A rainbow of colour!

316 semi-naked painted bodies…a new Guinness World Record!

Cork Naked Bike Ride 2012

Thongs, Spots and a New World Record!

Just before lunch time today, over 300 people painted themselves into the Guinness Book of Record here in Cork, setting the new Body-Painting World Record! The event, which was organized by Cork Body Painting set out to break the previous 5-year long record of ’264 bodies painted’ held by an American group.

People of all heights, all backgrounds, all shapes and all sizes showed up from 8am this morning to strip naked (Okay, we all had to wear a thong!), and just before lunch over 317 bodies has been painted from head to toe, fingers, ears, armpits…and sometimes even people’s hair!

By late morning, as the counter clicked 200 a mighty cheer erupted in the hall of the Camden Palace Hotel, gradually becoming louder as we approached the 264 mark. Confidence oozed out of participants as they pranced around half-naked, posing for photos, helping out others or just soaking up the general atmosphere.

However, it wasn’t all plain sailing, as panic spread through-out the city last night as every last shop in Cork sold out of Male thongs! Adult shop, Utopia, came to the rescue though and remained the only outlet with thongs still available yesterday evening, according to The Irish Examiner!

It was a bizarre feeling to be walking around the Camden Palace Hotel with all but a skimpy thong, sipping on hot tea and chatting to total stranger over a game of foosball. I never thought I would feel so at ease and comfortable surrounded by so many naked bodies!

I doubt I will ever forget the image of a 634 multi-colored arms, a spectrum of color, raised high above a sea of naked ambition as the last of the group photos were taken, with everyone smiling and cheering and in a state of utter bliss.

As Keira O Connell, the chief organizer and the lady behind the idea summed up the event, “I think it’s safe to say if I asked anyone that didn’t have an enjoyable experience today to raise their hand, we would be looking in the face of a liar!”

It truly was an unforgettable experience enjoyed by all and something I can now tick off my bucket list!

The (Irish) Sea of Nakedness

I will never forget the day I got naked with a few thousand other brave souls in Dublin harbor. It was for a Spencer Tunick Art Installation and was right up there with some of the wackier things I have done in my life.

Standing knee deep in the freezing, Irish sea or laying down on the hard, cold rocky pier back to back with naked strangers, as a ship sails in from England (no doubt full of puzzled passengers!) was a morning I’m not going to forget anytime soon! I can’t begin to imagine what was going through those passengers minds as they saw a few thousand naked Irish people welcoming them into Dublin Port at 5 o’clock in the morning!

“Welcome to Ireland, the friendliest nation on Earth!”

"Welcome to Ireland!" A sea of nakedness!

It's a wee bit cold...a sea of nakedness!

Long Lasting Locks of Love

One of my first days in Korea I visited Namsan mountain and N-Tower and came across this huge collection of multi-coloured padlocks attached to every visiible bit of fence. Over the years these ‘Locks of love’ left to express peoples long lasting love for eachother have built up to an enormous collection, what you could even call an ‘Exibition of Modern Art’.

The locks all have beautiful messages written on them to friends, family and loved ones such as “Love you Always”, “Can’t stop this feeling” and “I will always be yours” written in various languages. It a pretty cool idea and something I would definetly reccomend you check out when in Seoul and maybe even add your own ‘Lock of Love’.