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Story Time: Culinary Disasters – Newspaper
Necessity is the mother of invention. We have all undoubtedly heard this phrase, but a few weeks ago, I got to experience it in real life. Our school introduced after-school clubs, which involved extracurricular activities such as debates, painting, yoga, culinary arts and theatre. Being the senior-most class, we were chosen as patrons who would guide and help the younger pupils.
I was put into the culinary club and thought to myself, well, this will be a piece of cake. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t. Our first problem was finding a kitchen on the school premises. After much discussion, our teacher said she would bring her portable microwave oven. We decided to start with chocolate cupcakes, an easy item. Every child was assigned something to bring the next day.
The first club day had me feeling apprehensive about how things would go, and to be honest, they didn’t go well. The girl who brought eggs dropped them in the hallway. The maid didn’t appreciate having to mop up a slimy, stinky mess. The boy who had been assigned the task of bringing flour simply forgot, as if I hadn’t sent daily reminders on the WhatsApp group.
In the end, we made hot chocolate by borrowing milk from the canteen, heating it over a Bunsen burner in the science lab and adding cocoa powder and sugar.
For the next class, we decided on something absolutely easy and no fuss: pizza on bread. No heat required, only basic steps. Surely, what could go wrong? It turned out that a lot could, in fact, go wrong.
The cheese was frozen solid and even after being left in the sunlight, it remained obstinately hard. Who has heard of pizza without cheese? We ended up making chicken sandwiches with the bread, chicken and tomato sauce originally meant for pizza.
At this point, I had completely given up on even one class being successfully executed, but we still had a couple of club periods left. It was agreed that we would make fizzy mint lemonade. To my utmost surprise (and gratitude), all the ingredients arrived. The lemons were round and juicy, the mint fresh and the fizzy drink chilled. We squeezed lemon juice into a bowl along with sugar and water. Some crushed mint followed, and the mixture was poured into glasses, with a cold drink to be added on top.
However, the drink’s cap turned out to be screwed on very tightly, and everyone took turns trying to prove their strength by opening it. A girl finally managed to do so, but as she did, it jerked and white bubbles immediately formed and rushed to the surface, spilling out of the bottle and onto the table. I bit my lip, trying to summon every ounce of patience I had as I mopped up the foam. Our teacher explained that shaking the bottle created a lot of tiny bubbles, allowing the dissolved carbon dioxide in the drink to quickly escape and froth out.
I guess even cooking mishaps can turn into chemistry lessons!
The rest of the club periods passed somewhat peacefully, with hiccups along the way, but we managed to make a rather delicious no-bake chocolate delight, fruit salad and nachos. Mistakes always happen, but knowing how to adapt and overcome them is a skill that can only be learnt through experience.
Published in Dawn, Young World, March 7th, 2026
Bamboo grows through a lamp post
A bamboo stalk in Xinchang County, Zhejiang Province, has gone viral after growing through a six-metre metal lamp post and sprouting lush leaves on the other side.
Dubbed the “Indomitable Bamboo”, the plant began just centimetres from the post and pushed its way through a small opening at the base.
Experts say bamboo can grow in darkness thanks to its strong root system and underground stems.
The unusual sight was filmed by a local man, Mr Jia, who shared it online, where it quickly gained millions of views. The bamboo has since become a symbol of perseverance, drawing visitors eager to see it and teach children about resilience.
Cliff-hanging café is the world’s most extreme
Gushi Cliff Coffee is a cliffside café built about 60 metres above sea level in southeastern Fujian Province, China. Visitors reach the platforms by walking along a via ferrata trail and rappelling down under the supervision of instructors.
The café, which has been open since 2004, recently went viral on social media. A cup of coffee costs about 398 yuan ($58), which includes insurance, equipment rental and guidance from instructors. There is no time limit once visitors reach the cliff platforms. The venue has become especially popular with thrill-seeking tourists.
Fan sets record for Stranger Things collection
An Arizona superfan has earned a Guinness World Record for the largest collection of Stranger Things memorabilia, with 2,301 items.
Chandler resident Joey Avalos received the title in January. He began collecting when the Netflix series first premiered, starting with Funko Pop! figures, as merchandise was limited at the time.
Avalos says the collection is still growing and continues to take up more space in his home.
Cockatiel named world’s oldest at 33
An Illinois family’s pet cockatiel, Sonny, has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the oldest living cockatiel. He secured the title in October 2025 at 32 years and 292 days old and turned 33 on January 10.
Sonny has been with his owner, Janet Reicher of Northbrook, since he was just a few weeks old in 1993. He is known for whistling tunes from Bridge on the River Kwai and The Andy Griffith Show.
Reicher credits his long life to a healthy diet and regular social time. Paper-trained, Sonny spends most of his day outside his cage and often sits with Janet in the evenings while she watches television.
Published in Dawn, Young World, March 7th, 2026
BTS comeback concert for 15,000 fans
BTS is expected to host around 15,000 ticketed fans at its comeback concert, “BTS The Comeback Live: Arirang”, in central Seoul on March 21.
The free concert will be held at Gwanghwamun Square, a day after the release of BTS’ fifth studio album, Arirang — their first album since Proof (2022) and their first after all members completed military service.
The performance will begin with the group walking from Gyeongbok Palace through Gwanghwamun Gate before arriving at the main stage.
About 2,000 standing tickets were made available for early applicants, while additional reserved seats will be sold later. The concert will also be streamed live globally on Netflix in more than 190 countries.
Authorities expect the crowd around the venue to exceed 200,000 people.
Hello Kitty’s new comic series, Hello World!
Hello Kitty: Hello World!, the first American comic series featuring Hello Kitty, will launch on July 22 through IDW Publishing.
Written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Cody Lemieux, the story follows Hello Kitty and her friends as they travel across the world, solving riddles in each issue while meeting new characters. The series aims to combine cute, heart-warming storytelling with light adventure themes.
The comic will feature covers by Min Ho Kim and Justine King. The publisher is also planning future comics and potential crossover projects starting around 2027.
Spider-Noir posters and first images released
Spider-Noir has released its first posters and images ahead of its teaser trailer launch.
The upcoming live-action series from Prime Video stars Nicolas Cage as private investigator Ben Reilly, a 1930s version of Spider-Man living in New York. The story follows Reilly, a former masked hero known as The Spider, who returns to crime-solving after taking on a new case.
The series also features Lamorne Morris, Li Jun Li and Karen Rodriguez, and is produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios.
Published in Dawn, Young World, March 7th, 2026
Story Time: Culinary Disasters – Newspaper
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