Category: Lifestyle

Shooting Hoops…in Hong Kong

If you were asked to guess which city in the world has the most basketball courts…you probably wouldn’t say Hong Kong. This dense urban area has a surprisingly hidden secret – and that’s it plethora of places to play and enjoy the game.

How, exactly, has anyone come to this conclusion? This discovery comes from American photographer Austin Bell, who spent three years documenting every basketball court in the city, capturing over 58,000 photos of 2,549 courts.

The prevalence of these courts stems from Hong Kong’s unique urban planning policies dating back to the 1950s and ’60s. Public housing guidelines mandated one basketball court per 10,000 residents—a higher ratio than any other outdoor sports facility. The courts’ compact size made them ideal for Hong Kong’s space-constrained environment, allowing them to be creatively integrated into the urban fabric: on rooftops, between skyscrapers, and even in remote island communities.

Bell’s project, showcased in his exhibition “Shooting Hoops,” reveals how these courts serve multiple purposes beyond basketball. From choral practices to pet tortoise walking and drying orange peels, they’ve become vital community spaces in one of the world’s densest cities. The courts represent Hong Kong’s innovative approach to urban design, where efficiency meets community needs, creating what urban design expert Jeroen van Ameijde calls a “hyper-dense mix of both life and work, commerce and efficiency.”

Shooting Hoops will include a book launch and exhibition at the Blue Lotus Gallery until February 23rd. Located at 28 Pound Lane, Tal Ping Shan in Hong Kong, it’s definitely worth a visit if you are there. And the book will be a fascinating one to own and enjoy for basketball lovers around the world.

Tips to Stop Procrastinating

Research shows that procrastination is fundamentally rooted in emotion regulation, with people delaying tasks as a way to cope with negative feelings about those tasks. This avoidance behavior can lead to serious consequences including physical health problems, anxiety, and deteriorating relationships, according to research from Durham University.

The underlying causes of chronic procrastination vary significantly. Some people procrastinate due to fear of imperfection or failure, while others may have neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD or unresolved trauma that makes task completion challenging. Understanding these root causes through therapy or self-reflection is essential for developing effective solutions.

With that said, what are some quick ideas that can be offered to help people when they procrastinate?Several practical strategies can help break the cycle of procrastination. Creating manageable schedules with realistic timelines helps prevent overwhelm. Using positive rewards rather than self-criticism provides better motivation. Breaking large tasks into smaller pieces makes them less daunting, while techniques like the Pomodoro method (25-minute focused work intervals) or the Eisenhower Matrix (prioritizing tasks by urgency and importance) help with time management. Additional approaches include mindfulness techniques for emotion regulation, ensuring adequate sleep and exercise, and utilizing social support systems for accountability.

Success in overcoming procrastination typically comes from implementing a personalized combination of these strategies while maintaining realistic expectations for progress.

A Sustainable Health Plan Idea

Yes, the new year just started and people are always talking about New Year’s resolutions at this time. Hopefully, you’ve already created a sustainable food and fitness plan that doesn’t have to be modified or started again just because the calendar turned to January 1. But if you haven’t yet created a fitness plan – here is a great way to start.

You don’t have to join a gym (although you certainly can!) or exercise for hours a day in order to see results and health benefits. Here are two very simple ways to start to incorporate fitness into your regular routine. Two fundamental elements – core strength and walking – can form the foundation of a sustainable fitness journey.

Your core is more than just visible abs – it’s a complex system of muscles that includes your entire midsection, from abs and obliques to lower back and pelvic floor muscles. This powerhouse stabilizes your body, enables movement in all directions, and transmits power through your limbs. The plank exercise stands out as an excellent way to strengthen your entire core, offering modifications and variations to suit any fitness level. Here is an article that explains more about the plank and about how to get started incorporating this into your life!

Complementing core work with regular walking provides remarkable benefits with no need for a gym membership or equipment purchases. Starting with just five minutes of walking per day can build momentum toward a more active lifestyle. To maximize benefits, try increasing intensity gradually, perhaps by adding weights or incorporating stairs. Walking also offers mental health benefits, reducing anxiety and depression.

For optimal results, combine both elements: maintain a strong core for stability and power, while using walking as your daily cardiovascular foundation. Remember that consistency trumps intensity when starting out – small, sustainable changes lead to lasting fitness improvements.

What Happens to Those Dresses After the Gala?

Have you ever wondered what happens to those incredibly fancy gowns worn to the Oscars, Golden Globes and other awards shows once the night is over? Certainly most women would never be caught in the gown again – and they wouldn’t exactly loan it to their friend to wear for another occasion. So what happens?

CNN recently covered this topic and their findings were quite illuminating. The afterlife of a red carpet gown is far more complex and carefully orchestrated than you might imagine. Immediately after an event, these garments undergo a cleaning process to remove any traces of makeup, perfume, or body products that could damage the fabric over time. This preservation step is crucial, as even invisible residues can oxidize and alter the garment’s color and texture.

Most gowns then make their way to specialized storage facilities, either owned by fashion houses or private archivists like The Wardrobe. These aren’t ordinary storage units – they’re more like museums, with carefully controlled temperature, humidity, and lighting conditions. Each piece receives individualized treatment: some hang, others rest in boxes, and some require custom dress forms to maintain their shape. The storage method depends entirely on the garment’s construction and materials.

These preserved gowns can follow several paths. Some are selected for museum exhibitions, becoming historical artifacts that document both fashion evolution and cultural moments. The logistics of moving these pieces are incredibly complex – some require seven-foot-tall custom crates for transportation. Other gowns become part of fashion house archives, preserved for future reference and inspiration.

Occasionally, celebrities purchase their gowns, as Kim Kardashian has done with her Met Gala outfits. In rarer cases, gowns take unexpected journeys – like Elizabeth Taylor’s Dior Oscar dress being discovered in a friend’s suitcase years later, or Lady Gaga’s Golden Globes gown allegedly ending up in hotel lost and found. Some garments, like Tyla’s 2023 Met Gala Balmain creation, are even deliberately altered or partially destroyed after their red carpet moment, becoming part of the evening’s performance art.

This careful preservation of red carpet gowns reflects their evolution from mere clothing to significant cultural artifacts, worthy of museum-quality care and documentation.

5 Wacky Ways to Spend New Year’s Eve

We all know about the ball drop in Times Square, of course, and about having a party at your house. But there are many other ways to spend New Year’s Eve. Some of them are wackier than others – and here is a taste of some truly wacky ways to enjoy the evening if you happen to find yourself in one of these areas.

In Princess Anne, Maryland, a caped muskrat sporting a stovepipe hat ziplines into the new year, bringing local charm to this unconventional celebration. The event is called The Muskrat Dives at Midnight and includes a dj, oysters, party favors, games and more.

Out west, Prescott, Arizona embraces its cowboy heritage with the Whiskey Row Boot Drop. A massive six-foot illuminated boot descends from a 40-foot flagpole not once, but twice – giving early birds and night owls alike a chance to witness this uniquely Western spectacle.

Sweet tooths flock to Mobile, Alabama, where a gigantic 600-pound MoonPie makes its descent. The festivities span all day, featuring a special kids’ drop at noon and creative activities like decorated-umbrella contests.

Mount Olive, North Carolina keeps it briny with their famous pickle drop at 7 p.m. sharp. The giant pickle plunges into an equally enormous jar, followed by fireworks and free pickle handouts to celebrate.

Not to be outdone, Plymouth, Wisconsin – the cheese capital of the world – drops a massive wedge of cheese as the clock strikes midnight. Lucky early arrivals receive gift bags of Sartori cheese, while everyone enjoys music and a dedicated cheese-tasting station.

You can’t get much more American than these cute cultural events for New Year’s Eve. Have fun, be creative, and stay safe!

AI: Artistic Evolution or Inauthentic?

AI is certainly a controversial topic for artists. Should it be incorporated into artistic work? Does it mean the artist has lost the authenticity of his or her work?

One famous artist is answering with a resounding no to AI being an issue. In his groundbreaking London exhibition, Takashi Murakami demonstrates how artificial intelligence has become a transformative tool in contemporary art. By reimagining Iwasa Matabei’s 17th-century epic “Rakuchu Rakugai Zu Byobu,” Murakami reveals AI’s potential as a collaborative artistic partner rather than a replacement for human creativity.

The 62-year-old artist embraced AI to reconstruct damaged sections of the historic artwork, engaging in an iterative dialogue with the technology. Through multiple rounds of refinement, Murakami and AI co-created a unique interpretation that blends traditional Japanese art with his signature pop aesthetics. His approach challenges the ongoing debate about AI’s role in creative industries, positioning the technology as a sophisticated tool for artistic exploration.

Murakami’s perspective stands in stark contrast to many artists who view AI with skepticism. He sees technological evolution as inevitable, drawing parallels to how digital design was once considered inauthentic but is now standard practice. By integrating AI into his meticulous restoration process, Murakami demonstrates that technological innovation can enhance, rather than diminish, artistic expression.

His work suggests that the future of art lies not in resisting change, but in creatively embracing technological collaboration. Some will definitely disagree – and the discussion will continue in many artistic locations around the world for years to come.