A list of festive things
One: We love absurdly useless and expensive pop culture trends. And the ‘barkitecture’ boom checks all the boxes! Pet owners are splurging on elaborate indoor dog houses—or if you prefer #dogcondos. The real point is to solve for ugly-ass puppy crates—replacing them with “a home that feels really refined and sophisticated”—like you or the interior decor that cost you big bucks. But we have to confess—some of them are pretty cool. Like the perfectly Christmasy lead image—which was built by the guy who started the whole trend: Jonathan Lower. If you prefer something more chi-chi, how about the bedside table that doubles as a dog crate below. (The Guardian)
Two: Since 2024 is going to be the year of the dragon, here’s this amazing Buddhist temple located just 40 minutes from Bangkok. Wat Samphran is an eye-popping 17-story cylindrical pink tower—which comes wrapped in a giant dragon. The really cool bit: “Made of iron and glass fibre, the dragon that circles the building is actually hollow. Inside, there's a tunnel and staircase leading to the top.” Btw, this isn’t some ancient monument. The temple was built in 1985. You can get a sense of the entirety of the building below:
But this close-up truly captures what is magical about its architecture.
Insider has lots more photos and details.
Three: Our last seasonal offering is ‘Takanakuy’—a festival celebrated on December 25 in Peru. It features music, dancing and… fist fights! Takanakuy—which means “when the blood is boiling” in Quechua—helps people vent all that repressed resentment and let their aggression out—once and for all: “The ultimate aim is to begin the new year in peace. For this reason, every fight—whether it involves men, women or children—begins and ends with a hug.” That sounds pretty good to us—except for the fighting part. We’re big wusses Gandhians, as you well know. (New York Times, paywall, BBC News)
