The International Aquatic Plant Layout Contest is the largest and most popular aquarium design competition in the world, garnering competition from across the globe. The competition hosts a judge panel of 18 esteemed experts who award the contestants according to a 200 point criteria, half of which is determined by “Artistic Impression Point” – the other half is divided under 5 categories on the “Technical” side. For instance, points will be deducted for participants who use plants that don’t actually sustain themselves well in an aquarium. Aquariums that sustain a healthy condition for a longer period of time are given more points.

The contest, which has been running since 2001, awards its grand prize winner 1 million Yen. Everything from the choice of fish to the appropriateness of each plant’s position is judged by the 18-person panel. The winner, Pavel Bautin, used different sized “tree trunks” to create a forced depth – this tactic makes the layout look more dynamic and “sophisticated,” which is one of the criteria for those being judged.

Ever wondered where some ever-present idioms originated from in the English language? We’ve researched some of the most commonly used sayings and traced back their fascinating and sometimes bizarre history.

“Always a bridesmaid, never a bride”

Definition: Literally, always being a bridesmaid and never a bride. More figuratively, it is a forlorn saying for women when they can’t find love.

Origin: This gem of an idiom was first recorded in a Victorian music hall tune, “Why Am I Always A Bridesmaid?”, by Fred W. Leigh. However, the phrase garnered popularity after a retrospectively hilarious ad for Listerine mouthwash in 1924. The slogan, “Often a bridesmaid, but never a bride”, accompanied a picture of a forlorn ‘Edna’, who, because of her halitosis (bad breath), was never being able to find love. The solution: buying Listerine mouthwash in bulk.

Definition: Joking or fooling with someone.

Origin: To pull someone’s leg had much more sinister overtones when it first came in use. It was originally a method used by thieves to entrap their pedestrians and subsequently rob them. One thief would be assigned ‘tripper up’ duty, and would use different instruments to knock the person to the ground. Luckily, these days the saying is much more friendlier, though being on the end of a joke might not always be fun.

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Travelers in the 19th century would purchase vampire hunting kits in preparation for their travels to Eastern Europe. The kits would contain a wooden stake, Bible, crucifix, pistol with lead bullets, gunpowder, garlic and glass vials that held various concoctions to ward off vampires. Interestingly, these kits predated Bram Stoker’s Dracula and other written accounts of vampires, pointing to the strong oral history component of the undead bloodsucker.

                 

As people move to more sustainable ways of living, some innovative architects have begun using recycled materials to create more environmentally-friendly habitats. Incredibly, beer bottles have become a primary means of this style of building, with far-ranging benefits including cheap construction, recycling and up-cycling, pollution reduction, natural solar power lighting, and natural insulation. The environment will definitely thank these clever builders for these eco-friendly beer buildings:

Buddhist Temple in Khun Han, Thailand

Though drinking is considered a sin in Buddhism, 1.5 million green Heineken and brown Chang beer bottles went into the construction of the Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew temple. Located in the city of Khun Han, in north-east Thailand, the complex has been decades in the making. Enlisting the help of local authorities and residents, monks started collecting bottles in 1984. From the recyclables they have created the 20-building complex featuring the temple, houses, restrooms, crematorium, and also mosaics from discarded bottle tops.

The complex works as an eco-friendly, recycling initiative, functional building (the bottles don’t fade and are easy to clean), and – through the play of light on glass and the amount of elbow grease invested – a reflection of a cleansed mind and the discipline of Buddhism. The initiative has also helped clean up local pollution, and monks intend to expand further with every bottle they can collect.

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