Keep Weaving Words!

Ad-Deir, The Monastery – Petra

didi — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:12:33 +0000

Beautiful example of example of the Nabatean Classical style, Ad-Deir – The Monastery, is Petra’s largest monument. Undoubtedly linked to a funerary cult, possibly that of the deified King Obodas I (that would actually date it 1st century BC, and not 3rd c BC as speculated).

I know, I’m wasting my time with web search, should’ve been an archeologist as the little 6 years old me said.

Petra, the Siq

didi — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:02:00 +0000

I initially thought the Siq is a canyon, a gorge carved out by water, but reading a bit more on it I realised it is actually a single block that has been rent apart by tectonic forces. I should’ve known, as at various points you can easily see where the grain of the rock on one side matches the other – it’s easiest to spot when the Siq narrows to 2 m wide.

The Interpretation of dreams

didi — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:21:09 +0000

You see, our dreams are (maybe) attempts by the unconscious to resolve a conflict of some sort.

Ok, fine, but now the unconscious must distort dreams’ meaning to make it through the censorship. So often dreams are not what they appear to be.

Last night’s dreams definitely didn’t make it through the censorship. There might’ve been a conflict, but NOT one I am aware of.

The Fringe

didi — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:26:56 +0000

When you start feeling bitter

didi — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 22:56:17 +0000

You see, when you start feeling bitter it’s because -it seems at least- that there is an ironic injustice in what has happened. —-

Whenever something frightens us, it fascinates us at the same time. You end up going too far simply to prove yourself that you are capable of it. When F met P, she knew that there was something to match herself against. The prospect seemed sometimes overpowering, but fear itself can be a sweet sensation. And so, even though she had the feeling that there was a struggle between them and that she ran the risk of failure, it was a challenge she couldn’t turn down.

I’ve finished Francoise Gilot’s “Life with Picasso” today, will start “Loving Picasso” the private journal of Fernande Olivier tomorrow. Feel a bit guilty, as I did sympathise with FG

Lomo

didi — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 11:30:10 +0000

I think doing lomo is like reading, say Camus’ L’Etranger (not a random example, as I saw a girl on the train reading it the other day) in a crowd of the girl with the dragon tattoo/pearl/nests and waterstones’ 3 for 2. I love nicely eccentric people, as I like to call them, those who stop, think, say NO to passively taking the mainstream medicine and make their own choices. Was so tempted to chat the girl with L’etranger up, but ended up staring like an idiot.

Definitely one of the best places in the world for lomo – Saint Petersburg. Why? Because it all started with the optics manufacturer LOMO PLC of Saint Petersburg (Leningrad Optical Mechanical Amalgamation).

It was in the early 1990s when two students in Vienna, stumbled upon the Lomo Kompakt Automat – a small Russian camera. Fascinated by the vibrant colours, deep saturation and vignettes that framed the shots – they returned home and (as friends wanted their own Lomo LC-A) started a new style of analogue photography that some of us know as Lomography!

More LOMO shots on Google+ (ha ha yes, click) whose cross-processing button I find EXTREMELY annoying. Do we want to click a button / use digital software to create the analogue look? If we do, we’re missing the point.

For those interested (yes, for myself) the above photo is colour negative.

Karl Bulla’s shiny nose

didi — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 20:00:18 +0000

Very happy to have discovered Karl Bulla. Taking photos during the October Revolution, WW1 or the Russian Civil War was a dangerous mission (no telephoto lenses at that time!).

Near Bulla’s former studio in Saint Petersburg, stands a bronze sculpture of him photographing a bulldog. Passers-by stop and rub his nose (!); I did ask, couldn’t find out why they do it, but I guess it must be because they believe it brings luck, or makes them healthier or happier. Not sure about any of these, but am certain it does make his nose shiny.

Peterhof

didi — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 20:41:45 +0000

Peterhof is beautiful, but following Saint Petersburg’s example, such a fine example of IF LOUIS XV HAS ONE, I WANT ONE TOO!!!!!!Also, as almost everything built at that time – it has to be ready by ‘tomorrow’ and I don’t care how many lives we’re going to sacrifice.

A beautiful place, and still this Russian Versailles left me thinking that Russians absolutely love to show off!

The music of Saint Petersburg

didi — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 12:11:19 +0000

I do hope you saw Saint Petersburg like I see it,
I hope you liked it like I do.

I did like Saint Petersburg, and that is mainly for its buskers. Free from pretence, the most genuine presence in this city – they give life and character to a place imposed on the future, the most artificial place I’ve seen. A place so beautiful, but so sad.

I know our brain alters everything we see, and I don’t think that’s not a bad thing. Few lucky ones get to see behind Saint Petersburg beauty, its glorious palaces, fine bridges, The Hermitage, The Bronze Horseman and its winding canals.

One thing I know about Saint Petersburg is that the place really needs its music. Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony live performance strengthened the city’s will to resist one of the most gruesome episodes of WW2- the siege of Leningrad.

Ed Vulliamy described Leningrad Radio Orchestra’s performance on 9th August 1942 and, in 2001, tracked down the last few surviving members. Their testimonies are terrible, and I remember reading the The Siege of Leningrad (the story from the city dwellers themselves) more than 15 years ago and wishing I could disbelieve what they were saying.

An aged clarinetist recalled what he saw when the snow began to melt in the spring of 1942: dead or half-dead people, sometimes from injuries they had done to themselves, dismembered corpses that had been hidden under the ice. Severed bodies with meat chopped of them (…), which people had taken to eat.

Lots more to say, but won’t any extra details here, as these authentic accounts (read far too early) had a huge impact on me as a kid-

Another of V’s interviewees, recalled her arrival at the first rehearsal:

“I nearly fell over with shock. Of the orchestra of 100 people, there were only 15 left. I didn’t recognized the musicians I knew from before, they were like skeletons… It was evident we couldn’t play anything, we could hardly stand on our feet”

When the conductor raised his arms to begin no one had the energy to move:

“The musicians were trembling. Finally those who were able to play a bit helped the weaker [ones], and thus our small group began to play (…) I remember the trumpeter didn’t have the breath to play his solo and there was silence when his turn came around. His was on his knees, poor man… Everybody did his best, but we played badly, it was hopeless”

I don’t know how they found the strength to persevere… Four of them died of starvation and others had to take their place. Eventually, reinforced by musicians from military bands serving at the front, they were ready to perform. Some people made it and stood in the auditorium of the Philharmonic Hall, some listened on the radio, some in the trenches. The German troops were able to hear Shostakovitch’s work too (the concert was broadcasted on loudspeakers.

Leningrad’s self-defense came at a huge price. In 1944, when the 900-day siege ended, 1.2 million civilians had died and those who survived would be permanently marked by what they had endured.

You’d think that’s why I said Saint Petersburg is sad. Not in the slightest!
-to be continued-

Not as Russian as I thought

didi — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 07:42:57 +0000

I imagined the handpainted doll that symbolyses Russia, Matryoshka, to be a handicraft perfected by generations of peasant families. Rather than that, the concept was adapted from a Japanesse toy. It sort of make sense, as toys are a particularly creative form of folk art, but I really didn’t expect Matryoshka to be a 19 century doll depicting the Buddhist sage Fukuruma with Slavic features and a peasant dress.

The dolls have a very interesting story: the Bolsheviks thought matryoshki were not consistent with regime’s artistic and ideological goals and therefore banned the depiction of such CONTROVERSIAL figures as tailors, bakersor any entrepeneurial types, gypsies, Jews or any other ethnical groups and even figures like mermaids or goblins. Eventually, the dolls’ diversity and creativity diminished and she adopted one standard female image