StrangeSights

• We’ve already heard of island archipelagos designed to resemble palm trees or maps of the world. So why not a city shaped like a rhino in Africa? That’s the design planners in southern Sudan have reportedly come up with for their capital, the city of Juba, while a second city, Wau, is to be designed around the shape of a giraffe.

• We love words on StrangeSights, so we’re bringing you a couple of word-related stories. First up, comes the new edition of the Oxford Dictionary of English complete with freshly added words. The latest group (what to call a group of words - a paragraph?) include the ‘vuvuzela’, that annoying horn from South Africa, ‘cheeseball’ (something lacking taste, style or originality), ’staycation’ (a holiday at home), and the probably overdue term ‘climate change’. Meanwhile, staff at the Oxford English Dictionary have revealed some of the ‘words’ which never made it onto the hallowed pages. These reportedly include ‘wurfing’ (surfing the internet at work), ‘polkadodge’ (that awkward dance we have when trying to go around someone in the street), and ‘nonversation’ (a pointless chat).

• OK, it’s a little overdue but still worth mentioning. Seen on a sign outside a church in Wimbledon during the tennis championships this year: ‘What’s Jesus’ favorite score in tennis? Love all’. Have you come across any clever signs outside churches (or anywhere else for that matter?) Why not let us know?

• It’s taking a love for Star Trek to another level altogether. Tours at the Jenolan Caves, west of Sydney, are now being offer in the language of Klingon. Two Klingon language scholars were brought from the US to record the audio guide tour which will be offered alongside those in 10 more Earth languages from 22nd August. It’s not the first connection between the caves and Star Trek - the Next Generation series features a Sydney Class starship known as the USS Jenolan.

• It’s a world record to be proud of (not to mention murder on a massive scale). A Taiwanese woman has reportedly set a world record for killing mosquitos, splattering as many as four million in a single month. The woman, Huang Yuyen, beat 72 others to take out the prize in a contest which was organised by an insect-trap making company.

• A sailboat made almost entirely from 12,500 plastic bottles docked in Sydney Harbour last week, having left San Francisco four months before. The catamaran ‘Plastiki‘ set out with a crew of six on 4th March with the aim of raising awareness of the effects plastic waste has on our oceans and those who live there. The expedition was completed in four legs with stops in Kiribati, Western Samoa and New Caledonia along the way.