murray, draws visitors from around the world. – BRENDAN O’BRIEN/Reuters
