GIANTS.

Ulemas of Saudi Arabia believe these to be the remains of the people of Aad. Saudi Military secured the whole area so as not to let anyone enter the premises except ARAMCO personnel, who were the ones who discovered  this find during a gas exploration project.

Comment to know more about this post.

**Ulema - an Islamic scholar; also spelled as Ulama.

A Black and White Affair

Just finished my post on "Mac and cheese you say?" and found this! It's so cute I just had to share it! Goes with my blog design too! Coool.

Mac and cheese you say?

For the past week my friends and I have been completing our thesis and it totally got my mind of food. And now that thesis is over, I don't know about you, but comfort food is my plat du jour. Yummy, yummy, yummy! I was thinking of macaroni and cheese. I haven't really tried homemade mac and cheese, only those that come in a box, so I've been scanning the net for a great recipe and found this! (see recipe below)


This version features an abundant crusty topping of buttery fresh breadcrumbs. Then there's the combination of four cheeses to add complexity. Also, sauteed shallots, garlic, and a soupcon of Dijon mustard and smoked sweet paprika provide a distinctive zest. Enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 cups coarse crumbs from good quality bread, crusts removed

5 T butter, divided

2 medium shallots, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic finely minced

3 T all-purpose flour

1/8 t smoked sweet paprika

2 t Dijon mustard

1 quart whole milk

½ t freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. elbow macaroni or corkscrew pasta

4 cups cheese, grated, divided (combination of sharp cheddar, gruyere and Colby) Use the grating disk of food processor or large holes of box grater.

½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

(white truffle oil optional)

Directions

1. Lightly sauté the breadcrumbs in 2 T butter and set aside.

2. Sauté shallots and garlic in 3 T butter in a 4-quart saucepan just until translucent. Add flour and stir over medium heat for two minutes. Stir in smoked sweet paprika and mustard.

3. Slowly add and stir in milk. Add pepper.

4 Set aside ½ cup of cheese mixture for topping

5. Cook macaroni 2 minutes fewer than package directions instruct. While macaroni is cooking, add 3 ½ cups of cheese mixture to milk mixture a little at a time, stirring constantly. Set aside ½ cup for topping. Taste for salt. You may not need any as the cheese is salty.

6. Stir well-drained macaroni into cheese mixture and pour into an oven-proof casserole dish. Sprinkle reserved cheese, including Parmigiano-Reggiano, over macaroni and then sprinkle on the breadcrumbs. Bake covered in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove cover and bake for another 10 minutes until there is a light crust on top. Guests can sprinkle a few drops of white truffle oil on top if they like.

And now it's up to my mom to do the rest. :)

DESIGN BLOG SERIES 7/7: Bars and Lounges

Thinking of what to do or where to go this weekend? Well, why don't you try these hot hot hottest places to be seen. Only thing you have to think of now is air fare ;P

T-O 12, Stuttgart
T-O 12 is new night club on the notorious "party mile" Theodore Heuss-Strasse. The club is also named after Theodore Heuss who is a dashing, fun-loving man, and the first president elect of the Federal Republic of Germany. Clubbers call call it Theo (which sounds just like T O in German) or Theo Zwulf (which sounds like twelve), hence the name T-O 12.

The design of the club was made by an architecture and communications firm, Ippolito Fleitz Group, and graphic designers, i-d buero. The dark walls and furnishings and huge black and white murals give a vertigo-inducing and fun aura to the place.

China Doll Club, Beijing
This club not only brings the hottest parties to clubbers, but it also showcases artworks from China's best contemporary artists.

Yucca Lounge, Shanghai
A cozy cocktail house on the third floor of Sinan Mansions in Shanghai, Yucca Lounge is also the headquarters of its creator -- Australian-Greek chef and restaurateur David Laris.

Aesop After Dark, Melbourne

Designer: Aesop in collaboration with March Studio

After designing boutique stores in Adelaide, Melbourne, they constructed this temporary installation doubling as a bar at Melbourne's State Design Festival.

Coquine Bar, London

The lights in this bar is called "Decanterlights" -- designed by Lee Broom, this collection was used in the design concept of Coquine Bar where the collection was also launched.

L'arc Paris

This bar is the place where you go to be seen with the chic, the famous, and the beautiful. You mostly go to this place to be seen.

Paramount Bar, London

Renowned English interior designer, Tm Dixon, is behind Paramount, London's hottest new venue located on top of the city landmark Centre Point Tower. A blend of 60's retro and futurism showed in hard-edged materials like concrete and stone to create a kind of space ship meets super club feel. 

Sound Phuket Night Club, Thailand

Located on the third floor of Jungceylon Shopping and Entertainment Complex in the Patong Resort, Sound can accommodate and impressive 700 clubbers.

This post officially ends my first blog series, hope you enjoyed reading and looking at the photos. My next post will about something you can chew on. :)

DESIGN BLOG SERIES 6/7: Retro Concept

A lot of designers nowadays have something retro in their portfolio, even PCs just like this one created by design studio, SchultzeWORKS. This was inspired by the 1950's Philco Predicta Television. The keyboard and mouse are designed like a typewriter and it also has steampunk features. Don't let the old retro look fool you, this computer runs on Windows 7 and all specs are fully updated and modern. I would totally want a computer like this one. Unfortunately, this design is not mass-produced but it sure does have a fan base of its own. This original design received top three honors in a competition.

Did you like this post? Share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, or your E-mail and follow GFD by clicking FOLLOW below GFD Followers on the right hand side of the page. Also, LIKE GFD's Facebook Page. For more amazingly DIFFERENT stuff on design, travel, food, marketing, and history, watch out for GFDs next posts. Who knows, you might actually like it too! :)

DESIGN BLOG SERIES 5/7: Houses

First of, I'd like to greet everyone a HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR!! :) Had so much fun with parties and reunions left and right this Christmas Season I wasn't able to finish my design blog series before 2010 ended. How was your Christmas and New Year??

So for the next post in my design blog series, I'll show you different houses with different design concepts. I wanted to show you more but decided that I'll be saving some of them for my next posts.

Bridle Road Residence, Cape Town, South Africa

I just love windows like this one- a great place for reading and thinking.

With a view like this, who needs fences

Casa Son Vida, Mallorca, Spain
Check out the staircase and pool.

Paraty House, Brazil

I'm lovin' the carpet, it makes the floor look like sand and blends it with the outdoors.

Private House, Ljubno ob Savinji

Sow House, Lake Geneva
I particularly like this one because of how the outdoor and indoor design blend together.

Willy Wonka House, Tribeca, New York
What a creative way to live!

Yarra House, Melbourne