-TATTOOS, PIERCINGS & SCARIFICATION-

A tattoo is a marking made by inserting dark, indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment for decorative or other reasons. Tattoos on humans are a type of decorative body modification.

Body piercing, a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewellery may be worn.The history of body piercing is obscured by a lack of scholarly reference and popular misinformation, ample evidence exists to document that it has been practiced in various forms by both sexes since ancient times throughout the world.

Scarifying involves scratching, etching, or superficially cutting designs, pictures, or words into the skin as a permanent body modification. In the process of body scarification, scars are formed by cutting or branding the skin. Scarification is sometimes called cicatrisation.

1. Buddhist Monk, Thailand

Tattoos, piercings, and body markings have played roles in many cultures for millennia, serving as identification, protection, and decoration. Here, a young monk is tattooed with a sharp rod near a Buddhist temple in Thailand. Tattoos are believed to bestow the monks with ancient Khmer prayers and the spiritually protective power of animal images.

2. Hennaed Hands, India

For hundreds of years, women in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia have decorated their bodies with designs painted with a paste made from henna leaves, a practice called mehndi in India. Trendy in recent years, the lacework decorations are part of a tradition of creating designs to ward off evil or declare one’s happiness.

3. Mursi Woman, Ethiopia

A Mursi woman from the Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia is adorned with face markings and an ornamental clay lip plate, considered signs of beauty among her people.

4.Tattooed Man, Canada

Tattoos on the face and body of a Montreal man known as Zombie are intended to make him resemble a decomposed corpse. Tattooing is one of the oldest forms of art and is laden with as many different meanings as there are global cultures

5.Scarred Woman, Benin

Scars form a pattern on the abdomen of a young woman in Benin, where such ritual markings may be endured at young age

6. Padaung Woman, Thailand

When young, Padaung women are fitted with brass rings to ward off evil spirits. In recent years, human rights groups have expressed concerns about the practice and its exploitation by companies catering to tourists.

7. Maasai Man, Kenya

Colorful beadwork covers the ear of a Maasai man in Kenya. Both men and women Maasai wear earrings and stretch their earlobes to enhance beauty.

8. Kuna Woman, Panama

Paint adorns the nose of a Kuna woman in Panama. Members of the indigenous Indian tribe strive to retain cultural traditions even as they forge ties with the modern world.

9. Goth Clubgoer, Italy

A nightclub in Rome, Italy, attracts patrons—like this man with facial piercings and eerie contact lenses—who identify with its Gothic theme

10. Dassanech Man, Ethiopia

A Dassanech man’s extensive scarification indicates that he has killed an enemy in battle. Ash rubbed into the wounds causes the distinctive scarring. The Dassanech are one of many tribes that inhabit Ethiopia’s Omo Valley

11. Tattoo Artist, Japan

One of Japan’s top tattoo artists creates traditional Japanese art on a woman’s back during a cultural performance for the press in Tokyo. The presentation aimed to introduce the historical and cultural underpinnings of tattoo art.

-STREET FOODS-

Street food is food obtainable from a streetside vendor, often from a makeshift or portable stall. While some street foods are regional, many are not, having spread beyond their region of origin. Most street food is both finger and fast food. According to the FAO, 2.5 billion people eat street food every day.
Street food is intimately connected with take-out, junk food, snacks, and fast food; it is distinguished by its local flavor and by being purchased on the sidewalk, without entering any building.
As GBS says,” There is no sincerer love than the love of food”.
Below are some of the street foods from around the world !...

1. Mint Tea, Morocco

Glasses filled to the rim with mint, and a healthy helping of sugar, stand ready for the preparation of Morocco’s distinctive green tea. The beverage refreshes the spirit on a hot day in Marrakech, but it’s far more than a thirst quencher. The tea’s preparation and enjoyment are an essential part of the Moroccan culture and a “must-try” experience for any visitor.

2. Miaokou Night Market, Taiwan

Chilung's Miaokou Night Market has an old temple at its center, but the main focus here is feasting. The market’s yellow lanterns illuminate a mouthwatering array of traditional Taiwanese snack foods, including savory noodle soups, oyster omelets, snails, sticky rice, and tripe. Taiwanese and tourists alike say no visit is complete without a fruity “bubble ice” dessert—black plum is a local favorite.

3. Shanghai Dumplings, China

A Shanghai street vendor serves up a freshly fried helping of the city’s favorite snack—dumplings. The treats are ubiquitous in Shanghai, available in many flavors and combinations.

4.Noodles, Thailand

A strainer full of noodles, fresh off an open fire, commands the total concentration of a cook in Bangkok's Chinatown. The skill of such street chefs, and the aroma of their creations, proves irresistible to many passersby.

5. Chicken Intestines, Philippines

Filipino food vendors created this heaping helping of isaw manok, skewered chicken intestines that are first marinated and later grilled or deep fried to perfection. The snack is typically served with sweet, sour, or spicy sauces.

6. Beach Food, India

When beachgoers in Goa need a break, tasty treats like these are always close at hand. Unlimited supplies of samosas, chicken, cool drinks and other favorite Indian fare are found at Anjuna Beach—a onetime hippie haven that still draws sun-loving, fun-loving travelers from around the world.

7. Grasshoppers, China

Chinese street foods, like this “bouquet” of skewered grasshoppers, often raise Western eyebrows. But insect eating isn’t as unusual as you might imagine. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that more than 1,400 protein-rich insect species are regularly enjoyed by humans around the world.

8. Banh Mi Sandwiches, Vietnam

Serving with a smile, a Vietnamese vendor taps a colonial legacy to create an irresistible street cuisine. Banh mi sandwiches, like these in Nhatrang, feature French baguettes filled with a tasty variety of meats and vegetables. They are eagerly consumed across Vietnam, especially for breakfast or lunch.

9. Sausages, Germany

Only the best of the wurst are served at this German imbissstand. Merrymakers at this Sachsenhausen festival devour bratwurst, bockwurst, and other sausage delicacies while washing them down with beer.

10. Ceviche, Peru

A cook prepares ceviche in the seaside town of Máncora, Peru. Popular throughout Latin America, ceviche is made by using the juice of citrus, in this case limes, to pickle and "cook" a mix of raw fish and seafood.

11. Roasted Pigs, Cambodia

Visitors needn’t speak Khmer in order to understand the menu of this street-side food stand in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world. Austria eats the most per capita, followed by Spain and Denmark.

GRAFFITI...

Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property. Graffiti is any type of public markings that may appear in the forms of simple written words to elaborate wall paintings.Sometimes graffiti is employed to communicate social and political messages. To some, it is an art form worthy of display in galleries and exhibitions; to others it is merely vandalism. Graffiti has since evolved into a pop culture existence often related to underground hip hop music and b-boying creating a lifestyle that remains hidden from the general public.Graffiti can be used as a gang signal to mark territory or to serve as an indicator or "tag" for gang-related activity.There are many different types and styles of graffiti and it is a rapidly developing artform whose value is highly contested, being reviled by many authorities while also subject to protection, sometimes within the same jurisdiction.Let me take you to some of the coolest graffiti's from around d world...

Life is the art of drawing sufficient conclusions from insufficient premises....