Keep learning, keep smiling

I am watching the big soft orange placed right here on the office desk, a macrocosmo of vitamins and precious water. And just now i am back from reading a beautiful blog which focus a lot on health, nature, self care, beauty of life. Go ahead you too if like me and other people do cultivate the strong interest of living a vibrant, satisfying,positive life full of energy and in constant growth. With all the best wishes! 

10 spectacular places i’ve been in the past 10 years

Mostly a tribute to flickr either because i am writing this post between home (where my pics are stored) and office and because soft copies of the pictures are only available from the last five years. I didnt follow a meaningful order, just browsing in my memory: 

1. Aragonese Castle, Italy

A unique place with an awsome history connected also to Michelangelo Buonarroti’s life. It shall deserve a rich post asap. (image by me)

2. San Francisco Aquarium by flickr

Even though Hong Kong and Genoa Italy aquariums are two of the biggest and most beautiful, i still loved Frisco one. why? Because you walk under real tunnels of the Bay Area!

3. Pan de Azucar in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by flickr

A combination of spirituality and cable car is the most thrilling experience for me!

4. Big Buddha, Lantau Island

This other combination of spirtuality&cable-car is really close to my home and I could potentially get the experience every weekend. Last month with a friend from Vancouver we went up for two consecutive days just for tasting the feeling to fly higher and higher into the mountains and have the majestic Buddha waiting for us on the other side!  You may also want to enjoy a more accurate post about it soon. (image by me)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Jamaican beach

It was a lovely family tour during my stay in US. Bathing in the warm Caribbean waters every morning and chatting with the locals on the beach all day long until evening. We also met a direct friend of Bob Marley living upon discographic projects and hand making palm leaves hats for tourists. Most hospitable place. (photo flickr – my dad keeps all the real pics)

6. Havana de Cuba downtown

Harmony of colors and extreme relaxation and freedom in the streets. On our fly-route back from India e Moscow with my friend Maneesha, we took loads of pictures and then… lost the camera. Ahahahh. I just remember we were in ecstasy for the whole day spent there. A most welcoming taxi driver strolled us everywhere and gave us contact number in case we’ll be back. If anybody interested.  (photo flickr)

7.  Parque Chicaque, Colombia

The most vivid nature, the real “selva Colombiana”.  An amazing day trekking in the jungle, few of us, completely absorbed by beauty and silence in the country Garden of the world. There is an Indian story about Shri Vishnu, He had to leave India  because in trouble and went seeking refuge with Garuda precisely in Colombia, chosen because it was the only place on Earth so much rich in plants and fruits.  

8. Faraglioni, Italy

Did you know it’s the Zen Garden of Italy? Have a look, it’s my home. Really.

9. Beihai park in Beijin, China

A remarkable park to understand the lifestyle of old emperors. Many of them have written lovely poems to their own mothers, whose words are often engraved on marble pillars around.

10. Elephanta caves, India

I was speechless here I was totally stunned by the grandness of majestic Lords Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu.

 

I just realized there are more than 10 spectacular places i’ve seen but for now i will just confine into the maryadas of this TAG. And yes you have been tagged too! Which one are your most spectacular visits… 5, 10, 15 you number them. And leave me a message below when you have done the post, and please tag more people. Let’s travel all together! Do you know something shocking about travelling? I know it cause my sis is a travel agent in Italy. Last week she spoke over the phone that Italians are so crazy about traveling and holiday that despite of the economy struggle they are  paying rates for their vacation even if it’s just for few days!

Green and green guest of my window

Beginning of Spring in New Delhi

I went to Delhi two weekend ago for a friend’s wedding and found a warm sky plus a warm family who took care of myself like their own daughter. It was a marvelous experience! We spent our days in the militar area of the city at DSOI and surroundings. The flowers of their garden are among the most amazing I ever saw all together in one place in a urban setting, i took hundreds of pictures: that was a fantastic start of Spring time!

 

 

 

Mughali gardens of paradise

Mughal emperors were fond of gardens and beauty. The design of their architecture is mostly brilliant and peaceful. They were known for four major types of garden:  palace, terraced, waterfront and tomb gardens. There is a garden, now in ruin, across the river from the Taj Mahal which is known as “Moonlight Garden“. Quoted by Rabindranath Tagore. 

Yet one solitary tear
Would hang on the cheek of time
In the form
Of this white and gleaming Taj Mahal

Well, it was built as a mirror image in order to allow the court to enjoy the reflection of the glooming marble  artwork during the evenings of full moon. Water is one of the central element to refresh the air and it is used in form of cascades and fountains, often flowing thru channels and pools just like in the Taj Mahal. A classical Mughal garden includes symmetrical design and lots of water.

Iran is the sacred area on the planet where Mughal design originated. Infact the same word Paradise is the Persian pairi (around) and daeza (wall). Garden flowers are depicted thru words in fabulous Persian poetries and in the sacred Koran. Flowers are also engraved in the marble inlay that today represents the Gardens of Paradise as symbolized in the sacred book. In 2001 the Bradford Mughal garden was inaugurated in North England to reflect the cultural diversity of the area next to Cartwright Hall, which disposes of contemporary South Asian art exhibits.

What can you do with your hands beside giving vibrations

Soap!!!! Turmeric soap will be my hommade gift for Chinese New Year to all my aunties & sistas with pure smel of love!

A flower as we see it and as it is

~ Some red ~

flowers found in north east of China (Hangzhou)

Inside the flowers of Lamma island

Travelogues about island are not finished yet here. Lamma island is considered probably the coolest one to live in because of its artistical attractions. Lots of European families landed in Hk decided to settle down here although the houses are not modern at all and all kinds of interesting animals (lots of snakes they say) around are ready to visit anytime.

There are plenty of colorful things to watch in Lamma. Flowers, plants and trees have been marked and explained upon small wooden tags but for the aracnide up there there was nothing to read since it was a spontaneous meeting at the beginning of the main path. When arriving at the harbour, about 20 minuts from HK mainland, you may probably meet some native selling hand cooked red bean sweet soup or cookies.

Afterwards by following the main narrow street the wole greenish and easygoing, wild and relaxed environment will disclose in front of you:

There are 2 things you should pay lots of attention while hiking around Lamma. One is the strong smell of its flowers scattered in mass at any corner like in a big garden. All the fragrances fuse in the air, it s like being in heaven and the aroma is so much penetrating that your brain is so happy to swim into it! There are flowers whose petals are starting to yellow because of the Autumn season but they keep the odorous activity tuned, others present rare jungle shapes of colored lianas.

 

Now, why Lamma is considered so artistic?? First of all musicians, painters, dancers, writers and so on populate this place. Not only the fragrance but also the music of a piano flying out from a window for example can accompany you in the trip for a while.  I met a French dancers who has been living here for years while staying in HK and she never regretted to have to travel back and forth for her job was on the mainland, and consider that afyter 11 or midnite there are no more ferries every day. 

The second Art reason is that all the shops and restaurants maintain of course a well trendy made look to catch your eyes. They care about little details, sometimes extravagants, sometimes normal. So you may notice an old singer sewing machine right against the main wall of the street you are walking along or a wooden rocking horse placed like on a pedestal at the end of a street. Romantic sets have been created at the outdoor tables of all the restaurants. Lamma is perfect for the tea time and serves traditional or western home made cakes or for the dinner/lunch with the availability of the tastier and fresher of the fish (expensive!) for you to pick directly from the big tanks outside each restaurant.

AH! before night time, dont forget to enjoy the sunset that on the islands is always so spectacular and regenerating!

Travelouge’s sunset also comes here ~

 

Why I love Japa Anime

1. Colors are fresh and realistic
2. Good demons and bad demons fight
3. Landscapes are paradisiac
4. Animated details inside homes and cities are extraordinary 
5. Characters are tender
6. Other characters are really funny
7. Musics are moving and wonderful
8. Story plots are interesting and with lots of  imagination involved
9. When i was girl i used to draw the same faces of the girls of these movies
10. Innocence is there usually

This is taken from Howl’s moving castle with origianl song:

Gorgeous lady costumes from the movie Marie Antoinette

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out the wonderful costumes from the movie Marie Antoinette. The designer Milena Canonero have done an excellent job. When she met the productor of the movie:

Coppola handed Canonero a box of pastel-coloured macaroons from the Laduree pastry house. “She told me, ‘These are the colours I love’,” recalls Canonero. “I used them as a palette. Sofia was clear about the colouration, but left the rest to me. We squeezed the essence of the period, without reproducing it. Even if you think you know a lot about it,” she argues, “you always have to look for a new angle. I simplified the very heavy look of the 18th century. I wanted it to be believable, but more stylized.”

An analysis more profound of each and every costume is presented by professionals here, which is the site from where i copied the pictures. i am in love with these dresses, they are too fabolous. The fabrics used in the words of MC again:

Beautiful silks, taffeta, and satin. But for Marie Antoinette I used original lace from the 18th century and I also used original waistcoats for the men, and the jewelry and accessories were sometimes used in a freer way. In those days all the ladies in the court would be covered in lace because it was the way to show how rich you were. They had much more jewelry than I used. I preferred the decorations of the dresses to be more graphic than lacy. Even though I used beautiful period lace sometimes.

 

 

Art patrimony of humanity: papercut

When i went to Bejing last month of course i run into the several shops exposing paper cut works and watched somebody outside one of them cutting with scissors a piece of paper. All the frames around him were beautifully displaying very detailed designs. This kind of art is really amazing!

Papercuts refer to handicrafts made by cutting paper with scissors to form different patterns and pasting them on walls, windows, doors and ceilings. With their long history, papercuts, which originated in China, have been very popular among the ordinary people of China. The first papercut can be traced back to the Northern and Southern Dynasties (386-581) period. The initiation and spread of papercuts had a close relationship with Chinese rural festivals. People pasted papercuts on walls, windows and doors at wedding ceremonies or festivals to enhance the festive atmosphere. (from the web)

All the topics drawn and their color have special meanings. The finest artwork use the thinnest paper and once they were also used as hair accessory by the women. During Tang dinasty they were accompanying poems. Handmade pieces are original and all unique in the texture. People should consider this form of art as an extremely precious patrimony we all have and if you get the opportunity do not hesitate to learn how to do it! Which other art form is similar to papercut? Do you know anyting similar from another culture?

Power runs on the lines of design

It is beautiful to see how the design of certain style flourishes in one place and then moves to another one. And people can admire the original feature of the original design truly better in the second place than in the first. It’s fascinating. This is what happened to the buddhist Chinese architecture which originated here in China during the Tang Dinasty and can be nowaday found quite intact in the island of Japan.

There is almost no need to go and seek for informations about this period because the temples speak by themselves. They are charged with silence, dignity and sober beauty. These qualities are certainly the same residing in the ancient Chinese spirit which was moreless lost for all these years. These are the blossoming times and the meaning of strenght and power animating this spirit must come back now.

Bathing in vibrations of winning styles

Keeping talking about style I ask you to come and read few notes about the Hanfu which i am going to purchuse soon with my friend. It is a winning style because it preserve more than 3000 of history in its fabrics. The first hanfu (meaning clothing of the Han people, the most ancient Chinese ethnic group) was – by legend – realized by the wife of the Yellow Emperor; she used to grow silkworms and this is how she made the firs hanfu. The Japanise kimono and the Korean dress are also derivated from it.

Hanfu was regarded by Han Chinese as a very important part of their culture. The wearing of appropriate styles of Hanfu was an important part of courteous refined behaviour. Confucius considered Hanfu a very important part of Chinese ceremony and ritual and many of his quotations contain references to Hanfu.

Hanfu underwent slight or interesting transformations during the diverse dinasty periods. For example:

According to archaeological discoveries, the basic shape and style of Hanfu were already and almost completely developed during the Shang Dynasty (c. 16th century BC – 11th century BC), the first attested dynasty of China. Clothing from this period was mainly composed of two parts, the Yi (coat) on the top and the Shang (skirt) underneath. The sleeve cuff was narrow. The Yi did not have any buttons and was fixed with a broad sash tied around the waist. A Bixi hung from the waist sash was used to shade the knees.

Archeological finds show that fabrics in this period were mainly in warm colors, especially yellow and red, along with brown. There were also cooler colors like blue, green etc. Because the red and yellow dyes were made from mercury sulfide and orpiment, they were brighter than the other colors and were of stronger penetrability; hence they were more able to last unchanged until today. Modern scientific analysis has shown that dyeing and weaving methods were often used at the same time during Shang and Zhou periods. Orthochromatic colors such as red and yellow were often used to draw on the fabrics after they were woven.

It is apropriate both for women and men and today it is used a lot during official ceremonies or important meetings. Sometimes the cut is adjusted for more modern looks but I still prefer the one closer to the original. It does emanate so much dignity and sobriety, sweetness and magnificence at the same time.

In some places children wear it at school for example or during other occasions.

 

Pure music in pure body (part two)

Music as therapeutic is widely accepted today. There are lots of interesting studies on its effects and reaction into the human body. They are really fascinating and real at the same time. After having transcripted the pronunciations used in the phonetic language of Devnagari (language spoken by the Devas) in the part one, now i am going to list the Bija Mantra and Bija Akshar which are sung for each complex-of-organs to awaken the energy that monitor the area:

Pelvis:

Bija mantra: Om Lam Lam Lam Lam (4 times Lam)

Bija Akshar: Om, Wam, Sham, Sham, Sum, Om

——

Liver and surroundings:

Bija mantra: Om Wam Wam Wam Wam Wam Wam (6 times Wam)

Bija Akshar: Om Bam Bham Mam Yam Ram Lam

——

Stomach and surroundings:

Bija mantra: Om Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram (10 times Ram)

Bija Akshar: Om Dam Dham Nam Tam Tham Dam Dham Nam Pam Pham Om

——

Heart:

Bija mantra: Om Yam Yam Yam Yam Yam Yam Yam Yam Yam Yam Yam Yam (12 times Yam)

Bija Akshar: Om Kam Kham Gam Gham Ngam Cham Chham Jum Jham Nyam Tam Tham Om

——-

Throat, ears, nose, neck:

Bija mantra: Om Ham Ham Ham Ham Ham Ham Ham Ham Ham Ham Ham Ham Ham Ham Ham Ham (16 times Ham)

Bija Akshar: Om, Am, Aam, Im, Iim, Um, uum, Rum, Ruum, Rlum, Rluum, Em, Aim, Om, Aum, Am, Ahum, Om

——

Forehead, eyes:

Bija mantra: Om Om Om

Bija Akshar: Om Ham Ksham Om

——

Brain:

Bija Mantra: AUOOM

Bija Akshar: AUM

All these mantras should be sung in SA (the note)