Magic ring over Moscow

We spent our last week with a friends couple coming from Moscow. They are in love with Hong Kong and it is already the fourth time we see them. Lots of laughs, shopping, fooding, sightseeing. They are surprised about the fact that Hong Kong is not commercialized enough in Russia because it can be the ideal vacation to break out of the stress and austerity of the capital. And myself i always think there is no other place more stressful than HK!! But Moscow must be as magic as HK anyway… Just see what you can see on an ordinary day to work:

Asians ripped off by westerners promising enlightenment and improvements in life

Spiritual teachers, sound shamans, crystal healers, general healers, no idea how much rubbish there is also in Asia. They come from Europe or America  and start estabilishing themselves in China, Thailand, Indonesia…they even succed in opening retreat or healing centers with the sole scope to earn money and live their life. They are very clever and organize lots of workshop using the words: WISDOM – ENERGY – MEDITATION – RELAXING – CREATIVITY – SECRET – CONSCIOUSNESS – SUBTLE – POWER – HEALING- DIVINE SELF – EXPERIENCE TO EVOLVE – MIRACLE – CREATION.

Be careful. And be smart.

Here in Hong Kong they plan saturdays 7 hours workshop for 1.111 HKD and will promise to make you familiar with the keys to success and power, an easy guide to create your own life and improve it in all kinds of aspects.

Be smart and be alert.

They will tell that gratitude is the attitude and that money in this materialistic society is not leading to anything. On the other hand they will charge you a lot of money for a workshop and for 1 hour session (here in HK 800 HKD) of consultation, healing or astrology.

They will come up with some secret code or secret book that will want to teach you about, recalling some master or knowledge from the ancient times. Sometimes they dont live in Hong Kong and travel here in the weekend just to collect the money of their students. But once they go back home their students (are you or have you already been one of them??) are left in a transitive happy mood which will last only for some hours, then it will vanish and again there will be the need to go back to another workshop, and another and another. But the reality of life and the true joy cannot depend upon a workshop or a weekend seminar. It depends only on you.

So be smart and good luck.

image

How much childlike is the soul of folks involved in toy industry

Working with toys is one of the most exciting  and creative thing.  Behind each design and project it is moving a vibrant mixture of  all the qualities enclosed into a child himself. Infact toys are directed to children and they are created for their evolution and wellbeing, fun and growth. Nowaday the attention towards children’s positive maturation is becoming  bigger and bigger. All parents and educators want to put their best effort to give a life of great quality to their children. What is great quality? The answer is easy. Like the seven basical musical notes do re mi fa sol la si do create wonderful melodies and songs, at the same way these seven qualities create  a wonderful lifepath. 

And to have them expanding from inside out will enable anybody to develop the best stuff for any child. 

• innocence
• creativity
• dharma
• love
• collectivity
• balance
• joy

Last year i experienced a couple of seminars in toy exhibitions  directed to foster connections between all kinds of folks involved in making toys at different levels, also from different countries. When listening to their speeches i was wondering how truly childlike is their nature.

 

My daily panorama back from work

In Hong Kong you get EVERYTHING from any point of view, that is why many people who have lived here a long part of their life can miss the everthing feeling. And that’s what makes this city so unique in the whole world and the kind of place to not be missed once in life. It is just unbelievable! Moreover, if you are a content person that is not seeking special entertainments or adventures in life, Hong Kong is still perfect for you because of its deep Chinese heritage which is all pervading in people and happenings here! There are no cities like Hong Kong, where progress is showering from all sides, there is no fear of Big plannings ahead in the years, a character which is blossoming nd blossoming  every day. If you come to Hong Kong you will leave transformed for sure. In a world that cannot escape the game of transformations, this city is playing each card with the professional skills of a champion. 

My new route at sunset betwen traffic jam in the heart town and the Chinese sea flowing thru the beautiful hills (and hundreds islands).

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!

Come with me for a stroll in SOHO late at night

Tonight we had our usual dancing class in Soho, in a new stage center of a very exclusive and stylish club house. This part of the city is a real meltin pot of modern and old, trendy and old fashioned, hills and plane roads, plenty of narrow streets which i had to cross before reaching the MTR=underground train on the main street “at the feet of the mount”. 

 

this one was the starting point, the gallery of Mr. Tagore the grandson of the most legendary and auspicious Nobel of India. Work in progress inside, it was close and they are installing a new exhibition.

Soho is always busy and crowded and at night time it represents the drink/chat place for many people workin and living in the dowtown. However some streets are very quite and almost deserted with just one shop still shining.

 

We ‘ll look up so many interesting details and neon lights, fashionable items and cute little shops for foodies, lifestyle, wellness and beauty. A collection of colors and ideas

 

 

Somebody is still working on the street….and somebody is still shopping at almost midnite (…i got a beautiful “casacca” with geometrical designs). one of the best fun for me is bargaining in Chinese with these local folks: sometimes running into a sweet uncle or  a screamy auntie, sometimes into a young girl. i always wish that these people will go to the foundation of the economy in their own country and at the most important meaning for exchanging goods.

 

Late at night you can meet the usual  auntie who cleans up all the road of its cartoons, pack and pile them up diligently and carry them to some receptacle-place. Or simply she cleanse the city of the daily wasted plastic bags. She is the one who knows Mother earth problems and tribulations better than anybody else and better than any philosopher and wiseman.

 

Finally you can also get a floreal taxi to the MTR if you dont want to walk anymore. The driver can be a close relative of the auntie above. He very possibly enjoys drinking and smoking with his friends if not on due and very possibly does care very little in his central nervous sytem about the cycles and messages of Mother earth. But he knows how to drive well in the city jungle and will bring you to destination. 

Vibration in your head: are you kidding?

friend: this thing is …
me: ?
friend:  not cool
friend: i mean
friend:  the toy
me: yes
friend:  no words
me:  i know
friend:  why do they have to make it
me: i posted in my blog and left coments to the others
me: but it shows how they are making all kinds of experiments
friend: ya
me:  without knowing anything for real
me:  that s the main point actually
friend:  ya
me:  they are trying and trying
me: in the maze of their mind
friend:  this will take them nowhere or perhaps somewhere
friend: it proves the capacity of brain waves
me: we dont know where, we just know where we are going for sure eheheh
friend: ya

At the recent Toy Fair 2009 in New York a company presented this head belt which is supposed to covert the mind energy (the tester said “vibrations”) into movement of the ball you guide with an hand remote control. They are doing a lot of experiments in Toy industry, some of them are quite fun and thoughtless / mind blowing, others a big waste of skills and talents; i want to give you some updatings in the next post since at my office our team is focused on electronic game designing. Cool stuff!

World’s 50 safest banks – 2009

New York, February 25, 2009 — Such has been the turmoil in the world’s banking industry that, for the first time, Global Finance magazine is publishing a mid-year update of its much respected Safest Banks listing. A full report on the list will appear in the April issue of Global Finance. The “World’s 50 Safest Banks” 2009 were selected through a comparison of the long-term credit ratings and total assets of the 500 largest banks around the world. Ratings from Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch were used. Global Finance has published its “World’s Safest Banks” listing for 17 years and this ranking has become a recognized and trusted standard of creditworthiness for the entire financial world.

“The rating agencies have determined these banks have demonstrated a more prudent and sustainable approach to risk than their peers,” says Global Finance publisher Joseph D. Giarraputo. “More than ever customers all around the world are viewing long term creditworthiness as the key feature of the banks with which they do business.”

1. KfW (Germany)

2. Caisse des Depots et Consignations (CDC) (France)

3. Bank Nederlands Gemeenten (BNG) (Netherlands)

4. Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank (Germany)

5. Rabobank (Netherlands)

6. Landeskreditbank Baden-Wuerttemberg- Foerderbank (Germany)

7. NRW. Bank (Germany)

8. BNP Paribas (France)

9. Banco Santander (Spain)

10. Royal Bank of Canada (Canada)

11. National Australia Bank (Australia)

12. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (Australia)

13. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) (Spain)

14. Toronto-Dominion Bank (Canada)

15. Australia & New Zealand Banking Group (Australia)

16. Westpac Banking Corporation (Australia)

17. Banco Espanol de Credito S.A. (Banesto) (Spain)

18. ASB Bank Limited (New Zealand)

19. HSBC (United Kingdom)

20. Credit Agricole (France)

21. Wells Fargo (United States)

22. Nordea Bank (Sweden)

23. Scotiabank (Canada)

24. La Caixa (Spain)

25. Svenska Handelsbanken (Sweden)

 

26. US Bancorp (United States)

27. Banco Popular Espanol (Spain)

28. DBS Bank (Singapore)

29. Pohjola Bank (Finland)

30. Deutsche Bank (Germany)

31. Société Générale (France)

32. Intesa Sanpaolo (Italy)

33. Bank of Montreal (Canada)

34. DnB NOR Bank (Norway)

35. The Bank of New York Mellon (United States)

36. Caixa Geral de Depositos (Portugal)

37. United Overseas Bank (Singapore)

38. OCBC (Singapore)

39. Axa Bank Europe (Belgium)

40. Credit Suisse Group (Switzerland)

41. Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg (Germany)

42. Nationwide Building Society (United Kingdom)

43. CIBC (Canada)

44. National Bank Of Kuwait (Kuwait)

45. Barclays (United Kingdom)

46. UBS (Switzerland)

47. JPMorgan Chase (United States)

48. Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (Japan)

49. Banque Federative du Credit Mutuel

50. Credit Industriel et Commercial (CIC) (France)

 

 

(BFCM)  (France) 

Blu Lotus Art gallery in Hong Kong

Most of the art galleries (if you want to call them that way) in town re concentrated around and inside SoHo which is the same spot where we had our dance performance last weekend. Futan art village does offer something different like more space, high cealings, the idea to have a trip to reach there, the face-to-face communication with hosted artists, most of the ones work  directly in the gallery. Two spacious floors facing the green. Is it real Hong Kong? yes, it is.

My new city 70 years ago

This is Hong Kong in 1938 almost when my mother in law was born! Just yesterday she gave us tons of pictures of  my husband childhood and much more. It was  evident from the background how different the city was. Beautiful documentary which can be enjoyed alot in complete silence/ muting the sound. luv, r

A performance about self discovery

No surprise anymore about the fact that everybody now is moving towards the searching of the self. After thousands and thousand of years that hundreds and hundreds, if not millions or billions (how many hidden people we do not and we will never know?), of people covered this topic in all kinds of fields, now it would seem sometimes even redundant to face the topic. But here we are again, we are going to offer a beautiful fusion to the audience in Hong Kong on the 20th and 21st of this month, with the arrival of Springtime!

It is possible that until now no other artcompany thought to work on this unique kind of blend in town where indian live music, Tagore poetry, bharatnatyam steps and contemporary dance will fuse themelves on stage for an hour time.

If you live in Hong Kong try not to miss it, it’s going to be quite a mind blowing event.

Scattered pills reported from backstage directly from a dancer participant: 

a) on a subtle point of view it shows an interesting form of collaboration between Kazakistan and Vancouver. It also includes artists from India, Pakistan, Italy, England, Hong Kong. Moreover, women from different cultural backgrounds and experiences have the ability to work out beauty and understanding more easily.

b) it is really magical to notice how human beings involved in artistic creations about self discovery realize having an attention double times focused towards witnessing the blossoming and the refining of their own character and personality.

c) people in general here in town are becoming artistically more sensitive and mature, hence showing their desire to treat the audience with fascinating ideas and interesting designs.

d) nirmal yoga, spending time in sahaja yoga dimension, is becoming truly essential for that performer who want to enjoy the development of his efforts and perform at good vibrant levels. this yoga will give the performer the adeguate skills and strategy to avoid stressful routine and unuseful thoughts  which could lower the capacity to perceive pure joy during the all process of reharsing and dancing.

“Dancing is a very good way of clearing out your pressures because, in the dance, you go into thoughtless awareness and also into the joy. Then the joy is so fulfilling that the joy of the spirit is much more than the joy of any world comforts or also of physical comforts. Its gives you physical comfort, it gives you mental comfort it gives you also the spiritual comfort.”

           [H.H. Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi]

Just like a heart beat

How is your heart beat? Do you check on it? Not medically but for real. i found out that my heart beat is regular and especially during two moments of the day/week it goes towards the extreme without even touching them.  During sitting time of meditation it slows down a lot, during a dance performance it does increase.

Traditional Chinese doctors suggest not to take to any hyper dynamic activity after 50 years of age. When we get old we should keep our heart beat on the same regular tune as much as possible. Nowaday there is a big trend to go jogging, running ~ there are big financial companies here in town which promote marathons to push up the heart beat of their employees and throw them in stressful conditions with the pretest of charity events or enhancing team spirit. But a completely conscious person will not listen to them and have great care of his heart beat.

HK Bulletin: people are scared here

Here I am again reporting first hand experience from one of the most crowdie and culturally varied places in the world, the Asian center for affair and finance, where the professionals keeps monitoring worldwide economical situation and the standard man/woman stays at office until eight or nine every day. I live in a local neighborhood close to the northwestern boarder with the mainland and every evening I see streams of children in kurtas and punjabis from Arabia or India in the street; they live here with their family and go to local schools too; their mothers buying potatoes and greens at the market when I am also there. Simply colorful and so beautiful.

 

 

Now it will begin a reportage from last Thursday and Friday: in a period of time of 48 hours a scary universe discloses to my eyes in one block! I just want to share it with you; there is even some comic side in it! In no order: 1. I go for throwing the strawberries leaves in a basket placed behind the girl who is sitted at the reception in the dance studio: she literally jumps off the chair for two times thinking that some kind of monster maybe is moving towards the basket. 2. Here it follows the scary adventure as it has been told by a friend who is looking for an Indian shop at the upper floor of one of the most ethnic and multicultural mansion in Hong Kong downtown: “ I see all these black men an I am with the direction written on a paper. They are kind and they really want to help me, but I am too scared and I am running in the building with them following me saying: don’t run, we just want to tell you where the place is”. I know this mansion very well being situated not far from my workplace: it is probably the only corner in the all city where you can literally spot bunches of faces from everywhere. It sounds so exciting, here I know the Indian uncle upstairs, he fixed my ghagra for an extremely cheap price, I come here alone to buy Coconut oil, bangles and Bollywood movies: some shoppers are really familiar to me. Moreover I use to do money exchange here when I need non Chinese currencies; they have some of the best conversions, even better than at the bank sometimes.

3. While walking towards the train in the metro suddenly somebody gently hugs me half from the back, I just turn my face to see and smile: it’s the same friend I met in the morning and she’s going: aren’t you scared? 4. At night I am making tea in the kitchen of the Yoga ashram of the city and a lady comes in “wow how do you do that? I could not be able to do it, and you know why, because I am really scared to turn on the fire”.

Now when Friday night arrives and I have been the receptacle of all these “scared of” testimonials I feel really shocked. In the kitchen I was just turning on the fire of the stove with an electrical gas lighter, a skill which requires a simple coordination of both your hands.

It’s true that the news are simply disgusting, everybody is saying so; the economy collapsed. Few weeks ago a colleague visited my desk for asking something about a product or a deadline but it was only an excuse to chat and soften+discharge his scary feelings about the fact that another company like ours had just fired more than 50 people the same day.

Do you know the joke from a 4 years old who is praying: “And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.”? 

Bombs are exploding in our cities, children are being assaulted and violated, families being displaced and attacked…there is so much trash accumulated in all our baskets and so many others who attempt to make it worst. But this is not a good reason to live our days with the stable feeling of “being afraid of this and that”. I mean we are divine. The divinity within us has to take full control so that all these stupid ideas are automatically blown away.

 

 

This is the train of life: chuk chuk chuk…. Rail chalee hai Jeevan ki

Hasna rona, jagna sona, khona pana sathie hai dukh-sukh

chuk chuk chuk

raat aur din is rail ke dibbey

Aur sanson ka engine hai

Umar hai is gadhi ke pahiye aur chita station hai

Jaisey do patri hai vaisey saatha chaley duck-suck

Chuk chuk chuk….

Pap aur punya ki gathri bandhey satya

Nagar ko jana hai

Jeevan nagari chodh kar hamko Nirmal Nagari aana hai

Yeh bhi soch lo hamne kya kya maal kiya hai book

Chuk chuk chuk….

Engraving your I-Pod

Yes you can if you order it thru the internet Apple store. These are the words i asked to be engraved behind mine:

I am the Artist and I am the Art. But what about you?

They are from Shri Mataji, She keeps going:

You are the one who is created,

and you can create,

and you can become the artist.

A Cool reminder, arent they?  

Urban design: how to plant flower blossoms in the metro

Hong Kong thought it and did it simply sticking gigantic panels with flowers onto the walls of each station of an entire metro line. A flower and a color for every station. Here’s the sunflower stop. How genuinly cool and creative from 1 to 10 is this invention? What do you think? I d love to hear some opinions out there..!