This week’s offbeat roundup features a French homeowner who found roughly $800,000 in buried gold while digging a pool; a Dubai coffee shop selling a nearly $1,000-per-cup Panamanian brew that has divided locals; Hollywood’s boom in 60‑second vertical dramas criticised for formulaic and sometimes toxic themes; and 89‑year‑old Noel Anderson, one of Ireland’s last harp makers, who quips it takes hundreds of cups of tea to finish an instrument.
Gold in the Garden, a $1,000 Cup and Phone Soap Operas — This Week’s Offbeat Roundup
This week’s offbeat roundup features a French homeowner who found roughly $800,000 in buried gold while digging a pool; a Dubai coffee shop selling a nearly $1,000-per-cup Panamanian brew that has divided locals; Hollywood’s boom in 60‑second vertical dramas criticised for formulaic and sometimes toxic themes; and 89‑year‑old Noel Anderson, one of Ireland’s last harp makers, who quips it takes hundreds of cups of tea to finish an instrument.
21:12, 07.11.2025Culture
From an extraordinary backyard treasure find to a near-$1,000 cup of coffee, and bite-sized dramas filmed for phones, this week’s collection of odd and intriguing stories spans luxury, creativity and craft.
Now he can splash
A French homeowner in Neuville-sur-Saône, just north of Lyon, overturned the old joke that a swimming pool is a money pit: while digging for a pool he uncovered buried gold bars and coins estimated to be worth about $800,000. Local authorities have allowed him to keep the discovery, which may have been hidden in plastic bags by a previous owner of the property.
The $1,000 cuppa
Dubai is home to what its seller calls the world's most expensive coffee — a brew sold for nearly $1,000 a cup (milk extra) at the Julith coffee shop. Owner Serkan Sagsoz credits rare Panamanian beans for the taste profile, describing 'white floral notes like jasmine, citrus flavours like orange and bergamot and a hint of apricot and peach.' Many locals, however, reacted with amusement or disbelief, calling the product ostentatious and emblematic of Dubai's luxury scene.
Verticals' horizontal obsession
Hollywood has seen a surge in 60-second vertical dramas produced for smartphone viewing platforms such as TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Marketed by some producers as 'soap operas on cocaine,' these kitschy micro-episodes — about everything from werewolves to wealthy lovers — are shot in portrait mode to suit mobile consumption. Producer Vincent Wang boasted that 'in 30 days we can get a show together. Hollywood takes two years.'
Critics argue the format often sacrifices nuance for shock value. Many shows concentrate on intimate bedroom scenes and tropes that can glamorize abusive dynamics; provocative titles such as 'Dominated by My Dad's Boss' and 'Mated to My Savage Alpha' have drawn particular ire. One actor told reporters, 'I personally think it's toxic,' while another, Nicholas McDonald, admitted the dialogue can be laughable and expressed hope that writing quality will improve as the format evolves.
Happy to harp on
Noel Anderson, 89, is among Ireland’s dwindling band of traditional harp makers. Working from Srabane, he measures progress in teacups: 'To make a big harp, I've got to drink at least 800 cups,' he joked, adding that even smaller lap harps require hundreds of brews. Anderson has no plans to retire and continues to pass on a craft closely tied to Irish cultural identity.
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